{"id":60902,"date":"2026-05-28T09:32:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T00:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/?p=60902"},"modified":"2026-06-04T02:53:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T17:53:41","slug":"italian-non-in-comparatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-non-in-comparatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Non in Comparatives: Prima Che (Non) Sia Tardi (B2)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udd0d <strong>In short.<\/strong> <strong>Italian non comparatives<\/strong> are constructions where <em>non<\/em> shows up after <em>prima che<\/em>, <em>a meno che<\/em>, <em>pi\u00f9 di quanto<\/em>, <em>piuttosto che<\/em> and similar words, without negating anything. <em>\u00c8 meglio chiamare prima che non sia tardi<\/em> means exactly the same as <em>\u00c8 meglio chiamare prima che sia tardi<\/em>: &#8220;Better call before it gets late&#8221;. <em>Ha studiato pi\u00f9 di quanto non avessi pensato<\/em> means &#8220;He studied more than I had thought&#8221;, not less. Italians call this <em>non rafforzativo<\/em> or expletive <em>non<\/em>: a leftover from older Italian that survives in formal speech and writing, especially with the subjunctive. The italian non comparatives pattern is optional today, but reading a sentence with a stray <em>non<\/em> and translating it as a negative will twist the meaning. This B2 guide covers all four contexts where italian non comparatives appear, when to keep the <em>non<\/em>, when to drop it, the one situation where it is forbidden, and a Ragusa Ibla dialogue between Romualdo and Ester among cioccolato di Modica and tardobarocco churches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Italian non comparatives are not a rule you need to use, but a rule you need to recognise. Once the pattern clicks, half of the trickier subjunctive sentences in novels and newspapers stop looking baffling. By the end of this guide you will spot expletive <em>non<\/em> at a glance and use it yourself when you want a more formal register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-toc-noncomp\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-toc-h-noncomp gb-headline-text\" style=\"text-align:center;font-size:24px\">Cosa impareremo oggi<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc46\ud83c\udffb Jump to section<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#what\">What italian non comparatives are<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#prima-che\">Prima che (non): before it gets late<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#a-meno-che\">A meno che (non): unless<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#di-quanto\">Pi\u00f9 di quanto (non): more than I thought<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#piuttosto-che\">Piuttosto che (non) and pi\u00f9 che (non)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#forbidden\">The one place where non is forbidden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#register\">Register: when to use it, when to drop it<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mistakes\">Three traps for English speakers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet: italian non comparatives<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dialog\">Dialog: Romualdo and Ester in Ragusa Ibla<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#related\">Related guides<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#quiz\">Quiz<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what\">What italian non comparatives are<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sit in a pasticceria in Modica with a piece of cioccolata <em>al peperoncino<\/em> and a friend who reads the local paper aloud. Sooner or later a sentence drops in: <em>\u00e8 meglio finire il giro prima che non chiudano le chiese<\/em>. The reader stops. Did the speaker mean &#8220;before the churches close&#8221; or &#8220;before the churches don&#8217;t close&#8221;? The first one. The <em>non<\/em> is decoration. Italians call this <em>non rafforzativo<\/em>, &#8220;reinforcing non&#8221;, and it shows up in a small but precise set of contexts. This is the territory of italian non comparatives.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00c8 meglio finire il giro prima che non chiudano le chiese di Ragusa Ibla.<br><em>Better finish the tour before the churches in Ragusa Ibla close.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Andiamo a Scicli, a meno che non preferiate il duomo di San Giorgio.<br><em>Let&#8217;s go to Scicli, unless you&#8217;d rather see the cathedral of San Giorgio.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Il cioccolato di Modica \u00e8 pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto non avessi immaginato.<br><em>Modica chocolate is more bitter than I had imagined.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The four standard homes of italian non comparatives are <em>prima che (non)<\/em>, <em>a meno che (non)<\/em>, <em>pi\u00f9\/meno di quanto (non)<\/em>, and <em>piuttosto che (non)<\/em>. All four share the same two features: the verb that follows is in the subjunctive, and the <em>non<\/em> is optional and carries zero negative force. Some of these contexts are comparative in the strict sense (<em>pi\u00f9 di quanto non<\/em>); others are temporal or exceptive but behave grammatically in the same family, which is why Italians and grammarians group them together when they discuss <em>non rafforzativo<\/em>. In this guide italian non comparatives covers the whole set.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-focus-historical\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udd0d <strong>Why does the non exist at all?<\/strong> In older Italian (Manzoni, Verga, even Pirandello) the expletive <em>non<\/em> was almost obligatory in these contexts. English has a parallel ghost in <em>unless<\/em>, which historically contained a negative prefix <em>un-<\/em>, and in older constructions like <em>lest he should fall<\/em> where <em>lest<\/em> already meant &#8220;for fear that not&#8221;. Italian non comparatives are the same kind of fossil: a redundant negation that the language has kept around without using it for meaning. Today it is optional and tied to register.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"prima-che\">Prima che (non): before it gets late<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first context for italian non comparatives is <em>prima che<\/em>, &#8220;before&#8221;. The conjunction always takes the subjunctive, and a <em>non<\/em> can slip in between <em>che<\/em> and the verb. <em>Devo telefonare al pasticcere prima che chiuda<\/em> and <em>Devo telefonare al pasticcere prima che non chiuda<\/em> mean the same thing: &#8220;I have to phone the pastry-maker before he closes&#8221;. The <em>non<\/em> here is not saying &#8220;before he doesn&#8217;t close&#8221;; it is a literary echo of urgency, &#8220;before he closes &#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Saliamo a Modica Alta prima che non faccia troppo caldo.<br><em>Let&#8217;s go up to Modica Alta before it gets too hot.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Romualdo ha voluto entrare in San Giorgio prima che il sagrestano non chiudesse il portone.<br><em>Romualdo wanted to go into San Giorgio before the sacristan closed the door.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Ester ha comprato due tavolette di cioccolato al peperoncino prima che la cioccolateria non rimanesse senza scorte.<br><em>Ester bought two bars of chilli chocolate before the chocolate shop ran out of stock.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Telefonami prima che io parta per il Val di Noto.<br><em>Call me before I leave for the Val di Noto.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two practical notes about <em>prima che (non)<\/em>, one of the four italian non comparatives slots. First, in everyday speech most Italians drop the <em>non<\/em>: <em>telefonami prima che parta<\/em> sounds more natural than <em>prima che non parta<\/em>. Second, when the subject of the main clause and the <em>prima che<\/em> clause is the same, Italian switches to <em>prima di + infinitive<\/em>: <em>telefonami prima di partire<\/em>, not <em>telefonami prima che (tu) parta<\/em>. The expletive <em>non<\/em> only lives inside the explicit, subjunctive form of italian non comparatives, never inside the infinitival shortcut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-meno-che\">A meno che (non): unless<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second context is <em>a meno che<\/em>, &#8220;unless&#8221;. Here italian non comparatives behave a little differently: the <em>non<\/em> is so habitual that it feels almost obligatory, even though grammatically it is still expletive. <em>Andiamo a Scicli, a meno che non piova<\/em> means &#8220;Let&#8217;s go to Scicli, unless it rains&#8221;. The <em>non<\/em> does not flip the meaning to &#8220;unless it doesn&#8217;t rain&#8221;; it is part of the fixed locution <em>a meno che&#8230; non<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Domani saliamo a Modica Alta a piedi, a meno che non faccia troppo caldo.<br><em>Tomorrow we&#8217;ll walk up to Modica Alta, unless it&#8217;s too hot.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Ester porta il tartufo modicano a casa, a meno che Romualdo non lo finisca prima.<br><em>Ester will bring the Modica truffle home, unless Romualdo finishes it first.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Visitiamo anche Scicli, a meno che voi non siate troppo stanchi.<br><em>We&#8217;ll also visit Scicli, unless you are too tired.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Non rinuncio a un caff\u00e8 al Bonajuto, a meno che la cioccolateria non sia chiusa.<br><em>I&#8217;m not giving up a coffee at Bonajuto, unless the chocolate shop is closed.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">English helps here. The English word <em>unless<\/em> historically contained a negative prefix <em>un-<\/em>, the same way <em>a meno che non<\/em> contains a <em>non<\/em>. The negation is built into the structure of &#8220;unless&#8221;; it is not a second negation in the sentence. Once you internalise that <em>a meno che&#8230; non<\/em> = &#8220;unless&#8221;, reading these italian non comparatives becomes automatic and the formal register stops feeling foreign.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-1-noncomp\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Mini-task #1.<\/strong> Translate each sentence. Watch the expletive <em>non<\/em>: it is part of the construction, not a real negation.<\/p>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Andiamo al duomo di San Giorgio prima che non chiuda.<\/li>\n<li>Ti chiamo, a meno che il treno per Ragusa non sia in ritardo.<\/li>\n<li>Il barocco siciliano \u00e8 pi\u00f9 ricco di quanto non si racconti nelle guide.<\/li>\n<li>Romualdo finir\u00e0 il libro prima che non parta per la Sicilia.<\/li>\n<li>A meno che Ester non cambi idea, mangiamo le scacce.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<details><summary><strong>\ud83d\udc49 Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>1. Let&#8217;s go to the cathedral of San Giorgio before it closes. (non = expletive)<br>\n2. I&#8217;ll call you, unless the train to Ragusa is late. (a meno che&#8230; non = unless)<br>\n3. Sicilian baroque is richer than the guides describe. (di quanto non = than)<br>\n4. Romualdo will finish the book before he leaves for Sicily. (non = expletive)<br>\n5. Unless Ester changes her mind, we&#8217;ll eat scacce. (a meno che&#8230; non = unless)<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"di-quanto\">Pi\u00f9 di quanto (non): more than I thought<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the most properly comparative of the italian non comparatives. After <em>pi\u00f9 di quanto<\/em>, <em>meno di quanto<\/em>, <em>pi\u00f9 di quel che<\/em>, <em>meglio di quanto<\/em>, the verb is in the subjunctive, and a <em>non<\/em> can be inserted before it. <em>Il cioccolato di Modica \u00e8 pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto non avessi pensato<\/em>: &#8220;Modica chocolate is more bitter than I had thought&#8221;. The <em>non<\/em> does not mean the speaker had thought it was not bitter; the speaker simply had not realised how bitter it was. The italian non comparatives convention treats this <em>non<\/em> as a hinge that signals an unexpected gap between expectation and reality.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Il modicano vero \u00e8 pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto non avessi immaginato.<br><em>Real Modica chocolate is more bitter than I had imagined.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>La scalinata di San Giorgio era pi\u00f9 ripida di quanto Ester non ricordasse.<br><em>The San Giorgio staircase was steeper than Ester remembered.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Romualdo conosceva il barocco di Gagliardi meglio di quanto non avesse mostrato in mattinata.<br><em>Romualdo knew Gagliardi&#8217;s baroque better than he had shown that morning.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Il sole sul tufo bianco era pi\u00f9 forte di quel che non avessimo previsto.<br><em>The sun on the white tufa was stronger than we had foreseen.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>La cioccolateria Bonajuto \u00e8 meno grande di quanto non sembri dalle foto.<br><em>The Bonajuto chocolate shop is smaller than it seems in photos.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two things to notice about italian non comparatives in this slot. First, the tense of the subjunctive follows the tense of the main verb: <em>\u00e8 pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto pensassi<\/em> (imperfect subjunctive) goes with the present; <em>era pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto avessi pensato<\/em> (pluperfect) goes with the imperfect or remote past. The Italian sequence of tenses applies as usual to italian non comparatives. Second, the construction <em>di quanto + (non) + congiuntivo<\/em> is preferred in writing; in casual speech Italians often use the indicative or restructure the sentence: <em>\u00e8 pi\u00f9 amaro di come pensavo<\/em>, or even <em>\u00e8 pi\u00f9 amaro di cos\u00ec<\/em>. The expletive <em>non<\/em> is a marker of formal register, the calling card of italian non comparatives at their most polished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"piuttosto-che\">Piuttosto che (non) and pi\u00f9 che (non)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fourth context for italian non comparatives is <em>piuttosto che (non)<\/em> and <em>pi\u00f9 che (non)<\/em>. Here the <em>non<\/em> can slip in before any element of the second term of the comparison: a noun, an adjective, an adverb, a prepositional phrase, a verb. <em>Voleva la cioccolata fondente piuttosto che non quella al latte<\/em> means exactly the same as <em>Voleva la cioccolata fondente piuttosto che quella al latte<\/em>: &#8220;He wanted the dark chocolate rather than the milk chocolate&#8221;. <em>Era pi\u00f9 curioso che non stanco<\/em> = &#8220;He was more curious than tired&#8221;. The <em>non<\/em> is a stylistic flourish, common in 19th-century novels, less common in modern speech.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ester compra il tartufo modicano piuttosto che non quello industriale.<br><em>Ester buys the Modica truffle rather than the industrial one.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Romualdo era pi\u00f9 affascinato che non sorpreso davanti alla facciata di San Giorgio.<br><em>Romualdo was more fascinated than surprised in front of the San Giorgio fa\u00e7ade.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Lavorano la cioccolata con pazienza pi\u00f9 che non con macchinari.<br><em>They work the chocolate with patience rather than with machines.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Preferiva camminare lungo la salita piuttosto che non prendere la scorciatoia.<br><em>He preferred walking up the slope rather than taking the shortcut.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a deeper dive into the difference between <em>piuttosto che<\/em> (preference between two options) and <em>pi\u00f9 che<\/em> (two qualities of one subject), see our B1 guide on the topic listed in Related guides. This pillar on italian non comparatives focuses on what the <em>non<\/em> does, not on the choice between <em>che<\/em> and <em>di<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"forbidden\">The one place where non is forbidden<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is one situation where italian non comparatives are blocked: when the main clause already contains a real negative <em>non<\/em>. Two expletive negations in the same comparative sentence collapse into ambiguity, so Italian simply forbids the second one. <em>Non \u00e8 pi\u00f9 alto di quanto pensassi<\/em> \u2705 &#8220;He is not taller than I thought&#8221;. <em>\u274c Non \u00e8 pi\u00f9 alto di quanto non pensassi<\/em>: not Italian.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u2705 Il duomo non era pi\u00f9 alto di quanto immaginassi.<br><em>The cathedral wasn&#8217;t taller than I imagined.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u274c Il duomo non era pi\u00f9 alto di quanto non immaginassi.<br><em>Ungrammatical: two clashing non.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Romualdo non beveva il caff\u00e8 meno amaro di quel che bevesse Ester.<br><em>Romualdo didn&#8217;t drink coffee any less bitter than Ester did.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u274c Romualdo non beveva il caff\u00e8 meno amaro di quel che non bevesse Ester.<br><em>Ungrammatical: real non in main clause blocks the expletive non.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rule is mechanical: real <em>non<\/em> in the main clause = no expletive <em>non<\/em> in the comparative. This is one of the few hard constraints in italian non comparatives, and it catches even careful native writers, so when you see a comparative sentence with a negated main clause, leave the <em>non<\/em> out of the subordinate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"register\">Register: when to use it, when to drop it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Italian non comparatives belong to the formal end of the register scale. A few practical guidelines for when to keep the <em>non<\/em> and when to drop it.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Keep it<\/strong> in written Italian: essays, articles, formal letters, academic prose. Treccani and the Accademia della Crusca list the <em>non rafforzativo<\/em> as a feature of the more cultivated written register.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keep it<\/strong> with <em>a meno che<\/em>: even in everyday speech, <em>a meno che non<\/em> is the default; dropping the <em>non<\/em> (<em>a meno che piova<\/em>) sounds elliptical and a bit awkward.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Drop it<\/strong> in casual conversation with <em>prima che<\/em>, <em>pi\u00f9 di quanto<\/em>, <em>piuttosto che<\/em>: most speakers today say <em>prima che chiuda<\/em>, <em>pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto pensassi<\/em>, <em>piuttosto che andare<\/em>. Adding the <em>non<\/em> in chat sounds bookish.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Always drop it<\/strong> if the main clause is already negated (see previous section).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reading versus writing<\/strong>: as a learner you need to recognise the construction in any text from Manzoni to today&#8217;s <em>Repubblica<\/em>. Producing it yourself is optional and a sign of stylistic confidence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mistakes\">Three traps for English speakers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three slips with italian non comparatives mark a sentence as written by a learner. Fixing them is fast once you have the pattern in your head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Trap 1.<\/strong> Translating the expletive <em>non<\/em> as a real negation. Wrong: <em>\u00e8 pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto non avessi pensato<\/em> read as &#8220;more bitter than I had not thought&#8221;. Correct: &#8220;more bitter than I had thought&#8221;. The <em>non<\/em> evaporates in translation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Trap 2.<\/strong> Using the indicative instead of the subjunctive. Wrong: <em>\u00e8 pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto non avevo pensato<\/em>. Correct: <em>\u00e8 pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto non avessi pensato<\/em>. The expletive <em>non<\/em> almost always demands a subjunctive (imperfect or pluperfect, depending on the tense of the main verb). If you want the indicative, drop the <em>non<\/em> and rephrase: <em>\u00e8 pi\u00f9 amaro di come pensavo<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Trap 3.<\/strong> Inserting the expletive <em>non<\/em> when the main clause is negative. Wrong: <em>non \u00e8 pi\u00f9 caro di quanto non costasse l&#8217;anno scorso<\/em>. Correct: <em>non \u00e8 pi\u00f9 caro di quanto costasse l&#8217;anno scorso<\/em>. Two competing negations are not allowed in italian non comparatives.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-2-noncomp\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Mini-task #2.<\/strong> Fix or confirm each sentence. Some are correct, some have a wrong or missing <em>non<\/em>, some have the wrong verb mode.<\/p>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A meno che Ester non vuole il caff\u00e8, prendiamo solo cioccolata.<\/li>\n<li>Il duomo di Modica era pi\u00f9 alto di quanto Romualdo avesse calcolato.<\/li>\n<li>Non \u00e8 meno bello di quanto non sembri dalle cartoline.<\/li>\n<li>Andiamo a Scicli prima che non chiudano i musei.<\/li>\n<li>Era pi\u00f9 affascinato che stanco davanti alla facciata di Gagliardi.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<details><summary><strong>\ud83d\udc49 Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>1. <em>A meno che Ester non <strong>voglia<\/strong> il caff\u00e8&#8230;<\/em> (a meno che requires subjunctive)<br>\n2. \u2713 correct (di quanto + pluperfect subjunctive; expletive non optional, fine without)<br>\n3. <em>Non \u00e8 meno bello di quanto sembri dalle cartoline.<\/em> (real non in main clause blocks expletive non)<br>\n4. \u2713 correct as written; the expletive non is optional, sentence works with or without it<br>\n5. \u2713 correct (pi\u00f9&#8230; che + adjectives; expletive non would be possible: <em>pi\u00f9 affascinato che non stanco<\/em>, equally fine)<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet: italian non comparatives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One table for the whole italian non comparatives system. Keep it open while you read a Sicilian baroque guide or a Camilleri novel and you will spot the pattern on every other page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead><tr><th>Construction<\/th><th>Status of non<\/th><th>Example<\/th><th>Meaning<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>prima che (non) + congiuntivo<\/td><td>optional, formal<\/td><td>prima che non chiuda<\/td><td>before it closes<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>a meno che (non) + congiuntivo<\/td><td>habitual, almost obligatory<\/td><td>a meno che non piova<\/td><td>unless it rains<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>pi\u00f9\/meno di quanto (non) + cong.<\/td><td>optional, formal<\/td><td>pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto non pensassi<\/td><td>more bitter than I thought<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>piuttosto che (non)<\/td><td>optional, literary<\/td><td>fondente piuttosto che non al latte<\/td><td>dark rather than milk<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>pi\u00f9 che (non) + N\/Adj\/Adv<\/td><td>optional, literary<\/td><td>pi\u00f9 curioso che non stanco<\/td><td>more curious than tired<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Main clause has real non<\/td><td>FORBIDDEN<\/td><td>\u274c non \u00e8 pi\u00f9 alto di quanto non pensassi<\/td><td>ungrammatical<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Verb mode after expletive non<\/td><td>congiuntivo (almost always)<\/td><td>di quanto credessi \/ avessi creduto<\/td><td>imperfect or pluperfect<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Register<\/td><td>formal written, careful speech<\/td><td>essays, novels, Treccani<\/td><td>casual speech drops it<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dialog\">Dialog: Romualdo and Ester in Ragusa Ibla<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Romualdo, who reads Vaccarini and Gagliardi for pleasure, drags Ester through Ragusa Ibla and Modica in a single August day. Ester is the cook of the pair: chocolate matters more to her than late baroque does. They climb to San Giorgio, then drive down to Modica for a tasting at Bonajuto. Count the italian non comparatives as you read: there are several, and a couple where the <em>non<\/em> has been dropped on purpose because the conversation is casual.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-dialog-noncomp\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Romualdo:<\/strong> Saliamo a San Giorgio prima che non chiuda il portone, dai. Il sacrestano \u00e8 puntuale.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Ester:<\/strong> La scalinata \u00e8 pi\u00f9 ripida di quanto ricordassi. Mi fermo un attimo sul sagrato.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Romualdo:<\/strong> Vale la pena, fidati. La facciata di Gagliardi \u00e8 pi\u00f9 articolata di quanto non sembri dalle foto: tre ordini, colonne tortili, una scenografia.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Ester:<\/strong> Ti credo. Per\u00f2 poi scendiamo a Modica, a meno che tu non voglia trattenerti dentro un&#8217;altra ora.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Romualdo:<\/strong> Promesso, mezz&#8217;ora al massimo. Devi vedere il pavimento e l&#8217;organo, prima che ci raggiunga il gruppo dei turisti.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Ester:<\/strong> Va bene. Per\u00f2 tu lo sai che a me il cioccolato di Modica interessa pi\u00f9 del barocco siciliano, vero?<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Romualdo:<\/strong> Lo sospettavo da quanto sei partita di casa: avevi pi\u00f9 curiosit\u00e0 per Bonajuto che non per Vaccarini.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Ester:<\/strong> Esatto. E sono curiosa di assaggiare il modicano vero. Si dice che sia pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto non si immagini.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Romualdo:<\/strong> Lo \u00e8. Lavorano il cacao a freddo, pi\u00f9 con pazienza che non con macchinari, e i cristalli di zucchero restano interi. Si sente sotto i denti.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Ester:<\/strong> Andiamo subito, allora. A meno che tu non voglia fermarti anche al duomo di San Pietro, ma onestamente preferirei la cioccolateria.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Romualdo:<\/strong> San Pietro lo guardiamo dall&#8217;esterno passando. Poi gi\u00f9 a Modica, prima che chiudano la cucina al ristorante che ti dicevo.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Ester:<\/strong> Ottimo. Il tartufo modicano lo prendo io, piuttosto che non lo prenda il primo turista che passa davanti alla vetrina.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Romualdo:<\/strong> Anche questo \u00e8 un buon argomento. Andiamo.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Count the italian non comparatives lines: <em>prima che non chiuda<\/em>, <em>pi\u00f9 ripida di quanto ricordassi<\/em> (non dropped, casual), <em>pi\u00f9 articolata di quanto non sembri<\/em>, <em>a meno che tu non voglia<\/em>, <em>prima che ci raggiunga<\/em>, <em>pi\u00f9 curiosit\u00e0 per Bonajuto che non per Vaccarini<\/em>, <em>pi\u00f9 amaro di quanto non si immagini<\/em>, <em>pi\u00f9 con pazienza che non con macchinari<\/em>, <em>a meno che tu non voglia<\/em>, <em>prima che chiudano<\/em>, <em>piuttosto che non lo prenda<\/em>. A single trip to Ragusa exercises every slot in the system.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-3-noncomp\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Mini-challenge.<\/strong> Write four sentences about a real plan for tomorrow using each of the four italian non comparatives constructions: one with <em>prima che (non)<\/em>, one with <em>a meno che (non)<\/em>, one with <em>pi\u00f9 di quanto (non)<\/em>, one with <em>piuttosto che (non)<\/em>. Read them out loud once and check that the verb after each <em>non<\/em> is in the subjunctive.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"quiz\">Test your understanding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take the quiz below to test what you have learned about italian non comparatives, expletive <em>non<\/em>, and the subjunctive that follows it.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-quiz-noncomp60902\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center;color:#888\">        <div class=\"wpProQuiz_content\" id=\"wpProQuiz_1231\">\n                    <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_time_limit\">\n            <div class=\"time\">Time limit: <span>0<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"wpProQuiz_progress\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_checkPage\" style=\"display: none;\">\n            <h4 class=\"wpProQuiz_header\">Quiz-summary<\/h4>\n\n            <p>\n                <span>0<\/span> of 2 questions completed            <\/p>\n\n            <p>Questions:<\/p>\n\n            <div style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_box\">\n                <ol>\n                                            <li>1<\/li>\n                                            <li>2<\/li>\n                                    <\/ol>\n                <div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n            \n            <input type=\"button\" name=\"endQuizSummary\" value=\"Finish quiz\"\n                   class=\"wpProQuiz_button\">\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_infopage\" style=\"display: none;\">\n            <h4>Information<\/h4>\n\n            \n            <input type=\"button\" name=\"endInfopage\" value=\"Finish quiz\"\n                   class=\"wpProQuiz_button\">\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_text\">\n            <p>\n                <p style=\"text-align:center;\">&#8211;<\/p>\n            <\/p>\n\n            \n            <div>\n                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_button\" type=\"button\" value=\"Start quiz\"\n                       name=\"startQuiz\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_lock\">\n            <p>\n                You have already completed the quiz before. 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             <div style=\"margin-top: 10px;\">\n                    <ol>\n                                                    <li data-category_id=\"98\">\n                                <span class=\"wpProQuiz_catName\">Spot the correct sentence<\/span>\n                                <span class=\"wpProQuiz_catPercent\">0%<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n                                                    <li data-category_id=\"603\">\n                                <span class=\"wpProQuiz_catName\">The subjunctive after 'di quanto'<\/span>\n                                <span class=\"wpProQuiz_catPercent\">0%<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n                                            <\/ol>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div>\n                <ul class=\"wpProQuiz_resultsList\">\n                                            <li style=\"display: none;\">\n                            <div>\n                                <div style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; max-width:640px; margin:0 auto; padding:36px 24px; color:#1a1a1a; box-sizing:border-box; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:30px; font-weight:700; color:#7b2d8b; margin:0 0 6px; line-height:1.2;\">Ciao ,<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:13px; color:#666; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5px; margin:16px 0 14px;\">Il tuo risultato &middot; 0 to 40%<\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#f0f0f0; height:7px; border-radius:4px; overflow:hidden; margin:0 auto 36px; max-width:320px;\">\n<div style=\"background:linear-gradient(90deg, #e9d5ee, #7b2d8b); width:20%; height:7px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:26px; color:#1a1a1a; margin:0 0 14px; font-weight:700; line-height:1.35;\">Rinforziamo le basi su questo argomento.<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:18px; color:#333; line-height:1.65; margin:0 auto 38px; max-width:520px;\"><strong>Il nostro consiglio.<\/strong> Un <strong>Pacchetto da 10 Lezioni<\/strong> ti d&agrave; dieci sessioni di 55 minuti con un insegnante madrelingua, ai tuoi tempi.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:1px; background:#e8e8e8; margin:0 auto 30px; max-width:120px;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:12px; color:#666; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5px; margin:0 0 10px;\">Prossimo passo consigliato<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:30px; color:#7b2d8b; margin:0 0 6px; font-weight:700; line-height:1.2;\">Pacchetto 10 Lezioni<\/h4>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:16px; color:#666; margin:0 0 24px;\">Individuale<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/vacanze.webp\" alt=\"Pacchetto 10 Lezioni\" style=\"width:140px; height:auto; margin:0 auto 26px; display:block;\"\/><\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:19px; color:#333; line-height:1.8; list-style:disc; padding-left:22px; margin:0 auto 32px; max-width:460px; text-align:left; display:inline-block;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Qualsiasi livello<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Sessione individuale di 55 minuti su Zoom<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Insegnante madrelingua personale<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Materiali interattivi online<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Compiti dopo ogni lezione<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/membership-checkout\/?level=8\" style=\"display:inline-block; padding:18px 40px; background:#7b2d8b; color:#fff !important; text-decoration:none; border-radius:8px; font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Arial,sans-serif; font-size:18px; font-weight:600; letter-spacing:0.3px;\">Scopri il Pacchetto 10 Lezioni &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:19px; font-style:italic; color:#555; margin:42px 0 0;\">Coraggio: un passo alla volta.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/li>\n                                            <li style=\"display: none;\">\n                            <div>\n                                <div style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; max-width:640px; margin:0 auto; padding:36px 24px; color:#1a1a1a; box-sizing:border-box; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:30px; font-weight:700; color:#ab2227; margin:0 0 6px; line-height:1.2;\">Ciao ,<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:13px; color:#666; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5px; margin:16px 0 14px;\">Il tuo risultato &middot; 41 to 65%<\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#f0f0f0; height:7px; border-radius:4px; overflow:hidden; margin:0 auto 36px; max-width:320px;\">\n<div style=\"background:linear-gradient(90deg, #fde2e2, #ab2227); width:53%; height:7px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:26px; color:#1a1a1a; margin:0 0 14px; font-weight:700; line-height:1.35;\">Ottima base. Costruiamoci sopra.<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:18px; color:#333; line-height:1.65; margin:0 auto 38px; max-width:520px;\"><strong>Il nostro consiglio.<\/strong> Una <strong>lezione settimanale 1:1<\/strong> ti d&agrave; il ritmo e il feedback personalizzato per trasformare ci&ograve; che sai in italiano che parli senza pensarci.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:1px; background:#e8e8e8; margin:0 auto 30px; max-width:120px;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:12px; color:#666; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5px; margin:0 0 10px;\">Prossimo passo consigliato<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:30px; color:#ab2227; margin:0 0 6px; font-weight:700; line-height:1.2;\">Lezione settimanale 1:1<\/h4>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:16px; color:#666; margin:0 0 24px;\">Individuale<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/vacanze.webp\" alt=\"Lezione settimanale 1:1\" style=\"width:140px; height:auto; margin:0 auto 26px; display:block;\"\/><\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:19px; color:#333; line-height:1.8; list-style:disc; padding-left:22px; margin:0 auto 32px; max-width:460px; text-align:left; display:inline-block;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Qualsiasi livello<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Sessione individuale di 55 minuti su Zoom<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Insegnante madrelingua personale<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Materiali interattivi online<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Compiti dopo ogni lezione<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/membership-checkout\/?level=4\" style=\"display:inline-block; padding:18px 40px; background:#ab2227; color:#fff !important; text-decoration:none; border-radius:8px; font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Arial,sans-serif; font-size:18px; font-weight:600; letter-spacing:0.3px;\">Prenota una lezione 1:1 settimanale &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:19px; font-style:italic; color:#555; margin:42px 0 0;\">Avanti tutta!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/li>\n                                            <li style=\"display: none;\">\n                            <div>\n                                <div style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; max-width:640px; margin:0 auto; padding:36px 24px; color:#1a1a1a; box-sizing:border-box; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:30px; font-weight:700; color:#b8860b; margin:0 0 6px; line-height:1.2;\">Ciao ,<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:13px; color:#666; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5px; margin:16px 0 14px;\">Il tuo risultato &middot; 66 to 85%<\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#f0f0f0; height:7px; border-radius:4px; overflow:hidden; margin:0 auto 36px; max-width:320px;\">\n<div style=\"background:linear-gradient(90deg, #faecc4, #b8860b); width:75%; height:7px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:26px; color:#1a1a1a; margin:0 0 14px; font-weight:700; line-height:1.35;\">Ottimo lavoro. Sei pronto\/a per il gruppo.<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:18px; color:#333; line-height:1.65; margin:0 auto 38px; max-width:520px;\"><strong>Il nostro consiglio.<\/strong> <strong>Quattro Chiacchiere (B2-C1)<\/strong> ti porta nell&#8217;italiano vero, al ritmo dei madrelingua.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:1px; background:#e8e8e8; margin:0 auto 30px; max-width:120px;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:12px; color:#666; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5px; margin:0 0 10px;\">Prossimo passo consigliato<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:30px; color:#b8860b; margin:0 0 6px; font-weight:700; line-height:1.2;\">Quattro Chiacchiere<\/h4>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:16px; color:#666; margin:0 0 24px;\">B2-C1<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4-chiacchierebianco.webp\" alt=\"Quattro Chiacchiere\" style=\"width:140px; height:auto; margin:0 auto 26px; display:block;\"\/><\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:19px; color:#333; line-height:1.8; list-style:disc; padding-left:22px; margin:0 auto 32px; max-width:460px; text-align:left; display:inline-block;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">100% in italiano<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Piccoli gruppi, max 4 studenti<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Lezioni settimanali su Zoom<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Grammatica, lettura, vocabolario, ascolto<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/membership-checkout\/?level=2\" style=\"display:inline-block; padding:18px 40px; background:#b8860b; color:#fff !important; text-decoration:none; border-radius:8px; font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Arial,sans-serif; font-size:18px; font-weight:600; letter-spacing:0.3px;\">Scopri Quattro Chiacchiere &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:19px; font-style:italic; color:#555; margin:42px 0 0;\">Ci vediamo in classe!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/li>\n                                            <li style=\"display: none;\">\n                            <div>\n                                <div style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; max-width:640px; margin:0 auto; padding:36px 24px; color:#1a1a1a; box-sizing:border-box; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:30px; font-weight:700; color:#2d6a4f; margin:0 0 6px; line-height:1.2;\">Ciao ,<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:13px; color:#666; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5px; margin:16px 0 14px;\">Il tuo risultato &middot; 86 to 100%<\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#f0f0f0; height:7px; border-radius:4px; overflow:hidden; margin:0 auto 36px; max-width:320px;\">\n<div style=\"background:linear-gradient(90deg, #cce5d5, #2d6a4f); width:93%; height:7px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:26px; color:#1a1a1a; margin:0 0 14px; font-weight:700; line-height:1.35;\">Bravissimo! Ce l&#8217;hai fatta.<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:18px; color:#333; line-height:1.65; margin:0 auto 38px; max-width:520px;\"><strong>Il nostro consiglio.<\/strong> Sei pronto\/a per <strong>Quattro Chiacchiere (B2-C1)<\/strong>, 100% in italiano.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:1px; background:#e8e8e8; margin:0 auto 30px; max-width:120px;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:12px; color:#666; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5px; margin:0 0 10px;\">Prossimo passo consigliato<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:30px; color:#2d6a4f; margin:0 0 6px; font-weight:700; line-height:1.2;\">Quattro Chiacchiere<\/h4>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:16px; color:#666; margin:0 0 24px;\">B2-C1<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4-chiacchierebianco.webp\" alt=\"Quattro Chiacchiere\" style=\"width:140px; height:auto; margin:0 auto 26px; display:block;\"\/><\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:19px; color:#333; line-height:1.8; list-style:disc; padding-left:22px; margin:0 auto 32px; max-width:460px; text-align:left; display:inline-block;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">100% in italiano<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Piccoli gruppi, max 4 studenti<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Lezioni settimanali su Zoom<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\">Grammatica, lettura, vocabolario, ascolto<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/membership-checkout\/?level=2\" style=\"display:inline-block; padding:18px 40px; background:#2d6a4f; color:#fff !important; text-decoration:none; border-radius:8px; font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Arial,sans-serif; font-size:18px; font-weight:600; letter-spacing:0.3px;\">Scopri Quattro Chiacchiere &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size:19px; font-style:italic; color:#555; margin:42px 0 0;\">A presto su Zoom!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/li>\n                                    <\/ul>\n            <\/div>\n                        <div style=\"margin: 10px 0px;\">\n                                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewDiv\" style=\"display: none;\">\n            <div class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewQuestion\">\n                <ol>\n                                            <li>1<\/li>\n                                            <li>2<\/li>\n                                    <\/ol>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewLegend\">\n                <ol>\n                    <li>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewColor\" style=\"background-color: #6CA54C;\"><\/span>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewText\">Answered<\/span>\n                    <\/li>\n                    <li>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewColor\" style=\"background-color: #FFB800;\"><\/span>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewText\">Review<\/span>\n                    <\/li>\n                <\/ol>\n                <div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div>\n                                    <input type=\"button\" name=\"review\" value=\"Review question\"\n                           class=\"wpProQuiz_button2\" style=\"float: left; display: block;\">\n                                        <div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_quizAnker\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_quiz\">\n            <ol class=\"wpProQuiz_list\">\n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_listItem\" style=\"display: none;\">\n                        <div\n                            class=\"wpProQuiz_question_page\" style=\"display:none;\" >\n                            Question <span>1<\/span> of <span>2<\/span>                        <\/div>\n                        <h5 style=\"display: none;\"\n                            class=\"wpProQuiz_header\">\n                            <span>1<\/span>. Question                        <\/h5>\n\n                        \n                                                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_question\" style=\"margin: 10px 0 0 0;\">\n                            <div class=\"wpProQuiz_question_text\">\n                                <h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">Conjugate after di quanto<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>In comparisons, di quanto takes the imperfect subjunctive: \u00e8 pi\u00f9 facile di quanto pensassi. Not the indicative and not the conditional.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <ul class=\"wpProQuiz_questionList\" data-question_id=\"7331\"\n                                data-type=\"cloze_answer\">\n                                \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"0\">\n\n                                        <ul><li>\u00c8 stato tutto pi\u00f9 facile di quanto (penso, pensassi, penserei) <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"8\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(pensassi)<\/span><\/span> .<br><br><em>It was all easier than I thought.<\/em><\/li><li>Il viaggio \u00e8 durato pi\u00f9 di quanto (prevedessi, prevedo, prevederei) <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"10\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(prevedessi)<\/span><\/span> .<br><br><em>The trip lasted longer than I expected.<\/em><\/li><li>Costa molto meno di quanto (immagino, immaginerei, immaginassi) <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"11\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(immaginassi)<\/span><\/span> .<br><br><em>It costs much less than I imagined.<\/em><\/li><li>Sei arrivato prima di quanto (sperassi, spero, spererei) <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"8\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(sperassi)<\/span><\/span> .<br><br><em>You arrived sooner than I hoped.<\/em><\/li><li>Il film \u00e8 pi\u00f9 bello di quanto (dicono, dicessero, direbbero) <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"9\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(dicessero)<\/span><\/span> i critici.<br><br><em>The film is better than the critics said.<\/em><\/li><li>Ha resistito pi\u00f9 di quanto (credo, crederei, credessi) <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"8\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(credessi)<\/span><\/span> possibile.<br><br><em>He held out longer than I thought possible.<\/em><\/li><li>\u00c8 pi\u00f9 sveglia di quanto (sembra, sembrasse, sembrerebbe) <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"9\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(sembrasse)<\/span><\/span> a prima vista.<br><br><em>She's sharper than she seemed at first sight.<\/em><\/li><li>Hanno speso pi\u00f9 di quanto (hanno, avrebbero, avessero) <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"8\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(avessero)<\/span><\/span> preventivato.<br><br><em>They spent more than they had budgeted.<\/em><\/li><li>La casa \u00e8 pi\u00f9 grande di quanto (apparisse, appare, apparirebbe) <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"9\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(apparisse)<\/span><\/span> da fuori.<br><br><em>The house is bigger than it looked from outside.<\/em><\/li><li>Alla fine \u00e8 andata meglio di quanto (temo, temessi, temerei) <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"7\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(temessi)<\/span><\/span> .<br><br><em>In the end it went better than I feared.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>                                    <\/li>\n                                                                <\/ul>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                    <div class=\"wpProQuiz_response\" style=\"display: none;\">\n                                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_correct\">\n                                                                            <span class=\"wpProQuiz_respone_span\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCorrect\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br>\n                                    <p><hr \/>\n<p>All ten right. You use the subjunctive after di quanto.<\/p><\/p>                                <\/div>\n                                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_incorrect\">\n                                                                            <span class=\"wpProQuiz_respone_span\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIncorrect\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br>\n                                    <p><hr \/>\n<p>pi\u00f9 facile di quanto pensassi; meno di quanto immaginassi; pi\u00f9 bello di quanto dicessero; meglio di quanto temessi.<\/p>\n<\/p>                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        \n                                                    <div class=\"wpProQuiz_tipp\" style=\"display: none; position: relative;\">\n                                <div>\n                                    <h5 style=\"margin: 0 0 10px;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_header\">Hint<\/h5>\n                                    <p>After di quanto use the imperfect subjunctive: pensassi, credessi, sembrasse, avessero.<\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        \n                                                <input type=\"button\" name=\"back\" value=\"Back\"\n                               class=\"wpProQuiz_button wpProQuiz_QuestionButton\"\n                               style=\"float: left !important; margin-right: 10px !important; display: none;\">\n                                                    <input type=\"button\" name=\"tip\" value=\"Hint\"\n                                   class=\"wpProQuiz_button wpProQuiz_QuestionButton wpProQuiz_TipButton\"\n                                   style=\"float: left !important; display: inline-block; margin-right: 10px !important;\">\n                                                <input type=\"button\" name=\"check\" value=\"Check\"\n                               class=\"wpProQuiz_button wpProQuiz_QuestionButton\"\n                               style=\"float: right !important; margin-right: 10px !important; display: none;\">\n                        <input type=\"button\" name=\"next\" value=\"Next\"\n                               class=\"wpProQuiz_button wpProQuiz_QuestionButton\" style=\"float: right; display: none;\">\n\n                        <div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n\n                        \n                    <\/li>\n\n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_listItem\" style=\"display: none;\">\n                        <div\n                            class=\"wpProQuiz_question_page\" style=\"display:none;\" >\n                            Question <span>2<\/span> of <span>2<\/span>                        <\/div>\n                        <h5 style=\"display: none;\"\n                            class=\"wpProQuiz_header\">\n                            <span>2<\/span>. Question                        <\/h5>\n\n                        \n                                                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_question\" style=\"margin: 10px 0 0 0;\">\n                            <div class=\"wpProQuiz_question_text\">\n                                <h3 style=\"text-align:center;\">Spot the correct sentence<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>In each group, pick the ONE correct sentence.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <ul class=\"wpProQuiz_questionList\" data-question_id=\"7332\"\n                                data-type=\"multiple\">\n                                \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"0\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"1\"> \u00c8 pi\u00f9 facile di quanto penso.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"1\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"2\"> \u00c8 pi\u00f9 facile di quanto penserei.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"2\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"3\"> \u00c8 pi\u00f9 facile di quanto pensassi.<hr \/>                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"3\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"4\"> \u00c8 durato pi\u00f9 di quanto prevedessi.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"4\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"5\"> \u00c8 durato pi\u00f9 di quanto prevedo.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"5\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"6\"> \u00c8 durato pi\u00f9 di quanto prevederei.<hr \/>                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"6\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"7\"> Costa meno di quanto immagino.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"7\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"8\"> Costa meno di quanto immaginassi.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"8\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"9\"> Costa meno di quanto immaginerei.<hr \/>                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"9\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"10\"> Sei arrivato prima di quanto sperassi.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"10\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"11\"> Sei arrivato prima di quanto spero.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"11\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"12\"> Sei arrivato prima di quanto spererei.<hr \/>                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"12\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"13\"> \u00c8 pi\u00f9 bello di quanto dicono adesso.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"13\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"14\"> \u00c8 pi\u00f9 bello di quanto direbbero loro.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"14\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"15\"> \u00c8 pi\u00f9 bello di quanto dicessero.<hr \/>                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"15\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"16\"> \u00c8 andata meglio di quanto temo.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"16\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"17\"> \u00c8 andata meglio di quanto temessi.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                    \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"17\">\n\n                                                                                                                                <span style=\"display:none;\"><\/span>\n                                            <label>\n                                                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_questionInput\"\n                                                       type=\"checkbox\"\n                                                       name=\"question_1231_7332\"\n                                                       value=\"18\"> \u00c8 andata meglio di quanto temerei.                                            <\/label>\n\n                                                                            <\/li>\n                                                                <\/ul>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                    <div class=\"wpProQuiz_response\" style=\"display: none;\">\n                                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_correct\">\n                                                                            <span class=\"wpProQuiz_respone_span\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCorrect\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br>\n                                    <p><hr \/>\n<p>Six out of six.<\/p><\/p>                                <\/div>\n                                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_incorrect\">\n                                                                            <span class=\"wpProQuiz_respone_span\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIncorrect\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br>\n                                    <p><hr \/>\n<p>Pi\u00f9 facile di quanto pensassi; Pi\u00f9 di quanto prevedessi; Meno di quanto immaginassi; Prima di quanto sperassi; Pi\u00f9 di quanto dicessero; Meglio di quanto temessi.<\/p>\n<\/p>                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        \n                                                    <div class=\"wpProQuiz_tipp\" style=\"display: none; position: relative;\">\n                                <div>\n                                    <h5 style=\"margin: 0 0 10px;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_header\">Hint<\/h5>\n                                    <p>di quanto governs the imperfect subjunctive, not the present indicative or the conditional.<\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        \n                                                <input type=\"button\" name=\"back\" value=\"Back\"\n                               class=\"wpProQuiz_button wpProQuiz_QuestionButton\"\n                               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         \n                    <\/li>\n\n                            <\/ol>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            window.wpProQuizInitList = window.wpProQuizInitList || [];\n\n            window.wpProQuizInitList.push({\n                id: '#wpProQuiz_1231',\n                init: {\n                    quizId: 1231,\n                    mode: 2,\n                    globalPoints: 16,\n                    timelimit: 0,\n                    resultsGrade: [0,41,66,86],\n                    bo: 7560,\n                    qpp: 0,\n                    catPoints: {\"603\":10,\"98\":6},\n                    formPos: 0,\n                    lbn: \"Finish quiz\",\n                    json: {\"7331\":{\"type\":\"cloze_answer\",\"id\":7331,\"catId\":603,\"points\":[1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1],\"correct\":[[\"pensassi\"],[\"prevedessi\"],[\"immaginassi\"],[\"sperassi\"],[\"dicessero\"],[\"credessi\"],[\"sembrasse\"],[\"avessero\"],[\"apparisse\"],[\"temessi\"]]},\"7332\":{\"type\":\"multiple\",\"id\":7332,\"catId\":98,\"points\":[0,0,1,1,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0],\"correct\":[0,0,1,1,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0]}}                }\n            });\n        <\/script>\n        <\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:36px;color:#ab2227;margin-top:50px;margin-bottom:10px;letter-spacing:0.3em;font-family:Georgia,serif\">\u00a7<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seven questions about italian non comparatives that surface in every B2 cohort. The answers below cross-check with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/enciclopedia\/congiunzioni-comparative_(La-grammatica-italiana)\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Treccani entry on comparative clauses<\/a> and with native-speaker discussion threads on the online forums.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-nc-1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Does the non in prima che non sia tardi mean before it is not late?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>No. The non is expletive, called non rafforzativo in Italian, and carries zero negative meaning. Prima che non sia tardi means exactly the same as prima che sia tardi: before it gets late. Italian inherited this construction from older usage where the non was almost obligatory after prima che. Today it is optional and tied to formal or literary register. Translate it as if it were not there.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-nc-2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Is the non in a meno che non piova really optional?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Grammatically yes, in practice no. A meno che traditionally takes an expletive non before the verb, and Italians use the non so habitually that dropping it sounds elliptical and almost wrong. A meno che piova is technically allowed but rare; a meno che non piova is the natural default in both speech and writing. Think of a meno che non as a single fixed locution meaning unless, the way English unless contains a hidden negative prefix un-.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-nc-3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Why subjunctive after di quanto non?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The expletive non almost always pulls the subjunctive after it: di quanto non credessi, di quanto non avessi pensato. The reason is historical: the construction belongs to a formal register that also prefers the subjunctive in comparative subordinates. If you want to use the indicative, drop the non and rephrase: di come pensavo, di come avevo pensato. The pairing non + indicative in comparatives is not standard.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-nc-4\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Can I use expletive non when the main clause is negative?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>No. This is one of the few hard rules in italian non comparatives. If the main clause already has a real negative non, the expletive non in the comparative is blocked. Non \u00e8 pi\u00f9 alto di quanto pensassi is correct; non \u00e8 pi\u00f9 alto di quanto non pensassi is ungrammatical. Italians avoid stacking two non in the same comparative structure because the meaning would become genuinely ambiguous. Real non in the main clause means no expletive non in the subordinate.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-nc-5\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What is the difference between prima che + subjunctive and prima di + infinitive?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The subject. Prima che + subjunctive is used when the subject of the main clause and the subject of the subordinate are different: Telefonami prima che parta Romualdo. Prima di + infinitive is used when the subjects are the same: Telefonami prima di partire (you call me before you yourself leave). The expletive non lives only inside the prima che + subjunctive form, never inside prima di + infinitive: you can say prima che non parta but not prima di non partire.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-nc-6\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Do Italians actually use the expletive non in everyday speech?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>It depends on the construction. With a meno che non, yes, every day, both in speech and in writing. With prima che non, pi\u00f9 di quanto non, piuttosto che non, the expletive non is much rarer in casual conversation today, more common in writing and in careful or formal speech. As a B2 learner you mostly need to recognise the pattern when reading a novel or a newspaper. Producing it yourself is optional, a sign of stylistic confidence rather than a requirement.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-nc-7\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Does the same expletive non exist in other languages?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Yes. French has the well-known ne expl\u00e9tif (avant qu&#8217;il ne parte, plus grand que je ne pensais), which works exactly the same way as italian non comparatives and almost certainly shares a common Romance ancestor. Catalan and some southern Italian dialects have similar patterns. English has fossil traces in unless (originally on-less, with a negative prefix) and in archaic lest he should fall, where the negative force is already baked into the conjunction itself. Italian non comparatives are part of a broader Romance and even Indo-European family of redundant negations in subordinates of fear, prevention and comparison.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related\">Related guides<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three guides that pair naturally with italian non comparatives, plus an institutional reference from Treccani on comparative clauses.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-piuttosto-che-rather-than\/\">Italian Piuttosto Che, Pi\u00f9 Che: Rather Than (B1)<\/a>: the B1 sister post that covers the preference vs quality split and one face of the expletive non.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-come-se-as-if\/\">Italian Come Se: As If with the Subjunctive (B1)<\/a>: comparative-hypothetical pattern that always takes the subjunctive, related family.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-quanto-all-that\/\">Italian Quanto = All That: Ho Fatto Quanto Potevo (B2)<\/a>: the relative quanto in non-comparative uses, B2 companion piece.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/enciclopedia\/congiunzioni-comparative_(La-grammatica-italiana)\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Treccani: Frasi comparative<\/a>: full encyclopedia entry on comparative clauses with the note on non rafforzativo.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Italian non comparatives B2 guide: the expletive non after prima che, a meno che, piu di quanto, piuttosto che. Optional but tricky. Ragusa Ibla dialogue with cioccolato di Modica.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10020,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1866,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-b2","category-lingua","no-featured-image-padding","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10020"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60902"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62311,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60902\/revisions\/62311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}