Rome, November 26 – (Adnkronos) – Oscar-worthy mistakes, embarrassing assumptions and unfounded beliefs, today almost 7 out of 10 Italians (68%) argue with grammar and make annoying mistakes in writing, but also in speaking. A problem that experts say is also the result of misuse of the internet and the use of neologisms and anglicisms, which makes Italians unable to write and sometimes formulate sensible reasons in their own language.
‘Qual’è’, ‘pultutto’, ‘propio’, ‘avvolte’, ‘al linguine’ without forgetting the unmissable ‘c’è ne’ and ‘c’èné’, Italian errors vary from apostrophe (62%), to subjunctive (56%) through verb declension (50%) and punctuation (52%). But how can we solve the problem of correct use of Italian? Reading regularly (66%), writing by hand (43%), avoiding frequent use of artificial intelligence chatbots (55%) and training the mind by “playing” with your knowledge of the Italian language (47%), through book games that allow you to “review” the rules and history of our language in a simpler and more fun way such as “501 quiz on Italian” are some secrets to improve.
This was revealed by a survey carried out by Libreriamo, a digital media dedicated to cultural consumers, of around 1600 Italian citizens between the ages of 18 and 65, carried out with the Swoa (Web Opinion Analysis) methodology through online monitoring of blogs, forums and the main social networks – Facebook, Instagram, errors and understanding what is recommended to be done to restore proper dignity to our beloved Italian language.
“Italian, understood as a language, is a symbolic place that welcomes us beyond geographical, social and generational differences – says Saro Trovato, sociologist and founder of Libreriamo – The language represents a value that must be safeguarded, one of the advantages of our country that must be protected and cherished: to do so, we must know it first. To contribute to this process of valorization, as Libreriamo we have decided to contribute to the rediscovery of the Italian language through games and mental exercises: we have Thus was born a book, “501 Italian quizzes”, with which You can test yourself, alone or with friends, to test your knowledge of your beloved Italian language as well as train your mind and memory. Because Italian must be known and cared for, because it can generate a sense of togetherness, belonging and identity.”
But what are the classic mistakes that Italians make? ‘Which or what is it?’ (71%) is still among the most common. In this case quotation marks should not be used, even ‘As Is’ is written without quotation marks. Always. At the top of the most common error categories are clearly quotation marks (62%), one of the most unpleasant companions of the Italian language. When did it happen? Simple, with all feminine words, therefore: “a friend yes” and “a friend no”. The use of the subjunctive (56%) always tests Italians. “The important thing is to pass the exam”, although it is widely used, the grammatical formula is wrong because in this case you have to use the subjunctive: “The important thing is to pass the exam”.
Pronouns (52%) are another big mistake made by Italians living abroad. “I told her she was very beautiful.” In this case, when referring to a woman, the pronoun “le” should be used: “I told her she was very beautiful”. Very common errors in Italian, both in speech and writing, relate to verb declension (50%), especially those related to the use of verb forms and the choice of auxiliary words. These mistakes are not just simple grammatical errors; this is often a sign of a shift in language acquisition, reflecting more shallow speech or the influence of local dialects and jargon that simplify or change the complex rules of Italian conjugation. Such inaccuracies, although tolerated in informal language, become clear indicators of carelessness or lack of attention in more formal or written contexts.
Another great classic is the use of C or Q (48%). If you don’t see errors in spoken language, the story will be very different in writing. It doesn’t say ‘evacuate the building’, but “Evacuate the building”. In the same way, “my income is profitable” is also very wrong. It is written “my income is profitable”. ‘None or nothing’ (44%) is one of the “red pen” mistakes. The accent on ìnor is used when it is intended to be used as a negation. Punctuation (39%) also takes a heavy toll. Commas, semicolons, colons, never be used lightly. Everyone has their own rules.
Among the main doubts regarding written language, the dilemma arises between “a little, a little or a little?” (37%). The word po with this accent is increasingly widespread. The correct spelling is ‘a little’ with quotation marks, because the form is the result of truncation: “A little cheese thank you”. Many are not sure which conjunction to use between “E o ed” and “A o ad” (35%). The simple addition of the euphonic ‘d’ should be done only if the next word begins with the same vowel. So: “I am going to Hamburg” or “He is happy and enthusiastic” are correct sentences. Finally, agreeing (31%) is very difficult if it is not written “agree”. There are even those who “sometimes get angry” (25%) and “sometimes just leave it alone”, forgetting that “sometimes” it is better to stay at home “wrapped in a blanket”. “Pultipo” (22%) is another mistake that is unfortunately often seen in people’s comments. Likewise, it often reads “propio bene” (19%) instead of “proprio bene”.
But if the mistakes just mentioned are the most common mistakes Italians make, what are the most original mistakes? A “strange” example comes from the beauty sector. Being a beautician can sometimes be real stressful: in fact, one of the mistakes made by customers and that annoys employees the most is this: “I have to wax my linguine” (13%) instead of the correct form “I have to wax my crotch”. However, the mistake that angered the literati was the disproportionate use of K (38%) compared to C/CH: “What are we doing?”, “What are you doing?”. But “pronunciation errors” in Italian include many other abbreviations: “I like this” (35%) instead of “I like all this” or “I can’t stand people who write like that” (34%) instead of “I can’t stand people who write like that”. There are even those who “sometimes get angry” (27%) and “sometimes just leave it alone”, forgetting that “sometimes” it is better to stay at home “wrapped in a blanket”. “Pultanto” (23) is another mistake that is unfortunately often seen in people’s comments. Likewise, it often reads “propio bene” (19%) instead of “proprio bene”. “Let’s go eat sausages” (17%). The correct form is “sausage” because the word comes from the Latin salsicia. And to cut it many times a “knife” (15%) is used instead of a “knife”. Finally, “X concludes”, the inappropriate use of x must be eliminated and a more appropriate form of “concludes” must be found.
But what can be done to encourage the correct use of Italian and have greater “confidence” in its rules? According to experts, reading regularly (66%), a habit that parents and teachers should instill in adolescence, is the first “antidote” against ignorance of grammar. The following suggestion is to continue the ancient but very necessary habit of writing by hand (43%), a tradition that is unfortunately decreasing with the progress of technology but which is actually a very necessary practice to get to know and find a better mastery of the rules of the Italian language. Another element that can “mitigate” the risk of grammatical errors is avoiding the frequent use of artificial intelligence chatbots (55%), which are also not free from big mistakes, reducing the misuse of neologisms and foreign words (51%) which can contribute to the emergence of some big mistakes.
Among the most effective suggestions, experts recommend training the mind by “playing” with the rules of the Italian language (47%): several studies confirm that the brain is an organ that, like muscles, requires training, with question and answer games representing one of the most effective methods to consolidate learning and knowledge. What is called retrieval practice, namely the practice of actively retrieving information, strengthens memory, stimulates neural connections and makes knowledge last longer (Roediger & Butler, 2011). From this came the books dedicated to the concept of “training the mind by playing”, such as “501 quiz on Italian”, a book game to discover and retain the Italian language by playing and training the mind, a way to “review” the rules and history of the Italian language in a simpler, more interesting and fun way.
