ItalianB2Lesson 2.1
🇮🇹 Italian B2 · Lesson 2.1

Il cambiamento climatico — Climate change

Talk about the environment using the passive with essere/venire and the « si » passivante.

Listen first

A radio report summarises a new national plan to cut emissions.

🔊 Real audio — spoken by your browser in Italian. Tap any word below to hear it.
New vocabulary — tap to hear
il riscaldamento globaleglobal warming 🔊
le emissioni di gas serragreenhouse gas emissions 🔊
le fonti rinnovabilirenewable sources 🔊
lo sviluppo sostenibilesustainable development 🔊
ridurre l'impronta ecologicato reduce one's ecological footprint 🔊
i provvedimenti urgentiurgent measures 🔊

Now say it

Tap the phrase to hear it, then press the mic and repeat — we score your pronunciation for real (Chrome/Edge).

« Si dice spesso che il problema sia urgente, ma i provvedimenti vengono rimandati. » 🔊
It's often said the problem is urgent, but measures keep being postponed.
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Pronunciation

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Secondo il rapporto, le emissioni vengono ridotte del venti per cento entro il 2030. 🔊According to the report, emissions are being cut by twenty percent by 2030.
Sì, e nuove fonti rinnovabili sono state finanziate dal governo. 🔊Yes, and new renewable sources have been funded by the government.
Si parla molto di sviluppo sostenibile, ma si fa ancora troppo poco. 🔊There's a lot of talk about sustainable development, but too little is still being done.
È vero. Spesso le decisioni vengono prese senza consultare i cittadini. 🔊True. Often decisions are made without consulting citizens.
Eppure, l'impronta ecologica si riduce solo se ognuno fa la propria parte. 🔊And yet, the ecological footprint shrinks only if everyone does their part.
Servono provvedimenti urgenti, prima che la situazione diventi irreversibile. 🔊Urgent measures are needed, before the situation becomes irreversible.
Grammar in focus · the passive (essere/venire) and « si » passivante

The passive is formed with essere or venire + past participle (agreeing with the subject): « le emissioni sono ridotte » / « vengono ridotte ». Venire stresses the action/process and is only used in simple tenses. The « si » passivante is a common alternative: « si riducono le emissioni » (emissions are reduced), « si fa troppo poco » (too little is done). The verb agrees with the noun: si riduce l'impronta, si riducono le emissioni.

Write it yourself

Write 4–5 sentences about a local environmental measure, using both a passive (essere/venire) and a « si » passivante.

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Tip for this task
Bene! Remember venire works only in simple tenses: say « vengono raccolti » not « sono venuti raccolti ». A model: « In città si raccolgono i rifiuti in modo differenziato e i parchi vengono curati con cura ».

Quick check

An adaptive quiz confirms you've got it and schedules the right words for review.

1. Which auxiliary stresses the action/process in a passive?
2. Correct « si » passivante: « ___ troppo poco per l'ambiente. »
3. « Venire » as passive auxiliary works only in…
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