With this quiz, you’ll learn to spot mistakes in real Italian sentences—the kinds of errors that even advanced students make every day without realizing it. Recognizing a mistake is the first step toward never making it again.
How Many Mistakes Can You Find?
The Quiz Rules
Before you start, keep these simple guidelines in mind.
- Read each sentence and find the mistake on your own before reading the explanation.
- Not all sentences necessarily contain a mistake — read carefully before answering.
- Be honest with yourself: the result will be all the more useful the more sincere you are.
For each mistake correctly identified you earn one point. At the end you will find out what your score means.
The 6 Sentences of the Quiz
Sentence 1 — Level A1 (Beginner)
Find the mistake in the following sentence:
«Io hai un cane molto simpatico.»
[…]
Answer: the Mistake Is the Verb «hai»
«Hai» is the second person singular of the verb avere [to have] — it is used with «tu» [you]. But the sentence begins with «io» [I], so the verb must be in the first person singular: «ho» [I have].
It is worth noting that in Italian the subject pronoun is often omitted, because the verb ending alone is sufficient to understand who is being referred to. That is why «ho un cane molto simpatico» [I have a very friendly dog] is the most natural form. Using «io» is not wrong — it is simply redundant.
Correct sentence: «Io ho un cane molto simpatico.» [I have a very friendly dog.] — or more naturally: «Ho un cane molto simpatico.» [I have a very friendly dog.]
Sentence 2 — Level A2 (Elementary)
Find the mistake in the following sentence:
«Ieri ho andato al supermercato con mia madre.»
[…]
Answer: the Mistake Is the Auxiliary «ho»
«Andare» [to go] is an intransitive verb of movement and in Italian requires the auxiliary «essere» [to be], not «avere» [to have]. So you do not say «ho andato» but «sono andato» — or «sono andata» if the speaker is a woman.
Understanding which verbs require «essere» and which require «avere» in the passato prossimo [present perfect] is one of the greatest difficulties for those learning Italian. A useful general rule — not infallible, but helpful — is that verbs of movement and state in a place tend to require «essere».
Correct sentence: «Ieri sono andato al supermercato con mia madre.» [Yesterday I went to the supermarket with my mother.]
Sentence 3 — Level B1 (Intermediate)
Find the mistake in the following sentence:
«Dove hai messo le chiavi? Le ho cercate dappertutto ma non le ho trovate nessuna.»
[…]
Answer: the Mistake Is «non le ho trovate nessuna»
«Nessuna» [none/not one] is already a negative pronoun that expresses total negation — on its own it is enough to say that not a single key was found. Adding the clitic pronoun «le» before it is redundant and ungrammatical: the two elements are mutually exclusive.
The correct form uses the pronoun «ne», which replaces «le chiavi» [the keys] with a partitive value. This is a classic mistake, especially for those who speak Spanish or French, where similar structures exist.
Correct sentence: «Dove hai messo le chiavi? Le ho cercate dappertutto ma non ne ho trovata nessuna.» [I don’t know where you put the keys. I looked for them everywhere but didn’t find a single one.]
One place to learn Italian
Join the LearnAmo AcademySentence 4 — Level B2 (Upper Intermediate)
Find the mistake in the following sentence:
«I ragazzi si sono divertiti molto alla festa, anche se all’inizio sembravano annoianti.»
[…]
Answer: the Mistake Is «annoianti» — a Word that Does Not Exist
«Annoianti» does not exist in Italian. Many learners create it by analogy with «divertenti» [entertaining/fun], but the correct participle/adjective is «annoiati» — from the verb annoiarsi [to get bored]. It is worth keeping in mind the difference:
- annoiati [bored] = the people feel boredom (state of mind)
- noiosi [boring] = the people or things cause boredom in others
«I ragazzi erano noiosi» [The boys/guys were boring] would mean they were the ones boring other people — which is probably not what is intended.
Correct sentence: «I ragazzi si sono divertiti molto alla festa, anche se all’inizio sembravano annoiati.» [The boys/guys had a great time at the party, even though at first they seemed bored.]
Sentence 5 — Level C1 (Advanced)
Find the mistake in the following sentence:
«È necessario che tutti i dipendenti abbiano firmato il documento entro domani.»
[…]
Answer: the Mistake Is the Past Subjunctive «abbiano firmato»
The congiuntivo passato [past subjunctive] is used to indicate an action already completed in the past relative to the main clause. But here we are talking about something that still has to happen — signing the document before tomorrow is a future action. What is needed is therefore the congiuntivo presente [present subjunctive]: «firmino» [sign].
The distinction between the congiuntivo presente and the congiuntivo passato is one of those things that at C1 level really makes a difference — not just in grammar, but in meaning. «Abbiano firmato» would suggest that the signing should have already happened, which would completely change the meaning of the sentence.
Correct sentence: «È necessario che tutti i dipendenti firmino il documento entro domani.» [It is necessary for all employees to sign the document by tomorrow.]
Sentence 6 — Level C2 (Near Native)
Find the mistake in the following sentence:
«Qualora avete bisogno di ulteriori informazioni, non esitate a contattarci.»
[…]
Answer: the Mistake Is the Indicative «avete» after «qualora»
«Avete» is the present indicative, but «qualora» [should you / in the event that] is a hypothetical conjunction that in Italian always requires the subjunctive. It is one of those conjunctions — like «affinché» [so that], «sebbene» [although], «benché» [although] — that obligatorily govern the subjunctive, without exceptions.
«Qualora» is used mainly in the formal and written register — in work emails, official documents, contracts. Knowing this structure allows you to write Italian in a truly elegant and professional way.
Correct sentence: «Qualora abbiate bisogno di ulteriori informazioni, non esitate a contattarci.» [Should you need further information, do not hesitate to contact us.]
Quiz Results
Count your points and discover your level.
| Score | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 points | A1/A2 — Beginner | You are building the foundations. Focus on verb conjugation and the choice of auxiliaries — these are the building blocks on which everything else is constructed. |
| 3–4 points | B1/B2 — Intermediate | Good command of basic structures. Some subtler rules still escape you, but you are on the right track. |
| 5–6 points | C1/C2 — Advanced | Your Italian is solid. You can even spot the most subtle mistakes — the ones that make the difference between good Italian and truly precise Italian. |
Bear in mind that this is an indicative test, useful for getting a general idea of your level of grammatical precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does «Andare» Require «Essere» and Not «Avere» in the Past?
In Italian intransitive verbs of movement and state in a place tend to form the passato prossimo with the auxiliary «essere» [to be]. «Andare» [to go] falls into this category. A practical rule to remember is that with «essere» the past participle agrees with the subject (sono andato/andata/andati/andate), while with «avere» it remains unchanged.
What Is the Difference Between «Annoiato» and «Noioso»?
«Annoiato» [bored] describes someone who feels boredom — it is a state of mind of the subject. «Noioso» [boring] on the other hand describes someone or something that causes boredom in others. Saying «i ragazzi erano annoiati» [the boys/guys were bored] means they were feeling bored; saying «i ragazzi erano noiosi» [the boys/guys were boring] means they were boring other people. Confusion between the two is very common among foreign learners.
When Is the Present Subjunctive Used and When Is the Past Subjunctive Used?
The congiuntivo presente [present subjunctive] is used when the action in the subordinate clause is simultaneous with or subsequent to the main clause: «È necessario che firmino» [It is necessary that they sign] (they still have to do it). The congiuntivo passato [past subjunctive] is used when the subordinate action has already occurred before the moment of the main clause: «È possibile che abbiano già firmato» [It is possible that they have already signed] (they have already done it). The choice between the two completely changes the meaning of the sentence.
Which Conjunctions Always Require the Subjunctive in Italian?
The main conjunctions that obligatorily require the subjunctive are: «affinché» [so that], «sebbene» [although], «benché» [although], «nonostante» [despite the fact that], «quantunque» [although], «qualora» [should / in the event that], «purché» [provided that], «a meno che» [unless], «prima che» [before]. Memorising them as a group is the most effective way not to get it wrong.
Why Is «Non Lo So Se» Incorrect in Italian?
In Italian the pronoun «lo» cannot anticipate an indirect question introduced by «se» [if/whether]. With indirect questions — sentences that express a question or a doubt indirectly — the pronoun is simply omitted. The correct form is «non so se» [I don’t know if/whether], without any pronoun before it. This error is very common among those who speak Spanish («no lo sé si») or French.
Ready to challenge your Italian on another front? Read the article dedicated to the advanced vocabulary test.
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