30 Unit 4 Negative form Formal form 4 The negative is formed by putting  non  (i.e. ‘not’) before the verb: Claudio non è mio fratello. Non siamo italiani. Non siete stranieri? Non hai il mio indirizzo? Non hanno un esame. Non abbiamo amici italiani. Non ho la minima idea di cosa regalare a Paola. Claudio is not my brother. We’re not Italian. Aren’t you foreigners? Haven’t you got my address? They don’t have an exam. We haven’t got any Italian friends. I haven’t the slightest idea what to give Paola. 5 In Italian there is a formal way of addressing people which is used with people we do not know, or when some degree of formality is required. When the formal form is required, the pronoun used for the singular, for both men and women, is  Lei  (third person singular); the pronoun used for the plural is normally  Voi , but in situations when a high degree of formality is required Loro  can be used: 6 There are some spelling mistakes involving  essere  and  avere  which are commonly made by learners; be careful to remember the following di ff erences: Lei è molto gentile, Signore. Lei non è troppo alta, Signora! Signora Belli, (Lei) ha la patente? Professore, (Lei) ha tempo? Signor Neri, (Lei) è pronto? Yo u ’re very kind(, Sir). Yo u ’re not too tall(, Madam)! Mrs Belli, have you got a driving licence? Have you got time(, Professor/Sir)? Mr Neri, are you ready? Mr and Mrs Conti, are you Italian? è  (he/she/it is) hai  (you have) ha  (he/she/it has) ho (I have) hanno  (they have) e  (and) o  (or) ai  (to the) a  (to) anno  (year) Signori Conti, (Voi) siete italiani? (Signori Conti, Loro sono italiani?)