Italian Clitcs from Duo Lingo by Murray Abby

08 February 2021 Admin Languages, Italian

Italian Clitcs from Duo Lingo by Murray Abby

Murray's chart has been re-integrated for ease of use.

First of all, let's hear from Marta:

So these are used with the transitive verbs, which makes it easier to understand which to use.

The difference between indirect and direct pronouns is usually the presence of a preposition. This can be thought of more easily as a pre-position. These proceed the pronoun in English and are obvious in phrases such as 

She sent the letter to you.

I will get the package for you.

The pronoun you is indirect in these cases.

A direct pronoun has no pre-position and so takes form such as:

No Susan, she wants you to go with her.

Are you finished?

These are direct pronouns and have no preposition/por-position. Their position is absolute and no pretext is required.

So the only difference between direct and indirect in an Italian sentence, is also a preposition. The two most common prepositions in Italian are “a” and “di”.  But there are others, such as "su", "per", "con", "da", ...etc. A preposition is a "linking" word that "shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence." In English, "to", "of", "on", "by", "with", "from", ...as above.

In Murray's diagram, you will notice that for the same object/ subject for both direct and indirect pronouns, some of the terms are shared; specifically “mi”, “ti”, “ci” and “vi”.

So the lazy method is to memorize that the presence of the English words to OR for are a giveaway for “indirect”, keeping in mind that it doesn’t work for verb infinitives— mangiare is the verb “to eat”, but there are no pronouns involved there, so there’s never any “direct” or “indirect” verbs. Only with objects and people. (We’re not even going to start discussing “Piacere” here, so forget that!)

So looking at a few lines of the table, you’ll see that:

  • mi means me (direct), but both mi and a me mean either to me , or for me (indirect).

  • lo means him (direct), but gli means either to him , or for him (indirect) , or even to/ for them (indirect).

and so on.

Thus; if you give something to someone, or make something for someone, then you need to look on that table for the indirect object pronoun. Again, the presence of “to” or “for” is your quick magic reminder for indirect objects but, indeed, any preposition should raise the same flag.

You probably already know this, now, but the “clitic” pronoun form is placed in front of the verb form. The verb form tells you who the person performing the action (a verb) is.

It is easy to practice in English. You would never say “To him I see”, so in Italian you would never say “Gli vedo”, because “Gli” is “To him”. Not just plain “him”; “To him”. Meanwhile, you’d never say “I give a book her”. You’d say “I give a book to her”, so “to her” is le , not la and you’d obviously use “Le dò un libro”. Where it sometimes gets tricky is when the preposition is only implied in English. “I read him a book” or “I ask her a question” needs to be considered in Italian as “I read (to) him a book” and “I ask (of her) a question”.

Here are some basic examples to help (and hopefully not confuse) you:

  • ama He loves or She loves (or even It loves ); Ci ama he/ she/ it loves us.

  • scrivo I write ; Lo scrivo I write it. Note that it wouldn’t be, “I write him” or “her”. Meanwhile...

  • gli scrivo; gli is “to him”, so then I write to him.

  • Le is “to her”, so then le scrivo I write to her. Unfortunately, le is also feminine “them” on the direct pronoun side, so if the subjects being written are all of feminine gender, Le scrivo could also mean “I write them”.

  • What about a double pronoun sentence? “I read it to him”? That’s easy: Lo leggo a lui

  • I see you Ti vedo (there is no “to” or “for”, so use the table for direct object pronoun).

  • I play for him Gli suono (it can’t be direct, Lo suono, because of the word “for”). You can say the very same thing by using the “stressed form”, but after the verb: Suono a lui.

  • Lo suono is “I play it” (it being a direct object, masculine, such as “un flauto”. Use La suono for “I play it”, it being a direct feminine object, such as “una chitarra”).

The Stressed pronouns do not get placed before the verb; they come after it.

Many of them can also be placed into the verb.

  • Posso farlo (I can do it), comes by dropping the "e" from Fare (to do) and adding the pronoun "lo". Do that with most any verb infinitive.

Finally, when used in a negative sentence, the pronoun always goes between non and the verb: Non lo vedo = "I don't see him", or "I don't see it".

That should get you well on the way, and at least 3/4 the way through the Clitics lessons. I’ll leave it to others to explain “Ce” and “Ne”.

By the way, you can quickly spot a Reflexive Sentence if the subject and the pronoun being used are on the same line of the table above, or if the word “si” is present before a verb. (And not sì, meaning “yes”...).

  • Mi lavo; I wash myself (same line for io (lavo) and Mi makes this sentence reflexive).

  • Ti vedi; You see yourself (Tu vedi and Ti on the same line).

  • Ci chiediamo; We ask ourselves (Noi chiediamo/ Ci on the same line).

The word “si” goes in place of him/ her/ it and also them, so there is no Gli/ Lo/ La/ Le/ Li to worry about in reflexive:

  • Si lava; He washes himself, or She washes herself, (or even) It washes itself.

  • Si lavano; They wash themselves. It is obviously not “They wash himself”. “They wash him”, on the other hand, is not reflexive, does not use “si”, and is simply “Lo lavano -- as per the rules on direct pronouns, in the initial section of this essay.

 

ne, ci and se - Learning Grammar Italian

  • ne and ci are two extremely useful pronouns which have no single equivalent
    in English. There are some phrases where you have to use them in Italian.

Ci substitutes phrases or words introduced by: a, in, con, su or with places. 

No, non ci voglio uscire 

 

Ne substitutes phrases or words introduced by: di/della or with amounts/quantities. To have / avere.

sei felice della sorpresa?

 

1  ne

  • ne is a pronoun with several meanings.
  • It can refer to amounts and quantities.
  • Ne is used with words and phrases that are introduced by DA or DI
  • It means some, and can be used without a noun, as in English.

So it is used with: Bisogno, avere, essere, felice,  essere sicuro, parlare, sentire parlare, dimenticarsi, non sapere niente.

Ne vuoi? Would you like some?
Vuoi del pane? – Ne ho grazie. Would you like some bread? –
I’ve got some, thanks.
  • In English, when talking about amounts and quantities, you can say How much do you want of it?, or How much do you want? and How many do you want of them?, or How many do you want? Ne translates of it and of them but it is not optional. So you need to remember to use it in sentences of the kind shown below.
Ne ho preso la metà. I’ve taken half (of it).
Ne vuoi la metà? Do you want half (of it/of them)?
Quanti ne vuole? How many (of them) do you want?
Ne voglio pochi. I don’t want many (of them).
  • Ne also means about it/them, of it/them, with it/them, and so on, when used with Italian adjectives or verbs which are followed by di, for example contento di (meaning happy about), stufo di (meaning fed up with), aver paura di (meaning to be afraid of), scrivere di (meaning to write about).
Ne è molto contenta. She’s very happy about it.
Ne sono conscio. I’m aware of it.
Ne erano stufi. They were fed up with it.
Ne sei sicura? Are you sure (of it)?
Ne hai paura? Are you afraid of it?
Ne ha scritto sul giornale. She’s written about it in the paper.
Non se ne accorge. He doesn’t realize it.
  • With adjectives and verbs followed by di, ne can be used to refer to nouns that have already been mentioned.
Parliamo del futuro. – Let’s talk about the future.
Sì, parliamone Yes, let’s talk about it.
Hai bisogno della chiave? – Do you need the key?
No, non ne ho più bisogno. No, I don’t need it anymore.
  • Ne usually comes before the verb, except when the verb is an order or the infinitive (the –re form of the verb).
  • When it comes after the verb the final –e of the infinitive is dropped.
Volevo parlarne. I wanted to talk about it.
  • It follows any other pronoun and is written as one word with it and the verb form.
Dammene uno per favore. Give me one of them please.
Dagliene due rossi. Give him two red ones.
  • Note that when joined to ne, mi becomes me, ti becomes te, ci becomes ce,
    vi become ve and gli and le become glie.
Key points
  • ne can be used to mean some.
  • ne can also be used to mean of it or of them when talking about amounts and quantities. Unlike English, it is not optional.
  • ne is used to mean about it or about them with verbs and adjectives followed by di.
  • ne usually comes before the verb.

2  ci

  • Ci is used with certain verbs to mean it or about it.

Ripensandoci mi sono pentito. When I thought it over I was sorry.
Non ci credo per niente. I don’t believe it at all.
Ci penserò. I’ll think about it.
Non ci capisco niente. I can’t understand it at all.
Non so che farci. I don’t know what to do about it.
Provare  Provare a qualcosa
Essere  Essere a qualcuna
Abituato  Abituato a qualcosa
Stare attento  Stare attento a qualcosa
Riuscire  Riuscire a qualcosa
Pensare pensare a qualcosa
  • Ci is often used with Italian verbs which are followed by a, for example:
  • credere a qualcosa to believe something, to believe in something
Non ci credo. I don’t believe it.
  • pensare a qualcosa to think about something
Non voglio nemmeno pensarci. I don’t even want to think about it.
  • far caso a qualcosa to notice something
Non ci ho fatto caso. I didn’t notice.
  • Note that the equivalent English verb may not be followed by any preposition at all.
  • With verbs followed by a, ci can be used to refer to nouns that have already
    been mentioned.
I fantasmi, non ci credi? Ghosts – don’t you believe in them?
Non pensi mai al futuro? – Don’t you ever think about the
Ci penserò quando sarò più vecchio. future? – I’ll think about it when I’m older.
  • ci is used with the verb entrare in some common idiomatic phrases.
Cosa c’entra? What’s that got to do with it?
Io non c’entro. It’s nothing to do with me.
  • Like ne, ci usually comes before the verb, except when the verb is an order,
    the infinitive (the –re form of the verb) or the –ing form.
Key points
  • ci is used to mean it or about it.
  • ci is used with verbs which can be followed by the preposition a.
  • ci usually comes before the verb.

"Ce" is the form that the "ci" particle assumes when put in front of "lo", "la", "li", "le", or "ne"

3  se

  • This is slightly different as it either means if or self.

La bambina parla con se stessa

The girl speaks to herself. 

Se means self in the above

 

Lei non sa se viene o va

She does not know if she is coming or not

Se means If in the above.

Conversely, Si can mean we rather than yes in the same way.

Have a test:

Hydroxychloroquine: The unproven 'corona drug'

19 January 2021 Admin Health, False Pandemic, The Political Delusion

Hydroxychloroquine: The unproven 'corona drug' Trump is threatening India for

  • Coronavirus pandemic
 

US President Donald Trump has said the US could "retaliate" if India does not release stocks of a drug he has called a "game-changer" in the fight against Covid-19.

Mr Trump had called India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, a day after the country banned the export of hydroxychloroquine, which it manufactures in large quantities.

Local media said the government was "considering" Mr Trump's request and a decision is expected on Tuesday.

The US President's comments, made at the White House press briefing on Monday, haven't gone down well with many in India, with critics pointing out that there was no need for him to be so abrasive when Mr Modi has already agreed to help.

The two leaders are on friendly terms and Mr Trump had made a high-profile trip to India recently.

But is India really in a position to help the US? And does hydroxychloroquine even work against the coronavirus?

What is hydroxychloroquine?

Hydroxychloroquine is very similar to Chloroquine, one of the oldest and best-known anti-malarial drugs.

But the drug - which can also treat auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus - has also attracted attention over the past few decades as a potential antiviral agent.

President Trump said that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved it for treating coronavirus, something the organization has denied. Mr Trump later said that it had been approved for "compassionate use" - which means a doctor can give a drug that is yet to be cleared by the government to a patient in a life-threatening condition.

Doctors are able to prescribe chloroquine in these circumstances as it's a registered drug.

So, can India really help President Trump?

Hydroxychloroquine could be bought over the counter and is fairly inexpensive. However, its purchase and use has been severely restricted ever since it was named as a possible treatment for Covid-19.

On Saturday, India banned the export of the drug "without any exception". The order came even as the number of positive cases of Covid-19 spiked in the country. India has now recorded 3,666 active cases of the virus with more than 100 deaths, according to the latest data released by the ministry of health.

But now it seems the government could be reconsidering this stance, possibly following Mr Trump's call to Mr Modi. Local media quoted government sources as saying that a decision on this could be taken as early as Tuesday after considering what domestic requirements could look like in the near future.

The two leaders have a warm personal relationship

But does India - one of the world's largest manufacturers of the drug - have the capacity to actually supply other countries as well?

Yes, according to Ashok Kumar Madan, of the Indian Drug Manufacturer's association.

"India definitely has capacity to cater to both global and local markets. Of course, domestic considerations must come first, but we have the capacity," he told the BBC.

  • Why is Trump so keen on malaria drug to treat coronavirus?
  • India coronavirus doctors 'spat at and attacked'
  • Coronavirus outbreak could cripple India's economy

Mr Madan also denied reports that China had severely limited the export of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) that is used to manufacture hydroxychloroquine. He acknowledged that 70% of all the APIs needed by India to manufacture drugs come from China, but said that supplies from China had steadily continued "by both sea and air".

But does it work?

Many virologists and infectious disease experts have cautioned that the excitement over hydroxychloroquine is premature.

"Chloroquine seems to block the coronavirus in lab studies. There's some anecdotal evidence from doctors saying it has appeared to help," James Gallagher, BBC health correspondent, explained.

But crucially there have been no complete clinical trials which are important to show how the drug behaves in actual patients, although they are under way in China, the US, UK and Spain.

Even so, some are sceptical about how successful they will prove to be.

"If it truly has a dramatic effect on the clinical course of Covid-19 we would already have evidence for that. We don't, which tells us that hydroxychloroquine, if it even works at all, will likely be shown to have modest effects at best," Dr Joyeeta Basu, a senior consultant physician, told the BBC.

American scientists have begun a trial to see if chloroquine will help treat coronavirus

Raman R Gangakhedkar, a senior scientist with the Indian Council of Medical Research, said the policy at the moment is that the drug is not to be used by everyone.

"It is being given to doctors and contacts of lab confirmed cases. When their data will be complied only then a call can be taken whether it should be recommended to everyone," he told reporters last week.

Despite the fact trials are yet to conclude, people have begun to self-medicate - with sometimes disastrous consequences.

There have been multiple reports in Nigeria of people being poisoned from overdoses after people were reportedly inspired by Mr Trump's enthusiastic endorsement of the drug.

An article in the Lancet medical journal also warns hydroxychloroquine can have dangerous side-effects if the dose is not carefully controlled.

This lack of certainty has prompted social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to delete posts that tout it as a cure - even when they are made by world leaders.

French professor faces disciplinary case over hydroxychloroquine claims

19 January 2021 Admin Health, False Pandemic

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/12/covid-professor-didier-raoult-hydroxychloroquine

 

French professor faces disciplinary case over hydroxychloroquine claims | World news | The Guardian

French professor faces disciplinary case over hydroxychloroquine claims

 

Didier Raoult stands accused of touting drug as a coronavirus treatment without evidence

Didier Raoult’s promotion of the drug as a Covid treatment was taken up by some populist world leaders. Photograph: Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images

A French professor who touts the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus treatment – without evidence, scientists say – will appear before a disciplinary panel charged with ethics breaches, an order of doctors has said.

Marseille-based Didier Raoult stands accused by his peers of spreading false information about the benefits of the drug. His promotion of hydroxychloroquine was taken up by the US and Brazilian presidents, Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, who trumpeted its unproven benefits in a way critics say put people’s lives at risk.

No clinical trials have yet found in favour of using hydroxychloroquine against Covid-19, and critics say that due to potential serious side-effects, treating coronavirus patients with it is worse than no treatment at all.

In June, the British-led Recovery trial team said hydroxychloroquine did nothing to reduce coronavirus mortality.

A group representing 500 specialists of France’s Infectious Diseases Society (SPILF) filed a complaint with the national order of doctors of the Bouche-du-Rhône department, which includes Marseille, in July. They accused Raoult of breaking nine rules of the doctors’ code of ethics. Other doctors and patients have also lodged complaints.

On Thursday, the order confirmed it had given the go-ahead for a disciplinary hearing after reviewing the complaints against Raoult. The hearing will probably take place next year.

Raoult’s lawyer, Fabrice Di Vizio, confirmed they had received notice of the decision, but said his client would be cleared. If found guilty, Raoult could be fined, merely warned, or barred from practising.

Raoult, who heads the infectious diseases department of La Timone hospital in Marseille, said in March that his study of 80 patients showed “favourable” outcomes in four out of five treated with hydroxychloroquine. But his peers say there is no scientific evidence to back up the claim.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, visited the scientist on 9 April, at the height of the pandemic, when people in France were observing strict stay-at-home rules.

 
 
 

Is it all just a joke?

22 December 2020 Admin

Covidien - manufacturers of ventilators since 2007...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covidien

In 2007, Covidien was formed when Tyco International spun off its health care business. Since that time, Covidien has made a number of acquisitions including VNUS Medical Technologies, Aspect Medical Systems, Somanetics, ev3, BÂRRX, Newport Medical Instruments, superDimension, Oridion Systems and Given Imaging. Offshoring and focus on low cost countries (LCC) resulted in several plant closures in the USA particularly a few in upper New York state and Norwood, Massachusetts.

In 2011, José E. Almeida became the Chairman, CEO, and President.

In 2012, Covidien acquired Newport Medical Instruments, a small ventilator manufacturer supplier. Newport Medical Instruments had been contracted in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to design a cheap, portable ventilator. At the time, Newport Medical Instruments had 3 working prototypes produced, and was on schedule to file for market approval late 2013. Covidien then effectively halted the project, subsequently exiting the contract, as it was not profitable enough. Government officials and other medical equipment suppliers suspect the Newport acquisition was largely done to prevent a cheaper product from undermining Covidien's existing ventilator business. This contributed to the shortage of ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic.