Tag Archives: Italian phrases that do not take the subjunctive mood

Italian Linking Verb Essere “To be, or not to be…” is one of the most famous lines ever written in the English language.  But that phrase would not be possible without a verb to express the very idea that we exist.  Think of how many times a day we say, “I am” or “he is” or “we are” — all forms of the English infinitive verb “to be.”   In Italian, the verb essere means to be.  Essere in the present tense is a linking verb, as it connects the subject in the beginning of the sentence with specific information …