Personal and social life
Describe people, family, home, clothes and free time, and explain preferences with accurate Italian.
Section B · Personal and social life
Exam scope and assessment notes
All Italian passages, prompts, model answers, listening scripts and tasks are original StudyForA material, not Cambridge assessment content. Cambridge's separate 2028 vocabulary spreadsheet is linked through its subject page but has not been reconciled word by word. Grammar groups need item-by-item specialist checking, and an Italian-language teacher should review the original Italian before publication is described as complete. Browser speech synthesis is not Cambridge audio and cannot guarantee a regional accent, natural pace or pronunciation. Speaking is rehearsal and self-review, not a centre assessment or examiner mark; writing answers are self-checked, not Cambridge-marked. No complete timed specimen or 130-hour course is included. Confirm your exam year, entry option and centre availability with Cambridge and your school. Use the 2025–2027 or 2028–2030 paper lesson that matches your exam year. Cambridge lists 7164 as available in a limited number of administrative zones; for June, the published notice names zone 3 and centres in Oman and UAE. Confirm the applicable series and entry with your centre.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Choose the correctly agreed phrase.
What you will learn
- Introduce yourself and describe family, friends and character.
- Describe rooms, furniture, appliances and household routines.
- Discuss colours, clothing, shopping, hobbies, sport and holidays.
- Give opinions and reasons without turning personal preferences into universal claims.
Describe a person and a place
Area B includes self, family and friends; the home and its rooms, furnishings and appliances; colours and clothing; and free time, sport and holidays.
Adjectives usually agree in gender and number: «una stanza luminosa», «due libri nuovi». Possessives normally use an article («la mia amica»), but close singular family members often omit it («mia sorella»). These are patterns with exceptions, so learn them in phrases.
Use «piacere» accurately
Use «mi piace» with a singular noun or infinitive («Mi piace la musica», «Mi piace leggere»), and «mi piacciono» with a plural noun («Mi piacciono i film»). Add «perché» to explain a preference.
Separate an observation from an opinion: «La camera ha due finestre» is a detail; «mi sembra luminosa» is a view. A person's hobby does not describe everyone.
Sources for this lesson
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 subject page
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 syllabus for exams in 2025–2027
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 syllabus update for 2025–2027
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 syllabus for exams in 2028–2030
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 2028 vocabulary list
Pause and explain
Choose the natural sentence for ‘I like these books.’
Worked example
Read: «Mia cugina divide la camera con sua sorella. C'è una scrivania piccola vicino alla finestra; le piace disegnare lì perché c'è molta luce.» Where is the desk, and why does the cousin draw there?
Show the worked solution
- Locate «vicino alla finestra».
- Find the preference after «le piace».
- Use «perché» for the reason.
Answer The small desk is near the window. The cousin likes drawing there because there is plenty of light. The text does not say who owns the desk.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Describe a family member, one item of clothing and a hobby in two linked Italian sentences, including a reason.
Give me a hint
Use a possessive, match a colour adjective and add «perché».
Compare my reasoning
- Name the family relationship.
- Describe clothing with agreement.
- Give a hobby and reason.
Example: «Mio fratello indossa una giacca blu. Gli piace giocare a pallacanestro perché si diverte con gli amici.»
Look for these in your work
- Names the person
- Agrees the colour and noun
- Explains the preference
Read: «Metto le scarpe sotto il letto; poi preparo lo zaino in salotto. Il sabato preferisco andare al parco con le mie amiche.» Name the two locations and the weekend plan.
Give me a hint
Track the shoes and backpack separately, then find the Saturday preference.
Compare my reasoning
- Find where the shoes are.
- Find where the backpack is prepared.
- Report the Saturday plan.
The shoes are under the bed. The backpack is prepared in the living room. On Saturday, the writer prefers going to the park with friends.
Look for these in your work
- Locates both objects
- Reports the right day
- Preserves the preference
A student shares a bedroom and wants a quiet hobby. Suggest two options and one respectful way to share the space.
Give me a hint
Offer suitable activities, explain a preference and agree a practical arrangement.
Compare my reasoning
- Suggest two quiet activities.
- Give a reason using «perché».
- Propose a considerate way to share the desk or time.
Example: «Puoi leggere o disegnare. Preferisco leggere perché servono pochi materiali; possiamo usare la scrivania a turno dopo esserci messi d'accordo.»
Look for these in your work
- Suggestions fit the setting
- Gives a reason
- Respects the other person's needs
Common mistakes
- Using «piace» with a plural liked item
- Forgetting adjective agreement
- Adding an article before every singular family relationship
What can you explain now?
Why is «Mi piacciono i musei» correct?
Compare with the explanation
The plural thing liked takes «piacciono»
In this construction the liked item is the grammatical subject.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Before leaving personal and social life, explain one idea from memory, answer the checkpoint and name one point to practise again.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.