Lesson 182: Use of anche / L'uso di anche

A user recently asked me to delve into the complexities of the conjunction, anche. There are some aspects of Italian that, once understood and even used, will set you off from the pack, so to speak, and give your Italian a more native flair. The use of anche is one of them -- see below for some rules and guidelines involving this trouble word:

1. Generally, anche does not start a sentence in Italian, especially when it modifies a personal form of the verb - use instead inoltre or oppure. Or, alternatively, you can place anche later in the sentence:
   
   Vai anche al cinema.
   Inoltre vai al cinema.
   Oppure vai al cinema.
   You too are going to the cinema.
   
   
2. Anche precedes impersonal forms of the verb (such as infinitives, gerunds and participles) and as such could be the start of a sentence (see the first example with the infinitive as the subject of the sentence):
   
   Anche leggere nel buio non è sano.
   Also reading in the dark is not healthy.
   
   Marco sta anche correndo per mettersi in forma.
   Marco is also running to get into shape.
   
   Giovanni è un tipo molto studioso. Riesce a studiare anche mangiando
   Giovanni is a very studious type. He is able to study also eating.
   
   
3. As stated in rule #1, anche is generally not to begin a sentence. However, this rule does not apply when anche modifies the subject. If the subject is a pronoun (io, tu, noi, etc. -- nota bene: with io, anche contracts: anch'io) then the subject pronoun must be used in the phrase (as you know, subject pronouns are typically omitted):
   
   Anche tu vieni da me?
   You also are coming to my house?
   This sentence means: You, too, along with the others are coming to my house?
   
   Note the difference between the phrase above and this one:
   
   Vieni anche da me?
   You are also coming to my house?
   This sentence means: You are also coming to my house along with doing other things (such as shopping, making a cake, babysitting, etc.)
   
   
4. Anche can be used in to add reinforcement, especially when there is a link between things things or between two distinct actions:
   
   Hai letto Il giorno della civetta ed anche La scomparsa di Marjorana?
   Did you read 'The Day of the Owl' and also 'The disappearance of Marjoana'?
   
   Stefano è andato al teatre ed anche uscito ieri sera.
   Stefano went to the theathre and also went out yesterday evening.
   
   
5. Anche can be used on its own to affirm a response to a question that was already asked without repeating Sì:
   
   Marco: Cerchi il mio libro? | Are you looking for my book?
   Anna: Sì.
   Marco: E la mia rivista? | And my magazine?
   Anna: Anche. | Yes, that too or And your magazine.
   
   
6. The placement of anche can change the meaning of a sentence, and this is especially true in compound tenses. As a general rule, anche precedes the element which it modifies.
   
   When using anche, make sure that you place it where you want it to make the most sense. Let's look at these examples:
   
   
   • Ho anche letto il giornale.
     This sentence means: Along with doing other things (washing the car, walking the dog, shopping) I also found time to read the paper.
     
     In this example, anche modifies the verb, that is past participle, letto.
     
     
   • Ho letto anche il giornale.
     This sentence means: Along with reading other things (such as a new book I bought at the bookstore, my child's report card, an email) I also read the paper.
     
     In this example, anche modifies the noun, il giornale.