Branch map

A diagram that puts each possible action under the condition that makes it apply.

Start with the condition, then draw two arrows. Put the gallery under rain and the park under no rain. Keep each meeting place on the correct branch. Put shared details, such as one common hour, above the split. The map is an editorial practice tool, not a product feature or a grammar rule.

Example

Se piove, andiamo in galleria. Altrimenti andiamo al parco. — If it rains, we go to the gallery. Otherwise we go to the park.

Common confusion

Two options are not two confirmed events. A branch map is useful because a normal list hides this difference. Do not put ‘gallery, park’ into a single itinerary unless the speaker actually plans both. The words can all be familiar while the relationship between them remains misunderstood.

Try the tool

Test the map with one rain card and one dry-weather card. Each card should produce a complete but different plan. If the same location appears under both cards, check whether you copied a detail into the wrong branch. The map should reflect the message, not your preferred outing.

Use it in a worksheet

• Keep the backup plan separate in Italian
• Choose an option after missing an Italian bus
• Plan a small-town day trip in Italian

Return to the glossary index. These definitions and examples are original editorial explanations, not quoted research claims.