GIVE ANSWERS - Italiano

Ben, elisione di Bene. Con valore rafforzativo, ’proprio’.

1. ”...has had no less than/as many as four...”
2. ”There are in fact no less than/as many as five large national parks”

can be used as modal adverb, in this case always before the adjective in in the past participle verb form and not after like in the extended form ”bene”

examples:

well done : ”ben fatto”
well prepared: ”ben preparato”
well said : ”ben detto”

”ben” can also be present in some idiomatic expressions like ”dare il ben servito” which means to get rid of somebody, or yet ”ben venga!” which means why not

It can also be used with a reinforcing purpose to emphatize the following adjective

examples:
I really have other problems to take care about: ”ho ben altro a cui pensare”
the price is far higher than i could think ”il prezzo è ben più alto di quanto immaginassi”

addirittura
significa possedere un gran numero / una grande quantità