Reading for comprehension – Play Notes, Quizzes & Revision
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Reading for comprehension – Play (Swahili grammar notes)
Subject: Indigenous languages (Swahili grammar focus) • Topic: Reading (Play) • Age: 13 (Kenya)
Learning focus (what you should be able to do)
- Recognise trade vocabulary and its grammatical forms (nouns, plurals, derived nouns).
- Identify verb tenses and subject markers in character lines to summarise events.
- Form and answer questions from a play using correct Swahili interrogatives and short answers.
- Use connectors, reported speech and conditional phrases to relate play events to real life.
1) Noun forms & trade vocabulary (mall, market, people)
Common trade words and how grammar changes them:
- duka → plural: maduka (shops). Example: Alienda dukani.
- soko → plural: masoko. Example: Watu walikuja soko.
- muuzaji → plural: wauzaji. Example: Muuzaji aliuza matunda.
- mnunuzi → plural: wanunuzi. Example: Wanunuzi walilipa pesa.
- bidhaa – usually unchanged in form for singular/plural in ordinary use.
- Derivation: verbs → agent nouns (kuuza → muuzaji; kununua → mnunuzi).
2) Verb structure & subject agreement (how to spot who is doing what)
Swahili verbs show the subject with a prefix and time with a tense marker between subject and verb root.
| Subject | Present (-na-) | Past (-li-) | Future (-ta-) |
| Mimi (I) | ni + na + -enda → ninakwenda | ni + li + -enda → nilienda | ni + ta + -enda → nitakwenda |
| Yeye (he/she) | anakuja | alikuja | atakaja |
In a play, identify the subject prefix and tense marker to know when the event happened and who performed it.
3) Questions and short answers (how to respond)
Key question words:
nani (who), nini (what), wapi (where), lini (when), kwa nini (why), vipi (how).
Yes/no question: optionally start with Je or just change intonation. Examples:
- Je, muuzaji alifika? – Ndiyo, alifika. / Hapana, hakufika.
- Nani aliuza maembe? – Muuzaji aliuza maembe.
4) Reported speech & summarising character lines
To summarise a spoken line, change direct speech to indirect using alisema (kwamba) and connectors. Tenses may shift:
- Direct: Muuzaji alisema, "Nitakuja kesho."
- Indirect / summary: Muuzaji alisema kwamba atakuja kesho.
- Use sequence words to present main ideas: Kwanza, kisha, baadaye, mwisho.
5) Connectors for order and cause (useful when summarising)
Sequence: kwa kuanzia/ kwanza, pili, kisha, baadaye, mwisho. Cause/result: kwa sababu, hivyo, kwa hiyo. Example summary sentence: Kwanza muuzaji alifika soko; kisha aliweka bidhaa; mwisho mnunuzi alilipa kwa sababu alitaka kununua.
6) Pronouns, references and cohesion (keeping the summary clear)
Use pronouns and demonstratives so your summary is short and connected:
- Yeye, wao, huyu, hayo to avoid repeating names.
- Relative pronouns: ambaye / ambayo / ambao to join ideas: Mnunuzi ambaye alikuja mapema alilipia mara moja.
7) Linking play events to real life (conditionals & ability)
Use conditionals and modal verbs to relate and reflect:
- Ikiwa or kama (if): Ikiwa bei itaanguka, watu wengi watakunua.
- Ability/necessity: anaweza (can), lazima (must): Mnunuzi lazima ajuwe bei kabla ya kununua.
Worked example (short play excerpt + grammatical notes)
Line 1 (Muuzaji): "Nina tikisa bei leo!"
Line 2 (Mnunuzi): "Kwa nini umepunguza?"
Line 3 (Muuzaji): "Kwa sababu soko limepungua watu."
- Line 1: nin a - = subject ni (I) + present -na-. Action happening now.
- Line 2: Kwa nini asks why → expect a reason (use kwa sababu in reply).
- Line 3: shows cause: Kwa sababu soko limepungua watu → better grammar: Kwa sababu watu wamepungua sokoni (people reduced in the market).
- Summarise: Muuzaji alisema kwamba alisema anakatazi bei kwa sababu watu walikuwa wachache soko. (Use alisema kwamba to report.)
Quick practice tasks (do these in your notebook)
- Find the subject prefix and tense in a short character line from a play (write them down).
- Change a direct quote into indirect speech using alisema (kwamba).
- Make a one-sentence summary of a scene using sequence words: kwanza, kisha, mwisho.
- Turn one line into a question using nani / nini / wapi / kwa nini and answer it in a short sentence.
Handy grammar checklist (tick as you read a play)
- Do I know the subject prefix for each verb? (ni-, u-, a-, tu-, m-, wa-)
- Can I tell past/present/future from the tense marker? (-li-, -na-, -ta-)
- Have I noted connectors for order and cause?
- Can I turn direct speech into indirect speech with alisema kwamba?
- Did I use pronouns and relative words to make a short, clear summary?
Tip: When reading a play, underline verbs and their prefixes first — this helps build a correct summary and answer questions quickly. ✏️📚