Grade 10 indigenous languages Grammar – Word Classes Notes
Grammar — Word Classes: Prepositions (Indigenous languages focus: Swahili examples)
Age / Level: 15 (Kenya) — Subtopic: Word Classes — Focus: Prepositions (time, place, position, direction) in an indigenous East African language (Swahili examples). Use these notes to teach identification, correct use and enjoyment of prepositional structures.
- a) Identify prepositions of time, place, position and direction in an indigenous language (Swahili).
- b) Use prepositions in varied activities for effective communication.
- c) Enjoy using appropriate language structures for communication.
- d) Identify categories of prepositions (time, place, position, direction).
A preposition is a word that links a noun (or pronoun) to other words to show time, place, position or direction. In Swahili (and many Kenyan indigenous languages) prepositional phrases show where something is, when it happened, or the direction of movement.
Time (Wakati)
- kabla ya — before
Nilisoma kabla ya mtihani. (I studied before the exam.) - baada ya — after
Baada ya shule, nilienda nyumbani. (After school I went home.) - tangu — since/from
Nimekuwa hapa tangu jana. (I have been here since yesterday.) - hadi — until
Nitalala hadi saa mbili. (I will sleep until 2 o'clock.) - wakati wa / katika — during / in (time)
Wakati wa sikukuu tulicheza. (During the holiday we played.)
Place (Mahali) & Position (Msimamo)
- katika / ndani ya — in / inside
Kitabu kiko ndani ya begi. (The book is inside the bag.) - juu ya — on / above
Chakula kiko juu ya meza. (Food is on the table.) - chini ya — under / below
Kabati liko chini ya dirisha. (The cupboard is under the window.) - karibu na — near / close to
Shule iko karibu na soko. (The school is near the market.) - mbali na — far from
Mbuga iko mbali na mji. (The park is far from town.) - mbele ya / nyuma ya / katikati ya — in front of / behind / between
Gari lipo mbele ya nyumba.
Direction (Mwelekeo)
- kutoka / kutoka kwa — from
Nilitoka nyumbani saa saba. (I came from home at 7.) - kuenda kwa / kwenda — to / towards (movement)
Ninaenda kwa duka. (I am going to the shop.) - kuelekea — towards
Tulikwenda kuelekea soko. (We went towards the market.) - kwa — to / by / with (depends on context)
Mzizi wa ndege ulienda kwa safari. (Use with care — translate by context.)
- Some Swahili words look like verbs but function in sentences to show origin or direction (e.g., kutoka, kwenda). Teach learners to recognise the idea (from/to/towards) rather than only grammatical labels.
- Many prepositions combine with nouns using the particle ya, wa or contraction depending on noun class. Focus on meaning first, form later.
- Encourage learners to notice prepositions in everyday speech (news, songs, conversations) and point out time vs place vs direction usage.
- Identify and classify: Give 12 mixed Swahili sentences. Learners underline the preposition and write its category (time/place/position/direction).
- Map task (pair work): Provide a simple map of a village (teacher-drawn). One learner gives directions using Swahili prepositions (mbele ya, nyuma ya, kando ya, kuelekea). The partner follows and marks the route.
- Timeline activity: Learners place events on a class timeline using kabla ya, baada ya, tangu, hadi. Then orally describe sequences of events in Swahili.
- Role play: In groups act out short scenes (at the market, at school, traveling). Require use of at least three prepositions correctly in each role play.
- Fill-in-the-blanks: Provide sentences with missing prepositions. Learners choose from a word bank and justify their choice in one sentence.
- Creative writing: Write a short paragraph (6–8 sentences) describing where items are in a home, or a journey, using at least five different prepositions.
- Games: “Preposition Bingo” — teacher calls descriptions (e.g., “on the table”), learners mark the corresponding Swahili preposition if on their card.
- Peer review: Swap creative writing and highlight prepositions used correctly / incorrectly; give one suggestion to improve.
- Underline the preposition and write its category:
- 1. Nilisoma kabla ya mtihani. — (__________)
- 2. Kitabu kipo ndani ya sanduku. — (__________)
- 3. Tulikwenda kuelekea soko. — (__________)
- 4. Nimekaa hapa tangu jana. — (__________)
- Fill in the blank with a suitable preposition:
- a) Tunaaga shule _____ saa mbili. (kabla ya / baada ya / hadi)
- b) Mbwa yuko _____ mlango. (karibu na / mbali na / chini ya)
- c) Tembea _____ mto, halafu u-turn kuelekea kanisani. (kando ya / ndani ya / juu ya)
- Write two sentences describing where things are in your home using different prepositions.
Use a short checklist or rubric to assess: correct identification (time/place/position/direction), correct form in sentence, fluent use in spoken tasks, and willingness to try (enjoyment).
- Level 3 (Excellent): Identifies and uses a variety of prepositions correctly in both speech and writing; gives clear explanations.
- Level 2 (Developing): Identifies most prepositions and uses them with minor errors; participates in activities.
- Level 1 (Beginning): Struggles to identify categories and misuses many prepositions; requires more practice.
- Start with meaning before form: get learners to act out or show the relationship (e.g., put the book under the chair) then introduce the Swahili preposition.
- Use local contexts (market, homestead, school, town routes) to make examples familiar and enjoyable.
- Mix oral and written practice: teenagers enjoy pair work, maps and role plays — use them often.
- If you teach another indigenous language, follow the same categories (time/place/position/direction) and replace Swahili prepositions with equivalents in that language.