Grade 7 indigenous languages β Reading for Information Quiz
1. When reading an informational paragraph in an indigenous language, which word most often tells you what is happening?
A verb names the action or state in a sentence, so it shows what is happening and helps you understand the information in the text.
2. In many indigenous languages, which element signals who or what performs the action in a sentence?
The subject is the person or thing that performs the action; identifying it helps readers know who or what the sentence is about.
3. Which grammatical feature helps you know whether an event happened in the past, is happening now, or will happen later?
Tense markers (such as particles, prefixes, or verb endings) show time reference and tell whether an action is past, present, or future.
4. When an informational sentence contains a word that describes a noun (for example, 'big' or 'small'), that word is called a:
An adjective modifies a noun by giving more information about qualities like size, color, or shape, helping readers picture concepts in the text.
5. If a sentence in an indigenous language shows agreement between a noun and an adjective, this agreement usually helps the reader identify:
Agreement (such as matching prefixes or endings) links adjectives to their nouns, clarifying which words describe which things when reading.
6. Which words join ideas or sentences and help readers follow the flow of information in an indigenous-language text?
Conjunctions (like 'and', 'but', 'because') connect clauses and sentences, showing relationships and making the information easier to follow.
7. When an informational sentence asks about time, place, manner or reason, the words used to begin such questions are called:
Question words (who, what, where, when, why, how) introduce questions and guide readers to find specific information in a text.
8. In many indigenous languages, a short word attached to a verb that shows who is doing the action is called a:
Subject markers (often prefixes or suffixes on verbs) indicate the person or noun doing the action, helping readers identify the agent quickly.
9. Which grammatical element replaces a noun to avoid repetition and make informational text clearer?
Pronouns (he, she, it, they, etc.) stand in for nouns so the text is less repetitive and easier to read.
10. What is the main purpose of a relative clause in an informational sentence?
Relative clauses add details about a noun (for example, 'the farmer who grows maize'), which helps readers learn important specifics.
11. If you see a negative particle in a sentence, what does it tell you about the action?
Negative particles (words that make a sentence negative) show that the event does not occur or did not occur, which affects the meaning of information.
12. When reading a factual report in an indigenous language, which structure usually puts the most important information first?
Informational writing often presents the main point early, followed by supporting details; recognizing this structure helps readers find key facts quickly.
13. Which grammatical device shows possession (for example, 'the farmer's field') in many indigenous languages?
Possessive markers (such as suffixes, particles, or separate words) indicate ownership, helping readers understand relationships between people and things.
14. In reading for information, why is it important to recognize the difference between a main clause and a subordinate clause?
Knowing which clause is main helps readers identify the central fact and separate it from supporting information.
15. Which element often indicates a change of topic or contrast in an informational indigenous-language text?
Words like 'but', 'however', or their equivalents show contrast or topic shifts, guiding readers through the information.
16. When a verb appears in its basic, nonβmarked form in an indigenous language, it is often called the:
The infinitive or root form is the base form of a verb before tense or subject markers are added; recognizing it helps analyze sentence structure.
17. Which grammatical item helps a reader identify which noun is being pointed out (this, that, these, those)?
Demonstratives indicate proximity or distance of a noun and help readers know which specific item the text refers to.
18. In many Kenyan indigenous languages, nouns may belong to classes. Why does recognizing noun classes help when reading information?
Noun classes affect agreement patterns; knowing them helps match adjectives, verbs, and pronouns correctly while reading.
19. Which form of a verb is used to give instructions or commands in informational texts like guides or manuals?
The imperative form issues commands or instructions (e.g., 'Boil water'), which is common in howβto texts and manuals.
20. When an informational sentence uses passive voice, what happens to the usual subject and object?
Passive voice shifts focus onto the object (the receiver of the action), which can be used in informational texts to emphasize results rather than actors.
21. Which short words or affixes often indicate location, direction or time when reading an indigenous-language passage?
Prepositions or locative markers show time and place (e.g., 'in', 'on', 'at' or their equivalents), which is important for understanding contexts in informational texts.
22. What does subject-verb agreement ensure in a sentence written in an indigenous language?
Subject-verb agreement makes sentences clear by matching verb forms to the subject (singular/plural, first/second/third person), aiding comprehension.
23. Which grammatical signal often introduces examples or explanations in informational writing?
Phrases meaning 'for example' introduce illustrations or explanations that clarify information, helping readers understand details.
24. When you find a shortened word attached to a noun showing who owns it, that attachment is commonly called a:
A possessive suffix attaches to a noun to show ownership (like 'my' or 'his' attached), which tells the reader who the thing belongs to.
25. Why is it important to recognize question intonation or question markers when reading spoken informational material in an indigenous language?
Question markers or intonation signal that the speaker seeks information; distinguishing questions from statements helps listeners and readers respond correctly.
26. Which grammatical process turns verbs or clauses into nouns so they can be used as subjects in informational sentences?
Nominalization converts verbs or clauses into noun phrases (e.g., 'the planting of trees'), allowing actions to be treated as things in informational texts.
27. In the Swahili word "Ninakula", which part shows the subject 'I'?
In Swahili verbs the short prefix 'ni' is the subject marker for 'I'. In 'Ninakula' the 'ni' marks the subject; 'na' is the present-tense connector and 'kula' is the verb root 'eat'.
28. What is the correct plural of the Swahili noun 'kitabu' (book)?
'Kitabu' belongs to the ki/vi noun class. The singular prefix is 'ki-' and the plural prefix is 'vi-', so the plural is 'vitabu'.
29. What is the plural of 'mtoto' (child) in Swahili?
'Mtoto' (singular) takes the 'wa-' prefix in the plural, so 'watoto' is the correct plural form.
30. How do you say "my book" in Swahili?
For ki-class nouns like 'kitabu' the possessive for 'my' uses the concord 'cha' + 'angu' β 'changu', giving 'kitabu changu'.
31. Which is the correct Swahili phrase for "this book" (near the speaker)?
The demonstrative for a nearby non-human singular in the ki-class is 'hiki' used after the noun: 'kitabu hiki' means 'this book'.
32. In the verb 'Nilienda', which part indicates the past tense?
The syllable 'li' inside 'nilienda' is the past tense marker in Swahili. The full 'nili-' is subject plus past, but 'li' is the tense element that marks past.
33. What is the Swahili sentence for "We are going"?
'Tunaenda' uses the subject marker 'tu-' (we) plus the present-tense connector '-na-' and the verb root 'enda' to mean 'we are going'.
34. Who is the subject in the verb form 'tunaenda'?
The prefix 'tu-' (seen as 'tuna-') marks the first person plural subject 'we' (sisi).
35. What is the plural form of the phrase 'mtu mzuri' (a good person)?
Both the noun and the adjective must change for plural. 'Mtu' becomes 'watu' and the adjective 'mzuri' takes the plural 'wa-' agreement to become 'wazuri' β 'watu wazuri'.
36. Which Swahili question word asks 'Where?'
'Wapi' is used to ask about location (where). 'Nani' is who, 'lini' is when, and 'ngapi' asks how many/how much.
37. Which Swahili question word means 'Who?'
'Nani' asks for a person (who). 'Nini' asks 'what', 'wapi' 'where', and 'vipi' 'how'.
38. Which question word in Swahili asks 'How many?' or 'How much?'
'Ngapi' is used to ask quantity (how many/how much). 'Lini' is when and 'nani' is who.
39. Which Swahili question word asks 'When?'
'Lini' asks about time (when). 'Wapi' is where, 'ngapi' how many, and 'nini' what.
40. In the verb 'Wanaandika', which part shows the subject 'they'?
The prefix 'wa-' is the subject marker for third person plural (they). In 'wanaandika' it appears as 'wa-' before the tense connector '-na-'.
41. What is the correct Swahili imperative (command) for 'Come!' to one person?
'Njoo' is the second-person singular imperative form meaning 'come!'. 'Kuja' is the infinitive 'to come'.
42. How do you say "his/her car" in Swahili (gari = car)?
For the class of 'gari' the possessive for 'his/her' is 'lake' (la + -ke), so 'gari lake' means 'his/her car'.
43. Which is the correct Swahili for "our houses" (nyumba = house)?
'Nyumba' (houses) with the possessive 'our' uses 'zetu' β 'nyumba zetu' (our houses).
44. Which Swahili phrase most clearly means "in the house" (inside the house)?
'Ndani ya nyumba' literally means 'inside the house'. 'Nyumbani' means 'at home' and the others do not clearly mean 'in the house'.
45. Which demonstrative best translates to "those people (over there)"?
'Wale' is the demonstrative for people/things that are distant (those over there). 'Huyu' is this person, 'hawa' is these people (nearby).
46. Which word in the phrase 'gari jipya' is the adjective?
'Jipya' means 'new' and modifies the noun 'gari' (car). Therefore 'jipya' is the adjective meaning 'new'.
47. What is the plural of 'kiti' (chair) in Swahili?
'Kiti' belongs to the ki/vi class, so its plural replaces 'ki-' with 'vi-' giving 'viti'.
48. Which Swahili pronoun means 'he' or 'she' (third person singular)?
'Yeye' is the independent pronoun for third person singular (he/she). 'Mimi' is I, 'wewe' is you (singular), 'sisi' is we.
49. In 'kitabu kikubwa', which part shows agreement between the noun and the adjective?
The prefix 'ki-' at the start of the adjective 'kikubwa' agrees with the ki-class noun 'kitabu'. Adjectives take prefixes that match the noun class.
50. In the perfect tense form 'Nimemwona' (I have seen him/her), which part is the object marker meaning 'him/her'?
In 'nimemwona', 'ni-' is the subject 'I', 'me' is the perfect-tense connector, and the 'm' that follows is the object marker meaning 'him/her'. 'Wona' is the verb root 'see'.
51. Which Swahili word asks 'How?' as in 'How are you?'
'Vipi' asks 'how' or 'how is it'. For example 'Habari vipi?' asks 'How are things?' or 'How are you?'.