GRADE 8 indigenous languages – Reading for information Quiz
1. In the Swahili sentence 'Ninaandika barua.', what does the verb marker 'na-' indicate when reading for grammatical information?
The prefix 'na-' before the verb root in Swahili marks present tense (often present continuous). 'Ninaandika' means 'I am writing' or 'I write (now)'.
2. Read the sentence 'Alikula wali.' Which word is the subject?
In Swahili the verb carries the subject prefix. 'Alikula' contains the subject prefix 'a-' (he/she) and the past tense marker '-li-'. Here the verb form 'Alikula' functions as the predicate with the subject built in; the person (he/she) is indicated by 'a-'. 'Wali' is the object (rice).
3. What tense/aspect is marked in 'Tutakwenda kesho.'?
The prefix 'ta' after the subject prefix 'tu-' marks future tense in Swahili. 'Tutakwenda' means 'we will go'.
4. In the command 'Usisome kitabu hicho.', what grammatical form is used?
The form 'usi-' (usisome) is the second person singular negative imperative in Swahili, giving a command not to do something.
5. In the phrase 'kitabu kizuri', what grammar point is demonstrated between 'kitabu' and 'kizuri'?
'Kitabu' (book) is class ki- (singular), and the adjective 'kizuri' uses the ki- concord to agree with that noun class. Swahili adjectives agree with the noun class of the noun they modify.
6. What does the form 'wamefika' in 'Wanafunzi wamefika darasani.' indicate about aspect?
The combination 'wa-' (they) + 'me-' (perfect/has/have) + verb root indicates present perfect aspect: 'wamefika' means 'they have arrived'.
7. In 'Nimeenda sokoni.', what information does the prefix 'ni-' provide when reading the sentence grammatically?
'Ni-' is the first person singular subject prefix and 'me-' is the perfect aspect marker. Together 'Nimeenda' means 'I have gone'.
8. In the sentence 'Aliwaona watoto.', which element is the direct object?
'Watoto' (children) is the entity receiving the action and is the direct object. The verb 'aliwaona' (he/she saw them) contains subject and tense markers; 'watoto' names who was seen.
9. What does 'gari yake' mean in 'Gari yake ni jembe.' when reading for possessive grammar?
'Yake' is a possessive pronoun meaning 'his' or 'her' (third person singular possessive). 'Gari yake' therefore means 'his car' or 'her car'.
10. If a pupil reads 'Sikula.', what is the grammatical meaning of this short sentence?
'Sikula' is first person singular negative past in Swahili: 'si-' (I did not) + verb root 'kula' (eat) yields 'I did not eat'.
11. In 'Kupika ni kazi nzuri.', what is the grammatical function of the prefix 'ku-' in 'kupika'?
'Ku-' is the Swahili infinitive prefix attached to a verb root to form the noun/infinitive (to cook). 'Kupika' means 'to cook'.
12. Which verb extension generally creates the causative in Swahili when reading verb forms?
The causative extension '-isha' or '-esha' is added to verb roots to make someone cause an action (e.g., 'soma' → 'somesha' make someone read).
13. Given 'Mwalimu anasoma kitabu. Kitabu kinasomwa na mwalimu.' what grammatical change is shown in the second sentence?
The second sentence is the passive form where the object 'kitabu' becomes the grammatical subject and the actor is expressed with 'na mwalimu' (by the teacher).
14. Which demonstrative would correctly match 'mtoto' (a nearby singular child) when reading a sentence?
'Huyu' is the demonstrative for a nearby singular person (this one). 'Mtoto huyu' means 'this child'.
15. When you see 'Je, unaenda?' at the start of a Swahili question, what is the role of 'Je'?
'Je' is a question particle often used at the start of yes/no questions in Swahili to signal that a question follows.
16. What is the correct plural form of 'mti' when reading noun number?
The singular 'mti' (tree) has the plural 'miti' following the m/mi noun class pattern: 'mti' → 'miti'.
17. For the adjective agreement: which is the correct plural form of 'mti mrefu' (tall tree) when referring to many trees?
In plural, the noun 'mti' becomes 'miti' and the adjective must agree using the plural adjective concord for the mi- class: 'mrefu' → 'mirefu'. So 'miti mirefu' means 'tall trees'.
18. How do you say 'my books' correctly by reading possessive concords in Swahili?
'Vitabu' is plural in the vi- class; the correct possessive concord for 'my' with vi- nouns is 'vyangu'. Thus 'vitabu vyangu' = 'my books'.
19. In the sentence 'Aliandika kwa haraka.', what is the function of 'kwa' when reading for prepositions?
'Kwa' is a versatile preposition in Swahili used to indicate manner, means, agent, or purpose. In 'kwa haraka' it means 'in a hurry' or 'quickly'.
20. Which conjunction correctly connects two nouns 'Mwalimu' and 'wanafunzi' in a simple list when reading a text?
'Na' is the conjunction 'and' in Swahili used to connect nouns, e.g., 'Mwalimu na wanafunzi' (the teacher and the students).
21. When reading the sentence 'Anapika chakula sasa.', what does the prefix 'ana-' tell you about the action?
'Ana-' is the present tense prefix for third person singular indicating ongoing or habitual present action. 'Anapika' means 'he/she is cooking'.
22. In the negative imperative for plural 'Don't read (you all)!', which form is correct when reading instructions?
The plural second person negative imperative uses the prefix 'm' with 'si': 'msisome' meaning 'don't (you all) read'.
23. Which particle is commonly used for forming short negative answers like 'No' when reading a dialogue?
'Hapana' is the Swahili word for 'no' used in negative responses, while 'ndiyo' means 'yes'.
24. Reading the sentence 'Alimsaidia rafiki yake.', what does the suffix '-a' on 'rafiki yake' show?
The phrase 'rafiki yake' uses the possessive pronoun 'yake' to mean 'his/her'. The '-a' in 'al-i-msaidia' is part of the verb morphology; the phrase 'rafiki yake' shows possession: 'his/her friend'.
25. Which form shows the infinitive used as a noun when reading: 'Kusoma ni muhimu.' What does 'kusoma' mean here?
The infinitive 'ku-' as in 'kusoma' functions like a noun meaning 'reading' or 'to read'. In 'Kusoma ni muhimu' it means 'Reading is important'.
26. When reading 'Mimi niko nyumbani.' what is the function of 'niko' in the sentence?
'Niko' is the first person singular form of the verb 'kuwepo' used to indicate presence or location: 'I am at home'.
27. Which subject prefix marks 'we' (sisi) in Kiswahili verbs?
The subject prefix for 'we' (sisi) in Kiswahili is 'tu-'. For example, 'tunaenda' means 'we are going'.
28. Which tense/aspect marker shows the simple present/continuous in Kiswahili (e.g., 'we are going')?
The present/continuous tense uses the marker '-na-'. For example, 'tunaenda' = 'we are going'.
29. Which marker indicates simple past tense in Kiswahili (e.g., 'he/she came')?
The simple past tense uses '-li-'. For example, 'alikuja' = 'he/she came' (a-li-kuja).
30. Which marker indicates future tense in Kiswahili (e.g., 'I will go')?
The future tense uses '-ta-'. For example, 'nitaenda' = 'I will go' (ni-ta-enda).
31. What is the plural of the Kiswahili noun 'mtu' (person)?
'Mtu' (person) forms its plural as 'watu' (people) with the m-/wa- noun class pair.
32. Which noun-class pair shows the singular/plural for words like 'kiti' (chair) → 'viti'?
The ki-/vi- class is used for nouns like 'kiti' (chair) with plural 'viti'.
33. Which suffix commonly makes a locative meaning 'at' or 'in' a place in Kiswahili?
The locative suffix '-ni' marks location: 'nyumba' → 'nyumbani' (at home), 'soko' → 'sokoni' (at the market).
34. Which Kiswahili word means 'who'?
'Nani' means 'who' in Kiswahili, used to ask about a person.
35. Which Kiswahili question word means 'where'?
'Wapi' asks about place, meaning 'where'. For example, 'Uko wapi?' = 'Where are you?'
36. How do you form a plural imperative in Kiswahili (for example 'come' to a group)?
The plural imperative adds '-ni': singular 'njoo' (come), plural 'njooni' (come, plural).
37. Which demonstrative refers to 'this (person) near the speaker' in Kiswahili?
'Huyu' refers to a person close to the speaker: 'huyu ni rafiki yangu' = 'this is my friend'.
38. Which demonstrative indicates 'that (person) over there' (far from speaker and listener)?
'Yule' is used for a person or thing that is distant from both speaker and listener (that one over there).
39. Which sentence means 'I am at the market' in Kiswahili?
'Niko sokoni' uses the locative '-ni' to mean 'I am at the market' ('sokoni').
40. Which possessive form means 'my' for nouns of the m-/wa- class (people, e.g., 'rafiki')?
For m-/wa- nouns (people), 'wangu' means 'my': 'rafiki wangu' = 'my friend'.
41. Which possessive means 'our' for m-/wa- class nouns (we = sisi)?
'Wetu' is the possessive for 'our' with m-/wa- nouns: 'rafiki wetu' = 'our friend'.
42. Which form is the correct present negative for 'I do not go' in Kiswahili?
The present negative for 'go' (kuenda) with 'I' is 'siendi' = 'I do not go'.
43. Which Kiswahili word means 'what'?
'Nini' is used to ask 'what' in Kiswahili (e.g., 'Hii ni nini?' = 'What is this?').
44. Which subject prefix marks 'you' plural (ninyi) in Kiswahili verbs?
The subject prefix for second person plural (ninyi) is 'm-': 'mnaenda' = 'you (plural) are going'.
45. How is the passive voice usually formed on Kiswahili verbs?
The passive is commonly formed with the suffix '-wa' (or variants): e.g., 'pika' (cook) → passive 'pikwa' (be cooked).
46. In the sentence 'Ninamwona', what does the 'm' represent?
In 'Ninamwona' the 'm' is the object marker meaning 'him/her' (ni-na-m-wona = I-present-object-see).
47. Which particle is commonly used at the start of yes/no questions in Kiswahili?
'Je' is often placed at the start of a yes/no question: 'Je, unaenda?' = 'Are you going?'
48. How do you say 'two books' correctly in Kiswahili (book = kitabu, plural vitabu)?
The plural 'books' is 'vitabu' and 'two' for that class is 'mbili': 'vitabu mbili' = 'two books'.
49. Which phrase correctly means 'big house' in Kiswahili (house = nyumba)?
Adjectives generally follow the noun without extra agreement markers in many common forms: 'nyumba kubwa' = 'big house'.
50. Which Kiswahili phrase asks 'why'?
'Kwa nini' is used to ask 'why' in Kiswahili: 'Kwa nini umechelewa?' = 'Why are you late?'
51. Which is the correct future form for 'they will eat' (eat = kula) in Kiswahili?
Future for 'they' (wa-) uses '-ta-': 'wa-ta-kula' = 'watakula' = 'they will eat'.
52. In the sentence "The elder told a story by the fire", which word is the main verb?
The main verb shows the action of the sentence. 'Told' is the action the elder performed, so it is the main verb.
53. Which word shows possession in the phrase "Wanjiru's basket was full"?
The apostrophe+s in 'Wanjiru's' marks that the basket belongs to Wanjiru, so it indicates possession.
54. In "The red shuka was spread on the floor", which word is an adjective?
An adjective describes a noun. 'Red' describes the shuka (a cloth), so it is an adjective.
55. Which word is a plural noun in the sentence "Many children attended the festival"?
'Children' is the plural form of 'child' and refers to more than one person, so it is a plural noun.
56. Which word indicates past tense in "He walked to the market"?
The verb form 'walked' is marked for past tense (it shows that the action happened before now), so it indicates past tense.
57. Which word is a subject pronoun in "She told them about the harvest"?
A subject pronoun replaces the subject noun and performs the action. 'She' is the pronoun doing the telling, so it is the subject pronoun.
58. Which word functions as a conjunction in "He came early because he wanted to help"?
A conjunction joins clauses or phrases. 'Because' links the reason clause to the main clause, so it is a conjunction.
59. Which phrase is a prepositional phrase in "The farmer in the field planted maize"?
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and shows location or relation. 'In the field' starts with the preposition 'in' and shows where, so it is a prepositional phrase.
60. In the sentence "The teacher gave the students homework", which word is the direct object?
The direct object receives the action of the verb. 'Homework' is what was given, so it is the direct object.
61. Which part of "She did not bring the seeds" expresses negation?
The phrase 'did not' negates the action; it shows that the action of bringing did not happen, so it expresses negation.
62. Which word is an adverb in "He ran quickly to the river"?
An adverb modifies a verb and often describes how an action is done. 'Quickly' modifies 'ran,' so it is an adverb.
63. Which word is a demonstrative in "This drum belongs to my grandfather"?
A demonstrative points to a specific noun. 'This' points to a particular drum, so it is a demonstrative.
64. Which sentence is in the passive voice?
Passive voice puts the object of an action into the subject position and often includes a form of 'be' plus past participle. 'The goat was fed by the children' is passive because the goat (the recipient) is the subject.
65. Which word shows subject-verb agreement in "These cows are grazing"?
Subject-verb agreement is shown by the verb form matching the subject in number. 'Are' is the plural verb form that agrees with the plural subject 'cows.'
66. Which word is a relative pronoun in "The boy who climbed the tree is my cousin"?
A relative pronoun introduces a relative clause and relates it to a noun. 'Who' introduces 'who climbed the tree,' describing 'the boy,' so it is a relative pronoun.
67. Which word is a possessive pronoun in "Theirs is the biggest harvest this year"?
A possessive pronoun shows ownership and replaces a noun phrase. 'Theirs' shows that something belongs to them, so it is a possessive pronoun.
68. Which word indicates future tense in the sentence "She will plant the seeds tomorrow"?
The auxiliary 'will' is commonly used to form the simple future tense in many languages influenced by English structures; it signals that the action will happen in the future.
69. Which word is an imperative verb in "Bring the water here"?
An imperative verb gives a command or instruction. 'Bring' tells someone to perform an action, so it is an imperative verb.
70. Which word is a comparative adjective in "This house is taller than that one"?
A comparative adjective compares two things. 'Taller' compares the height of this house to that one, so it is a comparative adjective.
71. Which element forms a yes/no question in "Did the students read the story?"?
The auxiliary 'Did' at the start of the sentence inverts the subject and verb to form a yes/no question in English, so it marks the question form.
72. Which word shows contrast in the sentence "He is strong but gentle"?
'But' is a coordinating conjunction used to show contrast between two ideas: being strong and being gentle.
73. Which sentence shows reported (indirect) speech?
Reported (indirect) speech expresses what someone said without quoting them directly. 'She said she would go tomorrow' reports the statement rather than quoting it verbatim.
74. In the sentence "I saw him at the market", which word is the object pronoun?
An object pronoun receives the action of the verb. 'Him' is what was seen (the object of 'saw'), so it is the object pronoun.
75. Which punctuation mark signals a direct quotation in a written text?
Quotation marks are used in writing to enclose the exact words spoken or written by someone, indicating a direct quotation.
76. Which sentence follows the common subject-verb-object (SVO) order used in many Kenyan languages' simple statements?
The SVO order places the subject first ('The man'), the verb second ('ate'), and the object last ('the maize'), which is the structure shown in this sentence.