Exercise Language: Tenses

Exercising tenses in Maori grammar provides students with a deeper understanding of the language and its structure. Predominantly, Maori only has three main tenses, involving past, present, and future. As such, our exercise sessions focus intensively on these to build proficiency.

Past tense exercises employ verbs with the “i” particle to convey actions completed. For instance, “I whakarongo ahau ki te waiata” (I listened to the song). Present tense exercises use the “kei te” particle – “Kei te kai ahau” implies “I am eating”. Future tense exercises adopt the “ka” particle and an auxiliary verb “wha” for uncertainty – “Ka wha korero ahau” means “I will probably speak”.

While Maori grammar tenses seem straightforward, nuances that affect meaning, such as particles “e” and “ana”, make exercises essential. Addressing these complexities, we employ practical methods like dialogue construction and story narration ensuring students master tense usage in various contexts.