Setswana First Additional Language - Term 2 - Week 7

Grammar is the set of rules that helps us use a language correctly. In Setswana, just like in any language, we need to pay attention to how we form sentences, use punctuation, and structure our thoughts. Today, we will focus on common grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement and the correct use of punctuation marks like full stops, commas, and question marks.

Let's look at the following sentence: 'Me go ja bogobe.' This sentence is correct, but if we want to ask a question, we should say, 'A o ja bogobe?' Notice how we changed the structure and added a question mark. Another example is 'Bana ba a bapala.' If we want to say it in the past tense, we can say, 'Bana ba ne ba bapala.' This shows how changing a verb can change the meaning of a sentence.

In groups, you will receive a list of sentences with grammatical errors. Your task is to identify the mistakes and correct them. For example, if you see 'O a etela mo sekolong,' you might need to check if it should be in the past tense or if it needs punctuation. After correcting, each group will share one corrected sentence with the class.

Now it's your turn to write! Write five sentences about your favorite activity. Make sure to use correct punctuation and check for any grammatical errors. After writing, exchange your sentences with a partner and help each other find any mistakes. This will help you learn from each other and improve your writing skills.

• Me go ja bogobe.
• Me go ja bogobeng.
• Me go ja bogobes.

Answer: Me go ja bogobe.

This sentence is correct as it uses the right form of the verb and structure.

• Full stop.
• Comma.
• Question mark.

Answer: Question mark.

A question mark is used to indicate that a sentence is a question.

Answer: Bana ba ja.

The correct form removes the unnecessary 'a' to make the sentence grammatically correct.

• O a etela mo sekolong.
• O etela mo sekolong.
• O a etela mo sekolongs.

Answer: O a etela mo sekolongs.

The word 'sekolongs' is incorrect; it should be 'sekolong'.

Answer: Bana ba ne ba bapala.

This sentence correctly uses the past tense form of the verb 'bapala'.

• A o ja bogobe
• A o ja bogobe?
• A o ja bogobe.

Answer: A o ja bogobe?

The question requires a question mark at the end.

• Me go ja.
• Ke ne ke ja.
• Ke a ja.

Answer: Ke ne ke ja.

This is the correct past tense form of the phrase.

Answer: Bana ba a bapala.

This sentence correctly uses the word 'bana' and ends with a full stop.