Part 7: Practice exercises

Translation: English to Phi

Translate these sentences into Phi. All use relative clauses.

Basic (subject gap)

1. The person who came is here.
2. The flower that grows is beautiful.
3. The tree that is large is old.
4. One who loves is wise.
5. The path that is in the forest is long.

Basic (object gap)

1. I see the book that you read.
2. The story that they created is beautiful.
3. Do you know the person whom I love?
4. She loves the flower that I gave.
5. The home that we created is here.

Intermediate

1. The person who teaches children is wise.
2. I understand the story that you told me.
3. The old book that I read is beautiful.
4. One who creates peace receives peace.
5. The home that is on the mountain is beautiful.

Advanced

1. I know the child whom the person who creates stories taught.
2. The person who knows that I will come is here.
3. Do you see what I created?
4. The story that I heard said that peace is in the forest.
5. One who understands what they hear is wise.

Translation: Phi to English

Translate these sentences into natural English.

1. rena to shua miona mia melu nai

1. mia rena thia to kealo nophi theo

1. rena phelora nai peloru thuroa

1. mia rena mia to nila miona sano

1. rena shea kealo miona phue nai

1. rena mua shelira nai womu phelora nai

1. mia rena shia wei mia to haolu nophi shelomui

1. rena naphe naphe howela

1. rena ma lothea miona sonu nai

1. wa rena ha kealo thia nai

Transformation: Two sentences to one

Combine each pair into a single sentence using a relative clause.

1. A person came. The person is my friend. → "The person who came is my friend."

1. I read a book. The book is old. → ?

1. They created a story. I love the story. → ?

1. A flower grows in the garden. The flower is beautiful. → ?

1. You taught a child. I know the child. → ?

1. A person creates peace. The person is wise. → ?

1. I saw a home. The home is on the mountain. → ?

1. They said something. I understand what they said. → ?

1. A path is in the forest. I walked on the path. → ?

1. Someone helped me. That person is here. → ?

Transformation: One sentence to two

Break each complex sentence into two simpler sentences. Maintain the meaning.

1. rena mia to nila miona mia melu nai → ?

1. mia rena shia to kealo nophi lothea → ?

1. rena mua shelira thuroa shiro whalo nai → ?

1. mia rena rena nophi kealo miona to thumela lopia sano → ?

1. rena mena shea welao nai meno phaelo miona ha nai → ?

Gap identification

For each relative clause, identify whether the gap is in subject position, object position, or oblique position.

1. rena nophi kealo miona (the person who creates stories) Gap position: ?

1. rena mia to theo shelu (the book that I read) Gap position: ?

1. rena mia mua to thalo shelira (the forest that I walked in) Gap position: ?

1. rena phelora nai peloru (the flower that is beautiful) Gap position: ?

1. rena shia wei to haolu miona (the person to whom they spoke) Gap position: ?

1. rena thuroa shiro (the tree that grows) Gap position: ?

1. rena mia to nila womu (the home that I saw) Gap position: ?

1. rena lopia to thumela miona (the person who taught the child) Gap position: ?

Error correction

Each sentence contains an error. Find and fix it.

1. *peloru rena mia to nila phelora nai

1. *rena mia to thalo ruela phelora nai

1. *rena mia to theo shelu reno phelora nai

1. *rena rena to shua miona sano mia

1. *mia to nila miona sano rena

1. *rena mia phelora nai peloru thuroa

1. *rena shia nophi kealo phue nai

1. *mia wei rena shia to haolu miona sano

Free production

Write your own sentences using relative clauses for these prompts.

Describe a person

Write three sentences describing someone you admire, using at least one relative clause each.

Example:

mia rena shea thumela miona sano.
1SG REL peace teach person know.
(i know a person who teaches peace.)

Your turn: 1. ? 2. ? 3. ?

Describe a place

Write three sentences describing a place meaningful to you.

Example:

rena mia mua to thuroa shelira phelora nai.
REL 1SG LOC PST grow forest beautiful be.
(the forest where i grew up is beautiful.)

Your turn: 1. ? 2. ? 3. ?

Tell a short story

Write a 5-sentence story that uses at least 3 relative clauses.

Answer key

English to Phi

1. rena to shua miona ha nai
2. rena thuroa peloru phelora nai
3. rena whalo nai shiro serao nai
4. rena lothea phue nai
5. rena mua shelira nai ruela laeno nai
6. mia rena thia to theo shelu nila
7. rena shia to kealo nophi phelora nai
8. wa thia rena mia lothea miona sano
9. shia rena mia to loa peloru lothea
10. rena lo mia to kealo womu ha nai
11. rena lopia thumela miona phue nai
12. mia rena thia wei mia to haolu nophi shelomui
13. rena mia to theo serao shelu phelora nai
14. rena shea kealo shea howela
15. rena nia toremoa nai womu phelora nai
16. mia rena rena nophi kealo miona to thumela lopia sano
17. rena mena mia so shua meno sano miona ha nai
18. wa thia rena mia to kealo nila
19. rena mia to hea nophi mena shea mua shelira nai meno to haolu
20. rena rena shia hea shelomui phue nai

Phi to English

1. The person who came is my friend.
2. I read the story that you created.
3. The flower that is beautiful grows.
4. I know the person whom I saw.
5. One who creates peace is wise.
6. The home that is in the forest is beautiful.
7. I understand the story that they told me.
8. One who helps receives help.
9. One who doesn't love is alone.
10. Are you the one who created this?

Two to one (Phi answers)

1. rena mia to theo shelu serao nai
2. mia rena shia to kealo nophi lothea
3. rena mua thepalu thuroa peloru phelora nai
4. mia rena thia to thumela lopia sano
5. rena shea kealo miona phue nai
6. rena mia to nila womu nia toremoa nai
7. mia rena shia to haolu shelomui
8. mia nia rena mua shelira nai ruela to thalo
9. rena mia to naphe miona ha nai

Gap identification

1. Subject (the person creates)
2. Object (I read the book)
3. Oblique/locative (I walked in the forest; the stranded mua marks the gap)
4. Subject (the flower is beautiful)
5. Oblique/recipient (they spoke to the person; the stranded wei marks the gap)
6. Subject (the tree grows)
7. Object (I saw the home)
8. Subject (the person taught the child)

Error correction

1. Wrong order → rena mia to nila peloru phelora nai
2. Dropped preposition (it stays; its object is gapped) → rena mia mua to thalo ruela phelora nai ("the path that i walked on is beautiful")
3. False closer → rena mia to theo shelu phelora nai
4. Word order/structure → mia rena to shua miona sano
5. rena at end → mia rena mia to nila miona sano
6. The mia has no role in the clause; phelora nai takes no argument beyond the gap → rena phelora nai peloru thuroa ("the flower that is beautiful grows")
7. No gap: the clause is already complete (shia subject, nophi object), so a head noun would have no role to fill. Drop the clause-internal subject and the head fills it → rena nophi kealo miona phue nai ("the person who creates stories is wise")
8. The preposition never moves out of the clause; it stays, and its object is gapped → mia rena shia wei to haolu miona sano ("i know the person whom they spoke to")