Somali Grammar Revision

Grammar notes · The reduced form is used for the media, education, administration and formal occasions. The word `oo', when not used as the Somali equivalent of `and' to link verbs/adjectives or as who/which, is a focus word like ayaa/baa, but is used only for headlines e.g. Ra'iisal Wasaaraha oo Wales booqan doona -- The Prime Minister to visit Wales. · If baa/ayaa focuses a subject of a sentence, a reduced form of verb is used. In the simple past tense and past continuous tense positive and positive interrogative , the second person singular( adiga) , second person plural ( idinka) and third person plural ( iyaga) take a reduced form verb of the third person singular masculine ( isaga) e.g. Gabdhaha ayaa qadada karinaya --The girls are cooking the lunch. · If a verb in infinitive form is used for a reduced form sentence, the auxiliary (e.g. rab, doon or kar) takes a reduced form e.g. Wiilasha baa London tagi doona --The boys will go to London. · To change a reduced form positive sentence into a question, begin the sentence with ma e.g. Ma Guuleed baa shaah caba? --Does Guuleed drink tea? or replace the focus word baa/ayaa with miyaa e.g.Guuleed miyaa shaah caba? -- Does Guuleed drink tea? · Independent pronouns (aniga, innaga, adiga, idinka, isaga, iyada and iyaga) can be focused by baa/ayaa e.g. Aniga ayaa suuqa aada -- I go to the market. · The impersonal pronoun la is not used in a reduced form sentence because it cannot be focused by baa/ayaa. · Negative of baa and ayaa are baan and ayaan respectively. If a subject of sentence is focused by a negative focus word (baan/ayaan), remember to use either negative verb of simple past or past continuous tense, and include an adverb of time to eliminate the ambiguity in the sentence e.g. Jeelle baan shaah cabin can mean Jeelle does not drink tea or Jeelle has not drunk tea.