Phi practice Relative clauses in Phi

Reading 8 of 9

Part 7

Practice exercises

The order becomes yours by use. Work each set aloud; the answer key closes the file, and wherever your Phi differs from it, check the gap first.

01Translation: 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.

02Translation: Phi to English

Translate these sentences into natural English.

  1. whu to shua miona mia melu nai
  1. mia whu thia to kealo nophi theo
  1. whu mioru nai peloru thuroa
  1. mia whu mia to nila miona sano
  1. whu shea kealo miona phue nai
  1. whu mua shelira nai womu mioru nai
  1. mia whu shia wei mia to haolu nophi shelomu
  1. whu naphe naphe howela
  1. whu ma lothea miona sonu nai
  1. wa whu ha kealo thia nai

03Transformation: 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. → ?

04Transformation: One sentence to two

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

  1. whu mia to nila miona mia melu nai → ?
  1. mia whu shia to kealo nophi lothea → ?
  1. whu mua shelira thuroa shiro whalo nai → ?
  1. mia whu whu nophi kealo miona to thumela lopia sano → ?
  1. whu tha shea welao nai tho phaelo miona ha nai → ?

05Gap identification

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

  1. whu nophi kealo miona (the person who creates stories) Gap position: ?
  1. whu mia to theo shelu (the book that I read) Gap position: ?
  1. whu mia mua to thalo shelira (the forest that I walked in) Gap position: ?
  1. whu mioru nai peloru (the flower that is beautiful) Gap position: ?
  1. whu shia wei to haolu miona (the person to whom they spoke) Gap position: ?
  1. whu thuroa shiro (the tree that grows) Gap position: ?
  1. whu mia to nila womu (the home that I saw) Gap position: ?
  1. whu lopia to thumela miona (the person who taught the child) Gap position: ?

06Error correction

Each sentence contains an error. Find and fix it.

  1. *peloru whu mia to nila mioru nai
  1. *whu mia to thalo ruela mioru nai
  1. *whu mia to theo shelu tho mioru nai
  1. *whu whu to shua miona sano mia
  1. *mia to nila miona sano whu
  1. *whu mia mioru nai peloru thuroa
  1. *whu shia nophi kealo phue nai
  1. *mia wei whu shia to haolu miona sano

07Free 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 whu 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:

whu mia mua to thuroa shelira mioru 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.

Check your workAnswer key

English to Phi

  1. whu to shua miona ha nai
  2. whu thuroa peloru mioru nai
  3. whu whalo nai shiro serao nai
  4. whu lothea phue nai
  5. whu mua shelira nai ruela laeno nai
  6. mia whu thia to theo shelu nila
  7. whu shia to kealo nophi mioru nai
  8. wa thia whu mia lothea miona sano
  9. shia whu mia to loa peloru lothea
  10. whu lo mia to kealo womu ha nai
  11. whu lopia thumela miona phue nai
  12. mia whu thia wei mia to haolu nophi shelomu
  13. whu mia to theo serao shelu mioru nai
  14. whu shea kealo shea howela
  15. whu nia tomora nai womu mioru nai
  16. mia whu whu nophi kealo miona to thumela lopia sano
  17. whu tha mia so shua tho sano miona ha nai
  18. wa thia whu mia to kealo nila
  19. whu mia to hea nophi tha shea mua shelira nai tho to haolu
  20. whu whu shia hea shelomu 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. The person 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. whu to shua miona mia melu nai
  2. whu mia to theo shelu serao nai
  3. mia whu shia to kealo nophi lothea
  4. whu mua thepalu thuroa peloru mioru nai
  5. mia whu thia to thumela lopia sano
  6. whu shea kealo miona phue nai
  7. whu mia to nila womu nia tomora nai
  8. mia whu shia to haolu shelomu
  9. mia nia whu mua shelira nai ruela to thalo
  10. whu mia to naphe miona ha nai

One to two (sample answers; several splits are possible)

  1. mia miona to nila. ha miona mia melu nai. ("I saw a person. This person is my friend.")
  2. shia nophi to kealo. mia ha nophi lothea. ("They created a story. I love this story.")
  3. shiro mua shelira thuroa. ha shiro whalo nai. ("A tree grows in the forest. This tree is large.")
  4. miona nophi kealo. mia whu ha miona to thumela lopia sano. ("A person creates stories. I know the child whom this person taught.")
  5. miona tha shea welao nai tho phaelo. shia ha nai. ("A person feels that peace is good. They are here.")

Gap identification

  1. Subject (the person creates)
  2. Object (I read the book)
  3. Oblique/locative (I walked in the forest; the mua with no object after it marks the gap)
  4. Subject (the flower is beautiful)
  5. Oblique/recipient (they spoke to the person; the wei with no object after it 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 → whu mia to nila peloru mioru nai
  2. Dropped preposition (it stays; its object is gapped) → whu mia mua to thalo ruela mioru nai ("The path that I walked on is beautiful")
  3. False closer → whu mia to theo shelu mioru nai
  4. Word order/structure → mia whu to shua miona sano
  5. whu at end → mia whu mia to nila miona sano
  6. The mia has no role in the clause; mioru nai takes no argument beyond the gap → whu mioru 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 → whu 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 whu shia wei to haolu miona sano ("I know the person whom they spoke to")