Putting the Predicate First
A basic positive verbal clause puts the predicate first.
How It Works
In Kei te kai a Mere, kei te kai is the predicate and a Mere is the subject. In Kei te kai ia, the pronoun supplies the same subject role.
This is a starting pattern, not a ban on other orders. Negatives, actor-emphasis constructions and topicalized clauses organize their participants differently. Read their own markers instead of forcing every sentence into this one frame.
Examples (3)
- Kei te kai a Mere.
Mere is eating.
- I haere ngā tamariki.
The children went.
- Kua tae mai ia.
They have arrived (one person).
How It Connects
Learn This First
Make predicate and subject boundaries explicit in basic positive verbal clauses. Compare a named subject with a pronoun, while leaving negatives, actor emphasis and topic constructions to their own patterns.
- kei te + verbAn Action Happening Now
The familiar kei te activity frame lets learners identify kei te kai as a complete predicate before locating its subject.
Level 1 - a + personal nameMarking a Personal Name
Personal-name marking explains a Mere in the worked clause and supports its contrast with the ordinary pronoun subject ia.
Level 1
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Putting the Predicate First in Bubblegum
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