Izigaba Eziphathelene Nezenzukuthi
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Build subject relative clauses across a wider range of noun classes, identifying a person or thing by what it does or did.
- Build object relative clauses, identifying a person or thing by what was done to it or with it.
- Use a participial clause to describe a situation, a state, or an accompanying action within a larger sentence.
- Use the causative extension to describe making someone do something, or making something happen.
- Use the passive extension to describe an action when the person who did it is unknown, unimportant, or intentionally left in the background.
- Add a purpose clause to an existing time, cause, and condition subordination pattern, explaining why an action was carried out.
- Maintain reference continuity across several sentences of dialogue or narration, so that listeners never lose track of who is being discussed.
- Read, listen to, write, and speak a short connected passage that identifies people and things by what they do, what happens to them, and why.
Communication Scenario
Sipho's story about his first day at the hospital left Nomvula's class wanting more detail, not just about what happened, but about the people involved. Who is the nurse who helped him. What is the work that made him tired. Lindiwe wants to describe the grandfather whose house was locked, and the neighbor who explained everything to her. The class has already met a basic subject relative clause, but now they need more, ways to identify someone by what was done to them, ways to describe a situation rather than a single action, and ways to say that someone made something happen, or that something happened without naming who caused it.
- This chapter develops the relative clause into a fuller system, adding object relatives and participial clauses, and introduces the causative and passive extensions for production, building directly on the basic subject relative and the object concord practiced in Chapter 3.
- Learners also add a purpose clause to their subordination toolkit, and practice keeping references clear across several connected sentences, so a description can identify exactly who did what, to whom, and why.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 4 takes the narration skills from Chapter 3 and turns them toward description within a story, identifying people and things more precisely, and explaining cause and effect more fully. The object concords and subject relative clauses introduced in Chapter 3 are now the foundation for a wider relative and participial system.
Coming From Chapter 3
Object concords for reference, the applicative extension, basic subject relative clauses, subordination for time and cause, the far distance demonstrative, and the negative command.
New in This Chapter
Object relative clauses, participial clauses, the causative extension, the passive extension, purpose subordination, and controlled reference continuity across connected sentences.
Looking Forward
Chapter 5 develops causative and change-of-state meaning further, expanding today's introduction into fuller control of influence, change, and process.
Core Vocabulary: Describing by Action
This chapter introduces vocabulary connected to identifying people by role or relationship, and connecting words for explaining purpose and cause more fully.
| isiZulu | English | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| umuntu ebengimazi | a person I already knew, model relative phrase | relative reference |
| ukwenza | to make, to do | causative base |
| ukwenziwa | to be made, to be done | passive base |
| isizathu, izizathu | reason, reasons | narration |
| injongo, izinjongo | purpose, aim, purposes | narration |
| ukuze | so that, in order that | connector |
| ngenxa yalokho | because of that, as a result | connector |
| isimo, izimo | situation, condition, situations | narration |
| owesibili, ababili | the second one, both of them | reference |
| lowo, leyo, lelo | that one, discourse-reference forms, various classes | reference |
These reference and purpose words support the fuller relative, participial, and causative work this chapter develops. They build on the narration vocabulary already active from Chapter 3.
Pronunciation and Click Focus
This chapter continues developing the nasalized click series introduced in Chapter 3, moving from careful, separated practice toward natural connected speech, and adds attention to consonant contrasts that commonly cause confusion for English speaking learners.
Relative clauses often place a nasalized click word directly after a relative concord, which can tempt a learner to insert a small pause. Practice owangibonela alongside inqola engiyibonile, keeping the nasal and click connected within the word, and keeping the whole clause connected in one smooth breath group, without a pause between the relative concord and the word that follows it.
Grammar: Clauses That Describe
4.1 Subject relative clauses, developed across more classes
Purpose: identify a wider range of people and things by what they do or did, using the relative concord that matches the correct noun class.
Chapter 3 introduced the subject relative with human nouns of Class 1 and 2. This chapter extends the same pattern to Class 7 and 8 objects, Class 9 and 10 animals and common nouns, and Class 3 and 4 nouns, so that the relative concord can identify almost any noun by an action it performs.
- Incwadi engibhale yona iphelele manje. The book that I wrote is complete now. e- relative concord, class 9, combined with object concord -yi-
- Izitolo ezivulekile kusasa zisemgwaqweni omkhulu. The shops that are open tomorrow are on the main road. ezi- relative concord, class 8, subject relative
4.2 Object relative clauses, introduced for production
Purpose: identify a person or thing by what was done to it, or with it, rather than by what it did.
- Udade engangingakaze ngimazi ngaphambili wangisiza kakhulu. The nurse whom I had not known before helped me greatly. e- relative concord, class 1, combined with subject concord ngi-, object relative
- Isipho ugogo asithengile sasisemsakazweni. The gift that grandmother bought was in the package. a- relative concord, class 7, combined with subject concord u-, object relative
Compare the subject relative in section 4.1, where the head noun performs the action, with the object relative here, where the head noun receives the action. Checking which role the head noun plays is the first step in choosing the correct pattern.
4.3 Participial clauses, introduced for production
Purpose: describe a situation, a state, or an accompanying action that frames the main event of a sentence.
- Ekhathele kakhulu, uSipho wagoduka ngokushesha. Being very tired, Sipho went home quickly. participial subject concord e-, describing a state
- Sifika esibhedlela, sabona umqondisi elinde thina. Arriving at the hospital, we saw the manager waiting for us. participial subject concord si-, framing the main event
4.4 The causative extension, introduced for production
Purpose: describe making someone do something, or causing an event or a change to happen.
- Umqondisi wangazisa ngesikhathi sokuqala sami. The manager informed me about my starting time. -is- causative, combined with the -ngi- object concord
- Udade wami wangihambisa ekamelweni lami. The nurse walked me over to my room. -is- causative on ukuhamba, adding a causer
4.5 The passive extension, introduced for production
Purpose: describe an action when the person who performed it is unknown, unimportant, or intentionally left in the background.
- Umsebenzi wonke wangichazelwa ngosuku lokuqala. The whole job was explained to me on the first day. -w- passive, combined with applicative -el-
- Indlu yagogo yatholakala ivaliwe. Grandmother's house was found closed. -w- passive on ukuvala, describing the resulting state
Compare the passive here with the object relative in section 4.2. Both can describe something happening to a noun, but the passive changes the verb structure itself, while the object relative adds a describing clause around an unchanged verb.
4.6 Purpose subordination, added to the pattern from Chapter 3
Purpose: explain why an action was carried out, extending the time, cause, and condition subordination already active from Chapter 3.
- Umqondisi wangichazela wonke umsebenzi, ukuze ngingaphuthelwa yilutho. The manager explained the whole job to me, so that I would not miss anything. ukuze, purpose subordination
- Ngahambisa incwadi ngokushesha, ngenxa yalokho ugogo wayeyilindele. I sent the letter quickly, because of that, grandmother had been waiting for it. ngenxa yalokho, result connector, linked to the earlier cause
4.7 Reference continuity across connected sentences
Purpose: keep every reference clear across several sentences, so a listener or reader never has to guess who or what is being discussed.
Once a person or thing has been introduced by name, later sentences may refer back with an object concord, a relative clause, a demonstrative such as lowo, leyo, lelo, or a phrase such as owesibili. Choosing among these options, rather than repeating the full noun each time, is what keeps a connected passage sounding natural.
Model Dialogue
Isimo: ULindiwe uchazela uNomvula ngezinsizakalo ezimbili ezamsiza ekhaya likagogo wakhe.
Setting: Lindiwe describes to Nomvula the two people who helped her at her grandfather's home.
This exchange develops the subject relative across a wider class range, introduces the object relative, participial clauses, the causative and passive extensions, and purpose subordination, all inside one connected description.
Imibuzo yokuqonda — Comprehension questions:
- Ubani owavulela uLindiwe indlu? (Who opened the house for Lindiwe?)
- Umzukulu wenzeni ukuze uLindiwe angalambi? (What did the grandson do so that Lindiwe would not be hungry?)
- Ugogo wazizwa kanjani ngesikhathi ebuya? (How did the grandfather feel when he returned?)
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a qualified isiZulu speaker to read the following short passage aloud, at a natural pace. Listen twice, without reading along. On the first listen, note who is described in each sentence. On the second listen, note which relative clauses identify a doer, and which identify a receiver of an action.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read the passage aloud yourself, at a measured, natural pace. All audio models must be verified by a qualified isiZulu speaker before being treated as a pronunciation model.
Abantu Ababili Abangisizile — Two People Who Helped Me:
"Kukhona abantu ababili engingasoze ngabakhohlwa, ngenxa yosizo abangenzela lona ngesikhathi ngifika edolobheni elisha. Owokuqala kwakungumfundisi engangimazi kancane, owangichazela zonke izindawo ezisemqoka. Owesibili kwakungudade engangingakaze ngimazi ngaphambili, owangihambisa emsebenzini ngosuku lwami lokuqala, ukuze ngingaphuthelwa yisikhathi. Isikhathi engangikade ngikhathazekile ngaso, sabekwa phansi ngenxa yabo bobabili. Ngithi lapho ngicabanga ngalolo suku, umsebenzi wami wenziwa lula ngenxa yalabo bantu ababili abangisizile."
Umsebenzi wokulalela — Listening task:
Complete the table, naming who is described and what kind of clause identifies them, then answer the follow up question in a full sentence.
| Umuntu (Person) | Uhlobo lwesigaba (Type of clause used) |
|---|---|
| Owokuqala | ______ |
| Owesibili | ______ |
Umbuzo olandelayo — Follow-up question: Ngokubona kwakho, kungani umbhali ethi umsebenzi wakhe wenziwa lula ngenxa yalabo bantu ababili? Bhala impendulo yakho ngomusho opheleleyo.
Reading Practice
Read the following short passage, written by another learner, describing a memorable classmate. It reactivates the object relative, the participial clause, and the causative extension in a slightly different arrangement from the model dialogue above. Read it aloud twice before answering.
Umngane Engingasoze Ngamkhohlwa — A Friend I Will Never Forget
Umngane engangifunda naye eyunivesithi wayehlala eduze kwami, futhi wayeyintombazane engangingakaze ngiyazi ngaphambili ngaphambi kokuqala kwesikole. Sihlangana ngosuku lokuqala, ebonakala ekhathazekile, ngamazisa ukuthi nami ngangisha kuleyo dolobha. Kusukela lapho, saba abangane abakhulu. Umsebenzi engangiwenzayo wawuvame ukungenzeka ngaphandle kosizo lwakhe, ngoba yena wayengithuthukisa njalo lapho ngihluleka. Kwathi ngesikhathi sesiqeda unyaka wokuqala, wangenza ngaqonda ukuthi ubungane bufana nesipho, futhi akubuyele emuva. Umngane lo, engangimazi kalula manje, waba yingxenye enkulu yosuku lwami lonke lokufunda.
"engangingakaze ngiyazi," "engangiwenzayo," and "wangenza ngaqonda" each combine a relative concord or a causative extension with the object and subject concords practiced in sections 4.2 and 4.4.
Imibuzo yokuqonda — Comprehension questions:
- Ubani umngane okhulunywa ngaye kule ndaba? (Who is the friend discussed in this passage?)
- Yini eyenzeka ngosuku lokuqala lokuhlangana kwabo? (What happened on the first day they met?)
- Ngokubona kwakho, kungani umbhali ethi ubungane bufana nesipho? (In your view, why does the writer say that friendship is like a gift?)
Writing Workshop
Write a short description of a real or realistic person who helped you or influenced you, drawing only on vocabulary and grammar already active from this chapter and earlier chapters.
Umsebenzi wokubhala — Writing task: Write a description of eight to twelve sentences, including at least one subject relative clause, one object relative clause, one participial clause, and one verb using either the causative or the passive extension.
- Choose your person. In English, note who this person is, and what they did for you or with you.
- Introduce the person. Name them once by their full noun, then plan how you will refer back to them.
- Add a subject relative clause. Identify the person by an action they performed.
- Add an object relative clause. Identify something that was done to them, or that they received.
- Add a participial clause. Describe a situation or state that frames one of your main events.
- Add a causative or passive verb. Show either that someone made something happen, or that something happened without naming the doer.
- Explain a purpose. Use ukuze to say why an action was carried out.
- Close with a reference back. Use a demonstrative such as lowo, leyo, or lelo, or a phrase such as owesibili, to refer to your person one final time without repeating the full noun.
- Audit your draft. Confirm that every relative concord agrees with the correct noun class, and that each causative or passive form is built on the correct verb root.
Isikhungo sokuhlola — Editing checklist:
- At least one subject relative clause correctly identifies a person or thing by an action performed.
- At least one object relative clause correctly identifies a person or thing by an action received.
- At least one participial clause correctly frames a situation or accompanying action.
- At least one causative or passive verb is used correctly.
- A purpose clause with ukuze explains why an action was carried out.
- Standard isiZulu spelling, capitalization, and punctuation are used throughout.
Speaking Practice
Ukuzilolonga — Controlled practice: reading the model dialogue aloud
Read the model dialogue above aloud twice, once at a slow, careful pace, and once at a natural, connected pace. Pay particular attention to keeping each relative clause connected as one breath group, without a pause after the relative concord.
Umsebenzi wokuxhumana — Communicative task: describing someone who helped you
With a partner or small group, describe a person who helped you, using at least one subject relative clause, one object relative clause, one participial clause, and one causative or passive verb, following the pattern in the model dialogue.
Ukuzilolonga wedwa — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing the same person alone, as if introducing them to a new classmate. Listen back, checking that every relative concord and every causative or passive form agrees correctly across the whole recording.
Culture and Communication
In many isiZulu speaking communities, a speaker will often identify a helper by role or relationship, such as umakhelwane, before giving a personal name, or sometimes instead of a personal name altogether. Notice how Lindiwe describes the neighbor and the grandson in this way, since this pattern is common and appropriate, rather than a sign of vagueness.
When a description involves an elder, such as ugogo in this chapter's dialogue, learners should notice that the tone remains respectful even when describing a surprising or awkward moment, such as the grandfather's surprise at finding Lindiwe in his home. Respect language and warmth generally combine, rather than one replacing the other.
Common Mistakes
Error: Building a relative clause as though the head noun performed the action, when the head noun actually received the action.
Correction: Ask whether the head noun did the action or had the action done to it, and add the subject concord for the true doer when the head noun is the receiver.
Error: Using the causative extension when the sentence actually needs to background the doer of an action, or the reverse.
Correction: Ask whether the subject is making something happen, which needs the causative, or whether the subject is receiving an action whose doer is unstated, which needs the passive.
Error: Naming a person or thing in full every time it returns in a passage, even after it has already been clearly established.
Correction: Once a person or thing is clearly established, use a demonstrative such as lowo, leyo, or lelo, or a phrase such as owesibili, instead of repeating the full noun.
Chapter Review
Ingxenye A — Ukuqonda (Comprehension)
1. Buyela endabeni kaLindiwe, uphendule le mibuzo emifushane: (Return to Lindiwe's account, and answer these short questions.)
- Ubani owamazisa ukuthi ugogo wayengekho?
- Ugogo wazizwa kanjani ngesikhathi ebuya?
Ingxenye B — Isigabisigabi (Grammar)
1. Guqula lo musho, usebenzisa isigaba esiphathelene senhloso yenzo, hhayi esomenzi: (Transform this sentence, using an object relative clause instead of a subject relative clause.)
Indoda eyangibingelela izolo. → ______ (the gift that grandmother bought)
2. Guqula lo musho, usebenzisa isandiso -is- ukwenza umuntu athole isenzo: (Transform this sentence, using the -is- causative extension.)
Umqondisi wahamba. → ______ (the manager made me go)
3. Bhala umusho owodwa onesigaba esiphathelene nesenzo, usebenzisa noma yisiphi isandiso -w-: (Write one sentence using the passive extension.)
Ingxenye C — Ukufunda (Reading)
1. Buyela endabeni yomngane, uphendule: (Return to the friend passage, and answer.)
- Kwenzekani ngosuku lokuqala lokuhlangana kwabo?
- Ubani owamthuthukisa lapho ehluleka?
Ingxenye D — Ukubhala (Writing)
1. Bhala isigaba esifushane esichaza umuntu owakusiza, usebenzisa isigaba esiphathelene senzo, esiphathelene nomenzi, kanye nesandiso -is- noma -w-. (Write a short paragraph describing someone who helped you, using an object relative clause, a subject relative clause, and either the causative or passive extension.)
Ingxenye E — Ukukhuluma (Speaking)
1. Chazela umngane wakho ngabantu ababili abakusizile ngesikhathi esithile, usebenzisa owesibili ukubuyekeza kwabo. (Describe to your partner two people who helped you at some time, using owesibili to refer back to the second one.)
Ukubuyekezwa okuhlanganisiwe — Cumulative review from Chapters 1 to 3 and Volume II
Choose the correct word or form in brackets to complete this short description, drawing on concord agreement, object concords, the applicative extension, and relative clauses together.
Umngane wami [engamazi / engimazi] kahle wangithengela [isipho / esipho] ngosuku lwami lokuqala. Ngesikhathi [ngifika / ngafika] emsebenzini, [wangibingelela / wangibingelele] ngothando, [wangichazela / wangichaza] wonke umsebenzi engangizowenza. Ngithi lapho ngicabanga ngaye, [ngiyabonga / ngizobonga] kakhulu ngosizo lwakhe.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 4 Diagnostic
Identifying People and Things Across the Four Skills
Complete the following four connected tasks, in order, as a single performance sequence.
- Listen to the passage on the two helpers in this chapter, or a similar passage provided by your instructor, and complete the listening table without reading a transcript first.
- Read the passage on the memorable friend in this chapter, or a similar passage provided by your instructor, and answer the comprehension questions, including the interpretive question, in full sentences.
- Write your own descriptive paragraph, following the writing workshop steps and editing checklist above.
- Speak your own description to a partner, group, or recording, without a written script in front of you.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Subject relative accuracy | Subject relative clauses correctly identify a person or thing by an action performed, across a range of noun classes. |
| Object relative accuracy | Object relative clauses correctly identify a person or thing by an action received. |
| Participial clause accuracy | Participial clauses correctly frame a situation or accompanying action. |
| Causative and passive accuracy | The -is- and -w- extensions are used correctly where their meanings are called for. |
| Task completion and connection | All four tasks are completed, and the language used connects clearly across listening, reading, writing, and speaking. |
This task assesses only systems already active by the end of this chapter. No item on this rubric requires reciprocal or neuter-stative extensions, or extension combinations, to be produced independently, since those remain scheduled for later chapters in this unit.
Answer Key
Dialogue — Comprehension
- Umakhelwane wamazisa ukuthi ugogo wayengekho.
- Wamangala, kodwa wathokoza kakhulu ngenxa yosizo alutholile.
Listening
- Owokuqala: isigaba esiphathelene nomenzi, esichaza umfundisi owamchazela izindawo.
- Owesibili: isigaba esiphathelene nesenzo, esichaza udade owamhambisa emsebenzini.
Follow-up question: model responses will vary, and any answer that gives a plausible, clearly stated reason is acceptable.
Reading — Comprehension
- Umngane wafunda naye eyunivesithi, owayengakaze aziwe ngaphambili.
- Bahlangana, umngane ebonakala ekhathazekile, futhi bamaziswa ukuthi bobabili baqala kuleyo dolobha ngesikhathi esifanayo.
- Model responses will vary. Acceptable answers should note the ongoing support described, and the closing comparison of friendship to a gift.
Chapter Review — Ingxenye B
- Model response: Isipho ugogo asithengile.
- Model response: Umqondisi wangihambisa.
- Model responses will vary. An acceptable sentence uses the -w- extension correctly, for example: Umsebenzi wonke wangichazelwa ngosuku lokuqala.
Chapter Review — Ingxenye C
- (a) Bahlangana, umngane ebonakala ekhathazekile. (b) Yena owamthuthukisa lapho ehluleka.
Cumulative Review — Correct answers
engimazi / isipho / ngafika / wangibingelela / wangichazela / ngiyabonga
Looking Ahead
Okungakwenzeka manje — What you can do now
You can identify people and things across a wider range of noun classes using subject relative clauses, identify people and things by what was done to them using object relative clauses, frame a situation with a participial clause, describe making something happen or leaving a doer unstated using the causative and passive extensions, explain purpose with ukuze, and keep reference clear across several connected sentences.