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83 [eighty-three]

Past tense 3

83 [eighty-three]	Past tense 3

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African Languages

In Africa, a great deal of different languages are spoken. No other continent has so many different languages. The variety of African languages is impressive. It is estimated that there are about 2,000 African languages. However, all of these languages are not alike! Quite the opposite – they are often completely different! The languages of Africa belong to four different language families. Some African languages have one-of-a-kind characteristics. For example, there are sounds that foreigners cannot imitate. Land boundaries are not always linguistic boundaries in Africa. In some regions, there are a great deal of different languages. In Tanzania, for example, languages from all four families are spoken. Afrikaans is an exception among the African languages. This language came into being in the colonial period. At that time people from different continents met each other. They came from Africa, Europe and Asia. A new language developed out of these contact situations. Afrikaans exhibits influences from many languages. It is most closely related to Dutch, however. Today Afrikaans is spoken in South Africa and Namibia more than anywhere else. The most unusual African language is the drum language. Every message can be theoretically sent with drums. The languages that are communicated with drums are tonal languages. The meaning of words or syllables depends on the pitch of the tones. That means that the tones have to be imitated by the drums. The drum language is even understood by children in Africa. And it is very efficient… The drum language can be heard for up to 12 kilometers!

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to make a call	t_ m_k_ a c_l_ to make a call t_ m___ a c___ to make a call __ ____ _ ____ to make a call
I made a call.	I m_d_ a c_l_. I made a call. I m___ a c____ I made a call. _ ____ _ _____ I made a call.
I was talking on the phone all the time.	I w_s t_l_i_g o_ t_e p_o_e a_l t_e t_m_. I was talking on the phone all the time. I w__ t______ o_ t__ p____ a__ t__ t____ I was talking on the phone all the time. _ ___ _______ __ ___ _____ ___ ___ _____ I was talking on the phone all the time.

to ask	t_ a_k to ask t_ a__ to ask __ ___ to ask
I asked.	I a_k_d_ I asked. I a_____ I asked. _ ______ I asked.
I always asked.	I a_w_y_ a_k_d_ I always asked. I a_____ a_____ I always asked. _ ______ ______ I always asked.

to narrate	t_ n_r_a_e to narrate t_ n______ to narrate __ _______ to narrate
I narrated.	I n_r_a_e_. I narrated. I n________ I narrated. _ _________ I narrated.
I narrated the whole story.	I n_r_a_e_ t_e w_o_e s_o_y_ I narrated the whole story. I n_______ t__ w____ s_____ I narrated the whole story. _ ________ ___ _____ ______ I narrated the whole story.

to study	t_ s_u_y to study t_ s____ to study __ _____ to study
I studied.	I s_u_i_d_ I studied. I s_______ I studied. _ ________ I studied.
I studied the whole evening.	I s_u_i_d t_e w_o_e e_e_i_g_ I studied the whole evening. I s______ t__ w____ e_______ I studied the whole evening. _ _______ ___ _____ ________ I studied the whole evening.

to work	t_ w_r_ to work t_ w___ to work __ ____ to work
I worked.	I w_r_e_. I worked. I w______ I worked. _ _______ I worked.
I worked all day long.	I w_r_e_ a_l d_y l_n_. I worked all day long. I w_____ a__ d__ l____ I worked all day long. _ ______ ___ ___ _____ I worked all day long.

to eat	t_ e_t to eat t_ e__ to eat __ ___ to eat
I ate.	I a_e_ I ate. I a___ I ate. _ ____ I ate.
I ate all the food.	I a_e a_l t_e f_o_. I ate all the food. I a__ a__ t__ f____ I ate all the food. _ ___ ___ ___ _____ I ate all the food.

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