Consider the data in the table below and choose which morpheme means PAST TENSE.

Question

Shona verb complex Translation
Ndakamhanya 'I ran'
Ndichamhanya 'I will run'
Vakabika 'They baked'
Anobika 'She bakes
Anomhanya 'She runs

1.
-cham-

2.
-ka-

3.
A-

4.
-no-

5.
-kam-

Answer 1

In the Shona verb complex examples provided, the morpheme that indicates PAST TENSE is 2. -ka-.

Here’s a breakdown of the examples that illustrate this:

• "Ndakamhanya" translates to "I ran", where "-ka-" is the morpheme indicating past tense.
• "Vakabika" translates to "They baked", where again "-ka-" in "vakabika" signifies the past tense.

Therefore, the correct answer is 2. -ka-.