DLAB Applying Fictional Grammar Rules 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the fictional Zorathi language, verbs must agree with the subject in 'tier.' Tier 1 subjects use verb ending '-ak', Tier 2 use '-ok', Tier 3 use '-ek'. The sentence 'Melu [run]' has Melu as a Tier 2 subject. Which verb form is correct?
- Meluok (Correct answer)
- Meluk
- Meluak
- Meluek
Correct answer: Meluok
Since Melu is a Tier 2 subject, the verb must take the '-ok' ending, giving 'Meluok.'
Zorathi verb agreement requires matching the verb suffix to the subject's tier. Tier 1 = '-ak', Tier 2 = '-ok', Tier 3 = '-ek'. Melu is Tier 2, so the verb ending is '-ok', forming 'Meluok.' This tests your ability to apply a stated grammatical rule consistently.
Question 2: In Vorntish, adjectives come after the noun and take a gender marker. Masculine nouns get '-im', feminine get '-af'. 'Brak' (masculine) means 'stone' and 'selu' means 'hard.' How do you say 'hard stone'?
- Brak seluim (Correct answer)
- Seluim brak
- Brak seluaf
- Seluaf brak
Correct answer: Brak seluim
Adjective follows noun, and takes '-im' for masculine 'brak', giving 'Brak seluim.'
Vorntish adjective placement is post-nominal — the adjective follows the noun. The adjective also agrees with the noun's gender: '-im' for masculine, '-af' for feminine. Since 'brak' is masculine, 'selu' becomes 'seluim', and the full phrase is 'Brak seluim.' Applying both rules simultaneously is key.
Question 3: The invented language Drelvic uses a negation prefix 'un-' placed before the main verb. Nouns and adjectives are never negated. In the sentence 'Tavi greno spak' (The child quickly runs), how would you say 'The child does not quickly run'?
- Tavi greno unspak (Correct answer)
- Untavi greno spak
- Tavi ungreno spak
- Tavi greno spakun
Correct answer: Tavi greno unspak
Negation prefix 'un-' attaches to the verb 'spak', not the noun or adverb.
Drelvic negation works by prefixing 'un-' directly to the main verb. In 'Tavi greno spak', 'tavi' is the noun and 'greno' is the adverb — neither takes negation. The verb 'spak' receives the prefix, becoming 'unspak'. The correctly negated sentence is 'Tavi greno unspak.' This tests your ability to apply a rule to the right word class.
Question 4: In Pheltori, plural nouns are formed by doubling the first syllable. 'Mako' (one tree) becomes 'mamako' (trees). Following this rule, what is the plural of 'telu' (one bird)?
- Tetelu (Correct answer)
- Telutelu
- Telus
- Tetu
Correct answer: Tetelu
Double the first syllable 'te-' of 'telu' to get 'tetelu.'
Pheltori pluralization doubles the first syllable: 'ma-' from 'mako' → 'mamako'. For 'telu', the first syllable is 'te-', so the plural is 'te' + 'telu' = 'tetelu'. The other options add incorrect endings or double the wrong segment. This tests phonological segmentation and rule application.
Question 5: Krelvan has two past tense markers: '-ost' for completed actions and '-ust' for ongoing past actions. 'I was running' (ongoing in past) uses which form of 'vel' (to run)?
- Velust (Correct answer)
- Velost
- Vel
- Velut
Correct answer: Velust
'I was running' is an ongoing past action, so '-ust' is appended: 'velust.'
Krelvan distinguishes between completed past ('-ost') and ongoing past ('-ust'). 'I was running' describes an action in progress at some past point, so it is ongoing — the correct suffix is '-ust', giving 'velust'. 'Velost' would mean 'I ran (and finished)'. This tests your ability to categorize aspect and apply the correct marker.
Question 6: In the fictional language Snarvic, question sentences invert the verb and subject, and add the particle 'ke' at the end. Statement: 'Doru banak.' (The man walks.) What is the question form?
- Banak doru ke? (Correct answer)
- Doru banak ke?
- Ke doru banak?
- Doru ke banak?
Correct answer: Banak doru ke?
Invert subject and verb, then add 'ke' at the end: 'Banak doru ke?'
Snarvic question formation has two rules: (1) invert the verb and subject so the verb comes first, and (2) add 'ke' at the end. Starting from 'Doru banak.', inversion gives 'Banak doru', and adding 'ke' gives 'Banak doru ke?' The other options either keep the original order or misplace 'ke'. Both rules must be applied correctly.
DLAB Applying Fictional Grammar Rules 2
In the fictional Zorathi language, verbs must agree with the subject in 'tier.' Tier 1 subjects use verb ending '-ak', Tier 2 use '-ok', Tier 3 use '-ek'.
The sentence 'Melu [run]' has Melu as a Tier 2 subject.
Which verb form is correct?