Ngā Tohutohu
Nā nga whakamārama a ngā kaumātua, ka mōhio tātou ki ngā tikanga
More about the ā and ō categories
The ā and ō categories are a hard concept to understand but by now you should be able to use them correctly in most situations. Here is some more information to help you try and grasp the ā and ō categories. The use of verbs as nouns is sometimes called nominalisation. Take a look at the following examples of transitive and experience verbs.
Transitive verbs, when they are used as nouns, take the ā category.
| Nā te whakamārama a te kaiwhakaako, ka mōhio ngā ākonga me pēhea tā rātou mahi. |
It was because of the teacher’s explanation that the students knew how their work should be done. |
| Nā te kī a te kaikōrero, me waiata ngā manuhiri i tā rātou ake waiata . |
Because of what the speaker said, the visitors should sing their own song. |
Experience verbs, even though they are like transitive verbs in having an object, generally take the ō category when they are used as nouns.
| Nō te kitenga ake o te tangata whenua i te ope, ka hui rātou ki mua o te wharenui. |
When the locals saw the visiting party they gathered in front of the meeting house. |
| Nō te tīmatanga o te karakia me nohopuku ngā tamariki. |
From the beginning of the service the children should be quiet. |
For further explanations and examples see Te Pihinga p.149 & 166
Whakakīa ngā āputa ki te ‘a’, ki te ‘o’ rānei kia tika ai te rerenga kōrero.
Fill the gaps with either a or o so that the sentence is correct.
