Lesson 7 of 18 · Unit 3: Saying no · Checkpoint 1
Negative Plurals — Checkpoint 1
One small ending finishes the grid you have been building — then the course's first checkpoint.
By the end of this lesson you'll be introduced to
- How this course says that MORE THAN ONE thing is not so
- Why the rule is only one line — you already know both halves
- The last row of the chart's independent form: the A Form grid, complete
- Checkpoint 1 — a look back across everything since the chart began
This is a short lesson on purpose. Its class days spent most of their time practising what you already know — so after one small rule, that is exactly what you'll do too.
Two negatives, one difference
Start here
Two negatives, one difference
NewBoth of these documented sentences say something is not so. One is about one thing; the other is about several. Find what changed.
One thing
Gaawiin zanagasinoon.
It is not difficult.
More than one
Gaawiin zanagasinoonin.
They are not difficult.
The separate word stayed. The negative ending stayed. One small piece was added to the very end — and that is the whole lesson.
Try it
Where did the plural go?
The one-line rule
Order matters
The one-line rule
NewThe notes state it in a single line: make the negative first, then add the plural ending to the end of the verb. You built the negative in the last lesson. This lesson adds one step after it.
The chart writes out what that produces for each of the three groups — the same three groups you have sorted verbs into since the plural lesson.
Ends in a vowel
gaawiin VII + sinoon + in
Chart's example
ate → gaawiin atesinoonin
Ends in D
gaawiin VII - d + sinoon + in
Chart's example
aabadad → gaawiin aabadasinoonin
Ends in N
gaawiin VII + zinoon + in
Chart's example
onizhishin → gaawiin onizhishinzinoonin
Piece added-inNumber marker
Applies to: VII verbs, A FormThis completes the chart's A Form — the independent form. The B Form rows below it are negated differently, without the separate word. Those come in later lessons.
Try it
A verb ends in D. What happens when you say “they are not …” with it?
The third group — shown, not drilled
An honest note
The third group — shown, not drilled
NewThe chart's rule covers verbs ending in N too: gaawiin VII + zinoon + in, with the chart's own example gaawiin onizhishinzinoonin.
But this course's materials give only one everyday sentence for this branch, and it is built on a verb whose dictionary entry the sources describe in ways that don't fully agree. So this branch is one you should recognise — the lesson shows it and asks about the rule in English, and nothing here grades you on that one disputed verb.
Gaawiin onizhishinzinoonin.
They are not nice.
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb — negative, then plural
From “Onizhishin” — it is nice
Documented in the class notes. Shown so you can recognise the ending — not used for scoring.
The rule, in real sentences
See it working
The rule, in real sentences
NewSentences this course actually writes down. The first word stands alone; the verb carries the negative ending and then the plural piece.
Ends in a vowel
Gaawiin aditesinoonin.
They are not ripe.
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb — negative, then plural
From “Adite” — be ripe
Ends in D
Gaawiin gikendaagwasinoonin.
They are not known.
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb — negative, then plural
From “Gikendaagwad” — be known
None of these was worked out here — each is a form the course wrote down, and the chart's rule explains every one.
Try it
In this documented sentence, which word carries BOTH the negative and the plural?
Gaawiin aditesinoonin.
The A Form grid, complete
Singular, plural, negative, negative plural — you now have all four rows of the chart's independent form. Everything left on the chart belongs to the other form, the one that depends on the rest of its sentence.
Tap a cell in the highlighted row to see the chart's own wording and example.
- A Form PluralAlready covered
- A Form Negative SingularAlready covered
A Form Negative Plural
This lesson
Also on the chart — later in the course
- B Form Singular & Plural
- B Form Negative Singular & Plural
Same three groups, different endings. Those rows come in later lessons.
Chart: Anton Treuer, Oshkaabewis Native Journal, Vol. 4 / No. 1, Spring 1997. Explanation of the form labels: Anton Treuer, SPPS Ojibwe Curriculum, Spring 2009.
Words from these class days
NewThe first of this lesson's two class days was a review day — it introduced nothing new. The second added the rule you just learned and one word.
- View entry →Zaaga'iganNoun
lake
Constructions you'll see
Gaawiin aditesinoonin.
They are not ripe.
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb — negative, then plural
From “Adite” — be ripe
Gaawiin giinaasinoonin.
They are not sharp.
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb — negative, then plural
From “Giinaa” — be sharp
Gaawiin zanagasinoonin.
They are not difficult.
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb — negative, then plural
From “Zanagad” — be difficult
These are verbs you already have, negated and made plural — not new words to learn.
Seen before
ReviewCheckpoint 1
The first look back. It is sectioned, so at the end you'll see where you stand area by area — and where a little practice would help most.
Preparing your checkpoint…
Finish this lesson
Work through the lesson's activities, then mark it complete. Your quiz score doesn't have to be perfect.
- Spot where the plural goes — not yet done
- Apply the order of operations — not yet done
- Find the word carrying both endings — not yet done
- Finish Checkpoint 1 — not yet done
Source
This lesson draws on two class days: a review day (its route date) and the day the plural-negative rule was stated. The rule is confirmed in 4 places across three independent documents — the published chart (Anton Treuer, Oshkaabewis Native Journal, Vol. 4 / No. 1, Spring 1997), this course's class notes, and Anton Treuer, SPPS Ojibwe Curriculum, Spring 2009. The checkpoint's questions draw their prompts and answers from this course's own Quiz 3 and Worksheet 3 answer keys. Every Ojibwe word, form and sentence on this page comes from the material cited above; the English explanations were written for this app.
More from this stretch
This lesson covers several class days from the original course. The extra vocabulary and documented examples those days brought are here — try each example before its English shows.
Class day: October 3
New vocabulary this day (1)
Examples from this day
Aaniin endasogonagizid wa'aw giizis?
What does it say?
Aaniin ezhi-ayaayan?
What does it say?
Aaniish ezhi-ayaayan?
What does it say?
Anishinaabe indaaw.
What does it say?
Anishinaabe na gidaaw?
What does it say?
Binaakwe-giizis nisogonagizi.
What does it say?
Da-giizhiitaawan.
What does it say?
Da-maajiipon.
What does it say?