on their own terms
In the previous column it was asserted that, with regard to the way verbs are used, te reo Māori is much simpler than English.
It’s perhaps ironic that it would seem to be this greater simplicity that often, because it’s so different, presents difficulties for those who speak English as a first language.
In English (and many other languages) verbs are altered in form to suit “person” (first, second or third) “number” (singular or plural) and “tense” (present, past, future and several others).
To take a simple example: the verb “run” is changed, in the third-person singular, to “runs” (“he or she runs”); in past tenses it might be “ran” or “have (or has) run”.
Link to article: Verbs in te reo - on their own terms | Stuff.co.nz
