Editing Gilbertese language (section)

=== Verbs ===
Verbs do not conjugate according to person, number, tense, aspect or mood.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Kiribati (Gilbertese): Grammar Handbook |last=Trussel |first=Stephen |publisher=Vermont Peace Corps Language Handbook Series |year=1979 |location=The Experiment Press |pages=203–208 |chapter=Lesson 31 |chapter-url=https://www.trussel.com/kir/lessons/gramlesson31.pdf}}</ref> These verbal categories are indicated by [[Grammatical particle|particles]]. Nonetheless,  a passive suffix ''{{Lang|gil|-aki}}'' is used as in:

* ''{{Lang|gil|E kabooa te raiti}}'' 	He bought the rice.
* ''{{Lang|gil|E kabooaki te raiti}}'' 	The rice was bought (by him).

Any adjective can also be an intransitive verb. Transitive verbs can be formed by the circumfix ''{{Lang|gil|ka- (...) -a}}'' creating a causative verb, e.g. "''{{Lang|gil|uraura}}''" (to be red) becomes "''{{Lang|gil|kaurauraa}}''" (to redden). Tense is marked by adverbs. However, the default interpretation of the unmarked (by adverbs) verb is a past tense. Below is a list of verbal particles:<ref>{{Cite book |title=Kiribati (Gilbertese): Grammar Handbook |last=Trussel |first=Stephen |publisher=Vermont Peace Corps Language Handbook Series |year=1979 |location=The Experiment Press |pages=239–245 |chapter=Lesson 37 |chapter-url=https://www.trussel.com/kir/lessons/gramlesson37.pdf}}</ref>

* ''{{Lang|gil|a}}'' (immediate, incompleted and indeterminate)
* ''{{Lang|gil|tabe n(i)}}'' (progressive)
* ''{{Lang|gil|nang(i)}}'' (prospective future)
* ''{{Lang|gil|na}}'' (general future)
* ''{{Lang|gil|a tib'a}}'' (immediate past)
* ''{{Lang|gil|a tia n(i)}}'' (past perfect)

==== Copula verbs ====
There are no verbs corresponding to English "to be", so a stative verb must be used or a zero copula strategy:

{{interlinear|indent=3
|Te tia mmwakuri teuaarei.|c1= (mwakuri or even makuri are usual forms)
|A workman that man.
|That man is a workman.}}

There is also a locative copula verb "mena":

{{interlinear|indent=3
|E mena iaon te taibora te booro.
|The ball is on the table}}

==== Existential verb ====
There is no corresponding verb to "to have", instead an existential verb meaning "there to be" is used - {{Lang|gil|iai}}.

==== Reduplication ====
In verbs, reduplication is used to mark aspect.

* Partial reduplication marks the habitual aspect for example "{{Lang|gil|nako}}" (to go) and "{{Lang|gil|naanako}}" (to usually go).
* Full reduplication shows the continuative aspect, e.g. "{{Lang|gil|koro}}" (to cut), "{{Lang|gil|korokoro}}" (to continually cut).
* Mixed: "{{Lang|gil|kiba}}" (to jump), "{{Lang|gil|kiikiba}}" (to usually jump), "{{Lang|gil|kibakiba}}" (to continually jump, to be excited), "{{Lang|gil|kikibakiba}}" (to jump on regular occasions).

==== Negation ====
The main negator is the particle "{{Lang|gil|aki}}" placed after the pronoun and before the verb. The negator "{{Lang|gil|aikoa}}" is for counterexpected situations.

''{{Lang|gil|Ko aki taetae}}'': You don't speak.