Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mwalimu alitoa somo, akawauliza maswali, akawapa mazoezi ya nyumbani. - The teacher gave a lesson, asked questions, then gave homework.

It’s the consecutive (or narrative) marker meaning “and then.” It links actions in sequence and normally inherits the time set by the first verb. So after alitoa (past), aka- says “then (he) asked…, then (he) gave…”. Example: Alilala, akaamka, akaoga = “He slept, then woke up, then bathed.”

Why is the first verb alitoa and not akatoa?

The first verb sets the time frame (simple past here). The consecutive -ka- is used for the following steps. Starting with aka- is usually odd unless you’ve already got a prior action in context. If you need to start a sentence that way, add a linker like Kisha/halafu: Kisha akatoa somo… (“Then he gave a lesson…”).

Who does the wa in akawauliza and akawapa refer to?

It’s the object marker “them” (human plural). It refers to the students, even though they’re not mentioned explicitly. You could also make the recipients explicit: …akawauliza wanafunzi maswali, akawapa wanafunzi mazoezi ya nyumbani.

Could I drop the object markers and say akauliza maswali, akapa mazoezi ya nyumbani?

akauliza maswali = “(then) he asked questions” (no specific addressee). If you mean “asked them,” keep wa-: akawauliza maswali.
akapa mazoezi ya nyumbani feels incomplete because “give” expects a recipient. Use either an object marker (akawapa mazoezi…) or state the recipient (akawapa wanafunzi mazoezi…).

How is akawauliza built morphologically?

a- = subject marker “he/she”
-ka- = consecutive “and then”
-wa- = object marker “them”
uliza = verb root “ask”
Similarly, akawapa = a-
- -ka-
  - -wa-
    - pa (“give”).

If the object were singular (“him/her”), what would change?

Use the singular human object marker -m- (which becomes -mw- before a vowel):

akamwuliza swali = “then he asked him/her a question”
akampa mazoezi ya nyumbani = “then he gave him/her homework”

Why is it mazoezi ya nyumbani (with ya) and not wa nyumbani?

Agreement with noun class. Mazoezi is class 6 (ma-), whose “of” agreement is ya.

Singular: zoezi la nyumbani (class 5 uses la)
Plural: mazoezi ya nyumbani (class 6 uses ya)

What exactly does mazoezi ya nyumbani mean? Are there synonyms?

It means “homework” (literally “home exercises”). You’ll also hear kazi ya nyumbani for “homework,” especially in school contexts, though it can also mean “housework” depending on context.

Is kutoa somo idiomatic for “teach a lesson”? Could I use kufundisha?

Yes. kutoa somo (“to deliver a lesson”) is common in school contexts. kufundisha (“to teach”) is also perfectly natural: Mwalimu alifundisha somo or Mwalimu alitoa somo.

Can I replace the -ka- chain with other linkers like “and,” “then,” etc.?

Yes:

With “then”: Mwalimu alitoa somo, kisha akauliza maswali, halafu akawapa mazoezi ya nyumbani.
With “and”: Mwalimu alitoa somo, na akauliza maswali, na akawapa mazoezi ya nyumbani.
Note: na by itself just means “and,” while -ka- suggests sequence (“and then”).

Does the subject have to stay the same with -ka-?

Usually the consecutive -ka- continues with the same subject. If the subject changes, you show it by changing the subject marker (and typically stating the new subject):

Mwalimu alitoa somo, akawauliza maswali, wanafunzi wakajibu. (“…the students then answered.”)

Is maswali the plural of swali?

Yes. swali (question) → maswali (questions). Examples: swali moja (one question), maswali mawili (two questions).

Why do we have both Mwalimu and the subject marker a- on the verbs?

In Swahili, the verb must agree with the subject via a subject marker, even if the subject noun (Mwalimu) is stated. So Mwalimu alitoa… is normal and not considered redundant.

Do the commas matter here?

They’re conventional and help readability: …, akawauliza…, akawapa… You can omit them in informal writing, but commas cleanly separate each step in the sequence.

How would I negate a similar sequence?

Use the normal negative past (ha-…-ku-) and link with wala (“nor”) if needed:

Mwalimu hakutoa somo, wala hakuwauliza maswali, wala hakuwapa mazoezi ya nyumbani.
Here: hakutoa = ha-ku-toa; hakuwauliza = ha-ku-wa-uliza; hakuwapa = ha-ku-wa-pa.