Questions & Answers about Çocuklar reçeli çok severler.
Why does reçeli have the -i ending if it means 'jam' in general, not 'the jam'?
In English, we just say 'jam' for the general category. In Turkish, when you use verbs of preference like sevmek (to love or like), the thing you like usually takes the specific direct object (accusative) case. You add the -i ending to reçel because you are talking about the entire specific category of jam.
What tense is severler in this sentence?
It is in the simple present tense, also called the aorist tense. The root is sev-, and the -er suffix shows it is a general, timeless fact. Then -ler is the 'they' ending. This tense is used for general truths like 'children love jam'.
Since Çocuklar already means 'children', do we have to put the -ler ending on severler?
No, it is optional. When the subject is plural and human (like çocuklar), the verb can either take the plural ending or stay singular. Both Çocuklar reçeli çok severler and Çocuklar reçeli çok sever are correct and natural.
Why is çok placed right before the verb instead of at the end of the sentence?
In Turkish, words that describe the verb (adverbs) usually go immediately before the verb. Since çok describes how much they love (severler), it sits right in front of it.