Learn Turkish: Raftaki porselen tabakları inceliyordum. - I was examining the porcelain plates on the shelf.

The word raf means shelf. First, we add the locative suffix -ta (meaning 'on'). We use -ta rather than -da because raf ends in a voiceless consonant (f). Then we add -ki, which turns the location into an adjective describing the plates. So raftaki literally means 'the on-the-shelf' plates.

Why doesn't the 'k' in tabak change to 'ğ' in tabakları?

The consonant mutation rule (changing k to ğ) usually happens when you add a suffix starting with a vowel directly to the root word. Here, the plural suffix -lar starts with a consonant, so tabak remains unchanged. The specific object suffix -ı is added after -lar, so it doesn't affect the 'k'. If you were examining just one plate, it would be tabağı.

What tense is inceliyordum and why did the root change from incele- to inceli-?

This is the past continuous tense, meaning 'I was examining'. It combines the verb root incele- (to examine), the continuous suffix -yor, the past tense suffix -du, and the personal ending -m (for I). The 'e' at the end of incele- changes to an 'i' because adding -yor to verbs ending in 'a' or 'e' causes those vowels to narrow.