AJKPSC Test Urdu Syllabus

What salutations are typical in a personal Urdu letter to elders versus friends?

To elders: respectful forms like 'Mohtaram'/'Aadab arz hai'; to friends/peers: affectionate forms like 'Aziz dost' or 'Pyare bhai'.

What is the difference between an Urdu 'darkhwast' (application) and a 'arzi/petition'?

A darkhwast is a formal written request to an authority (e.g., leave, job); a petition/arzi is a formal appeal seeking redress, action, or a favor from an official or court.

What are the essential components of an Urdu darkhwast (application)?

Recipient (designation/office), subject (unwan), respectful salutation, the request body stating the reason, courteous closing, and the applicant's name, signature, and date.

In Urdu grammar, what are the three classes of 'kalma' (words)?

Ism (noun), Fe'l (verb), and Harf (particle/preposition).

What is an 'Ism' in Urdu grammar?

A noun—a word that names a person, place, thing, quality, or concept (e.g., kitaab, Lahore, mohabbat).

What is a 'Fe'l' in Urdu grammar?

A verb—a word that denotes an action or occurrence in a particular time (e.g., parhna, likhna, jaana).

What is a 'Harf' in Urdu grammar?

A particle that has no independent meaning and connects or relates words (e.g., ne, ko, se, mein, aur, magar).

What is 'Tazkeer o Taanees' in Urdu grammar?

The system of grammatical gender—classifying nouns as muzakkar (masculine) or muannas (feminine).

What does 'Muzakkar' mean in Urdu grammar?

Masculine gender—nouns treated as masculine (e.g., larka, ghar, darwaaza).

What does 'Muannas' mean in Urdu grammar?

Feminine gender—nouns treated as feminine (e.g., larki, kitaab, kursi).

In Urdu, how does noun gender typically affect the verb and adjective?

Verbs and adjectives agree with the noun's gender; e.g., 'achha larka' / 'larka aaya' (masc.) vs 'achhi larki' / 'larki aayi' (fem.).

What is 'Wahid' and 'Jama' in Urdu grammar?

Wahid means singular (one), and Jama means plural (more than one) of a noun.

What is the plural (jama) of the Urdu word 'kitaab', and what rule does it follow?

'Kitaabein'—feminine nouns ending in a consonant often take 'ein' to form the plural.

What is the plural (jama) of the Urdu word 'larka'?

'Larke'—masculine nouns ending in 'a' typically change the final 'a' to 'e' in the plural.

How is the plural of the Urdu feminine noun 'kursi' formed?

'Kursiyaan'—feminine nouns ending in 'i' add 'yaan' to form the plural.

What is 'Tasheeh-e-Jumla' in Urdu grammar?

Sentence correction—identifying and fixing errors of grammar, gender agreement, number, word order, or usage in an Urdu sentence.

What kinds of errors are commonly targeted in Urdu Tasheeh-e-Jumla (sentence correction)?

Gender (tazkeer/taanees) mismatch, singular/plural disagreement, wrong harf/case marker, incorrect verb tense, and faulty word order.

Correct the gender error: 'Yeh kitaab bahut achha hai.' What is the right form?

'Yeh kitaab bahut achhi hai'—'kitaab' is feminine, so the adjective must be 'achhi', not 'achha'.

Who is regarded as the first major Urdu ghazal poet of the Delhi school and a foundational figure?

Mir Taqi Mir (1723–1810), titled 'Khuda-e-Sukhan' (god of poetry).

For what is Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib most celebrated, and what are his works?

For his philosophical Urdu and Persian ghazals; his Urdu poetry is collected in the 'Diwan-e-Ghalib' and his letters in 'Ud-e-Hindi' and 'Urdu-e-Mualla'.

Why is Allama Muhammad Iqbal significant in Urdu literature?

He is the poet-philosopher of the East; major Urdu works include 'Bang-e-Dara', 'Bal-e-Jibreel', and 'Zarb-e-Kaleem', promoting self (khudi) and Muslim revival.

For what genre is Mir Anees renowned in Urdu poetry?

For the 'marsiya'—elegiac poetry commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussain at Karbala; he is considered the master of the Urdu marsiya.

What contribution did Altaf Hussain Hali make to Urdu poetry and criticism?

He pioneered modern, purposeful (maqsadi) Urdu poetry; notable works include 'Musaddas-e-Hali' (Madd-o-Jazr-e-Islam) and the critical work 'Muqaddama-e-Sher-o-Shairi'.

Who is considered the father of Urdu prose/fiction and what is his famous novel?

Deputy Nazir Ahmad, an early Urdu novelist; his famous novel is 'Mirat-ul-Uroos'.

For what genre and which works is Saadat Hasan Manto known in Urdu prose?

For the Urdu short story (afsana), especially partition-themed stories like 'Toba Tek Singh', 'Thanda Gosht', and 'Khol Do'.

Which writer founded the Aligarh Movement and what was its aim?

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan; the Aligarh Movement promoted modern Western education and reform among Indian Muslims, and shaped simple, purposeful Urdu prose.

What is the 'afsana' as a literary genre in Urdu prose?

The short story—a brief fictional narrative focusing on a single incident or theme; Premchand and Manto are leading exponents.

What is 'inshaiya' as an Urdu prose genre?

The personal/light essay—a short, subjective, often witty prose piece reflecting the writer's personality and viewpoint on a topic.

What was the Progressive Writers' Movement (Taraqqi Pasand Tehreek) in Urdu literature?

A literary movement begun in the 1930s advocating socially conscious, realistic literature addressing class, justice, and reform; key figures include Sajjad Zaheer, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, and Manto.

What was the Romantic movement (Romaniyat) in Urdu literature?

An early 20th-century movement emphasizing emotion, beauty, individual feeling, and imagination over realism; associated with writers like Niaz Fatehpuri and the journal 'Nigar'.