Examius

🌍 Arabic Language · subject

Arabic Language Writing and Composition Syllabus

The Writing and Composition syllabus for Arabic Language in full: 5 chapters and 15 topics, every one listed below, plus 49 Writing and Composition flashcards with answers.

5Chapters
15Topics
49Flashcards

Writing and Composition syllabus: all 5 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

  1. Mechanics of Writing

     3 topics
    • Spelling rules and hamza placement
    • Punctuation and paragraphing
    • When to use diacritics

  2. Sentence and Paragraph Writing

     3 topics
    • Building correct sentences
    • Connectors and cohesion devices
    • Writing a descriptive paragraph

  3. Practical Writing

     3 topics
    • Personal and formal messages
    • Emails and letters
    • Filling forms and CVs

  4. Essay and Extended Writing

     3 topics
    • Narrative and descriptive essays
    • Opinion and argumentative essays
    • Summarising and paraphrasing

  5. Style and Register

     3 topics
    • Formal vs informal register
    • Avoiding common writing errors
    • Improving clarity and rhetoric (balagha basics)

Arabic Language Writing and Composition flashcards — 49 questions with answers

  1. What is hamza (الهمزة) and what are its two main types by position?

    Hamza is a consonant representing a glottal stop. Its two main types are: (1) hamzat al-qat' (همزة القطع), which is always pronounced and written (ء / أ / إ / ؤ / ئ), and (2) hamzat al-wasl (همزة الوصل), written as a plain alif (ا) that is pronounced at the start of speech but dropped in connected speech.

  2. What determines the seat (carrier letter) of a medial hamza (الهمزة المتوسطة)?

    The stronger of two vowels: the hamza's own vowel and the vowel of the preceding letter. Strength order (strongest to weakest) is kasra > damma > fatha > sukun. The seat matches the strongest vowel: kasra → ya seat (ئ), damma → waw seat (ؤ), fatha → alif seat (أ), sukun → line/none.

  3. How is the initial hamza (الهمزة الأولية) always written?

    An initial hamza is always written on an alif. If its vowel is fatha or damma it is hamzat qat' above the alif (أ), e.g. أَكَلَ, أُمّ; if kasra it is placed below the alif (إ), e.g. إِبِل.

  4. When is a final hamza (الهمزة المتطرفة) written on a carrier vs. on the line?

    The final hamza's seat depends only on the vowel of the letter BEFORE it: kasra → ya seat (شاطِئ), damma → waw seat (تباطُؤ), fatha → alif seat (قَرَأ), sukun → on the line with no carrier (شيْء, دِفْء).

  5. What is the difference in writing hamzat al-wasl on the definite article versus a verb?

    Hamzat al-wasl always appears as a bare alif (ا) with no hamza sign in both cases (e.g. الكتاب, اِستمع). The distinction is grammatical, not orthographic: it occurs in the article ال, in certain nouns (اسم, ابن, امرأة), and in the imperative/past of form VII+ verbs.

  6. What is the rule for the taa marbuuta (التاء المربوطة) versus the open taa (التاء المفتوحة)?

    Taa marbuuta (ة) is written at the end of nouns and is pronounced 'h' in pause and 't' when connected (e.g. مدرسة). Open/mabsuuta taa (ت) is a real 't' that is always pronounced 't', found in verbs and some nouns (e.g. كتبت, بنت).

  7. When is the alif written as maqsuura (ى) versus mamduuda/qaaimah (ا) at the end of a word?

    A final long-a is written as alif maqsuura (ى) in most trilateral words whose root third letter is ya (رمى from رمي) and in words over three letters unless preceded by ya. It is written as straight alif (ا) when the root letter is waw (دعا from دعو) or when a ya precedes it (دنيا, استحيا).

  8. List the primary Arabic punctuation marks and their functions.

    Comma الفاصلة (،): separates short clauses/list items. Semicolon الفاصلة المنقوطة (؛): links clauses where the second is a cause/result of the first. Full stop النقطة (.): ends a complete sentence. Question mark علامة الاستفهام (؟). Exclamation mark علامة التعجب (!). Colon النقطتان (:): introduces speech, lists, or explanation. Quotation marks علامات التنصيص («…»).

  9. When should you use the Arabic semicolon (الفاصلة المنقوطة ؛)?

    Between two full clauses where the second explains the cause or the consequence of the first, e.g. «تأخر الطالب؛ لأنه استيقظ متأخراً». It is stronger than a comma and weaker than a full stop.

  10. What are the key principles of good paragraphing (التفقير) in Arabic writing?

    Each paragraph develops ONE main idea; it opens with a topic sentence (الجملة الافتتاحية), followed by supporting sentences (الجمل الداعمة), and often a closing/transition sentence. Paragraphs are marked by indentation or a blank line, and ideas flow in logical order (chronological, cause-effect, or importance).

  11. What are Arabic diacritics (التشكيل / الحركات) and their names?

    Short-vowel marks placed on letters: fatha (فتحة، a), damma (ضمة، u), kasra (كسرة، i), sukun (سكون، no vowel), and shadda (شدّة، gemination/doubling). Tanwin (تنوين) adds final -n: fathatayn (ً), dammatayn (ٌ), kasratayn (ٍ).

  12. When are diacritics (التشكيل) actually required or strongly recommended in modern writing?

    They are used to (1) prevent ambiguity/misreading, (2) mark case endings in the Qur'an, poetry, and religious/classical texts, (3) in children's and learners' materials, and (4) on rare or foreign words. Everyday modern prose is usually written without them, relying on context.

  13. What is the difference between a nominal sentence (الجملة الاسمية) and a verbal sentence (الجملة الفعلية)?

    A nominal sentence begins with a noun and has two parts: mubtada' (المبتدأ، subject/topic) and khabar (الخبر، predicate), e.g. «الجوُّ جميلٌ». A verbal sentence begins with a verb and has fi'l (فعل), faa'il (فاعل، doer), and optionally maf'uul (مفعول به، object), e.g. «كتبَ الطالبُ الدرسَ».

  14. What agreement rules govern the verb and its faa'il (فاعل) in a verbal sentence?

    When the verb precedes the faa'il, the verb stays singular and agrees only in gender (كتبَ الطلابُ / كتبتْ الطالباتُ). When the subject precedes the verb (nominal order), the verb agrees fully in number and gender (الطلابُ كتبوا).

  15. What are the four main categories of cohesion devices (أدوات الربط) in Arabic?

    (1) Additive حروف العطف: و، ثم، الفاء، أو. (2) Causal/reason: لأنّ، إذ، بسبب، لذلك. (3) Contrast: لكنْ، بل، غير أنّ، رغم أنّ. (4) Sequence/time: أولاً، ثم، بعد ذلك، أخيراً. They connect ideas and create textual flow (الاتساق والانسجام).

  16. Compare the connectors ثم and الفاء (فـ) as sequencing devices.

    الفاء (فـ) indicates immediate succession with no gap and often causation (جاء المطرُ فابتلّت الأرض = at once). ثمّ indicates succession with a time gap/delay (order but with an interval), e.g. «درس ثم نام». Both show sequence, but الفاء = immediate, ثم = delayed.

  17. What is the structure and purpose of a descriptive paragraph (فقرة الوصف)?

    Its purpose is to create a vivid sensory image. Structure: topic sentence naming what is described → details ordered spatially or by prominence, using the five senses → adjectives (نعوت), similes (تشبيه), and precise nouns → a closing impression. Present tense and rich sensory vocabulary dominate.

  18. Which figures of speech are most useful for enriching a descriptive paragraph in Arabic?

    Tashbiih (التشبيه، simile: كأنّ، مثل), isti'aara (الاستعارة، metaphor), and majaz (المجاز، figurative usage). They convert plain description into imagery, e.g. «وجهُها كالبدرِ» (simile) or «ابتسمَ الصباحُ» (metaphor).

  19. What is the standard structure of an informal/personal message (الرسالة الشخصية)?

    (1) Warm greeting (عزيزي/عزيزتي + name), (2) opening pleasantries/asking after the reader, (3) body with the personal news or purpose in relaxed tone, (4) friendly closing (مع محبتي / في انتظار ردك), (5) sender's name. Tone is affectionate and uses first/second person freely.

  20. What is the standard structure of a formal message/letter (الرسالة الرسمية)?

    (1) Date and recipient's title/address, (2) formal salutation (السيد المحترم / سعادة المدير), (3) subject line (الموضوع), (4) opening (تحية طيبة وبعد،), (5) body stating the purpose clearly and politely, (6) formal closing (وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام), (7) sender's full name and signature.

Show the other 29 Writing and Composition flashcards

  1. What phrase traditionally opens the body of a formal Arabic letter after the salutation?

    «تحية طيبة وبعد،» (a good greeting, and then to the point). It marks the transition from the greeting to the subject/body of the letter.

  2. What are the essential components of a formal email (البريد الإلكتروني الرسمي) in Arabic?

    To/recipient (إلى), a clear subject line (الموضوع), formal greeting (السيد.../ تحية طيبة وبعد)، a concise purposeful body, a polite closing (مع خالص الشكر والتقدير), and a signature block with name and contact details. Keep it brief, single-topic, and professional.

  3. How does the register of a formal email differ from an informal one in Arabic?

    Formal: fusha (فصحى), titles and honorifics, plural of respect (تفضلوا، حضرتكم), no slang or emojis, complete sentences. Informal: everyday/colloquial tone, singular address, contractions of politeness, casual sign-off, may use first names and relaxed vocabulary.

  4. What key fields must be completed accurately when filling a form (ملء الاستمارة) in Arabic?

    الاسم الكامل (full name), تاريخ الميلاد (date of birth), مكان الميلاد, الجنسية (nationality), الجنس (gender), رقم الهوية/جواز السفر (ID/passport no.), العنوان (address), رقم الهاتف (phone), البريد الإلكتروني (email), المهنة (occupation), and التوقيع (signature). Write clearly and match official documents.

  5. What are the main sections of a CV (السيرة الذاتية) in Arabic?

    البيانات الشخصية (personal data), الهدف الوظيفي (career objective), المؤهلات العلمية (education/qualifications), الخبرات العملية (work experience), المهارات (skills), اللغات (languages), الدورات التدريبية (training courses), and المُعرِّفون/المراجع (references). Ordered usually most recent first (chronological reverse).

  6. Define a narrative essay (المقال السردي/القصصي) and its core elements.

    A narrative essay tells a story or recounts events. Core elements: الأحداث (events/plot), الشخصيات (characters), الزمان والمكان (time and place/setting), العقدة (conflict/climax), and الحل (resolution). It follows a chronological or dramatic sequence and often uses past-tense verbs and time connectors.

  7. How does a descriptive essay (المقال الوصفي) differ from a narrative essay?

    A descriptive essay focuses on portraying a person, place, thing, or feeling in vivid sensory detail with little or no plot; it aims to make the reader 'see' the subject. A narrative essay is event-driven with a plot, characters, and chronological progression toward a resolution.

  8. What is the three-part macrostructure of a well-formed essay (بنية المقال) in Arabic?

    (1) المقدمة (introduction): hook + thesis/main idea. (2) صلب الموضوع/العرض (body): several paragraphs each developing one supporting idea with evidence. (3) الخاتمة (conclusion): summary of ideas and a final thought/recommendation. Coherence links all three.

  9. Define an argumentative essay (المقال الحجاجي/الجدلي) and its required components.

    An essay that defends a claim with reasoning and evidence while addressing counter-arguments. Components: الأطروحة/الرأي (thesis/claim), الحجج والأدلة (arguments and evidence: facts, statistics, quotations), الرأي المخالف (counter-argument) with its refutation (الدحض/الرد), and a conclusion reaffirming the stance.

  10. How does an opinion essay (مقال الرأي) differ from an argumentative essay?

    An opinion essay presents the writer's personal viewpoint supported by reasons, mainly asserting one side. An argumentative essay is more rigorous: it must present opposing views (الرأي المخالف) and refute them with evidence, aiming to persuade through balanced reasoning rather than mere assertion.

  11. What linguistic markers are typical of argumentative writing (لغة الحجاج) in Arabic?

    Opinion phrases (أرى أنّ، من وجهة نظري، لا شك أنّ), reasoning connectors (لأنّ، بما أنّ، نتيجةً لذلك، وبالتالي), concession/contrast (رغم أنّ، على الرغم من، غير أنّ), and evidence markers (تشير الدراسات، تدل الإحصاءات، كما ورد).

  12. What is the difference between summarising (التلخيص) and paraphrasing (إعادة الصياغة)?

    Summarising condenses a text to its main ideas, producing a much shorter version that omits details. Paraphrasing restates a passage in different words while keeping the SAME length and full meaning. Summary = shorter + main points only; paraphrase = same content, new wording.

  13. What are the main steps of writing a good summary (خطوات التلخيص)?

    (1) Read the text fully to grasp the general idea, (2) identify the main idea of each paragraph and delete examples/repetition, (3) note keywords, (4) rewrite the core ideas in your own words and logical order, (5) keep the author's meaning without adding opinion, (6) aim for about one-third of the original length.

  14. What techniques are used to paraphrase (إعادة الصياغة) effectively?

    Use synonyms (المرادفات), change the sentence structure (e.g., nominal ↔ verbal, active ↔ passive), change word order, combine or split sentences, and change part of speech — all while preserving the exact original meaning and without copying phrases verbatim.

  15. What distinguishes formal register (الأسلوب الرسمي/الفصحى) from informal register (الأسلوب غير الرسمي/العامية)?

    Formal: standard Arabic (فصحى), precise vocabulary, complete grammatical structures, honorifics and third-person politeness, no slang; used in official, academic, and professional contexts. Informal: colloquial/dialect (عامية), simple everyday words, contractions, direct personal address; used with friends and family.

  16. Give three examples of shifting a phrase from informal to formal register in Arabic.

    «عايز أقولك» → «أودّ أن أُبلغكم». «إزيك؟» → «كيف حالكم؟». «شكراً كتير» → «مع خالص الشكر والتقدير». Formal versions use fusha, respectful plural, and precise diction.

  17. What is one of the most common spelling errors involving the letters ذ / ز / ظ / ض, and how to avoid it?

    Confusing similar-sounding emphatic/interdental letters (e.g., ظ vs ض, or ذ vs ز) because of dialect pronunciation. Avoid it by memorizing correct roots (ظلم, ضرب, ذهب, زار) and checking a dictionary, since Standard Arabic distinguishes each sound distinctly.

  18. What is the common error of confusing إنّ and أنّ, and the rule that distinguishes them?

    Both take a following noun in the accusative, but إنّ (kasra) begins an independent sentence or follows «قال» (إنّ العلمَ نورٌ / قال إنّه قادم), whereas أنّ (fatha) links two clauses and can be replaced by a masdar (أعلمُ أنّك مجتهدٌ = your diligence). Rule: use أنّ mid-sentence between two parts; إنّ at the start.

  19. What is the frequent error of adding an extra alif to plural verbs, and the correct rule (ألف التفريق)?

    Alif al-tafriq (الألف الفارقة) is written after the waw of the plural in past verbs and imperatives (كتبوا، اذهبوا) to distinguish the plural waw from a root waw. Error: omitting it (كتبو) or wrongly adding it to nouns (معلمو المدرسة takes NO alif because its waw is not a plural-verb ending).

  20. When is the tanwin fath written with an extra alif and when without?

    Tanwin al-fath (ً) is written on an added alif for most nouns (كتاباً، بيتاً). It is written WITHOUT the extra alif when the word ends in taa marbuuta (مدرسةً), hamza on a line preceded by alif (ماءً), or alif maqsuura (فتىً/هدىً).

  21. What is a comma splice / run-on error (الجملة المتراكمة) and how do you fix it in Arabic?

    It is joining many ideas with endless «و» or commas without proper stops, producing an unclear run-on. Fix by breaking into complete sentences with full stops, using varied connectors (لكن، لذلك، ثم), and ensuring each sentence expresses one idea.

  22. What is redundancy/wordiness (الحشو والإطناب الممل) and how does it harm clarity?

    Redundancy is using extra words or repeating the same meaning (e.g., «عاد رجع مرة أخرى») without adding information. It weakens clarity and dilutes meaning. Improve clarity by removing repetition, choosing one precise word, and cutting filler (الإيجاز).

  23. What is 'ilm al-balagha (علم البلاغة) and its three branches?

    Balagha is the science of Arabic eloquence — expressing meaning clearly, correctly, and beautifully to suit the context (مطابقة الكلام لمقتضى الحال). Its three branches are: علم المعاني (word order and meaning), علم البيان (imagery: simile, metaphor, metonymy), and علم البديع (rhetorical embellishments).

  24. What does the branch 'ilm al-bayan (علم البيان) cover?

    It studies conveying one meaning in different ways with varying vividness through imagery: التشبيه (simile), الاستعارة (metaphor), المجاز المرسل (metonymy/synecdoche), and الكناية (allusion/indirect expression).

  25. What are the four essential parts (أركان) of a full simile (التشبيه) in Arabic?

    (1) المشبَّه (the thing likened), (2) المشبَّه به (the thing compared to), (3) أداة التشبيه (the particle: كـ، مثل، كأنّ), and (4) وجه الشبه (the point of resemblance). Example: «العلمُ كالنورِ في الهداية» — العلم/النور/الكاف/الهداية.

  26. What is the difference between an isti'aara (استعارة) and a tashbiih (تشبيه)?

    A tashbiih (simile) keeps both terms and a comparison particle (زيدٌ كالأسدِ). An isti'aara (metaphor) is a simile with one term and the particle deleted, borrowing the word directly (رأيتُ أسداً يخطبُ = I saw a lion [= brave man] giving a speech). Metaphor is more vivid because the likeness is implied.

  27. What are common 'ilm al-badii' (البديع) devices that improve rhetoric?

    الجناس (paronomasia — words alike in sound, different in meaning), الطباق (antithesis — pairing opposites: الليل/النهار), المقابلة (parallel contrast of two sets), and السجع (rhymed prose — matching end sounds in successive clauses). They add musicality and emphasis.

  28. List practical strategies for improving clarity (تحسين الوضوح) in a piece of writing.

    Use short, well-structured sentences; prefer precise concrete words over vague ones; keep one idea per paragraph; use cohesion devices between ideas; avoid redundancy and unnecessary jargon; put the subject early; and revise/proofread for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

  29. What is the difference between al-iijaz (الإيجاز), al-itnaab (الإطناب), and al-musaawaah (المساواة) in balagha?

    الإيجاز: expressing much meaning in few words (concise). الإطناب: expanding wording beyond the basic meaning for a rhetorical purpose (emphasis, clarification). المساواة: the wording exactly matches the meaning, neither more nor less. Good writing chooses the right one for the situation.

Arabic Language Writing and Composition FAQ

What is in the Arabic Language Writing and Composition syllabus?

Arabic Language Writing and Composition is split into 5 chapters: Mechanics of Writing, Sentence and Paragraph Writing, Practical Writing, Essay and Extended Writing and Style and Register. Together they contain 15 topics.

How many chapters are in Arabic Language Writing and Composition?

5 chapters, containing 15 topics. The largest chapter is Mechanics of Writing, with 3 topics.

Are there flashcards for Arabic Language Writing and Composition?

Yes — a 49-card Writing and Composition deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.