Dari / Pashto Language and Literature
What the exam tests
This section tests grammar, vocabulary, spelling, sentence correction, comprehension, and familiarity with major literary figures and forms in Dari and Pashto.
Concepts to master
- Grammar: verb conjugation and agreement, correct use of prepositions and ezafe constructions in Dari, and Pashto ergative past-tense patterns.
- Orthography: distinguishing letters that sound alike, correct use of hamza and tanwin where applicable, and common spelling errors.
- Sentence correction: identifying faulty agreement, misplaced modifiers, and redundant wording.
- Comprehension: extracting main idea, tone, and inference from a short passage.
- Literature: recognizing classical and modern poets and writers, and the main poetic forms (ghazal, qasida, ruba'i in Dari; and Pashto ghazal and folk forms).
Common traps
- Choosing an answer that sounds poetic but breaks grammatical agreement.
- Confusing similar-sounding words with different spellings.
- Attributing a famous line to the wrong poet.
- In comprehension, selecting an option that is plausible but not supported by the text.
- Ignoring the register or tone the question asks for.
Worked example
When a sentence-correction item offers four versions, eliminate any option that changes the meaning, then check agreement between subject and verb and the correct preposition pairing. Rule of thumb: prefer the shortest option that preserves the original meaning and is grammatically correct - exam writers usually build the key this way, with distractors that are wordier or that subtly shift meaning.