Dari/Pashto Language and Literature
Scope
This domain tests grammar, vocabulary, and literary knowledge in Dari and Pashto. Know the script, the parts of speech, and the major literary figures.
Grammar
Know the parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, and conjunction. Know sentence structure and the difference between a simple and a compound sentence. In Pashto, know the distinction between masculine and feminine nouns and the effect on verb agreement. In Dari, know the ezafe construction that links a noun to its modifier.
Literature
Know major classical figures. In Dari: Rumi, Hafiz, Saadi, and Ferdowsi (Shahnameh). In Pashto: Khushal Khan Khattak and Rahman Baba. The trap is attributing a work to the wrong author; for example, the Shahnameh is Ferdowsi's, not Rumi's.
Worked rule of thumb
For grammar questions, identify the subject and the verb, then check agreement in number and gender. For literature questions, match the work to its author and its language. If two options name the same author, the question is testing the work, not the author.