Composition: essay, letter, paragraph writing and translation
What the composition section tests
This section tests planned writing: an essay (mazmoon), a letter (khat), a paragraph and translation. Examiners look for a clear structure, relevant content, correct Urdu script and grammar, and an appropriate register.
Core rules
- Essay structure: unwan (title), tamheed (introduction), tabsire (body paragraphs), natija (conclusion). Each body paragraph should develop one point.
- Letter format: sender's address and date at the top, then the salutation such as 'Janab-e-Ali' or 'Pyari Ammi', then 'Assalam-o-Alaikum', the body, and the closing 'Mukhlis' or 'Aap ki beti' with your name.
- A paragraph should have one controlling idea, a topic sentence and supporting detail; do not turn it into a mini-essay.
- For translation, work sense-for-sense: keep the original meaning, tense, number and tone; then check that the Urdu or English reads naturally.
- Use vocabulary you can spell correctly; a simple correct sentence beats an ambitious broken one.
Worked example
Task: write a short letter to a friend about exam preparation. Model opening: 'Janab-e-Ali, Assalam-o-Alaikum, Mujhe umeed hai aap khairiyat se hain. Kal se mere imtihan shuru ho rahe hain, is liye main subah do ghante Urdu aur do ghante Hisaab ki tayyari karta hoon.' Closing: 'Mukhlis, Ahmad.' Reasoning: the salutation, greeting, purpose and closing are all present; the body gives specific, relevant detail rather than a generic promise to do well.
Traps
- Mixing English letter conventions with Urdu khat format.
- Writing an essay with no natija.
- Putting several unrelated ideas into one paragraph.
- Translating word by word and producing unnatural syntax.
- Ignoring tense and number changes between source and target text.