Composition judgement: letter format versus memorised essay
The composition section offers two choices. You choose the letter: 'Write a letter in Arabic to your friend Salim inviting him to spend the Eid holidays in your village.' The rubric gives 10 marks: format 2, three content points 3, vocabulary from prescribed lessons 2, grammar 2, closing 1. You have 14 minutes and must write 7-9 lines. Your draft opens: 'إلى صديقي سليم، تحية طيبة وبعد، أنا أدعوك إلى قريتي في عيد. قريتي جميلة جدا. أنا عندي حديقة كبيرة. سوف نذهب إلى النهر.' You remember a model essay beginning 'أنا أحب قريتي' and wonder whether to paste it in. A classmate says the letter should use 'حضرة' because it is formal. You also need to leave 3 minutes to check hamza and agreement.
1. Revise the opening and two sentences so that the draft fits the letter task and the rubric. Keep the content, not the memorised essay.
Read the worked answer
Revised opening: 'إلى صديقي سليم، تحية طيبة وبعد، أدعوك إلى قريتي لقضاء عيد الأضحى معي.' Then: 'قريتي جميلة، وفيها حديقة كبيرة. سوف نذهب إلى النهر معا.'
Reasoning: the task is a friendly letter, so 'إلى صديقي' and 'تحية طيبة وبعد' earn format marks. 'أنا أدعوك' is understandable but 'أدعوك' is more natural because the subject is clear from the verb. 'أنا عندي' is colloquial; 'لديّ' or 'في بيتنا' is better for written Arabic. 'سوف نذهب' is acceptable and useful for the future content point. The memorised essay 'أنا أحب قريتي' should not be pasted as a block: it does not address Salim and may crowd out the three content points (invitation, village description, plan). Borrow its vocabulary, not its sentences.
2. Your classmate says a letter must use 'حضرة' because it is formal. Decide whether to accept that advice and explain how you will use your last 3 minutes.
Read the worked answer
Do not accept it for this task. 'حضرة' is a formal honorific used for officials or respected elders, not for a friend. Using it to Salim would break the register and could cost format/closing marks. The correct register is friendly but correct: 'صديقي العزيز' or 'صديقي سليم', then a clear invitation, then a closing such as 'والسلام، صديقك...'.
The last 3 minutes should go to high-yield checking, not rewriting: (1) hamza in 'إلى' and 'عيد'; (2) verb-subject agreement in 'سوف نذهب' (we, so plural is fine); (3) the letter has a salutation, three content points and a closing. If time remains, replace one colloquial phrase such as 'أنا عندي' with 'لديّ'. This protects grammar and format marks while keeping the content already planned.