Letter Writing, Short Composition, and Vocabulary Usage
Letter format
A BSEB Arabic letter usually has: place/date, salutation, opening greeting, body in two short paragraphs, closing, and signature. Learn the fixed phrases:
- «حضرة الأستاذ المحترم» / «صديقي العزيز»
- «السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته»
- «أكتب إليك لأخبرك بأنّ...»
- «وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام»
Short composition
For a 5–8 sentence topic such as «مدرستي», «عيد الفطر», «بر الوالدين», use a clear frame: introduction, two details, one reason, conclusion. Join sentences with و، ثم، لأنّ، لذلك. Keep verbs in one tense unless the topic requires a change.
Vocabulary usage
A vocabulary question asks you to use a word in a meaningful sentence, not to define it. Check the word's gender, plural, and usual preposition: «اهتمّ بـ», «رغب في», «ساعد في».
Worked example
Word: «الاجتهاد». Weak answer: «الاجتهاد كلمة.» Strong answer: «الاجتهادُ طريقُ النجاحِ، لذلك يحرص الطالب على تنظيمه.» Reasoning: the sentence supplies a predicate, a connector, and a consequence, showing the word's meaning in context.
Traps
Mixing dialect forms with standard فصحى; using «أنت» without matching the addressee's gender; omitting the closing; writing an essay when a letter is asked; using a vocabulary word in a sentence that would make sense with any word. Memorise two openings and two closings; they save time and prevent format marks.