Grammar (Qawa'id): morphology, syntax and sentence structure
Grammar (Qawa'id): morphology, syntax and sentence structure
This domain tests Arabic grammar in use: word patterns, inflection, and sentence roles. Questions may ask you to parse a word, choose the correct case ending, correct an error, or build a sentence from given words. Accuracy depends on identifying the word’s job before adding a final vowel.
Core rules
- Syntax: a nominal sentence has mubtada' and khabar, both normally marfu'. A verbal sentence has fi'l, fa'il marfu', and maf'ul bihi mansub.
- A noun after a preposition is majrur. In idafa, the first noun takes no tanwin and the second is majrur.
- Morphology: find the root, then the wazn. Verb tenses: madi, mudari', amr; derived nouns include ism fa'il and ism maf'ul.
- Agreement: the verb agrees with the fa'il in gender and number, but word order affects agreement in some patterns.
- Dual and sound plural endings change case: -ani/-ayni, -una/-ina, -atun/-atin.
Worked example
Sentence: كتب الطالب الدرس في الصف. Parse: كتب is fi'l madi; الطالب is fa'il marfu' with damma; الدرس is maf'ul bihi mansub with fatha; في الصف is jar wa majrur. Reasoning: Ask who wrote? الطالب, so fa'il. Ask what was written? الدرس, so maf'ul. في makes الصف majrur. The root of كتب is ك-ت-ب.
Traps
- Marking the maf'ul with damma because English word order puts object after verb.
- Forgetting that idafa blocks tanwin on the first noun.
- Mixing fa'il and maf'ul when both are nouns.
- Ignoring dual and plural endings.
- Parsing by translation instead of by role.