Composition and letter/essay writing
Composition and letter/essay writing tests whether you can produce a coherent short text in Arabic using controlled language. The MSBSHSE Arabic paper may ask for a formal or informal letter, a guided paragraph, or a short essay on a familiar topic. You are marked for relevance, organisation, grammar and vocabulary range, not for length alone.
Structure
- Letter: opening (صديقي العزيز، / إلى السيد المدير،), greeting (تحية طيبة وبعد،), purpose, two or three body points, closing (مع أطيب التحيات، / والسلام عليكم), signature.
- Essay: introduction with the topic, two body paragraphs with examples, conclusion with an opinion or call to action.
- Use connectors: أولًا، ثانيًا، بالإضافة إلى ذلك، لذلك، وفي الختام.
- Keep sentences short and grammatical; one clear idea per sentence.
Worked example
Task: write a short letter inviting a friend to a school function. Opening: صديقي العزيز، تحية طيبة وبعد، Body: أدعوك إلى الحفل السنوي لمدرستنا يوم السبت القادم. يبدأ الحفل في الساعة الخامسة مساءً، وفيه برامج ثقافية. Closing: أرجو أن تحضر، مع أطيب التحيات. Reasoning: The opening names the addressee; the body states the event, day and time; the closing makes a polite request. The verb أدعوك is present and takes the object pronoun ك.
Traps
Mixing intimate and formal address; translating an English essay word-for-word; omitting the greeting or signature; changing tense without reason; writing a long introduction and no body. In Arabic, use the Arabic comma ، and do not scatter English punctuation.