Register and Format in a 70–90 Word Application
In a 40-minute composition test, 35 Class 10 students must write a 70–90 word Arabic application to the principal requesting permission to hold a one-day book exhibition in the school hall on 15 August. The rubric gives 3 marks for format (sender, date, subject, salutation, closing), 3 for content (purpose, date/venue, two needs such as tables and permission), 2 for register, and 2 for language. Three students begin as follows: (1) «أنا أريد القاعة يوم 15 أغسطس.» (2) «أتقدم إلى سيادتكم بطلب الإذن بإقامة معرض للكتاب.» (3) «بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم، ثم أما بعد.» A student chooses (1) because it is clear and short; another chooses (3) because religious openings are customary. The teacher must decide which opening earns register marks and how to revise the others.
1. Which opening best fits the task, and why do the other two lose register or format marks?
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Opening (2) best fits the task.
- It identifies the writer’s stance («أتقدم إلى سيادتكم») and the purpose («بطلب الإذن بإقامة معرض للكتاب») in one formal sentence.
- It uses the proper addressee honorific «سيادتكم», which is expected in a school application.
- It is concise enough for a 70–90 word limit.
Why the others fail:
- (1) is grammatically clear but pragmatically demanding: «أنا أريد القاعة» sounds like a claim on the room, not a request for permission. It also omits the purpose and any polite frame.
- (3) is a religious opening, not an application salutation. It may be appropriate in a sermon or a certain letter style, but here it replaces the required formal opening and delays the purpose. It cannot earn register marks for a school application.
Register marks reward appropriate formality and politeness, not length or piety.
2. Revise opening (1) into two formal sentences that also carry purpose and logistics.
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Revised version:
«أتقدم إلى سيادتكم بطلب الإذن باستخدام قاعة المدرسة لإقامة معرض للكتاب يوم 15 أغسطس. وسنحتاج إلى طاولتين وموافقة على تعليق الإعلانات في الممر الرئيسي.»
Why this revision works:
- It replaces «أنا أريد» with «أتقدم بطلب الإذن»: a request, not a demand.
- It names the venue («قاعة المدرسة»), the event («معرض للكتاب»), and the date.
- It supplies two concrete needs: tables and permission for notices.
- It keeps the register formal while staying within the word limit.
This earns content marks and register marks at the same time; a polite opening without logistics would still lose content marks.
3. Which format elements are most likely to be lost under time pressure, and why are they marked separately from content?
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The commonly lost format elements are:
- Sender/class at the top or bottom;
- Date;
- Subject line («الموضوع: طلب إذن…»);
- Salutation («حضرة مدير المدرسة المحترم»);
- Closing («وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام»).
They are marked separately because format is a convention, not the same skill as composing a request. A student may write a perfectly clear purpose and still lose format marks for omitting the date or using an abrupt ending. The rubric protects against rewarding content alone and reminds candidates that an application is a genre with expected parts. Under time pressure, the safest routine is to draft the five format slots first, then fill the body within the word limit.