WBCHSE HS Persian common mistakes
WBCHSE HS Persian · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
In the Prose (Nasr) section, candidates retell the story of a prescribed text in their own words instead of quoting the author's exact sentences when asked to explain a passage or character's speech.
They rely on general comprehension and memory of the plot, not on close reading of the Persian text; they may not have practised extracting and reproducing key lines.
What to do instead
For each prescribed prose lesson, prepare a list of 8–10 key sentences (character descriptions, moral statements, dialogue) with their line numbers. Practise answering 'explain this line' by first quoting the Persian sentence, then giving a literal Bengali/English rendering, then a one-sentence comment on its significance.
In Poetry (Nazm), candidates identify a poetic device by name only (e.g., 'tashbih') without pointing to the exact words that create it or explaining the comparison.
They memorised a list of devices from notes but never practised locating them in the prescribed verses; they confuse similar devices (tashbih vs. isti'ara, majaz vs. kinaya).
What to do instead
For each prescribed ghazal or nazm, annotate the text: underline the vehicle and tenor of every simile, circle metaphors, mark radif and qafiya. Write model answers that follow the pattern: name the device, quote the two Persian phrases involved, state what is compared to what, and explain the effect.
In Grammar (Qawa'id), candidates translate verb forms without adjusting for person, number, tense, and mood, e.g., rendering a Persian imperative as a past tense or ignoring the subjunctive after 'کہ'.
They learn verb tables in isolation and do not connect the stem patterns (madi/muzari') to actual sentence contexts; Bengali/English interference leads them to expect a different tense.
What to do instead
Drill verb conjugation by root: for each new verb, write the past stem, present stem, and all persons in the three main tenses plus imperative and subjunctive. Then translate 10 short sentences containing that verb, checking agreement and mood explicitly before writing the answer.
In Grammar (Qawa'id) sentence-construction items, candidates produce Persian sentences with Bengali/English word order, placing the verb early or omitting the object marker 'را'.
They think in their first language and translate word-for-word; they have not internalised that Persian is SOV and that 'را' marks a definite direct object.
What to do instead
Practise a fixed pattern: write the subject, then the object with 'را' if definite, then any adverbial phrase, then the verb at the end. Do 15 transformations from Bengali/English into Persian, then check each against the pattern before submitting.
In Translation (Persian-to-Bengali/English), candidates translate idioms and compound verbs literally, e.g., rendering 'دست از کار کشیدن' as 'to pull the hand from work' instead of 'to give up'.
They treat Persian as a code to be decoded word by word and have not built a bank of common idioms and compound verbs (masdar-e marakkab).
What to do instead
Maintain an idiom notebook: for each prescribed lesson and unseen passage, list every compound verb and idiom with its Bengali/English equivalent. Revise 10 per day and use each in an original Persian sentence.
In Translation (Bengali/English-to-Persian), candidates leave English/Bengali syntax in the Persian output, e.g., writing 'من دوست دارم کتاب خواندن' instead of 'من کتاب خواندن را دوست دارم', or misplacing the ezafe.
They compose directly from the source language without applying Persian grammar rules; they are unsure of ezafe construction and object marking.
What to do instead
Before writing, identify the main verb and its object; build the Persian sentence skeleton (subject + object + verb) and only then add modifiers. After writing, read aloud to check ezafe links and verb-final order. Compare with a model translation of the same passage.
In Composition and Letter Writing, candidates write a personal letter or essay with no proper Persian opening and closing formulae, or use informal spoken forms in a formal letter.
They have not memorised the standard epistolary conventions (e.g., 'بعد از عرض سلام' / 'با احترام') and do not distinguish formal written register from colloquial speech.
What to do instead
Learn by heart three letter frames: formal, semi-formal, and friendly, each with opening, body connectors, and closing. Practise writing the same content in two registers and have a peer check for colloquialisms such as 'میخوام' instead of 'میخواهم'.
In Composition, candidates produce a short essay that lists points without paragraph structure, linking words, or a conclusion, often falling below the required word count.
They plan in Bengali/English and translate sentence by sentence, so cohesion is lost; they run out of Persian vocabulary and stop early.
What to do instead
Use a five-minute plan: introduction (1 sentence), three body points each with a connector ('اولاً', 'ثانیاً', 'علاوه بر این'), and a conclusion ('در پایان'). Build a personal bank of 20 connectors and 30 topic words (education, environment, travel) and practise timed 150-word essays weekly.
In Reading Comprehension (unseen Persian passage), candidates answer questions by copying whole sentences from the passage rather than locating the specific information requested, and they guess unknown vocabulary from Bengali/English similarity.
They lack scanning technique and do not use context or word-formation (roots, prefixes) to infer meaning; time pressure pushes them to copy.
What to do instead
Practise the three-step method: skim for gist, scan for the key word in the question, then write a concise answer in your own Persian words. For unknown words, identify the root and pattern (e.g., 'کتاب' → 'مکتوب') before guessing. Do one unseen passage daily with a 10-minute limit.
Across all domains, candidates misread the Persian script, confusing letters with the same shape (ب/پ/ت/ث, ج/چ/ح/خ, د/ذ, ر/ز/ژ, س/ش, ص/ض, ط/ظ, ع/غ, ف/ق) and therefore mis-answer comprehension or grammar items.
They learned the alphabet by shape only and do not use dots and letter position consistently; speed reading reinforces the error.
What to do instead
Do daily dictation: listen to or read a short Persian sentence and write it, then check dot placement and letter forms. Build minimal-pair lists (e.g., 'سیر/شیر', 'پاک/باک') and read them aloud. In exams, slow down on dotted letters and verify each word before answering.