Arabic Writing Examples

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Rationale for Rating

This text is an illustrative example of several of the features that characterize writing in Arabic at the Distinguished level. The topic (language rhetoric) is academic in nature. In an attempt to persuade the readers of a specific thesis, the author clearly focuses on a targeted audience (those who are interested in the role and nature of language in understanding political dialogue). The writing is representational because the author does not advocate a thesis of his own (the author conveys various points of views about the topic in a balanced fashion). Additionally, the author delivers the message in an authentic manner which is reflected in a number of textual attributes that include: implicit and explicit cultural references (Najm, Balagha, etc.) reference to traditional concepts (Ahl al-Hal wal-Rabt), and deliberate infusion of colloquial elements for stylistic effect (Bita', Tahriir and KhalaaS). Moreover, the writing is fairly dense and complex and the author demonstrates control a myriad of complex lexical and syntactic elements (embedded sentences, explicit use of connectors such as wahakaDha and al wahiyya). Finally, the writing and argumentation are tightly structured and highly organized.

Rationale for Rating

Topic: Consumption of stuff.

Function: Reflecting upon a documentary: Expressing and supporting an opinion.

Lexical complexity:

  • The sample displays a good knowledge of the writer about the specialized vocabulary related to economics and consumption. Examples: الاقتصاد الاستهلاكي – نظام متكافئ – الموارد الطبيعية – تضر البيئة – الاستخراج
  • The writer displays good usage of collocations like: الوقت الراهن – المفهوم الشائع – وضع طبيعي
  • The writer displays a good usage of expressions. Example: the use of لا يستهان بها in the first paragraph.
  • Displays effective usage of the different derivations of the verbs, though still some misusages appear. Examples of good usages: فعلتُ – أهان - استهان – الاستيعاب Examples of a flaw in verb derivation: اندهشني however, there is no pattern and the error did not interfere in comprehension.
  • The sample displays a trial of using rhyming and effective verbs like: لا يحترمه ولا يرحمه in the last paragraph.

Structural complexity:

  • The sample displays a high degree of control over grammar and syntax.
  • It displays a good use of some complex structures. Example: ر تكافؤا بيئياً
  • However there are few occasional errors that don't form a pattern.

Discourse:

  • The sample provides a detailed narration and presents the writer's opinion in both past tense and present.
  • Ideas are organized and the relationship between them is clear.
  • Chronology is displayed أولهما – ثانيهما
  • The sample displays a good knowledge and good usage of cohesive devices that helps to produce cohesive paragraphs. For example in the first paragraph:فـ - وكأنه – ولكن بالطبع – , لا تحاول أن تتوقف بل – وبالأحرى in the second paragraph.
  • The usage of the questionلماذا in the second paragraph, shows a style that indicates that the writer is carrying a dialogue with the reader.

Rationale for Rating

Topic: The elections.

Function: Expressing opinion about a current event.

Lexical complexity:

  • The sample displays a good knowledge of the writer about the specialized vocabulary related to the topic of "elections." For example: مرشح – الأحزاب – التعددية – يسيطر هلى – الانتخابات – منافسة The writer in this sample displays textured use of synonyms such as:لبّ وجوف وقلب ... .
  • Displays good usage of collocations between the adjective and the word, for example: منافسة شديدة شرسة .
  • Displays effective usage of the different derivations of the words, for example: ّع – متنوعة , the writer used the masdar and the adjective effectively and naturally which shows control over verb derivations and their usage.
  • Displays a good ability to use idioms إن كنت ريحا فقد لقيت إعصارا .

Structural complexity: This sample demonstrates a high degree of control over grammar and syntax.

Discourse:

  • The sample demonstrates fluent writing, and a complex discourse.
  • Developmental and organizational principles are displayed in the sample as well as chronology. An example of this is the use of: أولا and the use of خلال فترة ما قبل لاانتخابات.
  • Cohesive devices are displayed effectively, such as the usage of: ولكن من الجدير بالذكر , and the usage of في الوقت نفسه .

Rationale for Rating

Topic: El Nakba النكبة

Function:

  • Reflecting upon a documentary.
  • Displaying a point of strength and a point of weakness in the documentary.
  • Expressing a personal opinion about the documentary.

Lexical complexity:

  • The sample displays a good knowledge of the writer about criticizing the content of the documentary. This is reflected in the following words: تطرق – أغفل – نقاط قوة الوثائقي
  • The writer displays good usage of collocations like: بحث عميق – تجاوزات عشوائية
  • The sample displays a rich knowledge of vocabulary that is displayed smoothly and naturally, for example:مسالة اضطهاد وتهجير وترحيل ممنهجة
  • The sample also displays a good knowledge and use of specialized vocabulary like: التطهير
  • There is also a good use of verb derivation like هجرة – تهجير

Structural complexity:

  • The sample displays a high degree of control over grammar and syntax. However there are few occasional errors that don't form a pattern.

Discourse:

  • Ideas are organized and the relationship between them is clear.
  • The sample displays a good knowledge and good usage of cohesive devices that help to produce cohesive paragraphs. For example in the first paragraph: لم يكن... بل ...ولكن مع هذا ...

Rationale for Rating

In this sample, the writer demonstrates ability to narrate daily and family situations. Narration and description contain detail and are in the past, present and the future. The style is still obviously foreign however the writer shows control over the structure. In this sample, the writer demonstrates ability to write about familiar topics relating to interests and events of, public, and personal relevance by means of narratives and descriptions of a factual nature. This sample also exhibits some variety of cohesive devices, and there is good control of the most frequently used target language syntactic structures.

Rationale for Rating

Topic: First year in school, negative experiences

Function: Narrating a personal experience, common events

Lexical complexity: Suitable lexicon for writing about school experiences محاضرات – أستاذ – اساتذة – لغويات – متخصصة -

Structural complexity:

  • Basic sentences. Good trials to use negation in the past: لم أجد , لم يقولوا , لم يذهبوا , لم تنظف
  • Expected grammatical mistakes like defining the noun by both الـ and إضافة الضمير for example: المحاضراتي
  • Good use of relative clause once أول سنة قضيتها , and then in another, the effect of English is obvious: هذا الموضوع التي أنا متخصصة
  • Inaccuracy in using few verbs such as: و – لأن

Discourse: Limited cohesive devises are displayed: و – لأن

Timeframe: Mostly past tense

Rationale for Rating

Topic: Personal experience, simple description of the city and the house

Function: Writing a letter to a friend telling about self

Lexical complexity:

  • Basic verb forms are displayed. Examples: أسكن – أعيش – نسكن
  • Everyday vocabulary is displayed: مرحبا – مدينة صغيرة – مطار – شقة – غرفة
  • Few spelling mistakes are displayed

Structural complexity: There is evidence of control over structure and grammar of simple short sentences.

Discourse:

  • Basic sentences
  • A collection of separate sentences strung together

Timeframe: Mostly in the present tense

Rationale for Rating

Topic: Writer produces simple isolated sentences about self

Function: Basic information about self

Lexical complexity:

  • Writer strictly depends on learned vocabulary
  • Good control of basic vocabulary about self (name, age, home town)

Structural complexity:

  • Although sentences produced are still short, there is clearer control of sentence structure (compared to the previous levels)
  • Errors in the most basic syntactic structures

Discourse: Short text made of simple unconnected sentences

Timeframe: None

Stylistic Features: None

Rationale for Rating

Topic: Writer produces simple isolated sentences about self

Function: A letter that contains simple greetings and basic information about self

Lexical complexity:

  • Writer strictly depends on learned vocabulary
  • Limited vocabulary but writer attempts to use it creatively to express ideas
  • Capable of shaping and connecting letters with relative success using Naskh script to form word

Structural complexity:

  • Simple short sentences which are almost telegraphic in nature
  • Errors in the most basic syntactic structures
  • Writing produced indicates that writer is only aware of the semantic value of words but not grammatical function

Discourse: None

Timeframe: None

Stylistic Features: None

Rationale for Rating

Topic: Writer combines learned words to write a sentence about a picture.

Function: None.

Lexical complexity:

  • Writer strictly depends on learned vocabulary.
  • Limited vocabulary but writer attempts to recombine to form a two-word sentence.
  • Capable of shaping and connecting letters with relative success using Naskh script to form targeted word.

Structural complexity:

  • Simple two-word sentences which are almost telegraphic in nature.
  • Errors in the most basic syntactic structures.
  • Sentence structure is clearly affected by L1

Discourse: None.

Timeframe: None.

Stylistic Features: None.