Book 6 Argumentation and Formal Writing: As-Salaamu 'Alaykum Arabic Series

Formal Register Vocabulary المُفْرَدَات الرَّسْمِيَّة

ArabicTransliterationUse

يَرَى / يَعْتَقِدyarā / yaʿtaqidholds the view that / believes

يُؤَكِّد / يُشِير إِلَىyuʾakkid / yushīr ilāaffirms / points to

مِنَ الْجَدِير بِالذِّكْرmin al-jadīr bidhikrit is worth mentioning

عَلَى الصَّعِيدʿalā ṣ-ṣaʿīdon the level of / regarding

بِالرَّغْمِ مِنْ ذَلِكbirraghmi min dhālikin spite of that / nevertheless

فِي ضَوْءِ ذَلِكfī ḍawʾi dhālikin light of that

تَجْدُر الْإِشَارَة إِلَىtajduru l-ishāratu ilāit is fitting to note that

خُلَاصَة الْقَوْلkhulāṣatu l-qawlin summary / to conclude

Passive Voice الْمَبْنِي لِلْمَجْهُول

The passive is formed by changing the internal vowel pattern no extra word is needed. Past passive: first syllable gets ḍamma, second gets kasra. Present passive: prefix gets ḍamma, penultimate gets fatḥa.

Active PastPassive PastActive PresentPassive Present

كَتَبَكُتِبَيَكْتُبُيُكْتَبُ

فَتَحَفُتِحَيَفْتَحُيُفْتَحُ

قَرَأَقُرِئَيَقْرَأُيُقْرَأُ

أَرْسَلَأُرْسِلَيُرْسِليُرْسَل

أُنْزِلَ الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ Unzila l-Qurʾānu ʿalā n-nabiyyi Muḥammadin ﷺ The Qurʾān was revealed to the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ. (نَائِب الْفَاعِل = الْقُرْآنُ, nominative.)

Derived Verb Forms الأَفْعَال الْمَزِيدَة

Arabic verbs are built on 3-letter roots. Beyond Form I, nine derived forms (II–X) add systematic meaning shifts. Book 6 introduces Forms II, III, V, and X the most frequent in everyday Arabic.

FormPatternTypical Meaning ShiftExample

I (Base)فَعَلَBasic actionدَرَسَ (studied)

IIفَعَّلَCausative / intensiveدَرَّسَ (taught)

IIIفَاعَلَReciprocal actionكَاتَبَ (corresponded)

VتَفَعَّلَReflexive of Form IIتَعَلَّمَ (learned)

XاِسْتَفْعَلَTo request / considerاِسْتَغْفَرَ (sought forgiveness)

Essay Structure بِنَاء الْمَقَال

A formal Arabic essay has three parts: الْمُقَدِّمَة (introduction with thesis), الْعَرْض (body paragraphs with evidence), and الْخَاتِمَة (conclusion restating the main point).

مِمَّا لَا شَكَّ فِيهِ أَنَّ اللُّغَةَ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ هِيَ لُغَةُ الْقُرْآنِ الْكَرِيم Mimmā lā shakka fīhi anna l-lugha l-ʿarabiyyata hiya lughatu l-Qurʾāni l-karīm There is no doubt that the Arabic language is the language of the Noble Qurʾān. (Opening thesis formula.)

Formal Letter Conventions الرِّسَالَة الرَّسْمِيَّة

PositionArabic FormulaMeaning

Opening salutationتَحِيَّةً طَيِّبَةً وَبَعْدWith warm greetings, and then...

Subject lineالْمَوْضُوع:Subject:

Referencingإِشَارَةً إِلَى كِتَابِكُمُ الْمُؤَرَّخWith reference to your letter dated...

Closingمَعَ الشُّكْرِ وَالتَّقْدِيرWith thanks and appreciation

Sign-offوَتَفَضَّلُوا بِقَبُولِ فَائِقِ الاحْتِرَامPlease accept the highest regards

Passive vowel rule: Past passive = ḍamma on first syllable + kasra on second (كُتِبَ). Present passive = ḍamma on prefix + fatḥa on penultimate (يُكْتَبُ).
نَائِب الْفَاعِل: The subject of a passive sentence is always nominative it "stands in" for the deleted agent.
Form II causative: If Form I means "to do X," Form II often means "to make/cause someone to do X."
Form X reflexive: اِسْتَفْعَلَ often means "to consider oneself X" or "to request X" اِسْتَغْنَى (considered himself independent/became rich).
ACTFL target: Intermediate-High can write structured formal essays, use the passive voice, and identify derived verb forms in texts.

Formal Register Vocabulary المُفْرَدَات الرَّسْمِيَّة

Passive Voice الْمَبْنِي لِلْمَجْهُول

Derived Verb Forms الأَفْعَال الْمَزِيدَة

Essay Structure بِنَاء الْمَقَال

Formal Letter Conventions الرِّسَالَة الرَّسْمِيَّة

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