Morphology in Arabic Grammar: Its Foundations, Importance, and Classifications - A Comprehensive Guide to Preparing for the AMSAT Arabic Exam

The AMSAT Arabic exam is one of the exams approved by the United Arab Emirates based on the national state standards to test the students’ ability and proficiency in the Arabic language and grammar and morphology. If you want to join the university, Arabic language department, you must pass the AMSAT Arabic exam with high scores. In this article, we will show you a model of the AMSAT Arabic exam to learn about the method and form of the questions so that students can practice them.

The AMSAT Arabic exam consists of three main sections:

• Section One: Reading Texts : This is a group of texts, some of which are long and others are short, in addition to some narrative texts, which deal with various topics, including cultural, social, economic, and others. The student must read the texts carefully in order to be able to solve the test correctly.
• Section Two : Language Structure and Vocabulary: It contains a set of multiple-choice questions that measure students’ skills in grammar, morphology, and spelling, in addition to common vocabulary according to age group.
• Section Three : Writing: This section contains one creative task, which is to write a persuasive text on a topic that includes two different points of view, using the computer keyboard.

It is worth noting that the time allocated for solving the Arabic AMSAT exam is only 120 minutes, and the exam consists of 90 questions. Only 35 minutes are allocated for the text reading section, and the language structure and vocabulary section also requires 35 minutes, while the last section, which is creative writing, is allocated only 50 minutes.

What is morphology?

The AMSAT Arabic exam includes morphology, which is one of the branches of the Arabic language that studies the structure of the word and how to transform and develop it from one structure to another through some procedures on the basic root of the word.

It is said that Ali bin Abi Talib was the first to establish the science of morphology in the year 40 AH, and it is said that Al-Muadh bin Muslim Al-Harra’ was the first to establish it in the year 200 AH.

Morphology is concerned with studying the rules that organize the formation of words in the Arabic language, from roots, prefixes, suffixes, substitution, inversion, and so on, along with studying some weights. We find that morphology studies the structures of words and the rules of their inflection, and converting the verb into multiple forms of an active participle, passive participle, or exaggerated form. It is also possible through it to convert the noun into a comparative form or an adjective, and so on from the Arabic inflections.

Examples of changes that occur to a word in terms of morphology include the word (Sa’ad). Some changes can be added to it to become (Sa’id/Must’ad/Asa’id/Sa’id), and so on with changes.

What is the importance of studying morphology?

If you want to join the College of Arabic Language and want to take the AMSAT Arabic exam, you must study morphology well, as it is considered an integral part of the AMSAT Arabic exam due to the great importance of morphology in the Arabic language. Morphology is studied for reasons including:

• Understanding the rules and foundations of the Arabic language.
• The ability to understand the structure of a word and how it is derived from the root.
• Morphology helps you to know the relationship between words connected at the root such as verb, infinitive and active participle.
• Helps students understand the prefixes and suffixes that are placed on words.
• It preserves the language from grammatical errors and maintains its integrity.
• It helps you understand the meanings in texts more deeply.
• It enables you to understand and analyze any text in a simple way.

Morphology classifications

Knowing the classification of morphology helps you understand the changes that occur in words, which enables you to pass the AMSAT Arabic exam easily. The classification of morphology is divided into two sections, which are:

• Section One: Minor declension: This section includes the simple changes that occur in the word in terms of vowels or letters, while the root of the word remains constant. Examples include:

1: Verb conjugation: Conjugation of the verb from past to present. (ate – eats).

2: Declining nouns: Declining a noun from singular to plural or dual, such as: (book - books - two books)

3: Masculine and feminine: (teacher – school)

4: Diminutive nouns: (book - booklet)

• The second section: Major derivation: This involves making radical changes to the structure of the word , by adding new roots to the word or deleting or replacing the letters of the original root, which leads to a comprehensive change in the meaning of the word , such as:

1 : Derivation of the active participle, the passive participle, and the adjective.

2: Sources of triliteral, quadriliteral and quintiliteral verbs.

3: Broken plurals, relative nouns, relative pronouns, and diminutives.

Discrimination in grammar

The lesson on discrimination in grammar is considered one of the most important lessons that come in the Arabic AMSAT exam, so students must understand and comprehend what discrimination is and what its types are, which we will present to you in some points:

Tamyeez is a solid indefinite noun that is usually used to explain something vague before it, such as “fifty men came,” or to explain a proportion such as “so-and-so is more knowledgeable than so-and-so.” From here we realize that Tamyeez always comes as an indefinite noun and does not come as a definite noun. Tamyeez has two types:

• The first type: Self-distinction: This distinction comes to explain the vague explanation before it , and this distinction occurs after several things, which are:

1. Distinguishing quantities: The quantities are area, weight, and volume : such as: (I have a pound of oil) .
2. Number discrimination: A discrimination that distinguishes the number and identifies what is meant, such as: (Three students succeeded )
3. The interrogative distinguishing word “kam”: It is an accusative distinguishing word, and the sign of its accusative is the fat-ha appearing at the end of it, such as: (How many students are you?)
4. > The distinction indicating similarity: Here the distinction comes after what indicates something similar, such as: (And if We brought the like of it as a support).
5. The distinction indicating difference: The distinction here comes after what indicates difference, such as: (Indeed, we have something else, will), so the word will here is the distinction.

• The second type: distinguishing the proportion: which is divided into two parts:

1. > The transformed distinction : The transformed distinction from the agent , such as: (And the head was covered with gray hair), and the estimation: And the head was covered with gray hair.

Distinguishing a noun from a direct object, such as: (And We caused springs to gush forth from the earth), and the meaning is: And We caused springs to gush forth from the earth.

Distinguishing a noun from a subject, such as : (I have more money than you), and the meaning is: My money is more than yours.

2. Non-transformed discrimination: It is rare in the Arabic language, such as: (The vessel was filled with water)
3. The distinction comes after the superlative, such as: (The learner is more proficient). Here, the distinction comes in the accusative case after the superlative.

Arabic Evening Training

The student must review the Arabic AMSAT exam model, grammar questions and answers in order to be able to solve the exam easily and smoothly. Repeated review and knowledge of the form and method of the exam will eliminate the feeling of fear when entering the Arabic AMSAT exam. Together we will learn about the questions and their correct answers, their method and the form of the Arabic AMSAT trial exam.

Question 1: Choose from multiple choices:

1. Iron due to moisture

• Rust (correct answer)
• rust
• rusty
• rust

2. After the pilgrims finished circumambulating the Kaaba, Between Safa and Marwa.

• They sought (correct answer)
• They sought
• Sa'u
• They sought

3. no     The child has great importance of values, so his parents must     To plant it in it.

• He is trying
• They are trying
• He is aware, he is striving (correct answer)
• They are aware, they are striving

4. The student's calmness and diligence,   Paths to excellence and success.

• It shines
• It lights up
• It lights up (correct answer)
• Lights up

5. I was wrong when I thought that   The tree in the summer.

• planting
• Planted (correct answer)
• Implantation
• Planting

6. The morphological balance of the word (atqan)

• Do (correct answer)
• I learn
• I am heavier
• I pretend

7. The director honors outstanding students at the end of the school year.

• Rewarded
• Reward
• Reward
• Reward

8. The following sentence, in contrast to the word “therapist,” is:

• The attending physician visits his patient regularly.
• The patient is keen to take the medication regularly. (Correct answer)
• The doctor prescribes the medicine to treat his patient's illness.
• The patient's psychological comfort contributes to his recovery from the disease being treated.

After the school.com website has presented you with a model of the Arabic AMSAT exam, you should review the questions and read them carefully, practice the Arabic AMSAT exam several times, understand and comprehend what is written, and review the answers so that you can pass the Arabic AMSAT exam successfully.

The Madrasa.com website is always keen to publish the Arabic AMSAT exam model and how to solve it to help students who intend to take the exam to remove fear and dread and get used to the exam format. This platform is comprehensive and helps students and teachers as well to achieve all their goals and develop themselves in this field.