Verbal and Nominal Sentences
Arabic Verbal and Nominal Sentences
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Arabic Verbal and Nominal Sentences
Open by telling students that Arabic sentences can begin in two main ways, and that this changes how we identify the sentence type.
Learning goal
I can tell the difference between a verbal sentence and a nominal sentence, and write my own sentences.
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One word you link with Arabic sentences
Use this to surface prior ideas such as verb, noun, action, description, start, word, Arabic. Invite a few students to explain their word aloud.
الجملة الفعلية
A verbal sentence usually starts with a verb.
It tells us about an action or something happening.
In Arabic, we look at the first word to help identify this sentence type.
Keep the explanation simple for A2 level: the key idea is that the sentence begins with a verb. Avoid overloading students with full grammatical analysis at this stage.
Examples of الجملة الفعلية
كَتَبَ الطّالِبُ — The student wrote
يَذهَبُ الوَلَدُ — The boy goes
لَعِبَ الأَطفالُ — The children played
Each sentence begins with a verb.
Read each example aloud and point to the first word. Emphasise that students do not need to translate every word perfectly before spotting the sentence type.
How to spot a verbal sentence
Look for these clues:
The sentence starts with an action word
The verb may show past or present
After the verb, we often see who did the action
Example: جَلَسَ المُعَلِّمُ
You may remind students that familiar verb patterns such as past tense forms often help them recognise a verbal sentence quickly.
What is the first clue for a verbal sentence?
A verb
A noun
A pronoun
A description
Checks the key idea from slides 2–4: students identify the sentence type by the first word.
Complete the rule
A verbal sentence usually starts with a verb. It tells us about an action or something happening. We look at the first word to help identify it.
The blanks focus on the load-bearing terms from the teaching block: verb, action, first word.
الجملة الاسمية
A nominal sentence usually starts with a noun or a pronoun.
It often gives information about a person, thing or place.
Again, the first word helps us identify the sentence type.
At this level, present nominal sentences as sentences that begin with a noun or pronoun, without going deeply into classical terminology unless needed.
Examples of الجملة الاسمية
البَيتُ كَبيرٌ — The house is big
أَنا مُجتَهِدٌ — I am hardworking
المَدرَسَةُ جَميلَةٌ — The school is beautiful
Each sentence begins with a noun or pronoun.
Point out that these sentences are describing or giving information, not beginning with an action word.
How to spot a nominal sentence
Look for these clues:
The sentence starts with a person, place or thing
It may start with a pronoun such as أنا
It often gives a description or simple information
Example: الجوُّ جَميلٌ
If useful, contrast the example with a verbal sentence starting with a verb so students see the difference immediately.
Verbal or nominal?
Starts with a verb
Shows an action
Example: خَرَجَ الرَّجُلُ
Verbal sentence
Starts with a noun or pronoun
Gives information or a description
Example: الرَّجُلُ طَويلٌ
Nominal sentence
This comparison slide is the key contrast of the lesson. Keep returning to the first word as the quickest test.
Which sentence is a nominal sentence?
لَعِبَ الأَطفالُ
يَذهَبُ الوَلَدُ
البَيتُ كَبيرٌ
جَلَسَ المُعَلِّمُ
Only البَيتُ كَبيرٌ begins with a noun and gives information, matching slides 5–8.
Complete the comparison
A nominal sentence usually starts with a noun or a pronoun. It often gives information or a description. A verbal sentence starts with a verb.
This consolidates the contrast in slides 5–8.
Why does the sentence type change in slide 9?
Expected elements: students should mention that the sentence type changes because the opening word changes; verbal starts with a verb, nominal starts with a noun or pronoun. Accept Arabic or simple English explanations.
Changing the sentence opening
Sometimes the meaning is similar, but the sentence type changes.
يَكتُبُ الوَلَدُ — verbal sentence
الوَلَدُ كاتِبٌ — nominal sentence
The opening word changes the sentence type.
Do not claim the two sentences are identical in meaning; simply note that both are about the boy, but one begins with an action and the other begins with a noun and description.
Writing your own verbal sentences
To write a verbal sentence:
Start with a verb
Add who does the action
Keep the sentence short and clear
Example: رَسَمَتْ البِنتُ
Give extra oral examples if needed, such as ذهبَ الطالبُ or أكلَ الطفلُ. The slide keeps the model short on purpose.
Writing your own nominal sentences
To write a nominal sentence:
Start with a noun or pronoun
Add information about it
Use a simple description
Example: البِنتُ ذَكِيَّةٌ
If students need support, suggest familiar nouns such as البيت، المدرسة، الطالب or pronouns such as أنا.
Which opening makes a verbal sentence?
A noun
A pronoun
A verb
An adjective
Links directly to the writing guidance on slides 9–11.
Complete the writing guide
To write a verbal sentence, start with a verb and add who does the action. To write a nominal sentence, start with a noun or pronoun and add simple information.
Application of the writing steps from slides 10–11.
Write one verbal sentence of your own.
Students should produce one simple original example. Accept any correct verbal sentence that starts with a verb, such as ذهبَ الطالبُ or لعبَ الولدُ. Exact matching is not required; discuss responses in class.
What is one thing you will remember from this lesson?
Reflection only. Invite short answers about the main idea remembered, such as first word, verb, noun, pronoun, verbal sentence, nominal sentence.
What helped you understand best today?
Reflection only. Encourage students to mention a helpful example, the comparison table, spotting the first word, or writing their own sentence.
Glossary
الجملة الفعلية - a verbal sentence that usually begins with a verb
الجملة الاسمية - a nominal sentence that usually begins with a noun or pronoun
verb - a word that shows an action or something happening
noun - a word for a person, place, thing or idea
pronoun - a word used instead of a noun, such as I or he
action - something that someone or something does
description - words that give information about someone or something
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