Arabic and English Sentence Patterns: A Comparative Guide

27 | P a g e TENSe : PAST ASPECT: PROGRESSIVE اﻟﺰﻣﻦ : اﻟﻤﺎﺿﻲ أو اﻟﻤﻀﺎرع )اﻟﻤﺮﻓﻮع أو اﻟﻤﺠﺰوم( اﻟ ﻨﺎﺣﯿﺔ اﻟ: ﻤﺴﺘﻤﺮ 1. S – PRI pst – PART pre – CLS – S 2 – V pst The student was studying when he fell asleep. PREP – S 2 – V pst – CLS – V pre ind – S – PRI pst اﻟﻄّﺎﻟِﺐُ ﯾَﺪْرُسُ ﻋِﻨْﺪَﻣﺎ ﻏَﻠَﺐَ اﻟﻨ ﱠﻮْمُ ﻋَﻠَﯿْﮫِ . ﻛﺎنَ PART act – S – PRI pst 51 42 ﻛﺎنَ اﻟﻄّﺎﻟِﺐُ ذاھِﺒًﺎ.* 2. S – PRI pst – NEG – PART pre V pre ind – S – PRI pst – NEG The student was not studying. اﻟﻄّﺎﻟِﺐُ ﯾَﺪْرُسُ . ﻣﺎ ﻛﺎنَ 3. PRI pst – S – PART pre V pre ind – S – PRI pst - INT Was the student studying? اﻟﻄّﺎﻟِﺐُ ﯾَﺪْرُسُ ؟ ھَﻞْ ﻛﺎنَ 4. PRI pst + NEG – S – PART pre V pre ind – S – PRI jus – NEG - INT Wasn’t the student studying? أَﻟَ ﻢْ ﯾَ ﻜُﻦِ اﻟﻄّﺎﻟِﺐُ ﯾَﺪْرُسُ ؟ See Chart 1. In this case, the past-tense auxiliary was determines time reference and is followed by the present participle studying to achieve progressive aspect. TIMe : past اﻟ ﺰﻣﻦ : اﻟﻤﺎﺿﻲ English اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ 3