Arabic and English Sentence Patterns: A Comparative Guide

4 | P a g e PURPOSE In this guide are definitions, discussions, and charts displaying the form, function, and meaning of English and Arabic verbs in context as a reference for use with Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) textbooks. English is used as a starting point to establish a familiar foundation. Use of this reference will improve your reading and writing skills by enabling you better to understand the sentence structure of both languages especially with regard to verb time, tense, aspect, mood, and transitive/intransitive structures. While this guide is intended mainly for English-speaking students studying Arabic, the charts also provide a quick reference of English sentence patterns for Arabic speakers.