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Modern Articles & Essays · Lesson 9 · Sport & Leisure
الرِّياضَةُ الجَماعِيَّةُ — ضَرورَةٌ لا تَرَفٌ
al-Riyāḍa al-Jamāʿiyya — Ḍarūra lā Taraf
Team Sports — A Necessity, Not a Luxury
Feature article with embedded dialogue·Pearson IGCSE 4AA1 — Topic 5 (Sport & Leisure)·~310 words
📄 Source, license & editorial notes

Source

Original passage written for the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Arabic (4AA1) mock practice materials (Paper 1 Mock 7, June 2026). Used with permission.

Text type and topic

Contemporary feature article in modern MSA, in the Pearson 4AA1 house style. Two named voices: a basketball coach (Coach Khalid) and a volleyball player (Lara). Topic: Sport & Leisure (Topic 5 of 10); sub-strand: team sports as character-building, not just fitness.

How this lesson is designed

Body shown without tashkīl by default — like the exam paper. Show-vowels toggle reveals the vocalised version.

License

© Aravoca — non-commercial educational use only.

0 of 0 lines expanded Tap any Arabic line to reveal translation, vocabulary, and a language insight.

مُلاحَظَة نَحوِيَّة· Grammar Notes

الأمر· the positive imperative
Spec: imperative · basic structure (spec p. 17) · examiner-tested in Q11–14
اِلعَب مع فَريقٍ ولَو مَرَّةً واحِدَةً في الأُسبوعِ— Line 4 — "play with a team — even once a week"

How to make الأمر (the command). Start from المُضارِع المَجزوم (the jussive — the shortened present-tense form, no final -u). Drop the present-tense subject prefix (ت / ي / أ / ن). What's left is the command.

Examples (Form I — the simplest verbs):

  • tadrusu (\"you study\") → drop final -u → tadrus → drop ت → udrus (\"study!\").
  • taʿrifu (\"you know\") → iʿrif (\"know!\").
  • tajlisu (\"you sit\") → ijlis (\"sit!\").

The vowel on the first letter (the alif) follows the verb: if the middle vowel is ḍamma (u), the alif takes ḍamma too (udrus). If the middle vowel is fatḥa or kasra, the alif takes kasra (iʿrif, ijlis).

For Forms II–X the rule is simpler still — just drop the present-tense prefix:

  • Form II: tudarrisu → darris (\"teach!\")
  • Form III: tushāriku → shārik (\"share!\")
  • Form VIII: takhtaru → ikhtar (\"choose!\")

Examples in this passage:

  • Line 4: ilʿab (اِلعَب) = \"play!\" — Form I.
  • Line 11: ikhtar (اِختَر) = \"choose!\" — Form VIII.
  • Line 12: ibdaʾ bi-…, zid (اِبدَأ بِ…، زِد) = \"start with…, add!\" — Form I.
Watch for: hollow verbs (with a weak middle letter) and defective verbs (with a weak final letter) shorten in the imperative. zid (زِد) = \"add!\" comes from zāda (\"to add\") — the long vowel disappears. kun (كُن) = \"be!\" comes from kāna. Pearson Q11–14 likes to test these short shapes.
لا النَّاهِيَة· the negative imperative (prohibition)
Spec: prohibition with لا + jussive · basic structure (spec p. 17) · examiner-tested
لا تَتَوَقَّف عِندَ أَوَّلِ خَسارَةٍ — فَالخَسارَةُ نِصفُ الطَّريقِ إلى الفَوزِ— Line 13 — "don't stop at the first loss — loss is half the road to victory"

How to make a prohibition. Take the المُضارِع المَجزوم (the jussive — present-tense form with no final -u) and add لا in front. Done.

Examples (one for each form):

  • Form I: tadrusu → lā tadrus (\"don't study\").
  • Form II: tudarrisu → lā tudarris (\"don't teach\").
  • Form V: tatawaqqafu → lā tatawaqqaf (\"don't stop\").

Notice: the verb is the same shape as in the positive command — but you DON'T drop the present-tense prefix (ت / ي / أ / ن). You keep it, and put لا in front.

Examples in this passage:

  • Line 13: lā tatawaqqaf (لا تَتَوَقَّف) = \"don't stop\".
  • Line 14: lā tansa (لا تَنسَ) = \"don't forget\". (Defective verb — the final ا drops.)
  • Line 16: lā tanẓur (لا تَنظُر) = \"don't look\".

For plural \"you\", the final ن drops (same as in the positive imperative and after أن / لِكَي): lā tadrusū (\"don't study\", plural), NOT lā tadrusūna.

Watch for: the difference between لا الناهية (prohibition: لا + jussive = \"don't!\") and لا النافية (general negation: لا + indicative = \"does not\"). lā tadrus (لا تَدرُس) = \"don't study!\" (command). lā tadrusu (لا تَدرُسُ) = \"you do not study\" (statement of fact). The dropping final -u changes the whole meaning. Pearson tests this distinction every year.

أَسْئِلَة· Comprehension Questions

لِماذا يَرى الكاتِبُ أنَّ الرِّياضَةَ الجَماعِيَّةَ أَصبَحَت ضَرورَةً لا تَرَفًا؟Why does the writer believe team sports have become a necessity, not a luxury?

الإجابَة النَّموذَجِيَّة

يَرى الكاتِبُ أنَّ الرِّياضَةَ الجَماعِيَّةَ أَصبَحَت ضَرورَةً حَقيقيَّةً في زَمَنٍ يَقضي فيه الشَّابُّ ساعاتٍ طِوالًا أَمامَ الشَّاشَةِ. وَفائِدَتُها — في رَأيِهِ — لا تَقتَصِرُ على الجَسَدِ، بَل تَمتَدُّ إلى العَقلِ والرّوحِ مَعًا. فَهي تَبني الجَسَدَ وتُغَذّي الفِكرَ، وتُعَلِّمُ الشَّابَّ كَيفَ يَعيشُ مع غَيرِهِ، لا فَوقَهُ ولا تَحتَهُ — أَي كَيفَ يَكونُ فَرَدًا في جَماعَةٍ.

الشَّواهد: الأَسطُر ١–٢

ما الَّذي يُعَلِّمُهُ المَلعَبُ — كَما يَرى الكابتن خالد — ولا يُعَلِّمُهُ الكِتابُ؟What does the playing field teach, according to Coach Khalid, that the book cannot?

الإجابَة النَّموذَجِيَّة

يَرى الكابتن خالد أنَّ المَلعَبَ يُعَلِّمُ الشَّابَّ ثَلاثَ مَهاراتٍ حَياتِيَّةٍ لا يَستَطيعُ أَي كِتابٍ أن يُعَلِّمَها: الأُولى هي كَيفِيَّةُ الخَسارَةِ بِكَرامَةٍ، والثَّانِيَةُ هي كَيفِيَّةُ الانتِصارِ بِتَواضُعٍ، والثَّالِثَةُ هي كَيفِيَّةُ بِناءِ الثِّقَةِ مع شَخصٍ غَريبٍ لا يَعرِفُهُ المَرءُ مِن قَبلُ. هذِهِ مَهاراتٌ لا تُنالُ بِالقِراءَةِ، بَل بِالتَّجرِبَةِ الحَيَّةِ داخِلَ الفَريقِ.

الشَّواهد: الأَسطُر ٥–٦

كَيفَ تَغَيَّرَت شَخصيَّةُ لارا بَعدَ سَنَةٍ مِن الانضِمامِ إلى فَريقِ الكُرَةِ الطّائِرَةِ؟How did Lara's personality change after a year of joining the volleyball team?

الإجابَة النَّموذَجِيَّة

رَوَت لارا أنَّها دَخَلَت الفَريقَ خَجولَةً، لا تُحِبُّ الحَديثَ مع الغُرَباءِ ولا تَثِقُ بِأَحَدٍ. ولكِنَّها خَرَجَت مِنه بَعدَ عامٍ واحِدٍ فقط بِأَصدِقاءَ كَثيراتٍ وبِثِقَةٍ بِالنَّفسِ لم تَكُن تَعرِفُها مِن قَبلُ. ويَدُلُّ هذا التَّحَوُّلُ على أنَّ الفَريقَ لا يُدَرِّبُ الجَسَدَ فَقَط، بَل يُكَوِّنُ الشَّخصيَّةَ ويَفتَحُ أَبوابَ الحَياةِ الاجتِماعِيَّةِ أمامَ الشَّابِّ الَّذي قد لا يَجِدُ هذِهِ الأَبوابَ في أَي مَكانٍ آخَرَ.

الشَّواهد: الأَسطُر ٧–٩

اِذكُر النَّصائِحَ الأربَعَ الَّتي قَدَّمَها الكابتن خالد لِلشَّبابِ الَّذينَ يُريدونَ بَدءَ مُمارَسَةِ رِياضَةٍ.List the four pieces of advice Coach Khalid gave to young people wanting to start a sport.

الإجابَة النَّموذَجِيَّة

قَدَّمَ الكابتن خالد أربَعَ نَصائِحَ عَمَلِيَّةٍ مُرَتَّبَةٍ:

الأُولى: أن يَختارَ الشَّابُّ رِياضَةً يُحِبُّها هو، لا رِياضَةً يُحِبُّها أَهلُهُ — أَي أن يَنطَلِقَ مِن شَغَفِهِ الشَّخصيِّ.

الثَّانِيَةُ: أن يَبدَأَ بِخَمسَ عَشرَةَ دَقيقَةً يَومِيًّا فَقَط، ثُمَّ يَزيدَ المُدَّةَ تَدريجِيًّا حتى يَتَعَوَّدَ الجِسمُ.

الثَّالِثَةُ: أن لا يَتَوَقَّفَ عِندَ أَوَّلِ خَسارَةٍ، فَالخَسارَةُ — كَما يَقولُ — نِصفُ الطَّريقِ إلى الفَوزِ.

الرَّابِعَةُ: أن لا يَنسى المُتعَةَ، لِأنَّ غِيابَ المُتعَةِ يُؤَدِّي حَتمًا إلى غِيابِ الإصرارِ والاستِمرارِ.

الشَّواهد: الأَسطُر ١٠–١٤

تَحليلُ الكاتِب· Writer's Craft

A coach's voice — commands and prohibitions. When Coach Khalid speaks, the writer fills his speech with imperatives: ilʿab (\"play!\"), ikhtar (\"choose!\"), ibdaʾ (\"start!\"), zid (\"add!\") — and prohibitions: lā tatawaqqaf (\"don't stop\"), lā tansa (\"don't forget\"). Six commands and three prohibitions across the second half of the article.

Why might the writer have used so many commands in the coach's voice? What does this style do for the reader — and what would happen if the coach instead said \"a young person should play\" or \"it's good to start small\"?

📝 Marker notes (reveal after attempting)

Top-band answers explain what the imperative-heavy voice does to the reader:

  • Commands speak to the reader DIRECTLY (\"play!\" not \"one should play\"). The reader feels addressed in person — as if the coach is standing right in front of them. That's more energising than reported advice.
  • The mix of POSITIVE commands and PROHIBITIONS gives the coach a complete coaching voice — what to do AND what to avoid. It's how a real coach talks on the field.
  • If the writer had used \"a young person should…\" the voice would feel like a textbook. The reader would receive the advice without feeling addressed. Commands close the distance between the page and the reader.
  • The imperative also makes the coach feel credible. He's not theorising — he's telling you what to do because he knows. That tone matches what a Pearson reader expects from an expert voice in a Text 2 passage.

Analysing the writer's choice of verbal mood (commands vs reported speech) is exactly what Paper 1 Q4 / Q8 rewards. Naming the technique AND explaining its effect is a top-band move.

💬سُؤال لِلنِّقاش· Discussion Question

Coach Khalid closes with: «إذا أَرَدتَ أن تَعرِفَ مَعدِنَ الإنسانِ، فَلَا تَنظُر إلَيهِ في النَّجاحِ، بَل في الخَسارَةِ» — \"if you want to know a person's true character, don't look at them in success — look at them in failure\".

Do you agree? Think of a time you lost (in sport, school, or anything). What did you learn about yourself?

Write two short Arabic sentences in answer:

👩‍🏫 Teacher / Self-study notes

Estimated time

40–55 minutes for a self-study learner.

What to know before this lesson

The learner should be comfortable with المُضارِع المَجزوم (the jussive — verb without final -u), introduced in Lessons 1, 2, 8. The imperative is built directly from the jussive — so the prerequisite is solid.

How this lesson maps to the exam

Pearson 4AA1 Q11–14 tests the imperative every year — both the positive form and the negative prohibition. Hollow verbs (kun, zid) and defective verbs (lā tansa) are especially trap-prone and get tested often. Paper 2 essays about advice or instructions need commands; this lesson supplies the toolkit.

Link to the next lesson

Lesson 10 (Topic 6, Travel & Tourism) takes up the question of how travel changes a person. Grammar focus moves to الحال (the circumstantial — \"having done X / while doing Y\") as a primary structure.

Exam justification

Topic 5 (Sport & Leisure) is on the spec; team sports as a character-builder is a standard Pearson angle. Both grammar focuses fill a gap in the reader's coverage: الأمر moved from ◐ to ☑ as primary, and لا الناهية is now first-class. Every section in this lesson maps to a Paper 1 or Paper 2 task.