Two sides
An essay that compares weighs one side against the other. من ناحية(min nâhiyatin) (from one side) opens the first point and من ناحية أخرى(min nâhiyatin ukhrâ) the second, joined with و. Alone, من ناحية أخرى adds a point against what came before.
| On the one hand, the village is calm, and on the other hand, there is no hospital in it. | من ناحية، القرية هادئة، ومن ناحية أخرى، ليس فيها مستشفى.min nâhiyatin, al-qaryatu hâdi'atun, wa min nâhiyatin ukhrâ, laysa fîhâ mustashfan. |
| On the other hand, the noise in the city does not stop. | من ناحية أخرى، الضوضاء في المدينة لا تتوقف.min nâhiyatin ukhrâ, ad-dawdâ'u fil madînati lâ tatawaqqaf |
Counting your points
| أولا | first |
| ثانيا | second |
| ثالثا(thâlithan) | third |
| First, there are many universities in the city. Second, there are work opportunities in it. | أولا، في المدينة جامعات كثيرة. ثانيا، فيها فرص عمل.awwalan, fii al-madiinati jâmiâtun kathiiratun. thâniyan, fiihâ furasu amalin. |
Adding and drawing the result
كما أن(kamâ anna) (moreover, literally just as) adds a point of the same kind. It ends in أنّ, so a subject that comes late takes the accusative alif: كما أن فيها تلوثا كثيرا. بالتالي(biltâli) (consequently) draws the result, usually as وبالتالي: the essay word beside لذلك.
| The city is crowded; moreover, there is a lot of pollution in it. | المدينة مزدحمة، كما أن فيها تلوثا كثيرا.al-madînatu muzdahimatun, kamâ anna fîhâ talawwuthan kathîran |
| The streets are crowded, and consequently we arrive at the school late. | الشوارع مزدحمة، وبالتالي نصل إلى المدرسة متأخرين.ash-shawari'u muzdahimatun, wa bittâli nasilu ila al-madrasati muta'akhkhirina. |
Explaining and giving examples
| expression | use |
|---|---|
| أي(ay) | that is: explains the words just before it |
| بعبارة أخرى(bi'ibâratin ukhrâ) | in other words: says the point again, more plainly |
| على سبيل المثال(ala sabîli l-mithâl) | for example: the formal مثلا |
This أي is not the question word which: it follows a comma and restates.
| The school is far, that is, an hour by bus. | المدرسة بعيدة، أي ساعة بالحافلة.al-madrasatu baîdatun, ay sâatun bilhâfilah. |
| For example, there is no university in our village. | على سبيل المثال، ليس في قريتنا جامعة.'alâ sabîli-l-mithâli, laysa fî qaryatinâ jâmi'ah |
Opening and closing
قبل كل شيء(qabla kulli shay'in) (before everything) puts the weightiest point first. عموما(umûman) (generally) states the general rule. باختصار(bikhtisâr) (in short) sums up at the end.
| Above all, life in the village is healthy. | قبل كل شيء، الحياة في القرية صحية.qabla kulli shay'in, al-hayâtu fil-qaryati sihhiyyah |
| In short, every place has advantages and disadvantages. | باختصار، لكل مكان ميزات وعيوب.bikhtisâr, likulli makânin mîzâtun wa'uyûbun. |
