1A Lesson 7 FAQs:
1.) What does it mean when a pointing noun is a “demonstrative adjective” or “identifier”?
This means that the word after the pointing noun (called المُشَارُ إليه) is not a predicate (خبر). This often means it is translated as “this/that/those …” because it is not a complete sentence (so it would not be translated, therefore, as “this is …”). In a sense, it is acting like an “adjective” or "an “identifier”
2.) How does a pointing noun become the subject of a nominal sentence?
The pointing noun becomes the subject of a nominal sentence when the word after it is the خبر (predicate). This is most readily seen when the word after the pointing noun is indefinite because the خبر is usually indefinite. For example, in هذِهِ جَنَّةٌ, the pointing noun هذه is the مبتدأ, while جَنَّةٌ is the خبر because it is an indefinite ism that is مرفوع. Therefore, the translation would be, “this is a garden.”
3.) Are there dual versions of the pointing nouns?
Yes, there are. هذَانِ is for proximal dual masculine, while هَاتَانِ is for proximal feminine dual. ذَانِكَ is for distant dual masculine, while تَانِكَ is for distant dual feminine. However, these are sparsely used in the Quran, so we do not emphasize these.
4.) What kind of question is used with هل and/or (أ)?
These two particles are used for a “yes/no” question, meaning that which the answer is a “yes” or a “no.” For any other type of question, we would use other أدوات الاستفهام (tools of questioning)
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