Describing a picture and narrating events
Arabic · Key Stage 3 · The School
Beyond naming: placing things in space
Naming what appears — وَلَدٌ، كَلْبٌ، شَجَرَةٌ (a boy, a dog, a tree) — is only the first step. A real description places these in relation to each other: الوَلَدُ بِجَانِبِ الكَلْبِ، تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ ("The boy is next to the dog, under the tree"). Prepositions of place are what turn a list of objects into an actual scene.
Narrating a sequence in order
When a set of pictures shows a sequence, describe the events IN ORDER, using time words to signal the sequence clearly: أَوَّلًا... ثُمَّ... وَأَخِيرًا... ("First... then... and finally..."). Keep the tense consistent throughout — do not drift between past and present within the same narration.
General to specific
A well-structured description often moves from the general scene to specific detail: first say broadly what is happening or where the scene is set, then narrow in on particular people, objects and actions. This order helps a listener build a mental picture step by step, rather than being handed disconnected details all at once.
Picture 1: a girl standing at a bus stop. Picture 2: the same girl boarding a bus. Picture 3: the girl sitting by a window, looking outside. A strong description: فِي الصُّورَةِ الأُولَى، تَقِفُ فَتَاةٌ عِنْدَ مَحَطَّةِ الحَافِلَاتِ. ثُمَّ، فِي الصُّورَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ، تَصْعَدُ الفَتَاةُ إِلَى الحَافِلَةِ. وَأَخِيرًا، تَجْلِسُ بِجَانِبِ النَّافِذَةِ وَتَنْظُرُ إِلَى الخَارِجِ. ("In the first picture, a girl stands at the bus stop. Then, in the second picture, the girl boards the bus. And finally, she sits by the window and looks outside.") Notice the sequence words (أَوَّلًا / ثُمَّ / وَأَخِيرًا-style markers), the consistent present tense throughout, and the placement detail (بِجَانِبِ النَّافِذَةِ, "by the window") — three separate skills, all present in three connected sentences.