IGCSE Urdu: Identity and Culture — Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, in the style and at the standard of the examination. They are not reproduced past-paper questions — examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available free from your board.

Related: Identity and Culture revision notes

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Section A — Vocabulary and grammar

1. Give the Urdu for: family, custom, language, festival, neighbour. [5]

2. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb:

(a) میں روزانہ اردو ______ (پڑھنا — present habitual) [1] (b) کل ہم عید ______ (منانا — future) [1] (c) بچپن میں وہ گاؤں میں ______ (رہنا — past habitual) [1]

Section B — Comprehension and writing

3. Read the passage and answer in Urdu:

ہمارے خاندان میں عید کی تیاری کئی دن پہلے شروع ہو جاتی ہے۔ والدہ گھر کی صفائی کرتی ہیں، بہنیں مہندی لگاتی ہیں اور والد صاحب بازار سے مٹھائی لاتے ہیں۔ عید کے دن ہم سب مل کر نماز کے لیے جاتے ہیں، پھر رشتہ داروں سے ملنے نکلتے ہیں۔

(a) عید کی تیاری کب شروع ہوتی ہے؟ [1] (b) گھر کے مختلف افراد کیا کام کرتے ہیں؟ [3] (c) عید کے دن سب سے پہلے کیا کیا جاتا ہے؟ [1]

4. Write about 90–100 words in Urdu on “میرا خاندان اور ہماری روایات”. Mention at least three customs and give one opinion. [10]

5. Explain three things an examiner looks for in a piece of Urdu writing at this level. [6]

6. State Urdu’s basic word order, and explain how it differs from English word order, with an example. [3]

7. Give one Urdu comparative structure, and explain why examiners value the use of comparatives in a response. [2]

8. Explain why writing an entire response in only one tense limits the language mark, even if every sentence is grammatically accurate. [2]

9. In a speaking exam, why should a candidate avoid one-word answers, and what should they add instead? [2]

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Answers

1. family — خاندان [1]; custom — رسم / روایت [1]; language — زبان [1]; festival — تہوار [1]; neighbour — پڑوسی [1].

2. (a) پڑھتا ہوں / پڑھتی ہوں [1]. (b) منائیں گے [1]. (c) رہتا تھا / رہتی تھی [1].

3. (a) عید سے کئی دن پہلے تیاری شروع ہو جاتی ہے [1]. (b) والدہ گھر کی صفائی کرتی ہیں [1]؛ بہنیں مہندی لگاتی ہیں [1]؛ والد صاحب بازار سے مٹھائی لاتے ہیں [1]. (c) سب مل کر نماز کے لیے جاتے ہیں [1].

4. Model answer:

میرا خاندان بڑا ہے۔ ہم سب ایک ہی گھر میں رہتے ہیں، اس لیے گھر میں ہمیشہ رونق رہتی ہے۔ ہمارے ہاں کئی خوبصورت روایات ہیں۔ پہلی یہ کہ ہم روزانہ رات کا کھانا سب مل کر کھاتے ہیں اور دن بھر کی باتیں ایک دوسرے کو سناتے ہیں۔ دوسری روایت یہ ہے کہ عید پر بڑے چھوٹوں کو عیدی دیتے ہیں۔ تیسری بات یہ کہ ہم مہمانوں کا بہت احترام کرتے ہیں۔ میرے خیال میں یہ روایات ہمیں ایک دوسرے کے قریب رکھتی ہیں، اور مجھے ان پر فخر ہے۔

Marking: content — three customs clearly described [3]; an opinion given and justified [2]; range of vocabulary beyond the basic [2]; accuracy of verb agreement and gender [2]; length and organisation into linked sentences [1].

5. Any three, 2 marks each: accuracy of gender and verb agreement — the verb must agree with the subject in gender and number, and errors here are the most heavily penalised because they obscure meaning [1] [1]. Range of vocabulary and structures — using varied connectives (اس لیے، لیکن، حالانکہ) and tenses rather than repeating simple present sentences [1] [1]. Task fulfilment — covering every bullet point in the question, since marks are allocated to each, and including an opinion where asked [1] [1]. Organisation — a clear opening, linked paragraphs and a closing sentence, rather than a list of unconnected statements [1] [1].

6. Urdu follows Subject–Object–Verb order [1], unlike English’s Subject–Verb–Object [1] — e.g. main kitaab parhta hoon (“I book read am”) = “I read a book,” with the verb placed last rather than after the subject [1]. Urdu also uses postpositions, which follow the noun, where English places prepositions before it — e.g. mez par (“table on”) for “on the table.”

7. e.g. is se zyaada mushkil (more difficult than this) [1]. Comparatives let a response compare and evaluate rather than only describe or list, raising the range of structures used [1].

8. Examiners assess range separately from accuracy [1] — a response written entirely in the present tense, however error-free, cannot demonstrate control of past or future forms, so the language mark is capped regardless of accuracy [1].

9. A one-word reply scores minimally, since it demonstrates little language beyond a single fact [1]; the candidate should add a reason, an example, or an opinion to every response to show fuller command of the language [1].

The same principle applies in listening: writing something for every question is worth attempting, since a blank answer scores nothing while a reasonable guess sometimes earns credit.

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Where marks are usually lost

• Verb forms that do not agree in gender with the subject.
• Answering comprehension questions in English when Urdu is required.
• Missing one of the bullet points in the writing task, which caps the content mark.
• Writing well below or far above the word count.
• Using English (Subject-Verb-Object) word order instead of Urdu’s Subject-Object-Verb.
• Giving undeveloped one-word answers in the speaking exam.