Joining Prepositions to Pronouns (Part Two)

Read the bilingual lesson for Joining Prepositions to Pronouns (Part Two) and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. What Will We Learn in This Section?

● In this section, we will learn the complete forms of إِلَى and عَلَى with attached pronouns. ● We will study how the final alif maqṣūrah changes to a silent yāʾ when these prepositions join pronouns. ● We will also see a comparative chart of all prepositions joined to the first-person singular pronoun. ● We will practise making sentences using these prepositions and attached pronouns.

2. Conjugating إِلَى with Pronouns

● Study the complete forms of the preposition إِلَى, 'towards,' with attached pronouns: Person and genderSingularDualPlural Third-person masculineإِلَيْهِإِلَيْهِمَاإِلَيْهِمْ Third-person feminineإِلَيْهَاإِلَيْهِمَاإِلَيْهِنَّ Second-person masculineإِلَيْكَإِلَيْكُمَاإِلَيْكُمْ Second-person feminineإِلَيْكِإِلَيْكُمَاإِلَيْكُنَّ First personإِلَيَّإِلَيْنَاإِلَيْنَا ● Rule: When إِلَى joins pronouns, its alif maqṣūrah changes to a silent yāʾ, and the third-person pronouns are pronounced with kasrah.

3. Conjugating عَلَى with Pronouns

● Study the complete forms of the preposition عَلَى, 'on,' with attached pronouns: Person and genderSingularDualPlural Third-person masculineعَلَيْهِعَلَيْهِمَاعَلَيْهِمْ Third-person feminineعَلَيْهَاعَلَيْهِمَاعَلَيْهِنَّ Second-person masculineعَلَيْكَعَلَيْكُمَاعَلَيْكُمْ Second-person feminineعَلَيْكِعَلَيْكُمَاعَلَيْكُنَّ First personعَلَيَّعَلَيْنَاعَلَيْنَا ● Rule: عَلَى changes according to the same rule as إِلَى; its alif maqṣūrah becomes a silent yāʾ, as in عَلَيْهِ.

4. Comparison and Special Spelling Forms

● Remember this comparison of prepositions joined to the first-person singular yāʾ: ○ Without combination or shaddah: لِي (for me), بِي (with me). These have no shaddah or combination. ○ With a doubled first-person yāʾ: فِيَّ (in me), إِلَيَّ (towards me), عَلَيَّ (on me). The first-person yāʾ is doubled in these forms. ○ With a doubled nūn: مِنِّي (from me), عَنِّي (from/about me). The nūn is pronounced doubled in these forms. ● These spelling differences are important for reading and writing Arabic texts.

5. Practical Examples and Exercise

● Study the following Arabic phrases and their English meanings: ○ Peace be upon you: -> سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ. ○ To You is the return: -> وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ. ○ Peace be upon me: -> وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ. ○ To Us is the return: -> إِلَيْنَا الْمَرْجِعُ. ○ Mercy is upon them: -> عَلَيْهِمْ رَحْمَةٌ.

Practice questions

Question 1

What spelling change occurs when إِلَى and عَلَى join attached pronouns?

  • Their alif maqṣūrah changes to a silent yāʾ, as in إِلَيْهِ and عَلَيْهِ
  • Their final nūn becomes silent
  • They do not change

Question 2

Which is the correct written form when عَلَى joins the first-person singular pronoun, meaning 'upon me'?

  • عَلَيَّ
  • عَلَيَ
  • عَلَيْي

Question 3

When إِلَى joins the first-person singular pronoun, it is written with a shaddah as إِلَيَّ, 'towards me.'

  • True
  • False

Question 4

Peace be upon you

Question 5

To You is the return

Question 6

Match the following prepositional phrases with pronouns to their correct English meanings:

Question 7

Sort the following combinations of prepositions and pronouns into the correct third-person singular and plural groups:

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