GCSE Hebrew (Modern)₈₆₇₈

The grammar requirements for GCSE are set out in two tiers: Foundation Tier and Higher Tier.

GCSE students will be expected to have acquired knowledge and understanding of Modern Hebrew grammar during their course. In the exam they will be required to apply their knowledge and understanding, appropriate to the relevant tier of entry, drawing from the following lists. The examples in brackets are indicative, not exclusive. For structures marked (R), only receptive knowledge is required.

Students will be expected to develop and use their knowledge and understanding of this grammar progressively throughout their course.

Since the morphology of the Hebrew noun and verb systems is extremely diverse, students cannot be expected to familiarise themselves with all patterns and paradigms. It is more realistic to expect students to understand and to be able to use a given number of features, whereas the majority should be memorised without going into lengthy explanations, when in some cases wrong answers will not result in losing marks. For example, the vocalisation of verbs containing guttural consonants (אהחער) should be taught in passing, and if a student says in the oral exam a’asof or te’esfi this would not be seen as an error.

Usage should emphasise to students the correct forms of morphology in relation to syntax and style. Thus, attention should be given to for example:

Differentiation between masculine and feminine forms, especially in numerals.

Correct use of prepositions in relation to verbs, nouns and particles.

Correct pronunciation of words: לא יָכוֹלתי instead of לא יכלתי

3.3.1 Foundation Tier

3.3.1.1 Nouns

Gender:

Masculine בַּית , יֶלֶד

Feminine

Words ending in ת X or ה X (except לַיְלָה ): eg אחות, ילדה

Words which do not end in ת X or ה X but which are feminine by nature אֵם

The singular of limbs/parts of the body which are more than one:

אוזן, אצבע, יד, כף, כנף, כתף

עין, ציפורן, רגל, שׁן

Names of countries and cities

Choice of extraordinary nouns:

אבן, אות, ארץ, בטן, גדר

כוס, לשון, עיר, פעם, ציפּור

Choice of nouns which are both masculine and feminine, but in Modern Hebrew usually used as feminine: אשׁ, דרך, פנים, רוח, שׁמשׁ

Dual

,עיניים, ידיים, רגליים

,שׁבועיים, מספריים, מכנסיים

יומיים, גרביים, שׁתיים

Plural

Masculine ending ים X

Feminine ending וֹת X

Extraordinary forms: וֹת X

Masculine ending

...אבות, שולחנות, שמות, ירקות

Feminine ending ים X

...נשׁים, אבנים, ביצים, לְבַנִים

Declension of nouns (the student should know of the two forms current in Hebrew and may select the one he/she prefers: Noun + של or Noun + pronominal suffix)

Nouns ending in long vowels which therefore do not change

,דּוֹד, סוס, תלמיד, תינוק

...רשׁוּת, אב, אח

Nouns in which the vowels change

...דבר, גרון, פֶּה, מוֹרֶה, אֵם

Nouns in the feminine ending in ה X changing into ת X

...שמלה, ילדה

Nouns in the feminine in which vowels change ...משפחה, מתנה

The Segolites:

,חלק, ספר, בגד

,רגל, ילד, עין, בית

כתובת, גברת, מחברת

Construct state:

Unchanged forms דּוֹד, תלמיד

Changed forms

ילדה, דבר, פקיד

בית, ארצות, ילדים, משפחה

משטרה, שנה, בעלים

3.3.1.2 Verbs

Conjugation of the sound verb in Qal, Nif’al, Pi’el Hitpa’el and Hif’il of common verbs only

Prefixes, infixes and suffixes

Conjugation of the weak verb

A selection of most useful verbs:

אכל, עמד, ברך, שאל

שמע, נסע, נתן, ישב

קום, קנה, מצא, בוא

3.3.1.3 Adjectives

A selection of most common adjectives, eg

,יפה, חזק, גדול

קטן, לבן, אדום

Plurals

Masculine ים X

Feminine וֹת X, always.

Elative: positive, comparative and superlative (הכי, יותר, כמו)

3.3.1.4 Adverbs

A selection of most common adverbs according to their syntactical functions, see Syntax (word order) .

3.3.1.5 Pronouns

Personal pronouns ...אני, אתה

Possessive pronouns (see above: declension of nouns) - של

...שלי, שלך

Pronominal particle - את

...אותי, אותך

Demonstrative pronouns:

ה)זה, (ה)זאת, (ה)אלה)

ההוא, ההיא, ההם, ההן

Relative pronouns: ...ש, אשר,כי

3.3.1.6 Particles

The article ה (with nouns and adjectives)

1. הילד
2. הגדול
3. הילד הגדול

Prepositions (passive knowledge of declined prepositions only)

ב, כ, ל, מ, אל, על, אחרי

על ידי, (ע"י), לפני, בין, מול

...עם, תחת, בתוך, מחוץ

Conjunctions:

...ו, גם, אפילו, אלא, אז

Interrogatives

האם, איך, למה, מתי, כמה, מי

...מדוע, מה, איזה, איפה, לאן

Note: interrogative expressed by intonation should be accepted

Condition: אם

Negation: עוד לא, אין, לא

Reason or result: לכן

Contrastive: בכל זאת, אבל

Indefinite:

מישהי), מישהו)

משהו

Interjection: !הלו, אוי ואבוי

3.3.1.7 Numerals

Cardinal numbers: masculine and feminine (1–20; 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100; 1000)

Ordinal numbers: 1–10 (from 11 onward cardinal preceded by the article)

Date and time

3.3.1.8 Syntax (word order)

Elements of the sentence: subject, verb, object, adverbs

גד עבר את הבחינה בהצלחה

Attributes, eg

גד החרוץ עבר את הבחינה בעברית בהצלחה

Types of sentences: simple and complex (basic forms only)

Word order (basic structures), eg

Subject + verb הילד כתב

Subject + predicate הילד הגדול

Noun + adjective

בית גדול

הבית הגדול

Possession

/יש לי זמן

אין לי סבלנות

3.3.2 Higher Tier

Students entering for Higher Tier assessments will be required to apply all grammar and structures listed for Foundation Tier, in addition to the new grammar and structures listed for Higher Tier.

3.3.2.1 Verbs

The forms of Pu’al and Hof’al

Changes of consonants in the Hitpa’el

הסתלק, השתלם, השתכר

הצטער, הצטלם

הזדקן

The Quadriliterals

פרסם, שכלל, בלבל

(in Pi’el, Pu’al and Hitpa’el)

3.3.2.2 Particles

Active knowledge of declensions

More particles: prepositions with interrogatives

...עד מתי, ממתי, מאיזה, מאיפה

...לו, אִילּוּ

עדיין לא

בגלל, משום כך

למרות, אעפ"כ

3.3.2.3 Numerals

Composite numbers (21, 37 etc)

10,000, 100,000, 1,000,000

3.3.2.4 Syntax (word order)

Special structures: usage of the infinitive as unspecified subject, such as:

צריך לדבר עם המורה

רצוי לקחת את התרופה

אסור לעשן