Reading Dense Formal Prose
Formal prose turns actions into nouns: आवेदन की स्वीकृति (the approval of the application) means the application is approved.
How It Works
Government notices, news reports and textbooks often use nouns where speech would use verbs. A sentence like विकास कार्यों का निरीक्षण किया गया simply means someone inspected the development work.
A reading routine:
- Find the verb at the end: किया गया, की जाएगी, आवश्यक है.
- Find the action noun just before it: निरीक्षण (inspection), घोषणा (announcement).
- Find what it applies to in the का or की phrase: विकास कार्यों का.
- Add the setting from postpositions such as के बाद, के कारण and के तहत.
| Formal word | Meaning | Everyday way to say it |
|---|---|---|
| स्वीकृति | approval | मंज़ूर करना |
| उपस्थिति | presence | मौजूद होना |
| निरीक्षण | inspection | जाँच करना |
| घोषणा | announcement | ऐलान करना, बताना |
| स्थगित | postponed | टालना |
Passive verbs agree with the thing affected: बैठक (feminine) स्थगित की गई. The doer is often missing, so ask who is likely to be acting before you translate.
Examples (5)
- आवेदन की स्वीकृति के बाद आपको संदेश मिलेगा।
You will receive a message once your application is approved.
स्वीकृति (approval) is the action, and के बाद places the message after it.
- सभी प्रतिभागियों की उपस्थिति आवश्यक है।
All participants must be present.
उपस्थिति (presence) is the subject; आवश्यक है means is required.
- समय की कमी के कारण बैठक स्थगित की गई।
The meeting was postponed because there wasn't enough time.
बैठक is feminine, so the passive verb is की गई.
- मंत्री जी ने ज़िले में चल रहे विकास कार्यों का निरीक्षण किया।
The minister inspected the development work going on in the district.
निरीक्षण किया (did an inspection) is a noun plus करना.
- परीक्षा परिणामों की घोषणा अगले सप्ताह की जाएगी।
The exam results will be announced next week.
घोषणा is feminine, so the passive future is की जाएगी.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Dense formal prose combines compounds, long participle phrases and noun-based verbs.
- Compound Words
Know compounds, since formal prose is full of them.
Level 6 - द्वारा ... की गई + NounLong Descriptions Before a Noun
Know long descriptions before a noun, since dense prose often uses them.
Level 6 - निर्णय लेना / प्रयास करनाFormal Verb Phrases
Know formal noun-plus-verb phrases, such as निरीक्षण करना.
Level 5
Related Patterns
Practice Reading Dense Formal Prose in Bubblegum
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