Border Patrol Agent Exam: Using the Artificial Language Manual

This guide provides instructions and suggestions on using all sections of the Artificial Language Manual to help you prepare for the Artificial Language Test (ALT). The guide also provides you with a short practice ­test.

The artificial language,of course, is of no use by itself- you'll never hear anyone speak it. It was devised to test your ability to learn languages, especially Spanish. The official Artificial Language Manual may look daunting at first. It's several pages long and probably unlike anything else you've encountered, although the artificial language rules are very similar to those of Spanish. With study, and especially with practice, this pseudo­-­language will come to make sense, though, and begin to seem familiar. You may even start dreaming in artificial language before you're ­through!

Purposes of the Artificial Language Manual

The Artificial Language Manual has two main purposes:

1. To help you prepare for the ALT by giving you a chance to study the artificial language grammatical rules ahead of time- not to memorize them, just to study them- so that you'll have a leg up when you actually start answering the artificial language questions during the test­-­taking ­process.
2. To give you a start on mastering the Spanish language, which you will have to do if you become a Border Patrol Agent trainee. As mentioned, the grammatical rules of Artificial Language are very similar to those of ­Spanish.

Tips on Using the Artificial Language ­Manual

As with most tasks, approaching the Artificial Language Manual in separate small steps, rather than trying to grasp the whole thing at once, will help immensely. First, let's look at the manual's separate ­parts.

The Vocabulary ­Lists
Part One of the manual consists of two word lists. The lists actually contain the same words; they're just arranged differently. One is arranged alphabetically by the English word and one by the artificial language word, just as is the case in most bilingual ­dictionaries.
It is important to note that, for two reasons, it is not to your advantage to memorize the vocabulary lists in the ­manual:

1. The lists for the actual test will not necessarily contain the same words that appear in the ­manual.


2. You will have vocabulary lists in front of you during the test, so you can refer to them ­throughout.

The Grammatical ­Rules
In Part Two of the manual, you will find the grammatical rules for the artificial language. Again, as with the vocabulary lists, it is not to your advantage to memorize them. They will be provided for you during the test. Also, some or all of the prefixes (beginnings) and suffixes (endings) given in the manual are different from those employed on the test. However, because the way the grammatical rules work (that is, the way words are formed) is the same in the ­manual as on the test, you should learn how the formation of the various grammatical parts of speech works in the artificial language. In other words, you do need to understand how to apply the ­rules.
You may find it helpful to practice forming words from items on the vocabulary lists. For example, you could form the past and present singular tenses of each verb on the vocabulary list.

Glossary of Grammatical ­Terms

Be sure to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the meaning and use of each grammatical term in Part Three. The manual will be helpful in that it will remind you of definitions of parts of speech in English, in case you have forgotten. Once you feel sure you are familiar with each grammatical term, work on how the parts of speech function together in actual sentences. For example, you might practice by identifying which grammatical terms apply to each of the words in some simple English ­sentences.

Another helpful way to practice is to identify which grammatical terms apply to each word on the vocabulary lists for the artificial language. Note: There may be more than one grammatical term that applies to a single word in both English and the artificial language. For ­example:
- 'I will guard the door' uses the word guard as a ­verb.
- 'The guard stood by the door' uses the word guard as a ­noun.

Knowing the grammatical terms and their functions will help you learn and understand the grammar of the artificial language efficiently; moreover, it will help you apply the grammar of the artificial language more quickly to translations in the ­exam.

Practice ­
There are four different types of questions on the Artificial Language Exam. This practice test gives you two examples of each type of question. You should refer to the vocabulary lists and grammatical rules for the artificial language included in the Artificial Language Manual to answer these ­questions. B. sure to pay special attention to the answer explanations that follow the questions.
For each sentence, decide which words have been translated correctly. Use scratch paper to list each numbered word that is correctly translated into the artificial language. When you have finished listing the words that are correctly translated, select your answer according to the following instructions: a. if only the word numbered 1 is correctly ­translated.

1. Those women are illegal aliens.



2. The inspector shot the enemy spy.









3. a. bonem wir reglek inle b. bonim wir reglek inleki c. bonim wir regker inleki d. bonim wir reglek inle e. bonem wir reglek inleki

4. a. Yevoz tulzotim zelker b. Yev tulem zelker c. Yevoz tulim zelim d. Yev tulzotim zelzotim e. Yevoz tulim zelker
For this group of questions, select the one response option that is the correct translation of the English word or words in parentheses. You should translate the entire sentence in order to determine what form should be used.

5. Wiroz (papers were skillfully) ­zeltooz. a. trenedlekoz synzotim janleki b. trenedleknefoz synzotim janleki c. trenedlekoz synim janleki d. trenedlekoz synzotem janleki e. trenedlekoz synzotim janle

6. Bex zellek synzotem (injured from the ­shooting). a. litato mor bex deglek b. liato mor wir degker c. liato mor wir deglek d. liazotem quea wir deglek e. liazotim mor wir deglek

7. Wirnefoz ekaplek kometlek synem bex tatlek. (feminine plural possessive ­noun) a. ekapleknefoz b. ekaplekozae c. ekaplekefozae d. ekapleknefozae e. ekapleknefae

8. Bex kometlek huslek pirzotem janleki mor bexnef reglenef bonker. (negative masculine adjective—feminine singular ­noun) a. kometlek—bonleknef b. ferkometle—bonleknefoz c. ferkometle—bonleknef d. kometle—bonleknef e. ferkometle—bonlek

Answers
1. c. The word numbered 1, velleoz (those), is incorrect. Although this adjective has the plural ending, -oz, it must have the feminine plural ending, -nefoz, to agree in number and gender with the feminine plural noun it modifies (see Rules 1, 2, and 3). The correct translation would be the feminine plural adjective, vellenefoz. The word numbered 2, synzotim, is an incorrect translation of the verb are. It is incorrect because synzotim (were) is the past plural conjugation of the verb; the correct translation is synim (are), which is the present plural conjugation of the verb (Rules 4 and 6). The word numbered 3, fercollenefoz (illegal), is correctly translated. As an adjective modifying the feminine plural noun husleknefoz (aliens), it has the correct feminine plural ending (Rules 1, 2, and 3). Furthermore, it has the correct negative prefix, fer-, to change the meaning of the adjective legal to illegal (Rule 13). Because only the word numbered 3 should be checked as correct, c is the correct ­choice.
2. d. The word numbered 1, zellek, is correct; it is the noun inspector, formed from the infinitive zelker (to inspect), following Rule 9. The word numbered 2, degem, is incorrect because it is the present singular conjugation of degker (to shoot); the correct translation is the past singular conjugation, degzotem (Rules 4, 5, and 7). The word numbered 3, avele (enemy), is in the correct form. In this sentence, the word enemy is an adjective modifying the word spy; therefore, it takes the adjectival ending, following Rule 10. Because both the words numbered 1 and 3 should be checked as correct, the correct answer is d.
3. b. Choice b is correct because the verb is in the correct present plural conjugation (Rules 4, 5, and 6); the noun, reglek, is correctly formed according to Rule 9; and the adverb, inleki, is correctly formed according to Rule 11. Choice a is incorrect because the verb, bonem, is in the present singular conjugation; it should be in the present plural form, bonim, to agree in number with the subject of the sentence, men and women (Rules 5 and 6). Also, the word inle (loyal) is lacking the suffix needed to make it into the adverb, inleki (loyally), following Rule 11. Choice c is incorrect because the noun reglek (border), formed according to Rule 9, is incorrectly translated as the infinitive regker (to border). Choice d is incorrect because the word inle (loyal) is lacking the suffix needed to make it into the adverb inleki (loyally), following Rule 11. Choice e is incorrect because the verb, bonem, is in the present singular conjugation; it should be in the present plural form, bonim, to agree in number with the subject of the sentence, men and women (Rules 5 and 6).
4. e. Choice e is correct because the pronoun is in the correct masculine plural form, yevoz (Rule 2); the verb, tulim, is in the correct present plural conjugation (Rules 4, 5, and 6); and the infinitive, to inspect, is correctly translated as zelker. Choice a is incorrect because the verb, tulzotim, is in the past plural conjugation; it should be the present plural, tulim (Rules 4, 5, and 6). Choice b is incorrect because the pronoun, yev (he), is in the masculine singular form; it should have the masculine plural ending to form the plural pronoun, yevoz (they), according to Rule 2. The verb, tulem, is in the present singular form; it should be present plural to agree with the subject, they (Rules 5 and 6). Choice c is incorrect because the verb, zelim, is in the present plural conjugation; it should be in the infinitive form, zelker, to correctly translate as to inspect. Choice d is incorrect because the pronoun, yev, should be in the masculine plural form, yevoz (they) according to Rule 2. Also, the verb, tulzotim, is in the past plural form; it should be the present plural (tulim), according to Rules 4, 5, and 6, and the infinitive, to inspect (zelker), is incorrectly translated as the past plural conjugation, zelzotim, of the verb.
5. a. Wiroz trenedlekoz synzotim janleki zeltooz means The papers were skillfully inspected. Choice a is correct because the noun, trenedlekoz, is in the proper masculine plural form (Rule 2); the verb, synzotim, is in the correct past plural conjugation (Rules 4, 5, and 7); and the adverb, janleki, has the correct adverbial suffix (Rule 11). Choice b is incorrect because the noun, trenedleknefoz, is in the feminine plural form; it should be the masculine plural, trenedlekoz (Rules 2 and 3). Choice c is incorrect because the verb, synim, is in the present plural form; it should be the past plural form, synzotim (Rules 4, 5, and 7). Choice d is incorrect because the verb, synzotem, is in the past singular conjugation; it should be the past plural, synzotim (Rules 4, 5, and 7). Choice e is incorrect because the word janle is in its adjectival form; it should be in the adverbial form, janleki (skillfully), formed according to Rule 11.
6. c. Bex zellek synzotem liato mor wir deglek means An inspector was injured from the shooting. Choice c is correct because the verb is a past participle, liato (Rule 8); the words from (mor) and the (wir) are correctly translated; and the noun shooting (deglek) is correctly formed from the infinitive, degker, following Rule 9. Choice a is incorrect because the word the (wir) is mistranslated as bex. Choice b is incorrect because the noun shooting (deglek), formed according to Rule 9, is mistranslated as the infinitive, degker (to shoot). Choice d is incorrect because the word from (mor) is mistranslated as quea (of). Choice e is incorrect because the verb, liazotim, is in the past plural form; it should be in the past singular form, liazotem, to agree with the singular subject, zellek (inspector) (Rules 4, 5, and 7).
7. d. Wirnefoz ekapleknefozae kometlek synem bex tatlek means The girls' friend is a spy. Choice d is correct because it is the feminine plural possessive noun, formed according to Rules 1, 2, and 12. Choice a is incorrect because it is the feminine plural noun; it lacks the possessive ending. Choice b is incorrect because it is the masculine plural possessive form; it should be feminine plural possessive. Choice c is incorrect because it is misspelled. Choice e is incorrect because it is the feminine singular possessive.
8. c. Bex ferkometle huslek pirzotem janleki mor bexnef reglenef bonleknef means An unfriendly alien escaped skillfully from a border guard. Choice c is correct because ferkometle is the negative masculine adjective, formed according to Rules 10 and 13, and bonleknef is the feminine singular noun, formed according to Rules 1 and 9. Choice a is incorrect because kometlek is the masculine singular noun, not the negative adjective. Choice b is incorrect because bonleknefoz is the feminine plural noun, not the feminine singular. Choice d is incorrect because kometle is lacking the negative prefix, fer-. Choice e is incorrect because bonlek is the masculine singular noun, not the feminine singular.

Summary
Focus your study time on learning and recognizing the meanings and the relationships of the various grammatical parts of language as detailed in the glossary of grammatical terms. Understanding the parts of speech and their relationships in sentences will help you understand and use the grammatical rules of the artificial language to form various parts of speech. Be careful to learn and understand relationships between words, such as agreement in gender between nouns and their adjectives, that are not used in English but are important features of the artificial ­language.
Remember also that the Artificial Language questions will become clearer and easier as you progress through the practice tests, so approach them with confidence.

Tips for Using the Artificial Language ­Manual
- Do not memorize the vocabulary ­lists.
- Do not memorize the grammatical rules.
- Do study and familiarize yourself with the grammatical terms in the ­glossary.
- Do learn thoroughly how to apply the grammatical rules, but do not memorize the prefixes and ­suffixes.
- Do practice applying the rules as often as you can before the exam - take some practice tests..