Latin Continuers 2019 HSC exam pack

Prescribed Text

Question 1

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a contextually appropriate translation for absentibus notus, praetextatus and Dedit [sic].

Areas for students to improve include:

• differentiating between the various uses of cum.

Question 2

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify significant word placement and link it to Cicero’s presentation of Grattius’ expectations  (Q2aii)
• distinguish between the Papian and the Papirian law (Q2bii)
• explain clearly how the rhetorical techniques strengthened Cicero’s assertion, rather than just stating that they did (Q2biii).

Areas for students to improve include:

• knowing the context of an extract and any cultural or historical references in it (Q2bii)
• focusing on the specified number of techniques required by the question, rather than outlining several (Q2biii).

Question 3

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify and focus on several of Cicero’s arguments in the extract
• make judicious, selective use of a variety of rhetorical techniques to support their response rather than writing about them as separate points.

Areas for students to improve include:

• analysing the extract provided rather than quoting secondary literature as evidence
• focusing on the extract provided and not repeating generalised statements about the remainder of the speech.

Prescribed Text

Question 4

In better responses, students were able to:

• deal effectively with the syntax of lines 394-396
• recognise the function of ut in line 397.

Areas for students to improve include:

• differentiating between the various uses of ut
• accounting for every word in their translation, avoiding careless omissions: for example, hinc (389), videntur (396).

Question 5

In better responses, students were able to:

• express concisely the link between two stylistic devices and Aeolus’ subservience (Q5aiii)
• recognise elision between a word ending with –m and the next one starting with –h, for example, animam hanc (Q5bi)
• link clearly the literary techniques to Aeneas’ emotions, rather than listing them with little explanation (Q5bii).

Areas for students to improve include:

• differentiating in scansion between diphthongs and two adjacent vowels constituting separate quantities (Q5bi)
• focusing on the requirements of the question and not writing extensively about general themes such as Aeneas’ pietas or furor (Q5bii).

Question 6

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify and focus on significant elements of Virgil’s portrayal of the gods
• draw out the implications behind the words of each of the gods who are speaking
• make appropriate links and comparisons between the speeches.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing a balanced response and not focusing largely on one aspect of the prescribed focus area or question (for example, a particular god) at the expense of other significant points
• avoiding making stylistic analysis the focus of their response, regardless of the question
• avoiding irrelevant references to epic in general.

Unseen Texts

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a contextually appropriate translation for eo solum vertunt (Q7)
• recognise the grammatical function of ut in ut apud ceteras civitates (Q7)
• identify legis as a noun (Q8a)
• recognise and translate accordingly the agreements in lines 148-149 (Q9)
• translate correctly satus Anchisa in line 152 (Q9)
• identify ellipsis of the verb and substitute a suitable verb in their translation (Q9).

Areas for students to improve include:

• examining a Latin word in the context of the extract before determining its grammatical function (Q7,8a,9)
• identifying words in agreement, for example, noun and adjective, noun and participle (Q7,9).