Latin Extension 2020 HSC exam pack

Prescribed text

Students should:

• provide translations of prescribed texts that are coherent and fluent
• check their translations to ensure that words or phrases have not been omitted
• address all elements of a commentary question in a logical and cohesive manner, focusing only on relevant information
• support their explanation or analysis with relevant and specific examples, explaining the link between the examples given and the aspect being analysed
• use ellipsis when quoting more than a few words from an extract, for example, ni … annos in order to avoid copying long sections of text
• explain how the Latin is relevant to their argument in their English response, and not leave sections of quoted Latin text to speak for itself.

In better responses, students were able to:

• translate tenses correctly, in particular the future tense (Q1)
• provide a correct and contextually appropriate translation for quotquot eunt dies (line 5) and quicumque terrae munere vescimur (line 10) (Q1)
• outline, not just identify, two ways in which Catullus is self-deprecating about his own poetry (Q2aii)
• move beyond simple identification to explain three clear ways in which Catullus asserts the high quality of his poetry (Q2aiii)
• outline, not just identify, two ways in which Horace evokes pathos (Q2bi)
• identify four aspects of Horace’s depiction of the spring and explain clearly how they contribute to its portrayal as a pleasant location (Q2bii)
• recognise the similarity in structure (responsive or amoebaean) between the two poems and incorporate this successfully into their response, indicating how it allows the writers to express different aspects of the lovers’ relationships (Q3)
• make a clear distinction between how each lover approaches the relationship (Q3)
• support their analysis with an appropriate selection of literary effects, for example, structure, syntax, imagery, allusion (Q3).

Areas for students to improve include:

• moving through an extract for translation systematically, accounting for every word of the Latin text (Q1)
• differentiating between verb tense endings (Q1)
• focusing on the specified number of examples or items required by the question, rather than outlining several or responding in general terms (Q2aii, aiii, bi, bii)
• developing a clear understanding of the difference between identify, outline and explain (Q2aii, aiii, bi, bii)
• moving beyond mere description of the lovers’ relationships to analysis (Q3)
• providing a balanced response and not focusing largely on one poem (Q3)
• not making stylistic analysis the focus of their response, regardless of the question (Q3).

Non-prescribed text

In better responses, students were able to:

• recognise the agreements Calabrae… apes (line 33), Laestrygonia… amphora (line 34) and parva… vectigalia (lines 39-40) (Q4a)
• give an accurate and contextually appropriate translation for languescit (line 35), importuna…pauperies (line 37) and contracto…cupidine (line 39) (Q4a)
• translate appropriately the hypothetical conditional clause si.. deneges (line 38) (Q4a)
• recognise quam as the conjunction meaning‘than’ (line 41) (Q4a)
• show their familiarity with the lyric genre by outlining four specific ways in which the extract is typical of Horace’s lyric poetry (Q4c)
• recognise that the extract is an address to Veranius and translate correctly the second person verb venisti (lines 3, 5) (Q5a).

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing a more precise understanding of literary technical terms (Q4b)
• developing effective dictionary skills (Q4a, Q5a)
• selecting contextually appropriate meanings (Q4a, Q5a)
• identifying words in agreement (Q7, Q9).