Latin Extension 2021 HSC exam pack
2021 Latin Extension HSC exam papers
Marking guidelines
Marking guidelines are developed with the examination paper and are used by markers to guide their marking of a student's response. The table shows each question and the criteria with each mark or mark range.
Sample answers may also be developed and included in the guidelines to make sure questions assess a student's knowledge and skills, and guide the Supervisor of Marking on the expected nature and scope of a student's response. They are not intended to be exemplary or even complete answers or responses.
Marking feedback
Select from the link(s) below to view feedback about how students performed in this year’s examination.
Use the feedback to guide preparation for future examinations. Feedback includes an overview of the qualities of better responses. Feedback may not be provided for every question.
Feedback on written examination
Prescribed text
Students should:
- provide translations of prescribed texts that are coherent and fluent
- check their translations to ensure words or phrases have not been omitted
- address all elements of a commentary question in a logical and cohesive manner
- support their explanation or analysis with relevant and specific examples, explaining the link between the examples given and the aspect being analysed
- use ellipsis or line numbers when quoting from an extract, for example, ille te… arces or ‘in lines 21-22’
- explain how the Latin is relevant to their argument in the English response, and not leave sections of quoted Latin text.
In better responses, students were able to:
- translate the purpose clause ut fores and the jussive subjunctive canamus (Q1)
- demonstrate a clear understanding of the motif of the ongoing cycle of nature in contrast to the finite lifespan of humans (Q2aii)
- demonstrate the link between the content and style of the extract and Horace’s advice to Torquatus (Q2aii)
- link the poet’s use of language to his critical portrait of himself (Q2biii)
- recognise each poet’s specific purpose in treating friendship within the context of their poem (Q3)
- demonstrate a clear interpretation of how each poet values and views friendship (Q3)
- support their analysis with an appropriate selection of specific details from both poems (Q3).
Areas for students to improve include:
- explaining and analysising the content of the poems to (Q2aii, biii, Q3)
- translating an extract systematically, accounting for every word of the Latin text
- considering the significance of cultural, historical or geographical references in the poems, for example, Septimius’ connection to Tarentum in Horace II.6 (Q3)
- avoiding stylistic analysis as the focus of the response, regardless of the question (Q3).
Non-prescribed text
In better responses, students were able to:
- recognise the noun-adjective agreements caeli…aequinoctialis and iucundis… auris (Q4a)
- recognise and translate the jussive subjunctives Linguantur [sic] and volemus (Q4a)
- recognise quos as the direct object of reportant (Q4a)
- show familiarity with the lyric genre by describing four specific ways in which the extract is typical of Latin lyric poetry (Q4c)
- recognise and translate the comparative adverb Rectius [sic] (Q5a)
- recognise and translate the gerunds urgendo and premendo (Q5a)
- recognise that vives is a future indicative and not a subjunctive (Q5a).
Areas for students to improve include:
- developing effective dictionary skills (Q4a, Q5a)
- selecting contextually appropriate meanings of vocabulary (Q4a, Q5a)
- distinguishing between words which look similar, for example, volemus from volare, not from velle
- developing a precise knowledge of grammatical forms to differentiate between forms which look similar, for example, the future indicative and the present subjunctive
- identifying words in agreement (Q7, Q9).
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Latin Extension Syllabus
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