Comprehension and Interpretation of Prescribed Texts
Read for argument, not just words
Prescribed-text questions test whether you understand what the author is doing: persuading, narrating, praising, blaming, consoling, or satirising. Know the structure of each set text - its opening, its central argument, and its conclusion. Be able to summarise each section in one sentence.
Levels of comprehension
Questions range from literal (who, what, when) to inferential (why, with what effect) to evaluative (how convincing, how typical). For each, cite the Latin: quote the key word or phrase and explain its force. A bare English paraphrase without Latin support rarely earns full marks.
Common traps
- Over-translating: the question asks for comprehension, not a full translation. Answer the question asked.
- Ignoring context: a line may depend on the preceding sentence. Read the whole paragraph.
- Confusing speaker and author: in drama, letters, and speeches, the speaker's view may not be the author's.
- Missing irony: Catullus, Horace, and Juvenal often say the opposite of what they mean.
- Vague answers: 'he is angry' is weaker than 'he uses ira and a series of harsh imperatives to convey contempt'.
Building an interpretation
Use the Latin to support a claim. Structure: claim → Latin quotation → explanation of effect. This is the same pattern used in literary analysis (Domain 5), so practise it here.
Rule of thumb
For every answer, ask: What does the Latin word choice show? Quote, then explain.
Worked example
Question: How does the speaker convey his despair in this passage? Weak answer: 'He is sad because his friend has died.' Strong answer: 'The repeated frater and the imperative heu create a direct address to the dead; the anaphora of tu and the shift to the perfect abstulisti ('you have taken away') convey grief as a personal accusation, not merely a statement of loss.' The strong answer quotes Latin, names a technique, and explains effect - the three moves examiners reward.