VCE Latin flashcards

31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Ablative absolute

A noun or pronoun plus a participle or adjective, both in the ablative and grammatically separate from the main clause; translated with with, when, since, after or although according to context.

Accusative with infinitive

Construction of indirect statement: the subject of the reported statement goes into the accusative and its verb becomes an infinitive whose tense shows time relative to the main verb.

Sequence of tenses

Rule linking subjunctive tense to the main verb: primary sequence (present, future, perfect with have) takes present or perfect subjunctive; historic sequence takes imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive.

Purpose clause

Subordinate clause expressing aim, introduced by ut (positive) or ne (negative) with a present or imperfect subjunctive, governed by the sequence of tenses.

Result clause

Clause introduced by ut or ut non with a subjunctive verb, signalled by a correlative such as tam, tantus, ita or sic in the main clause; it states an outcome, not an intention.

Fear clause

After verbs of fearing, ne plus subjunctive means that something may happen, while ne non or ut plus subjunctive means that something may not happen.

Indirect question

A reported question introduced by an interrogative word and using a subjunctive verb; its tense follows the sequence of tenses set by the main verb.

Gerundive

Future passive participle in -ndus agreeing with a noun; with esse it expresses obligation, and with ad or causa it expresses purpose.

Gerund

Verbal noun declining in the oblique cases only (genitive, dative, accusative, ablative); used where no object noun exists for a gerundive to agree with.

Passive periphrastic

Gerundive plus a form of esse, expressing necessity or obligation, as in Carthago delenda est, literally Carthage is to be destroyed.

Historic present

A present-tense verb used in a past narrative to make events vivid; it does not change the time of the surrounding narrative or its sequence of tenses.

Dative of agent

With a gerundive or passive verb, a dative noun names the person on whom the obligation or action falls, as in mihi eundum est, I must go.

Ablative of manner

Ablative expressing how an action is done, normally with cum when the noun is not modified by an adjective; an adjective permits cum to be omitted.

Partitive genitive

Genitive naming the whole of which a part is meant, used with words of quantity, comparison, neuter adjectives and certain verbs such as memini and egeo.

Objective genitive

Genitive naming the object of a verbal idea in the noun, as in amor patriae, love of the fatherland, contrasted with the subjective genitive naming the doer.

Conditional sentence types

Open conditions use indicative; ideal conditions use present or imperfect subjunctive; contrary-to-fact conditions use imperfect subjunctive for present time and pluperfect subjunctive for past time.

Cum clauses

Cum with subjunctive gives circumstantial, causal or concessive meaning; cum with indicative marks time only. Cum causal and concessive take the subjunctive in all tenses.

Prescribed text analysis

Interpretation of a set Latin passage that states its argument or function, identifies speaker and addressee, and supports every claim with quoted Latin words analysed for effect.

External assessment weighting

In VCE Latin the external examination has a language component and a literature component on prescribed texts, each contributing 50 per cent of the final study score.

Unseen translation marking

Marks are awarded per clause or sense unit for correct syntax and natural English; an omitted or mistranslated clause forfeits its marks and cannot be recovered elsewhere.

Comprehension evidence rule

Answers to questions on an unseen Latin passage must be drawn from the text and supported by quotation or line reference whenever evidence is requested.

Naming a construction

Grammar questions require both the name of the construction and its function in the sentence; identifying the form alone does not earn full marks.

Literature question focus

Literature answers must address the exact wording of the question, using Latin quotation and analysis of style and meaning rather than plot summary.

Literary feature analysis

Comment on imagery, word order, sound, metre and rhetorical figures must be linked to the passage's meaning and tone, not merely listed.

Passage function question

A question on a prescribed passage may ask how it works within the whole work; the answer states its role, speaker, tone and effect on the audience.

Essay argument structure

Literature essays are organised around a sustained line of argument, with each paragraph making a claim supported by quoted Latin and explanation.

Translation into Latin

English sentences are rendered with correct case, agreement, tense and mood; subordinate clauses must use the Latin construction the sense requires, such as purpose or result.

Vocabulary in context

The dictionary entry gives the base meaning, but the correct English sense is chosen from the sentence context, including idiom, metaphor and the verb's case.

Metre and scansion

Dactylic hexameter is scanned in feet of long and short syllables, with the final foot a spondee or trochee; scansion supports claims about emphasis and sound.

Quotation accuracy

Latin quoted in a literature answer must be reproduced correctly and kept short; an inaccurate quotation weakens the evidence it is meant to support.

Time allocation in examination

Marks per section determine time allocation: translation and comprehension reward steady coverage of every clause, while literature answers need time for planning and quotation.