European Baccalaureate Latin key terms

Written examination session in which candidates answer set papers under supervised conditions; in Latin it normally combines translation, literary commentary and grammar questions.

Translation exercise moving from Latin into the target language; the core test of reading comprehension, syntax and stylistic control in the written paper.

Translation exercise moving from the target language into Latin, testing active command of morphology, syntax and vocabulary rather than passive recognition.

Structured essay analysing a Latin passage: identifying theme, structure, rhetorical devices and historical context, supported by precise quotation from the text.

Argumentative essay on a set question about Latin literature or civilisation, built from a thesis, structured development and conclusion, drawing on set texts and wider reading.

Presentation pairing each Latin clause with its translation in parallel, used in teaching and in some exercises to make the correspondence between original and rendering explicit.

Study of word forms: declension of nouns, adjectives and pronouns, and conjugation of verbs, including irregular forms that candidates must recognise and reproduce accurately.

Pattern of case endings for Latin nouns, adjectives and pronouns; candidates must identify the five main patterns and the function signalled by each case ending.

System of verb endings across tense, mood, voice, person and number, including the four regular patterns and irregular verbs such as esse, posse, ferre and ire.

Grammatical role marked by a noun's ending: nominative for subject, accusative for object, genitive for possession, dative for indirect object, ablative for circumstance, vocative for address.

Agreement between words linked grammatically: adjective with noun in gender, number and case; verb with subject in person and number; relative pronoun with its antecedent.

Rules governing how words combine into clauses and sentences, including word order, subordination, case government and the structure of subordinate clauses in indirect speech.

Clause dependent on a main clause, introduced by a conjunction, relative pronoun or interrogative word; its mood depends on the type of subordination and the writer's meaning.

Verb mood expressing wish, command, possibility or hypothetical action; in Latin it appears in purpose, result, concessive and indirect-question clauses, and after certain conjunctions.

Rule that a subordinate subjunctive takes present or perfect tense after a main verb in a primary tense, and imperfect or pluperfect after a main verb in a historic tense.

Reported speech construction in which the original speaker's words are recast as subordinate clauses with accusative-and-infinitive for statements and subjunctive for commands and questions.

Participial phrase in the ablative, grammatically independent of the main clause, expressing time, cause, condition or concession; a frequent feature of historical narrative.

Verbal adjective sharing features of verb and adjective; the present, perfect and future participles carry tense and voice and often replace a full subordinate clause.

Construction in which the grammatical subject receives the action; in Latin formed with the passive endings of the verb or with the perfect participle plus a form of esse.

Vocabulary range expected of candidates: high-frequency prose and verse words, including the set-text vocabulary and the terms needed to discuss literary and historical topics.

Deliberate rhetorical device such as anaphora, chiasmus, alliteration, hyperbaton or apostrophe; candidates must name it and explain its effect on meaning and tone.

Short exact quotation from a Latin text, given in Latin with a translation, used as evidence in commentary and essay answers; accuracy and relevance are both assessed.

Study of Roman political institutions, social structures, religion, daily life and material culture, used to contextualise literary texts and to answer essay questions.

Oral examination session in which the candidate speaks before examiners, presenting and defending a prepared or unseen Latin text and answering questions on it.

Short structured oral presentation in which the candidate explains a Latin text, its context and its interest, usually followed by examiners' questions on points raised.

Question-and-answer phase of the oral examination in which examiners probe the candidate's understanding of the text, its grammar, vocabulary and cultural background.

Reading a Latin passage aloud with correct pronunciation, vowel quantity, stress and phrasing, demonstrating that the candidate understands the sentence structure being read.

Translating a Latin passage into the target language at sight or after brief preparation, performed aloud and often justified clause by clause when questioned.

Explaining why a given form or construction is correct, naming case, tense, mood or function; examiners use it to test understanding rather than memorised translation.

The candidate's first language section; the compulsory language paper and oral are taken in this language, and it sets the standard for written accuracy and expression.

Second language section, compulsory in the European Baccalaureate; candidates may take an oral examination in an L2 or in a non-language subject taught through that language.

Preliminary mark, designated A, B or C, awarded before the written and oral examinations on the basis of continuous formative and summative assessment during the s7 year.

Ongoing assessment during the year whose purpose is to guide learning through feedback on exercises, translations and oral contributions, rather than to produce a final grade.

Assessment at the end of a teaching period that measures achievement against objectives and contributes evidence towards the preliminary mark recorded for the s7 year.

Final year of the European Baccalaureate cycle, during which continuous assessment evidence is gathered for the preliminary mark and examination preparation takes place.

Published descriptors used to judge performance, typically covering accuracy of translation, understanding of content, structure of argument and quality of language in both written and oral work.