MATSEC AM Greek study plan
MATSEC AM Greek · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Greek language and translation & Greek prose composition and comprehension
Parse and label every noun, pronoun and adjective form in a 15-line unseen Greek passage, naming case, number and gender aloud before checking a dictionary
Conjugate the present and future indicative active of 20 common verbs from memory in under 10 minutes, then verify against a grammar table
Translate 12 short English sentences into Greek using only present-tense indicative verbs and first/second declension nouns
Build a personal morphology card deck of 60 high-frequency forms and review it on 5 separate days
Your checkpoint
A marked-up unseen passage with full parsing annotations plus a 12-sentence English-to-Greek exercise scored against your own answer key, with errors logged by category
Greek language and translation & Greek prose composition and comprehension
Drill the aorist and imperfect indicative active and middle across 30 verbs, writing principal parts from memory
Translate a 20-line prose unseen into fluent English in 45 minutes without a dictionary for the first 20 minutes
Compose 10 Greek sentences using participle constructions (genitive absolute, circumstantial) and justify each case choice in writing
Identify and correct 15 deliberate grammatical errors planted in your own earlier translations
Your checkpoint
A timed 20-line unseen translation with a written self-assessment listing every lexical and syntactic error and the rule it violated
Greek language and translation & Greek civilisation, history and culture
Master the middle and passive voice system, writing out 25 verb synopses across tenses and moods
Memorise the subjunctive and optative paradigms and use each in 8 original Greek sentences
Map the main periods of Greek history (Archaic through Hellenistic) onto a one-page timeline with 5 dated events per period
Read a short English-language background article on Athenian democracy and write 10 Greek sentences summarising it
Your checkpoint
A 25-verb synopsis sheet checked for accuracy plus a one-page annotated historical timeline with dates and key figures
Greek literature and set texts & Greek civilisation, history and culture
Read the set prose text in Greek aloud three times, then produce a literal translation of 40 lines without aids
Annotate the set text for historical and cultural allusions, explaining at least 12 in writing
Memorise 20 lines of the set text for verbatim recall and recite them from memory
Compare two English translations of a passage from the set text and write 300 words on the differences in word choice
Your checkpoint
A 40-line unaided translation of the set prose text plus a 12-item annotation glossary of historical and cultural references
Greek literature and set texts & Greek language and translation
Read the set verse text in Greek, scanning at least 30 lines into dactylic hexameter and marking caesurae
Identify and name 15 rhetorical and poetic devices in the set verse text with line references
Translate 30 lines of set verse into English that preserves meaning without literal word order
Revise the 40 lines of set prose from week 4 and retranslate 15 lines cold to test retention
Your checkpoint
A scanned and marked 30-line verse passage with a device inventory table (device, line, effect) and a polished English rendering
Greek literature and set texts & Greek civilisation, history and culture
Write a 500-word essay in English on a theme in the set text, citing at least 8 passages by line number
Memorise 15 further lines of the set verse text and recite them with correct scansion
Explain in writing how the historical context of the set text shapes its argument, listing 6 specific connections
Answer 10 short-answer questions on the set texts under timed conditions (40 minutes)
Your checkpoint
A timed 500-word essay with line-referenced citations, self-marked against a checklist of argument, evidence and accuracy
Greek prose composition and comprehension & Greek language and translation
Compose a 150-word continuous Greek prose passage in the style of the set author, using at least 6 subordinate clauses
Complete three 30-line unseen translations under full exam timing, one per sitting
Review your error log from weeks 1-6 and rewrite the 20 most frequent mistakes correctly
Drill 80 new vocabulary items from the set texts and test yourself on 40 random items
Your checkpoint
A 150-word original Greek composition plus a consolidated error log showing the 20 most frequent mistakes with corrected forms
Greek language and translation & Greek literature and set texts & Greek prose composition and comprehension & Greek civilisation, history and culture
Sit two full mock papers under exam conditions and mark them strictly against the published assessment objectives
Recite all 35 memorised lines of set text without prompts and translate them cold
Revisit the timeline and annotation glossary, testing yourself on 25 historical and cultural facts
Identify your three weakest areas from the mocks and complete 90 minutes of targeted revision on each
Your checkpoint
Two completed mock papers with scores, a ranked list of three weak areas, and evidence of targeted revision for each
Milestones
Week 2: Translate a 20-line unseen prose passage in 45 minutes with no dictionary and score at least 70% on content accuracy against your own marked key
Week 4: Produce an unaided literal translation of 40 lines of the set prose text and explain 12 historical or cultural allusions in writing
Week 6: Write a 500-word line-referenced essay on the set texts in 50 minutes and recite 15 lines of set verse with accurate scansion
Week 8: Score at least 65% on both full mock papers and recite all 35 memorised lines of set text without prompts