Latin Language and Literature (SEC syllabus)
MATSEC SEC Latin tests two connected skills: control of the language and reading of set authors. The language work is unseen - a short passage to translate, a passage with comprehension questions, and questions on forms and syntax. The literature work asks you to translate or explain prescribed passages and comment on style, character and context, with Roman background material answered in English.
Language: rules that carry marks
- Work case by case: nominative for subject and complement; accusative as object of transitive verbs and after most prepositions; genitive for possession and partitive; dative with verbs such as credo, parco, impero and with many compounds; ablative for means, manner and accompaniment, and after cum, in, ex, de, ab.
- Identify the verb first: person, number, tense, mood, voice. Subjunctive appears in purpose and result clauses (ut/ne), indirect questions, cum clauses and indirect commands.
- Indirect statement uses accusative + infinitive; the infinitive's tense shows time relative to the main verb, not absolute time.
- Deponent verbs look passive but are active in meaning: sequor, proficiscor, aggredior; their perfect participles are active.
Worked example
His rebus cognitis, milites, qui in colle stabant, hostes aggressi sunt.
- his rebus cognitis is an ablative absolute - literally "these things having been learnt", better rendered "when these things were known".
- qui … stabant is a relative clause modifying milites; imperfect stabant = "who were standing".
- aggressi sunt is perfect of deponent aggredior, so "attacked", not "were attacked". Translation: "When these things were known, the soldiers who were standing on the hill attacked the enemy."
Traps
- Leaving an ablative absolute untranslated, or turning it into a main clause joined by "and".
- Reading a deponent perfect as a passive.
- Answering literature questions with plot summary alone, without quoting the Latin or naming a device (simile, apostrophe, chiasmus).
- Confusing hostis (enemy) with hospes (guest/host), or treating neuter plural arma as feminine.