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    Latin A-Level

    Latin A-Level glossary

    205 key terms for Latin A-Level, A to Z, each linked to the topic pages that use it.

    205 terms found. Open a term to try a short memory check.

    A

    Ablative absolute construction
    A noun and participle both sit in the ablative and form a phrase grammatically separate from the main clause, as in his rebus gestis, these things having been…OCR
    Ablative and quam constructions
    Comparatives may take quam ('than') or the ablative of comparison.OCR
    Ablative of comparison
    The second item stands in the ablative and quam is omitted, and it is regularly available when the first item is nominative or accusative.OCR
    Ablative patterns of usage
    The ablative marks means, manner, accompaniment, separation and place where, often with a preposition.OCR
    ac/atque as introducers
    Alternative introductory words used after a comparative in place of quam to introduce the comparative clause.OCR
    Accidence
    Word forms such as noun cases, verb tenses, moods and voices, which you identify by naming the part of speech, case, number, gender, tense, mood or voice as…OCR
    Accurate recall of contextual detail
    Distinguishing accurate contextual detail from plausible but incorrect alternatives means selecting the option that correctly matches this contextual knowledge.OCR
    Accurate recall of prose set text content
    Detailed knowledge means accurate recall of content, characters, sequence of events and the writer's presentation in the prose set texts studied.OCR
    Accurate translation
    Translating a short Latin phrase from the passage accurately, checking case, tense and voice carefully rather than guessing from context.OCR
    Accusative and infinitive distinguished
    Verbs of commanding such as iubeō take the accusative and infinitive, as in iubeō tē venīre, which is a separate construction, not the prolative use.OCR
    Accusative and infinitive in indirect statement
    The marker of indirect statement, where the subject of the infinitive stands in the accusative and the verb becomes an infinitive, translated with 'that'.OCR
    Accusative versus ablative with in and sub
    In and sub take the ablative for place where or position under, but the accusative for motion into or motion to beneath.OCR
    Active production in composition
    Producing the item yourself by writing correct Latin in composition, which the composition option requires.OCR
    Adjective declensions
    Adjectives of all standard types, from all three declensions, including first-and-second-declension adjectives and third-declension adjectives of three, two…OCR
    Adverb formation from adjectives
    Most adverbs are formed from adjectives, and the adjective's declension must be checked before applying a suffix.OCR
    Adverb function in context
    Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs, and the whole sentence should be read to confirm what the adverb modifies.OCR
    Agency and sequence in Tacitean narrative
    Within 59–65 the agents are followed in order, and the sequence of who acts on whom matters for accurate comment.OCR
    Agreement in case, number and gender
    A correct answer agrees the adjective with its noun in case, number and gender.OCR
    Agreement within phrases
    Seeing how words group, such as a noun with its agreeing adjective or a participle with its noun.OCR
    Ambiguity avoidance
    The ablative of comparison is avoided where the ablative would be ambiguous, and the construction that keeps the case of each item clear is chosen.OCR
    Appeals to the jury's sense of justice and sympathy
    Cicero shapes the jury's sympathies through appeals to its sense of justice.OCR
    Appendix 5d constructions
    Constructions such as indirect statement, purpose and result clauses and subordinate clauses, which you distinguish from superficially similar patterns.OCR
    Attack on Chrysogonus and the prosecutors
    Cicero attacks the prosecutors, especially the freedman Chrysogonus and his associates.OCR
    Attributive use
    A participle may stand attributively, simply describing its noun, as in vir fortiter pugnans, the man fighting bravely.OCR
    Audience and circumstances of composition
    The audience it addressed and the circumstances of its composition are part of the wider context that shapes how the text was written and received.OCR
    Authorial technique and purpose
    Using your reading to explain why the set author writes as they do, for example how historians shape narrative, characterise speakers and explain causes.OCR

    B

    Boudican revolt and Roman recovery
    Chapters 29–37 narrate the revolt of Boudica and the Britons and the decisive battle in which Suetonius Paulinus defeats them.OCR
    Boundaries of the prescribed text
    The prescription covers two separated stretches of Annals XIV, chapters 29–37 and chapters 59–65, and not the whole of Annals XIV.OCR

    C

    Cardinal forms 1 to 1000
    Numbers that answer 'how many', running from unus, duo, tres and so on up to mille (1000).OCR
    Case agreement with quam
    With quam, both items take the same case as the comparison requires.OCR
    Case and number recognition
    Identifying the right case and number form, which a correct answer does, without confusing the irregular stems with regular ones.OCR
    Case endings and grammatical function
    Nouns change ending to show their role in the sentence, and the standard patterns of case usage link each case to a function.OCR
    Case government by prepositions
    Prepositions are indeclinable words that signal the grammatical case of a following noun, and each must be learned together with its case.OCR
    Case of the relative pronoun from its own clause
    The relative pronoun takes its case from its own function inside the relative clause rather than from the antecedent.OCR
    Case, number and gender of pronouns
    The form's case and number are identified from its ending and stem, and the gender it carries is also identified.OCR
    Causal clause
    A clause that gives the reason for the action of another clause.OCR
    Causal conjunctions quod, quia and quoniam
    In Latin a causal clause is commonly introduced by quod, quia or quoniam.OCR
    Character, speaker and addressee
    Knowing the Latin text closely enough to identify who speaks and to whom a short extract is addressed.OCR
    Characterisation of Nero and his court
    Analysis of how Tacitus presents character and motive through selection and arrangement of material, rather than through translating Latin.OCR
    Cicero's defence of Sextus Roscius against a murder charge
    Cicero defends Sextus Roscius against the charge of murdering his father in the defence speech pro Roscio Amerino.OCR
    Cicero's direct address to Catiline
    The speech opens with Cicero addressing Catiline directly rather than the Senate as a body.OCR
    Clause relationship between condition and conclusion
    The main clause carries the conclusion, so read the whole sentence as condition plus outcome rather than translating each clause in isolation.OCR
    Clause structure and subordination
    Recognising how a subordinate clause relates to its main clause through mood, tense and connective.OCR
    Clause types signalled by conjunctions
    Purpose clauses, result clauses, indirect commands and indirect questions, each signalled by conjunctions such as ut, ne, cum or an interrogative word.OCR
    Close reading of Ciceronian Latin
    Reading the Latin closely so that you can identify, translate and comment on specific lines, checking any translation against the Latin rather than relying on…OCR
    Close reading supported by background
    Keeping the explanation proportionate so that context supports close reading of the set text rather than replacing it.OCR
    Comparative and superlative formation
    For adjectives, the comparative adds -ior (masc./fem.) and -ius (neut.) to the stem, and the superlative adds -issimus/-a/-um; adverbs compare regularly with…OCR
    Comparative clause
    A finite-verb clause introduced by quam, or by ac/atque after a comparative, that supplies the standard against which a comparison is made.OCR
    Comparative constructions
    Latin expresses comparison in two main ways: with quam, or with the ablative of comparison where quam is omitted.OCR
    Comparative with quam ut plus subjunctive
    Where a comparative idea is expressed, quam ut plus the subjunctive can appear, meaning the result is beyond what the comparison would allow.OCR
    Concessive conjunctions
    Conjunctions such as quamquam, quamvis, licet, etsi and etiamsi that introduce a clause conceding a point the main statement holds despite.OCR
    Conditional clauses with the subjunctive
    Dum and dummodo can introduce a conditional clause meaning 'provided that', and in that use the verb is subjunctive.OCR
    Conditional conjunctions sī and nisi
    The subordinate clause is introduced by sī (if) or nisi (unless, if not), and nisi keeps its negative sense.OCR
    Consonant assimilation
    The final consonant of the prefix assimilates to the first consonant of the base, as when ad- plus ferre gives afferre.OCR
    Context serving interpretation
    Bringing in historical or cultural knowledge only where it genuinely helps you understand or evaluate a specific phrase, sentence or passage.OCR
    Context-based meaning
    Selecting the option consistent with the whole sentence rather than a single familiar word.OCR
    Contextual knowledge applied to text
    Bringing in historical or cultural knowledge only where it is needed to understand or evaluate a specific phrase, sentence or passage.OCR
    Contextual reading in English translation
    Building a working knowledge of the literary background behind your set prose text by reading a suitable range of ancient literature in English translation,…OCR
    Contrast between concession, cause and condition
    A concessive clause is rendered with 'although', 'even if' or 'granted that' rather than as a cause with 'because' or a plain condition.OCR
    Correlative constructions with tamen
    Correlatives such as quamquam...tamen and cum...tamen, where tamen reinforces the main clause and is translated as 'nevertheless' or 'yet'.OCR
    Credibility and character attack
    The attack on the prosecutors' credibility, developed in sections 58–78 as part of the defence.OCR
    Cultural values and institutions assumed by the text
    The cultural values and institutions the text assumes, which could condition what an author wrote and how listeners heard it.OCR
    Cum indicative versus cum subjunctive
    The indicative is used for plain time ('when') and the subjunctive for circumstances or explanation ('since', 'although').OCR
    Cupid and Psyche narrative
    The tale to which the prescribed stretch belongs, within Book VI of Apuleius' Metamorphoses.OCR

    D

    Dactylic hexameter
    A metre in which each foot is a dactyl (long–short–short) or a spondee (long–long), and the two lines need not share the same pattern.OCR
    Declension-based suffixes -ē and -iter
    First/second-declension adjectives add -ē to the stem, while third-declension adjectives commonly add -iter.OCR
    Defective and irregular verbs
    Defective verbs lack parts, and irregular verbs include sum, possum, eō, ferō, volō and their compounds.OCR
    Deliberative questions
    A question where the speaker ponders what should be done uses the present or imperfect subjunctive, as in Quid faciam?OCR
    Demonstrative and relative pronouns
    Demonstratives such as hic, ille and is, and relatives such as quī, belong here, along with interrogatives such as quis.OCR
    Deploying grammar
    Rendering a form correctly in English by choosing the English version that preserves the meaning and force of the construction.OCR
    Deponent and semi-deponent verbs
    Deponents have passive forms with active meaning, while semi-deponents are active in the present system but passive in the perfect.OCR
    Distinction between quominus and quin
    A plain affirmative verb of preventing takes quominus, while quin needs a negative or virtually negative main clause.OCR
    Distinguishing dum as 'while', 'until' and 'provided that'
    Distinguish this from dum meaning 'while', which normally takes the present indicative, and from dum meaning 'until', which takes the indicative or, in…OCR
    Divine intervention and reconciliation
    The selected narrative centres on the Cupid and Psyche story and ends with the final reconciliation.OCR
    Dum with the present indicative for ongoing action
    Meaning 'while', it regularly takes the present indicative even in a past narrative because the action is viewed as ongoing, and is translated with an English…OCR

    E

    Effect and function of technique
    Naming a feature is only the first step: link the term to the effect it creates in that passage.OCR
    Effect on audience
    Explaining the effect of the named feature on the reader or listener rather than only labelling it.OCR
    Elegiac couplet
    A hexameter line followed by a pentameter, whose feet differ, so each line is scanned on its own terms.OCR
    Elimination of options
    Working the scansion out yourself before looking at the choices, then removing options that misplace a long or short syllable.OCR
    Evaluation of tone and attitude
    Using historical or cultural knowledge to evaluate tone, attitude or effect, not merely to state a fact.OCR
    Evaluation of tone and situation
    Applying knowledge to evaluate tone, character or situation rather than merely stating a fact.OCR
    Evidence-based analysis
    Anchoring a technical term in the specific Latin words quoted, so that the label is demonstrated by the text rather than used without quotation.OCR
    Exhortation with the present subjunctive
    A use urging a course of action, normally with the present subjunctive, usually first person plural, such as eāmus, 'let us go', with negative exhortations…OCR

    F

    Fear removed and its consequences
    The second stretch begins at chapter 59 with the anchor phrase 'et posito metu' ('and with fear set aside') and runs to chapter 65, reporting the deaths and…OCR
    Fit between context and specific textual detail
    Selecting context that genuinely illuminates the passage in front of you rather than reciting a timeline.OCR
    Foot division
    The marked syllables are grouped into feet from the start of the line, with the final foot resolved last.OCR
    Framing of motive and charge
    Cicero's framing of the charge, introduced in sections 35–36 together with the prosecution's alleged motive.OCR
    Full tense, mood and voice system
    Verbs of all standard types from all conjugations in all moods, voices and tenses, parsed for person, number, tense, mood and voice.OCR

    G

    Generic subjunctive
    Describes a typical or repeated kind of person or action, as in a generalising relative clause.OCR
    Genitive and dative relationships
    The genitive marks possession and other close relationships, while the dative marks the indirect object and the person interested or benefited.OCR
    Gerund as a verbal noun
    A verbal noun appearing in the oblique cases, as in ars scribendī, 'the art of writing'.OCR
    Gerund as active verbal noun
    A verbal noun, active in sense, that declines only in the oblique cases and names the activity itself, as in ars amandi, the art of loving.OCR
    Gerundive as passive verbal adjective
    A passive verbal adjective in -ndus, -nda, -ndum agreeing with its noun, as in liber amandus, a book to be loved.OCR
    Gerundive construction replacing gerund plus object
    Where a gerund would take a direct object, idiomatic Latin often uses the gerundive construction instead, so ad libros amandos rather than a bare accusative…OCR
    Gerundive of obligation with dative of agent
    A construction expressing necessity or duty, usually with esse and a dative of agent, as in liber mihi amandus est, the book must be loved by me.OCR

    H

    Handling of evidence about the slaves
    Part of the defence developed in sections 58–78, alongside the attack on the prosecutors' credibility.OCR
    Hannibal's early oath and command
    Chapters 1–6 trace Hannibal's oath and his command in Spain, before the crossing of the Alps and the victories at the Trebia, Trasimene and Cannae.OCR
    Historic infinitive in narrative
    It replaces an imperfect or perfect indicative in vivid narrative, often in a series, as in currere, 'they ran'.OCR
    Historical and political background
    The historical and political background is part of the wider context that shapes how the text was written and received.OCR
    Historical circumstances of composition
    The historical circumstances of the text's composition and first audience, such as the political climate of the late Republic or early Empire.OCR

    I

    Imagery and word choice
    Knowing the text closely enough to identify which images and word choices carry the meaning.OCR
    Imperative commands
    A command uses the imperative for a positive order, as in Veni.OCR
    Impersonal verbs and impersonal passive
    Impersonal verbs appear only in the third-person singular, and the impersonal passive of an intransitive verb uses the third-person singular passive.OCR
    Independent subjunctive uses
    Three uses of the subjunctive in independent clauses, namely prohibitions, exhortations and wishes.OCR
    Indicative and subjunctive in causal clauses
    The verb may be indicative when the writer presents the reason as fact or subjunctive when the reason is reported or attributed.OCR
    Indicative relative clauses of description and definition
    Relative clauses normally have an indicative verb when they simply describe or define the antecedent, as in a straightforward descriptive clause.OCR
    Indirect question with num or an after affirmative doubt
    Affirmative doubt takes an indirect question with num or an, not quin.OCR
    Infinitive as subject
    The infinitive names the action that a verb or impersonal expression evaluates, as in errāre est hūmānum, 'to err is human'.OCR
    Interrogative word with subjunctive in indirect question
    An indirect question is distinguished by its interrogative word and subjunctive verb.OCR
    Intertextual comparison between ancient works
    Comparing treatments of similar themes, or linking a specific feature of the set text to a comparable feature in another ancient work read in translation.OCR
    Irregular adverbs as vocabulary
    Some adverbs are irregular and must be learned as vocabulary rather than derived by regular formation.OCR
    Irregular comparatives
    Irregulars include bonus → melior → optimus, malus → peior → pessimus, magnus → maior → maximus, and their adverb forms.OCR
    Irregular nouns
    Bos, domus, Iuppiter and vis, which the learner must handle beyond the standard types, including the locative domi and the stem Iov- in oblique cases.OCR

    L

    Literary genre and conventions
    The genre it belongs to and the conventions it uses form part of the wider context surrounding a prescribed verse set text.OCR
    Literary genre and its conventions
    Reading widely enough in English translation to recognise genre, conventions and typical concerns, then connecting that background to the set text.OCR
    Litotes and cancellation of negatives
    Two negatives in one clause usually cancel to a positive, so non nemo means 'someone' and nemo non means 'everyone'; they do not reinforce each other.OCR

    M

    Matching term to Latin wording
    The label must fit the actual wording, so check the Latin before you commit, since word order often decides between two similar devices.OCR
    Metre and scansion
    Identifying the metre of a passage and marking feet and quantities, including caesurae or diaereses where they matter.OCR
    Metrical feet
    The units into which a line of Latin verse is divided when its metrical pattern is marked.OCR
    Mood and sentence function
    Latin marks mood by function, so the verb's mood shows whether the sentence is a direct statement, a question or a command.OCR
    Mood and tense in conditional sentences
    You must understand how the mood and tense of the conditional verb relate to the main verb and to the type of condition.OCR
    Mood as a signal of time relationship
    The conjunction chosen and the mood of its verb carry the time relationship, so the mood is checked before deciding that relationship.OCR
    Mood in reported comparison
    A comparative clause may take the subjunctive when it expresses a reported or hypothetical comparison.OCR
    Moral decline and the historian's judgement
    A recurring theme to track across the discontinuous extracts, connecting the episodes and noting what the selection emphasises.OCR
    Morphology and word endings
    Identifying the grammatical form of an individual word from its ending and context.OCR
    Morphology of nouns, adjectives and verbs
    At word level, identifying form and function: case, number and gender of nouns and adjectives, and person, number, tense, mood and voice of verbs.OCR

    N

    Narrative sequence and character agency
    Learn the sequence of episodes and who acts in each, so that an action is attributed to the character who performs it.OCR
    ne with subjunctive after verbs of fearing
    Verbs of fearing take ne plus the subjunctive for the outcome feared, as in timeo ne veniat, 'I fear that he may come'.OCR
    Necessity and relevance of background
    Deploying background when the Latin assumes knowledge the reader must supply, and testing each option by asking whether the Latin wording requires it.OCR
    Negative and virtually negative main clauses
    Quin is used after expressions that are negative or virtually negative, such as non dubito, nemo dubitat, non multum abest and vix.OCR
    Negative conjunctions neque and neu
    Negative coordinating conjunctions meaning 'and not' and 'and not, nor'.OCR
    Negative particles and adverbs
    A small set of words, chiefly non, haud, ne and the negative conjunctions neque (nec) and neu (neve), from which Latin negation is built.OCR
    Nepos' biographical method
    Nepos writes biography, foregrounding Hannibal's character and career rather than a complete campaign history.OCR
    Noun declensions
    The standard types of Latin noun, whose full paradigms a learner should be able to give, such as a first-declension noun like puella or a second-declension…OCR

    O

    Oratio obliqua and accusative and infinitive
    In indirect speech the main statement is reported with an accusative and infinitive, while subordinate clauses inside that report use the subjunctive.OCR
    Ordinals 1st to 10th
    Numbers answering 'which in order', from primus to decimus, which decline like first-and-second-declension adjectives.OCR

    P

    Participle as verbal adjective
    A participle is a verbal adjective that shares the tense and voice of a verb while agreeing with a noun in case, number and gender.OCR
    Particles modo and tantum
    Dummodo makes the conditional force explicit, and it is often reinforced by modo or tantum, as in dummodo ne veniat, 'provided only that he does not come'.OCR
    Post-Zama career and exile
    Chapters 7–13 continue past Zama, covering his post-war career as suffete at Carthage, his exile, his service with eastern kings and his suicide in Bithynia.OCR
    Potential subjunctive
    Presents something as possible rather than actual, often with a negative or a hedging word such as forsitan or vix.OCR
    Precise literary terminology
    Using appropriate technical terms in English to describe the literary techniques and features of the set texts, naming each technique accurately and avoiding…OCR
    Precision about agents and sequence of events
    Precision about who speaks, who acts and in what order matters more than a general impression when selecting the option that matches the text.OCR
    Precision in referring to prose divisions
    The prescribed portion is called chapters or sections 7–21, never 'lines', because the work is prose.OCR
    Prefix identification
    Naming the prefix and the simple base verb before explaining any sound change at the junction.OCR
    Prefix meaning
    The prefix's normal meaning, such as ad- 'towards', re- 'back' or per- 'through'.OCR
    Prepositional meaning in context
    The noun ending should be checked to confirm the case actually used before the phrase is translated with a sense appropriate to that case.OCR
    Prepositions as verb prefixes
    Some prepositions also function as prefixes in compound verbs, where the same sense often survives.OCR
    Prescribed passage boundaries
    The prescribed portion runs from section 5, beginning at the words forsitan quaeratis, to section 29, ending at the words iugulandum vobis tradiderunt.OCR
    Preventing and hindering constructions
    Constructions using quominus and quin introduce a subordinate clause after expressions that block or question an outcome.OCR
    Prevention with ne, quo minus or infinitive
    Verbs of preventing, such as prohibeo and impedio, take ne plus the subjunctive, or quo minus, or a plain infinitive, as in prohibet ne exeant, 'he prevents…OCR
    Prohibition with nē and the perfect subjunctive
    A negative command forbidding an action, most often expressed by nē plus the perfect subjunctive, as in nē fēceris, 'do not do it'.OCR
    Prohibitions and purpose clauses with ne
    Ne introduces prohibitions and purpose or wish clauses, while non is the ordinary negator of statements.OCR
    Prohibitions with ne and the perfect subjunctive
    A prohibition standardly uses ne with the perfect subjunctive, as in Ne ieris, where ieris is perfect subjunctive and eas is the present subjunctive.OCR
    Pronominal adjective declension
    Adjectives such as alius and ūllus do not decline like a normal first/second-declension adjective but follow the pronominal pattern.OCR
    Pronoun and adverb shift
    Pronouns and adverbs shift to fit the reporter's viewpoint, so ego becomes se and hic may become ille.OCR
    Prose narrative technique
    Apuleius writes prose, so the passage is referred to as chapters or sections and the order of tasks is kept as he narrates it.OCR
    Psyche's trials and endurance
    The selected narrative centres on the Cupid and Psyche story, including Psyche's trials and her descent.OCR
    Purpose clauses with ut and nē
    A clause answering 'in order to' or 'so that', introduced by ut, or by nē when negative, with its verb in the subjunctive.OCR

    R

    Reason-and-result sentence structure
    Read the sentence as reason plus result: find the conjunction, bracket the clause it governs, parse its verb, then translate so the causal link is clear.OCR
    Recognition in reading
    Identifying a form or construction in a Latin passage, for example spotting that a verb is future perfect passive or that a clause uses an indirect command.OCR
    Reference and cohesion
    Tracing a pronoun or connective back to the word or clause it refers to.OCR
    Reflexive versus personal reference
    A reflexive pronoun is distinguished from a personal pronoun by its reference back to the subject.OCR
    Relative pronoun agreement with the antecedent
    The relative pronoun agrees with its antecedent in gender and number, and the antecedent is the noun in the main clause that the relative clause describes or…OCR
    Relative tense of the infinitive
    The tense of the infinitive is relative to the main verb rather than absolute.OCR
    Restrictive conditions
    The sense is restrictive: the speaker states a condition that must hold, as in oderint dum metuant, 'let them hate, provided that they fear'.OCR
    Result clauses with ut and ut nōn
    A result clause states what happens as a consequence of the main clause and is introduced by ut, or by ut nōn when negative.OCR
    Reverse-compound teens
    The teens duodeviginti (18, 'two from twenty') and undeviginti (19), which follow septendecim (17).OCR
    Rhetorical persuasion and invective
    Cicero makes rhetorical appeals and uses rhetorical techniques, and the addressee of each passage within the prescribed range should be distinguished.OCR
    Rhetorical strategy in the speech
    Cicero's rhetorical strategies, such as appeals to the jury and characterisation of the parties, which you should note as you read so you can recognise them…OCR
    Rhetorical strategy of defence
    The way Cicero builds persuasion in the set passages, which the assessment tests through comprehension of argument, characterisation and rhetorical strategy.OCR
    Rhetorical techniques and their persuasive effect
    Cicero's rhetorical techniques include rhetorical questions, apostrophe, irony, tricolon, praeteritio and appeals to the jury's sense of justice.OCR
    Roman institutions and social practice
    Background such as a reference to a Roman institution, a religious practice, a political office, a social relationship such as patron and client, or an item…OCR
    Roman social and political conventions
    Knowledge such as the conventions of Roman patronage, which can explain a speaker's tone.OCR

    S

    Selective declension
    Only unus, duo and tres decline, as do the hundreds from ducenti to nongenti, while quattuor to centum are indeclinable.OCR
    Sequence of tenses
    Subordinate clauses inside indirect speech follow the sequence of tenses governed by the introductory verb, with primary sequence after a present or future…OCR
    Sequence of tenses in subjunctive clauses
    The verb is subjunctive, with the present subjunctive after a primary main verb and the imperfect after a historic one.OCR
    Signal words in the main clause
    The main clause usually contains a signal word such as tam, ita, tantus, tālis or adeō.OCR
    Social context of the set text
    The social expectations that shape its characters, such as patronage, the recitation hall or the theatre audience.OCR
    Stem formation
    The correct stem is formed from the genitive singular before adding case endings.OCR
    Stem identification
    Identifying the declension and stem of the noun before selecting the case and number ending.OCR
    Structural devices and word order
    A tricolon needs three coordinated elements; chiasmus needs an ABBA arrangement; hyperbaton needs a displaced word order.OCR
    Structure and narrative sequence
    Knowing the text closely enough to identify what happens and how a passage is structured.OCR
    Subject and object identification
    The nominative marks the subject and the accusative marks the direct object, identified from the ending and the verb rather than word order.OCR
    Subjunctive and indicative in subordinate clauses
    The verb in a concessive clause may stand in the indicative or the subjunctive depending on the conjunction and the writer's nuance.OCR
    Subjunctive as a mood
    A mood, not a tense, that signals how the speaker presents an action rather than stating it as plain fact.OCR
    Subjunctive in subordinate clauses
    The subjunctive marks the clause as part of the reported thought or speech rather than the narrator's own statement.OCR
    Subordinate clause recognition
    A conditional clause is a named subordinate-clause type, so you must recognise the clause and decide which clause is subordinate.OCR
    Syllable quantity
    Each syllable is marked as long or short: long if it contains a long vowel or a diphthong, or if its vowel is followed by two consonants, otherwise short.OCR
    Syntax
    How words combine, such as case use, subordination and indirect statement, and you explain it by giving the grammatical function of a form in its sentence.OCR

    T

    Tacitus's narrative selection and arrangement
    The historian's technique of shaping his narrative, which learners explain and support with specific reference to one of the named passages.OCR
    Temporal conjunctions and their core meanings
    Clauses introduced by conjunctions such as ubi, postquam, cum, dum and antequam place one action in time relative to another.OCR
    Tense and voice of participles
    A present participle is active and describes action happening at the same time as the main verb, a perfect passive participle describes something already done…OCR
    The Cupid and Psyche narrative
    The selected narrative centres on the Cupid and Psyche story, covering Psyche's trials, her descent and the final reconciliation.OCR
    The exercise and abuse of imperial power
    A recurring theme in the extracts, tracked alongside flattery and decline as Tacitus shapes his narrative of Nero's reign.OCR
    The Italian campaign
    The crossing of the Alps and the victories at the Trebia, Trasimene and Cannae are traced in chapters 1–6 of the set text.OCR
    The Senate's forbearance and Cicero's demand for exile
    Cicero demands to know how long Catiline will abuse the Senate's patience and urges him to depart into exile.OCR
    The threat of Catiline's conspiracy
    Cicero claims knowledge of Catiline's plans and contrasts Catiline's guilt with the Senate's forbearance.OCR
    Third-declension adjectives
    These include adjectives of three terminations such as acer, acris, acre, of two terminations such as fortis, forte, and of one termination such as ingens.OCR
    Three degrees of comparison
    Latin compares adjectives and adverbs in three degrees: positive, comparative and superlative.OCR

    U

    Using grammar to establish sense
    Selecting the option that matches the grammatical analysis of the Latin rather than the option that merely sounds plausible in English.OCR
    ut and ne non for the feared-not outcome
    When the feared outcome is that something will not happen, Latin uses ne non or ut with the subjunctive, as in timeo ut veniat, 'I fear that he will not come'.OCR
    ut and ne with subjunctive in indirect command
    An indirect command uses ut or ne with a subjunctive after verbs of ordering and asking.OCR

    V

    Venus' imposed tasks and divine assistance
    Psyche is set tasks by Venus and receives help from assisting agents such as the ants, the reed and the eagle.OCR
    Vowel weakening in the base
    Vowels may weaken or syncopate in the base, as when facere appears as -ficere in perficere.OCR

    W

    Wishes and the utinam construction
    A wish uses the present subjunctive for what may still happen, the imperfect for an unfulfilled wish about the present and the pluperfect for one about the…OCR

    Where these terms come from

    Each definition is one we publish on a Latin A-Level topic page or study guide. Open a term to see how each exam board words it and which topic it belongs to. For the full course, go to Latin revision or the glossary for every subject.

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