2c. Content of Prose Composition or Comprehension (H443/02) — OCR A-Level Latin
Verified courseTeaching note checked against the official specification.
2c. Content of Prose Composition or Comprehension (H443/02) explained
2c. Content of Prose Composition or Comprehension (H443/02) covers 5 specification points, including Recognise, analyse and/or deploy, as… and Extend and demonstrate their knowledge of….
Read the full explanation
Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
recognise, analyse and/or deploy, as appropriate, the accidence and syntax listed in Appendix 5d
This criterion tests control of the accidence and syntax set out in Appendix 5d of the specification, applied to the Prose Composition or Comprehension paper. 'Recognise' means 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. 'Analyse' means explaining how the form works and why it carries its meaning, such as showing that a subjunctive in a cum clause expresses circumstance. 'Deploy' means producing the item yourself, either by writing correct Latin in composition or by rendering the construction accurately in comprehension answers. The phrase 'as appropriate' signals that the paper's chosen option determines which skills are demanded: composition requires active production, comprehension requires recognition and analysis.
extend and demonstrate their knowledge of vocabulary and linguistic structures through continued linguistic study and through wider reading and by studying passages of Latin
This guidance describes how learners build vocabulary and grammatical control for the Prose Composition or Comprehension paper. Three routes are named: continued linguistic study, wider reading, and studying passages of Latin. Continued linguistic study means regular, deliberate work on the vocabulary list and on the accidence and syntax in Appendix 5d, revisiting items until recall is secure. Wider reading means reading Latin beyond the set passages, for example short prose extracts or adapted texts, so that vocabulary recurs in varied contexts. Studying passages means working closely through Latin text, noting how structures function and how words combine. The learner should keep a vocabulary log organised by frequency and theme, re-read passages aloud, and test recall in context rather than by list alone.
accurately translate unseen material into English or Latin
This component asks you to render a passage you have never seen either from Latin into English or from English into Latin, depending on the route your centre enters you for. Accuracy is the standard: the sense of each clause must survive, and in prose composition the Latin must be grammatically correct as well as faithful. Work clause by clause. In comprehension, identify the subject and main verb first, then attach cases to their functions, and only then choose English wording that reads naturally. In composition, decide the sentence structure before writing: pick the case for each noun, the tense and mood for each verb, and check agreement. Leave a moment to reread your version against the original, hunting for omitted negatives, wrong tenses and unmarked plurals.
demonstrate a detailed understanding of the linguistic structures of material written by ancient authors in the original language, including an understanding of individual words, phrases or sentences
This criterion concerns close reading of authentic ancient Latin at the level of the word, the phrase and the sentence. A multiple-choice question might ask which case a noun performs, what a subjunctive verb signals, how a pronoun refers back, or what a short phrase means in context. Answer by locating the form in its sentence: identify the word's ending, the verb it depends on, and the surrounding clause. Distinguish vocabulary meaning from grammatical function, because a word can be recognised yet still be doing an unexpected job. Eliminate options that misread the case, tense, voice or reference, and confirm your choice by rereading the whole sentence with your answer inserted.
present relevant information in a clear, concise and coherent manner using appropriate terminology in English.
This criterion concerns how you write up your answers in English on the comprehension side of H443/02. Three qualities are being asked for at once. Relevance means you select only the details the question actually asks for, not everything you happen to know about the passage. Conciseness means you express each point in as few words as it needs, without padding or repetition. Coherence means your points follow a logical order and connect clearly, so a reader can move through them without re-reading. Appropriate terminology means you use correct English literary and linguistic vocabulary where it helps: for example naming a rhetorical question, an asyndeton, a tricolon or a simile, rather than vaguely saying 'the writer does something clever here'.
Your focus
- Identify accidence and syntax items from Appendix 5d in unseen Latin.
- Explain the function of a named construction within its clause and sentence.
- Produce correct Latin forms and constructions in composition tasks.
Show all 15 objectives
- Maintain a vocabulary log with full dictionary entries and example contexts.
- Apply Appendix 5d structures while reading unfamiliar Latin passages.
- Demonstrate secure recall of vocabulary and structures in translation and analysis tasks.
- Translate an unseen passage into English or Latin with the sense of each clause preserved.
- Identify the grammatical function of nouns, verbs and connectives in unseen material.
- Review a completed version against the original and correct omissions and errors.
- Identify the grammatical form and function of individual Latin words in context.
- Explain how phrases and subordinate clauses relate within a sentence.
- Select the interpretation consistent with the full sentence rather than an isolated word.
- Select relevant information from a Latin passage in response to a specific English-language question.
- Write concise, coherent English prose that names features with appropriate terminology and explains their effect.
- Review a drafted answer and remove irrelevant, repeated or vague material before submitting it.
2c. Content of Prose Composition or Comprehension (H443/02) exam tips
Marking Points
- Identifies the accidence and syntax item named in Appendix 5d when it appears in a Latin passage.
- Explains how the identified form or construction produces its meaning in context.
- Produces the correct Latin form or construction when the task requires composition.
- Renders the construction accurately in English when the task requires comprehension.
- Renders each clause with the sense of the original preserved rather than a loose paraphrase.
- Identifies the main verb and its subject before assigning cases to the remaining nouns.
- Uses English that reads naturally while keeping technical terms, names and numbers faithful to the original.
- Applies correct case, tense, mood and agreement when composing Latin from an English prompt.
- Accounts for every word of the original, including negatives, particles and conjunctions.
- Checks the finished version against the source for omissions and mistranslated tenses.
- Identifies the grammatical form of an individual word from its ending and context.
- Explains the function of a phrase within its clause rather than translating it in isolation.
- Recognises how a subordinate clause relates to its main clause through mood, tense and connective.
- Traces a pronoun or connective back to the word or clause it refers to.
- Selects the option consistent with the whole sentence rather than a single familiar word.
- Selects only the details that answer the question set, discarding interesting but irrelevant material from the passage.
- Expresses each point in a single economical sentence rather than padding it with restatement or filler.
- Orders points logically so that each one follows from the last and the whole answer reads as a connected argument.
- Names literary or linguistic features with correct terminology, such as tricolon, rhetorical question or simile, instead of vague description.
- Links a named feature to its effect on the reader or listener rather than merely labelling it.
- Writes in clear standard English with accurate sentence boundaries and consistent tense.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Check the Appendix 5d list against your own notes and mark any item you cannot yet produce unaided.
- 💡When analysing a form, state the clause type and the grammatical signal that identifies it.
- 💡In composition, re-read each sentence to confirm agreement, case and tense before moving on.
- 💡Keep a vocabulary notebook grouped by theme and add an example sentence for each new word.
- 💡Read a short Latin passage aloud each week and underline every construction from Appendix 5d you meet.
- 💡Test yourself by translating sentences from memory, then check against the dictionary entry.
- 💡Read the whole passage once for gist before writing any translation.
- 💡Underline the main verb of each clause so subject and object become clear.
- 💡Reserve the final minutes to compare your version with the original word by word.
- 💡In composition, keep sentences short and structures you can control rather than ambitious ones you cannot.
- 💡Read the whole sentence before looking at the options.
- 💡Mark the ending of the target word and name its case, tense or mood to yourself.
- 💡Insert your chosen option back into the sentence and check it makes sense.
- 💡Eliminate options that conflict with the mood or case you have identified.
- 💡Read the question twice and underline the exact instruction before you plan, so relevance is decided before you write.
- 💡Draft a short bullet plan of two or three points, then write one sentence per point to keep the answer concise.
- 💡Keep a mental list of terminology you can deploy confidently, such as tricolon, anaphora, rhetorical question and simile, and use only terms you can explain.
- 💡Leave a moment at the end to check that every sentence is complete and that no point is repeated.
Common Mistakes
- Confuses a passive and a deponent form; check the principal parts and dictionary entry before deciding.
- Treats every subjunctive as the same construction; identify the clause type and conjunction first.
- Learns Appendix 5d items only as isolated paradigms; practise each one inside a reading passage.
- Treats vocabulary learning as a one-off list to memorise before the exam; build a weekly routine that revisits words in context.
- Reads only the set passages and never wider Latin; add short extra extracts so vocabulary recurs in new settings.
- Records words without their principal parts or gender; log the full dictionary entry each time.
- Translates word by word in source order and produces English that obscures the sense; restructure into natural English clauses.
- Ignores a negative or a particle and reverses the meaning; scan the original for negatives before finalising.
- Leaves a Latin noun in the wrong case in composition; decide the noun's function in the sentence first, then set the ending.
- Omits a word or short phrase when the passage is long; reread the original line by line against your version.
- Chooses an option from a familiar vocabulary meaning alone and ignores the grammatical function; check the ending and the clause first.
- Assumes a subjunctive verb states a plain fact; identify the mood and the construction it belongs to.
- Attaches a pronoun to the nearest noun without checking sense; test each candidate referent in the sentence.
- Treats a phrase as an independent clause; locate its main verb before deciding its role.
- Crams in every detail remembered about the passage; select only what the question asks for and cut the rest.
- Repeats the same idea in two or three different sentences; state each point once and move on.
- Labels a feature without explaining its effect; add a short clause saying what the feature achieves.
- Uses vague words such as 'effective' or 'clever' as the whole comment; replace them with the precise term and the specific effect.
- Writes in note form or fragments; convert each point into a complete, connected sentence.