OCR GCSE Latin 2014

Hi, I'm doing the Higher Tier exam this year and I was just wondering how you are revising for the literature paper? Thanks

Reply 2

OP

I'd read through the translations and commentaries for all the pieces – for me, the most important thing is to be able to recognise a passage from the Latin, so just cut the text into sections and jumble them up and try translating them. Then in the exam, you'll know what section of the text you're dealing with and then you can remember the commentary for it.

If in doubt, historic present and emphatic positioning. Honestly, if you don't have any style points, just use those two (obviously there must be some, but there usually is!)

Reply 3

Thanks for your help, also we are preparing for our exams and our teachers has asked us to look at these questions and prepare a rough plan. They are 8-10 mark questions and I was just wondering what structure you think is best for answering them. If it is a 10 marks question, should I find 10 points about the given text or should I find less points and explain them more? Thanks

Reply 4

OP

Original post by Elementary007

Thanks for your help, also we are preparing for our exams and our teachers has asked us to look at these questions and prepare a rough plan. They are 8-10 mark questions and I was just wondering what structure you think is best for answering them. If it is a 10 marks question, should I find 10 points about the given text or should I find less points and explain them more? Thanks

Ten markers:
Minimum 8 points in TOTAL.
At least TWO points must be STYLE.
Must refer to the Latin all the time – correct translations.

Eight markers:
Minimum 6 points.
6 points brilliantly developed or
8 points less well developed
etc.
Need not refer to the Latin – you can use close paraphrase.
You can talk about the Latin too (it could impress the examiner) BUT all translations must be correct
You should refer to passages and extracts from outside the exam paper as well as the passages in the paper – you need to take points from the WHOLE text.

So:
Develop as much as you can: I recommend doing the bare minimum on the 'first pass' through the paper, and once you've finished, go back and add to the 8 and 10 markers.
Make as many points as you can.
Make as many STYLE points as you can.

Reply 5

name not valid

Original post by danconway

I'd read through the translations and commentaries for all the pieces – for me, the most important thing is to be able to recognise a passage from the Latin, so just cut the text into sections and jumble them up and try translating them. Then in the exam, you'll know what section of the text you're dealing with and then you can remember the commentary for it.

Would you recommend learning the whole translation off by heart, resulting in the ability to recite it off to non-Latiners like a party trick or do you just familiarise yourself to the point where you can simply wing the translation because its only 5 marks?

Reply 6

OP

Original post by name not valid

Would you recommend learning the whole translation off by heart, resulting in the ability to recite it off to non-Latiners like a party trick or do you just familiarise yourself to the point where you can simply wing the translation because its only 5 marks?

I would learn the translation off by heart if you can be bothered – you can rattle off the translation quickly in the translation question (oh and yes, of course you can enjoy reciting Latin to non-classicists!)

BUT, always be able to match the Latin to the English – that's vital for all of the other questions in the paper!

Reply 7

name not valid

Original post by danconway

I would learn the translation off by heart if you can be bothered – you can rattle off the translation quickly in the translation question (oh and yes, of course you can enjoy reciting Latin to non-classicists!)

BUT, always be able to match the Latin to the English – that's vital for all of the other questions in the paper!

Thank you! :smile:

Reply 8

lawrencefrape1

I haven't started revising the Literature section yet, although I have done some language past papers, because our Lit exams are in early and mid-June. I'm going to start really soon though.

Reply 9

For me, I'm more worried about the language paper only because some of the more advanced grammar that we have to learn is a bit weak. I have another mock next Friday on Cicero and Livy so I'm going to memorise the pieces and then learn the stylistic features for each section. Which paper are you most worried about?

Reply 10

OP

I'm fairly confident for the Language papers – been getting consistently low – mid A*s in past papers and mocks. Literature, I tend to do more well in, BUT when I got 47/50 in the mock exam, I had revised pretty well. So, now the challenge is to revise the set texts well enough for the exam – once you learn the text thoroughly, you should be alright; but literature is where I focus my revision now.

Reply 11

GCSEsitter

8

Hi, does anyone have any past GCSE papers for literature as I can't seem to find any for Virgil, Sagae Thessalae or Pliny?

Reply 12

lawrencefrape1

I have done two sets of language exams for revision and I've gotten 57/60 for the first one and 54/60 for the second one both times. Is the second one supposed to be harder?

Reply 13

OP

Original post by lawrencefrape1

I have done two sets of language exams for revision and I've gotten 57/60 for the first one and 54/60 for the second one both times. Is the second one supposed to be harder?

Yep – the grammar and vocabulary requirements in A401 are limited, and the translations are shorter.
A402 has the full vocab list and they chuck harder grammar in.

It's meant to be harder, don't worry.

Reply 14

OP

Original post by GCSEsitter

Hi, does anyone have any past GCSE papers for literature as I can't seem to find any for Virgil, Sagae Thessalae or Pliny?

The first time these texts were examined was June 2013. These papers are not available except to centres, so we cannot use them. I've asked my Head of Classics if he could fire them over to me for revision, and if he does, I'd be happy to pass them on – but no, they're not generally available – they're locked up only for Classics teachers to access on the OCR Interchange.

Reply 15

GCSEsitter

8

Original post by danconway

The first time these texts were examined was June 2013. These papers are not available except to centres, so we cannot use them. I've asked my Head of Classics if he could fire them over to me for revision, and if he does, I'd be happy to pass them on – but no, they're not generally available – they're locked up only for Classics teachers to access on the OCR Interchange.

Thanks very much for the clarification 😄, I just wasn't sure if they had been used on previous specifications

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Reply 16

Which lit. texts are you doing? I'm doing Cicero, Livy and Virgil.

Reply 17

name not valid

Original post by Elementary007

Which lit. texts are you doing? I'm doing Cicero, Livy and Virgil.

Same as you bro :cool:

Reply 18

Have you had any mocks for Cicero or Livy yet? Only that I have one on friday...

Reply 19

jack3w98