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Latin A2 Thread

Please direct me if there is another thread, but if not, this is the official thread for both of the A2 latin exams, Verse and Prose. Please comment on whatever you like, how the revision is going, what set texts you are doing, how difficult are you finding it etc. Just as a note, I am currently sitting on a C, 2 UMS away from the B at AS, and I am retaking the Latin Language to hopefully gain those vital marks! I am also doing Aeneid 4 and Annals 15.

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Hey :smile: Just wondering for latin is like for a level... I did it for GCSE and I really enjoyed it but sadly my school didn't offer it for a level.
Reply 2
Original post by joereed
Please direct me if there is another thread, but if not, this is the official thread for both of the A2 latin exams, Verse and Prose. Please comment on whatever you like, how the revision is going, what set texts you are doing, how difficult are you finding it etc. Just as a note, I am currently sitting on a C, 2 UMS away from the B at AS, and I am retaking the Latin Language to hopefully gain those vital marks! I am also doing Aeneid 4 and Annals 15.


Hello! I'm doing Aeneid 4 for the verse and Bellum catilinae for the prose! How are you revising for the virgil?
I'm currently sitting one UMS mark above an A for AS (nice bit of luck there) and am also resitting the language paper to hopefully get a few extra marks as I'm finding A2 so difficult :mad:
Are you doing Livy or prose composition?
What exam board?
Reply 4
Original post by J.Nalbandian14
What exam board?


OCR... I'm pretty sure it's the only one which actually runs latin as it's not a popular subject
Reply 5
Original post by emma2013
Hello! I'm doing Aeneid 4 for the verse and Bellum catilinae for the prose! How are you revising for the virgil?
I'm currently sitting one UMS mark above an A for AS (nice bit of luck there) and am also resitting the language paper to hopefully get a few extra marks as I'm finding A2 so difficult :mad:
Are you doing Livy or prose composition?

For the virgil I am currently learning the translation, which is the basis for revision, then after that trying to remember some stylistic points I have notes on. Totally agree that the A2 is extremely difficult, especially the lack of a vocab list! But I am doing the Livy, which I find insanely difficult! How about you?
Reply 6
Finally a thread on the Latin A2! I am also doing the aeneid book IV and Sallust's Bellum Catiline for the prose section.

One area of the language I am concerned about is the questions in which you must state why a word is a specific case or what part of the verb it is. Has anybody come across some good websites for revsion for either the language or the literature?

any help would be appreciated :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by ohmygosh
Finally a thread on the Latin A2! I am also doing the aeneid book IV and Sallust's Bellum Catiline for the prose section.

One area of the language I am concerned about is the questions in which you must state why a word is a specific case or what part of the verb it is. Has anybody come across some good websites for revsion for either the language or the literature?


Once I've finished all my notes I'm going to upload them to get revising- I've got an insanely long powerpoint for the Virgil :smile: (though my notes for the sallust are none existent)

Original post by joereed
For the virgil I am currently learning the translation, which is the basis for revision, then after that trying to remember some stylistic points I have notes on. Totally agree that the A2 is extremely difficult, especially the lack of a vocab list! But I am doing the Livy, which I find insanely difficult! How about you?


yeah I literally don't know how to learn vocab :frown: I know that AQA used to do a latin A-level and apparently there's an A2 vocab list floating round somewhere for that! I'm doing the Livy too and it's so hard I just can't make sense of how the words fit together at all! I'm just trying to do as much practice for it as I can as well as loads of timed Virgil essays (in the hope that an essay comes up and I will have done it before haha)
Reply 8
Original post by emma2013
Once I've finished all my notes I'm going to upload them to get revising- I've got an insanely long powerpoint for the Virgil :smile: (though my notes for the sallust are none existent)

would it be at all possible for you to email me the powerpoint? I would be SO grateful! Where are you going to upload your notes? I just have nowhere to start with the literature, there is just so much of it that I can't structure my thoughts.
Reply 9
Sallust is slowly eroding my soul with his nonsensical arguments.

Original post by Julia Iremonger
Hey :smile: Just wondering for latin is like for a level... I did it for GCSE and I really enjoyed it but sadly my school didn't offer it for a level.


AS isn't much harder than GCSE in my opinion, but it gets a lot tougher for A2. They stop editing the passages and you don't get given a vocab list.
Reply 10
Original post by ohmygosh
Once I've finished all my notes I'm going to upload them to get revising- I've got an insanely long powerpoint for the Virgil :smile: (though my notes for the sallust are none existent)

would it be at all possible for you to email me the powerpoint? I would be SO grateful! Where are you going to upload your notes? I just have nowhere to start with the literature, there is just so much of it that I can't structure my thoughts.


I would recommend this book, it's where I've got all my notes from and my powerpoint is basically this but typed up: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aeneid-IV-Virgil/dp/1853997056/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366547512&sr=8-1&keywords=aeneid+4
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 11
Original post by emma2013
I would recommend this book, it's where I've got all my notes from and my powerpoint is basically this but typed up: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aeneid-IV-Virgil/dp/1853997056/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366547512&sr=8-1&keywords=aeneid+4


Okay, well thank you :smile:
Reply 12
In terms of the translation aspect of the exam, does anyone have lists of what to look out for grammar wise? I am in search of some sources to base my grammar revision on, and some sort of outline of what to revise in particular would be extremely useful.
Reply 13
Original post by ohmygosh
In terms of the translation aspect of the exam, does anyone have lists of what to look out for grammar wise? I am in search of some sources to base my grammar revision on, and some sort of outline of what to revise in particular would be extremely useful.

I would have suggested Kennedy's Latin Primer but at this stage, it may be a bit too much to revise from. John Taylor's 'Latin Beyond GCSE' should have everything you need plus helpful translations and questions, which seem harder than the real exam, which should improve your language skills.
Reply 14
Original post by emma2013
Once I've finished all my notes I'm going to upload them to get revising- I've got an insanely long powerpoint for the Virgil :smile: (though my notes for the sallust are none existent)



yeah I literally don't know how to learn vocab :frown: I know that AQA used to do a latin A-level and apparently there's an A2 vocab list floating round somewhere for that! I'm doing the Livy too and it's so hard I just can't make sense of how the words fit together at all! I'm just trying to do as much practice for it as I can as well as loads of timed Virgil essays (in the hope that an essay comes up and I will have done it before haha)


Those notes would really help, thanks a lot! If I get round to typing up my notes I shall also upload them, but I'm not too worried about the Virgil, the translation is easy to learn. I have found the AQA list and that is what I am currently learning, but it is huge. My theory is that if you do essays on all the relevant sections, an essay should come up on it, which is almost perfect revision! At least we have a long time to wait for the Latin Prose!
Reply 15
Original post by emma2013
Once I've finished all my notes I'm going to upload them to get revising- I've got an insanely long powerpoint for the Virgil :smile: (though my notes for the sallust are none existent)



yeah I literally don't know how to learn vocab :frown: I know that AQA used to do a latin A-level and apparently there's an A2 vocab list floating round somewhere for that! I'm doing the Livy too and it's so hard I just can't make sense of how the words fit together at all! I'm just trying to do as much practice for it as I can as well as loads of timed Virgil essays (in the hope that an essay comes up and I will have done it before haha)

Its been a long time, but have you uploaded your virgil notes? is it possible to upload them on here, I have a real lack of motivation to revise latin, ven though its my hardest A Level!
Original post by joereed
Please direct me if there is another thread, but if not, this is the official thread for both of the A2 latin exams, Verse and Prose. Please comment on whatever you like, how the revision is going, what set texts you are doing, how difficult are you finding it etc. Just as a note, I am currently sitting on a C, 2 UMS away from the B at AS, and I am retaking the Latin Language to hopefully gain those vital marks! I am also doing Aeneid 4 and Annals 15.


Finally a group for us few Latin Classicists :biggrin: I'm doing exactly the same texts as you - Aeneid 4 and Annals 15. I've opted for the Livy option and I'm struggling to finish it to a standard I'm happy with within an hour :s-smilie: does anyone have any tips on how to tackle Livy? I never know how to fit the really long sentences together :/


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Reply 17
Original post by vanilla-ice
Finally a group for us few Latin Classicists :biggrin: I'm doing exactly the same texts as you - Aeneid 4 and Annals 15. I've opted for the Livy option and I'm struggling to finish it to a standard I'm happy with within an hour :s-smilie: does anyone have any tips on how to tackle Livy? I never know how to fit the really long sentences together :/


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Exactly! it seems as if you can either translate it well or you cant. I've heard the Latin Prose exam is the hardest A Level exam there is, as 'Fama' has it! What vocab are you learning?
Original post by joereed
Exactly! it seems as if you can either translate it well or you cant. I've heard the Latin Prose exam is the hardest A Level exam there is, as 'Fama' has it! What vocab are you learning?


I'm not surprised! I thought I'd be prepared by now but I'm definitely not :s-smilie: beginning to regret taking it on at A2... AS was blissful in comparison! Our teacher gave us a pack of vocab to learn but it's a ridiculous amount so whatever goes in really :s-smilie: How about you?
Reply 19
Could anybody post an essay they have done for the literature part of the exam (Aeneid or Catiline)?? it would be so helpful as I have been struggling to improve or get an idea of what to aim for. It would be SO appreciated! :smile:

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