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Section 6: Sample English-to-Latin Translation Assignment
TX PACT: LOTE Latin: Early Childhood–Grade 12 (712)

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Sample Directions for the English-to-Latin Translation Assignment

For this section of the exam, you will be presented with five English sentences and asked to translate them into Latin. The English sentences are lettered from A to E on the next screen. You should begin each of your translations by typing the corresponding letter in the response box presented. Your score for this section will be based solely on the responses you type next to the corresponding letter in the response box.

Please note that special characters (such as letters with macrons or other diacritical marks) cannot be entered using the keyboard but are available for insertion in the on-screen response box. To access these characters, click on the ash symbol button that appears in the upper left corner of the screen. Using the mouse, click on the character you wish to include in your response and then select "Insert." The character will be inserted where the cursor is positioned in the response box.

Your Latin translation of each of the assigned English sentences will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

Your Latin sentences should accurately convey the meaning of the English sentences that they translate, and they should conform to the rules of Latin grammar and spelling. Macrons are optional and will not be counted in scoring, regardless of whether you use them. You may use "i" and "j" interchangeably and "u" and "v" interchangeably; you need not be consistent in your use of these letters. Style (e.g., elegance, economy of expression, aesthetic merit) will not be taken into consideration in evaluating your translations. You should use natural and idiomatic Latin constructions in your translations.

Select the Next button to continue.

Sample English-to-Latin Translation Assignment

Domain IV—Written Expression

Competency 011—Demonstrate Latin writing skills by translating English sentences or short passages into grammatically accurate and appropriate Latin.

For each of the five English sentences below, write a translation into Latin in the response box presented on-screen. Sentences should be translated in order from A to E. Before entering your translation, please type the corresponding letter in the response box. Please insert two (2) hard returns between each of your translated sentences.

Make sure that your Latin sentences express the same meaning as the English sentences they translate, and that they contain no errors in grammar or spelling. The use of macrons in the Latin translations is optional.

  1. The ships must be united by the men.
  2. He summoned the soldiers so that they might build a camp.
  3. I hope that the guests have arrived.
  4. We watched the gladiators who fought most bravely.
  5. For five years, we lived in Rome.

Sample Strong Response for the English-to-Latin Translation Assignment

  1. Nāvēs hominibus solvendae sunt.
  2. Arcessīvit mīlitēs ut munīrent castra.
  3. Spērō hospitēs advēnisse.
  4. Spectābāmus gladiātōrēs quī pugnārent fortissimē.
  5. Quīnque annōs habitābāmus Rōmae.

Performance Characteristics for English-to-Latin Translation Assignment

The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the English-to-Latin translation assignment.

Meaning extent to which the Latin translation captures the meaning of the English sentence and appropriately preserves the key concepts and relations expressed in the English sentence
Grammar accuracy in the application of rules of Latin syntax and morphology
Spelling accuracy in the application of rules of Latin spelling

Score Scale for English-to-Latin Translation Assignment

Scores will be assigned to each response to the English-to-Latin translation assignment according to the following scoring scale.

Score Point Score Point Description
4 The "4" response reflects a thoroughly accurate and appropriate translation of the stimulus sentence from English into Latin.
  • The Latin translation accurately captures the meaning of the stimulus sentence and introduces no extraneous content.
  • The Latin translation conforms to the rules of Latin syntax and morphology.
  • The Latin translation conforms to the rules of Latin spelling.
3 The "3" response reflects a generally accurate and appropriate translation of the stimulus sentence from English into Latin.
  • The Latin translation largely captures the meaning of the stimulus, though some minor aspects of the meaning may have been lost or slightly distorted, or some extraneous content may have been introduced.
  • The Latin translation generally conforms to the rules of Latin syntax and morphology, though it may contain grammatical errors that do not substantially interfere with the communication of the meaning of the stimulus sentence.
  • The Latin translation generally conforms to the rules of Latin spelling, though the translation may contain minor spelling errors.
2 The "2" response reflects a partially accurate translation of the stimulus sentence from English into Latin.
  • The Latin translation partially captures the meaning of the stimulus sentence; important aspects of the meaning may have been lost or distorted, and/or extraneous content may have been introduced.
  • The Latin translation shows a limited, possibly inaccurate or inappropriate application of the rules of Latin syntax and morphology, and may contain grammatical errors that interfere with the communication of the meaning of the stimulus sentence.
  • The Latin translation partially conforms to the rules of Latin spelling, though there may be multiple spelling errors.
1 The "1" response reflects an inaccurate translation of the stimulus sentence from English into Latin.
  • The Latin translation does not capture the meaning of the stimulus sentence; essential aspects of the meaning are lost or distorted, and/or extraneous content has been introduced.
  • The Latin translation shows an inaccurate or inappropriate application of the rules of Latin syntax and morphology, and contains grammatical errors that prevent communication of the meaning of the stimulus sentence.
  • The Latin translation does not conform to the rules of Latin spelling.
U The response is unscorable because it is unrelated to the assigned topic or off-task, illegible or inaudible/incomprehensible, not primarily in the required language, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment.
B There is no response to the assignment.
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