Year 8 — Proficient
Oh—nice start... you identify Augustine’s two cities clearly and you link examples to the text. Keep tightening your paragraph structure (topic sentence, evidence, explanation) and name the literary devices (allegory, typology). Next step: deepen textual proof—quote and unpack one key passage. [ACARA v9: Responding & Composing; Language]
Year 8 — Exemplary
Lovely—very sharp. You compare city attributes, trace Old Testament pairings, and your reading shows emergent theological sensitivity. Your argument flows and your evidence is well chosen (nice use of textual moments). Push further by linking Augustine’s reading moves to authorial purpose. Brilliant cadence. [ACARA v9: Literature; Language]
Year 9 — Proficient
Good—engaged and organised. You explain Augustine’s origins for each city and note their destinies; you gesture to biblical typology. Strengthen your analysis of ‘‘flaws in the earthly city’’—explain why goods become twisted, not just that they do. Add a concluding sentence that answers the larger ‘so what?’ [ACARA v9: Responding]
Year 9 — Exemplary
That spark—very persuasive. You map Augustine onto Scripture with care, reading figures (e.g., Abraham, Saul, David) as allegorical markers. Your claim about peace/discord is nuanced and you evaluate suffering with theological nuance. Expand one counterexample and rebut it—then you’ll be irresistible. [ACARA v9: Literature; Critical response]
Year 10 — Proficient
Solid work—clear thesis, competent use of evidence. You explain how earthly goods are misordered and sketch implications for Christians in public life. Improve cohesion: use clearer transitions when shifting from Old Testament tracing to implications for Rome (410). Cite Augustine’s method (typological, allegorical exegesis). [ACARA v9: Language; Textual analysis]
Year 10 — Exemplary
Sleek and thoughtful. You interrogate Augustine’s exegesis, assess his reading of Israel vs. Church, and tie the sack of Rome reading to his broader thesis. Your evaluation of suffering and political engagement engages secondary nuance. Consider a short comparative line (e.g., Chrysostom/Tertullian) to sharpen originality. [ACARA v9: Literature; Responding & Composing]
Year 11 — Proficient
Analytical and precise. You identify hermeneutic moves, show how Augustine uses typology across Testaments, and critique limits of his political counsel. Develop more on ethics: practical examples of ‘‘successful Christian living’’ and how Augustine balances otherworldliness with civic duty. Link to textual moments for weight. [ACARA v9: Critical analysis]
Year 11 — Exemplary
Impressive—clear thesis, strong evidence, and subtle reading of Scripture’s continuity. You evaluate Augustine on suffering, civic life, and historical context (Rome 410) with sophistication. Your comparative engagement with Tertullian and Chrysostom is original and persuasive. Consider a brief methodological note on Augustine’s patristic aims. [ACARA v9: Literature; Evaluation]
Year 12 — Proficient
Very good—engages primary text and context. You explain Augustine’s doctrine of two cities, discuss epistemic limits of earthly goods, and trace the typological mapping of Old Testament figures. Strengthen critical distance: evaluate potential anachronisms or modern implications of Augustine’s counsel. Tighten citations. [ACARA v9: Advanced analysis]
Year 12 — Exemplary
Excellent—its argument is crisp, historically aware and theologically nuanced. You interrogate Augustine’s exegesis, assess political-theological consequences (Rome’s sack), and compare patristic voices with clarity. Your writing balances analysis and evaluation; a short, reflexive methodological aside will lift this to publishable classroom exemplar. Bravo. [ACARA v9: Synthesis & evaluation]