Cornell Notes: Mapping and Re-punctuation (age 13, plain English)
| Cues / Questions | Notes (what to write while you work) |
| Topic | How medieval punctuation changes which ideas attach to which clauses. We work with two manuscript versions called M and N of a long sentence by Augustine. We ignore punctuation first, map clause boundaries, then re-punctuate. |
| 1. Map clause boundaries first | Step-by-step: 1) Read the whole sentence aloud. 2) Find the main verbs and subordinating words (words like "that", "which", "so that", "because", "so", "but"). 3) Mark each clause by underlining the verb and drawing a bracket around words that belong to that clause. 4) Do NOT put any punctuation yet; just label clauses in order. Example labels you should write beside chunks: [Main idea], [Purpose clause: so that...], [Relative clause: which...], [Contrast clause: but...], [Explanatory clause: that is...]. |
| 2. Learn to re-punctuate ambiguities | Principles:
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| 3. Side-by-side transcription and annotation | Below are modern English transcriptions that follow each manuscript's punctuation pattern. I placed clause brackets and short notes showing where the punctuation changes which words attach to which clause. |
Side-by-side modern transcriptions (no Latin)
| M (eleventh-century punctuation sense)
[Since] concerning the two cities, earthly and heavenly, within their proper limits, I see that I must next discuss; first must be explained, as far as the plan for finishing this work allows, the arguments of humans, by which they set about to make happiness for themselves in the misfortunes of this life, so that from their vain things our hope may differ from what God has given us; and the thing itself is true happiness, which will be given not only by divine authority but also, when reason is applied (a kind of reason we can use because of unbelievers), will be made clear. Annotation (M): Many clauses are joined together. The relative clause "which will be given..." clearly attaches to "the thing itself is true happiness." The phrase about reason modifies how the truth is shown ("made clear"). |
N (fourteenth-century punctuation sense)
[Since] concerning the two cities, earthly and heavenly. With proper limits, I see that I must next discuss. First must be explained, as far as the plan for finishing this work allows, the arguments of humans, by which they tried to make happiness for themselves in the misfortunes of this life; so that from their vain things our hope differs — (than) what God has given us. And the thing itself — this is true happiness — which will give, not only by divine authority, but also, when reason is applied (a kind of reason we can use because of unbelievers), will be made clear. Annotation (N): Many short stops split the sentence. Some phrases stand alone as short sentences or as parenthetical fragments. The breaks emphasize short units like "this is true happiness" and separate "what God has given us" as a contrasting clause. Because of the many stops, some attachments (what modifies what) feel looser or more separate. |
Where punctuation creates different clause attachments (quick map)
- Attachment A: The relative clause "which will be given..." — In M it clearly attaches to "the thing itself is true happiness." In N the many stops make that attachment still likely, but the break before "and the thing itself" gives it extra emphasis as a separate statement.
- Attachment B: The phrase "so that from their vain things our hope differs from what God has given us" — In M this runs on with the sentence, making it part of the chain of explanation; in N there is a stronger stop before it, so it reads like a contrasting minor sentence (a sharper contrast between human hope and God's gift).
- Attachment C: The clause about reason that "will be made clear" — Both M and N attach this to how the truth/happiness is shown, but N's stops make the demonstration-by-reason sound like an afterthought or a separate justification.
4. Two modern punctuations
Version 1 — Follow M's sense (more connected):
"Since I see that I must next discuss the two cities, earthly and heavenly, within their proper limits, first I must explain, as far as the plan for finishing this work allows, the arguments of humans by which they sought to make happiness for themselves in the misfortunes of this life, so that from their vain things our hope differs from what God has given us; and the thing itself is true happiness, which will be given not only by divine authority but will also be made clear by reason, of the kind we can use because of unbelievers."
Version 2 — Follow N's segmentation (shorter stops):
"Since I see that I must next discuss the two cities, earthly and heavenly. With their proper limits. First I must explain, as far as the plan for finishing this work allows, the arguments of humans, by which they sought to make happiness for themselves in the misfortunes of this life. So from their vain things our hope differs from what God has given us. And the thing itself — this is true happiness — which will be given not only by divine authority but will also be made clear by reason, a kind we can use because of unbelievers."
One-sentence summary of how meaning differs: Version 1 reads Augustine as giving one long, connected argument that links human arguments, the contrast with God's gift, and the idea that true happiness will be both granted by God and shown by reason; Version 2 breaks the ideas into sharper, separate claims, which makes each claim feel more independent and gives stronger emphasis to the contrast between human hopes and God's gift.
5. Find an ambiguous clause and rewrite it as a concise legal-style clause
Ambiguous clause (plain-language excerpt): "the thing itself is true happiness, which will be given not only by divine authority but also, when reason is applied, will be made clear" — ambiguous about what "which" attaches to and whether "given" and "made clear" are the same act.
Concise legal-style rewrite (one line, preserving Augustine's intended claim):
"True happiness shall be granted by divine authority and demonstrated by human reason when addressing unbelievers."
Homeschool parent / teacher comments
- Parent tip: Ask your student to read the long sentence aloud twice, once with Version 1 punctuation and once with Version 2. Which reading sounds clearer? Which gives a stronger meaning? Have them underline the verb in each clause while they read.
- Teacher note: Emphasize mapping clauses before adding punctuation. Medieval scribes used punctuation as a reader’s help, not a rigid grammar rule, so both punctuations can be defensible. The learning goal is to see how punctuation guides interpretation, and to practise rewriting for clarity.
Exemplar models (Ally McBeal cadence — friendly, a little theatrical but clear)
Student exemplar (short): "Okay — so: first, map the clauses. Don’t stop to punctuate. Then try it both ways: keep it flowing to make the whole argument (Version 1), or give it dramatic beats to highlight the contrasts (Version 2). Either way, make sure every ‘which’ clearly points to the noun it describes."
Parent/Teacher exemplar (short): "Nice work — now listen: punctuation is like a breath in speech. Where you breathe, the meaning can change. So train your ear and your pen: bracket first, punctuate second, and if a sentence still trips you up, make a short sentence and keep the sense true."
Quick student checklist
- Have I underlined the verbs in each clause?
- Have I labeled each clause (main, relative, purpose, contrast)?
- Did I write two punctuated versions and read both out loud?
- Can I express the main ambiguous idea in one short, clear sentence?
Summary (Cornell bottom line)
Medieval punctuation is a guide and not fixed. By mapping clauses first you decide logically where phrases attach. Re-punctuating shows how stops and commas change emphasis and meaning; a legal-style rewrite can preserve the original claim while making it plain and unambiguous.