Quick introduction (you’re 13 — great!)
We’ll take this 14th‑century Latin sentence, give a clear English translation, then apply the MCT four-level sentence analysis: Level 1 parts of speech, Level 2 parts of sentence, Level 3 phrases, Level 4 clauses. I’ll give a proficient model (clear and correct) and an exemplary model (detailed, precise), plus teacher feedback and a simple ACARA-style rubric — all in a playful, rhythmic Ally McBeal cadence to keep it bouncy.
1) A friendly translation (one-paragraph version)
Since, about the two cities — the earthly and the heavenly — and their proper limits, it seems to me that I must now discuss them. First I must explain, as far as reason allows for finishing this work, the arguments of mortals by which they have tried to make happiness for themselves in the misery of this life, so that it may be clear how our hope differs from their vain things and what God has given us. The thing itself — that is, true blessedness, which he will give — may be made clear not only by divine authority but also by the use of reason that we can employ because of unbelievers.
2) Level 1 — Parts of Speech (fast, clear list using the English translation)
- Nouns: city/cities, limits, work, reason, arguments, mortals, happiness/beatitude, life, hope, things, God, thing, authority, reason (again), unbelievers.
- Verbs: seems (it seems), must discuss, must explain, have tried (moliti sunt), differs, gave, will give, may be made clear (clarescat).
- Adjectives: earthly, heavenly, proper/due, vain, true.
- Pronouns: me (mihi), they (sibi ipsi), our (nostra), which/that (relative pronouns like quam, quibus).
- Prepositions: about, for, by, in, from, because of.
- Conjunctions / subordinators: since (quoniam), so that/that (ut/quin), not only…but also (non tantum…sed etiam).
- Gerund/infinitive forms (in English translation): finishing (terminandi) → shown as a noun-like idea; making/make → used as action or noun idea.
3) Level 2 — Parts of Sentence (big picture: subject & predicate, and the main idea)
Main sentence nucleus (big subject-predicate idea):
- Subject idea: "it" (impersonal 'it' of quoniam…mihi uideo): the situation that needs discussion
- Predicate idea: "seems to me that I must discuss" → this launches the whole piece.
After that opener, the writer says what must be done first: "prius exponenda sunt" — "first must be explained" — and then gives a long list of things to explain (arguments of mortals, how they tried to make happiness for themselves, how our hope differs, and what true beatitude is and how it can be shown).
4) Level 3 — Phrase analysis (important phrase-types in the passage)
- Prepositional phrases (these act like adjectives or adverbs): "about the two cities", "in the misery of this life", "by divine authority", "because of unbelievers".
- Appositive phrase: "res ipsa, hoc est vera beatitudo" → "the thing itself, that is true beatitude". This interrupts and renames the "thing" — it’s an appositive set off by commas.
- Verbal noun/infinitive idea: "terminandi" (of finishing) — in English we used "finishing this work". It acts like an idea-name (a noun made from a verb) and ties into "how far reason permits" — so it behaves as a noun phrase.
- Relative phrase: "by which they tried to make happiness for themselves" (Latin: "quibus…moliti sunt") — this is a relative clause phrase that modifies "arguments".
5) Level 4 — Clause analysis (which are independent, which depend?)
- Opening dependent clause (reason clause): "Quoniam...deinceps mihi uideo disputandum" — "Since...it seems to me I must discuss". This uses 'since' (quoniam) and introduces purpose and ordering; it connects the reason and triggers the action.
- Main action clause: "prius exponenda sunt" — "first must be explained" — that is the central instruction clause; it’s an independent clause that commands the order of the discussion.
- Embedded relative clause: "quibus...moliti sunt" — modifies "argumenta mortalium" (the mortal arguments), explaining what those arguments do/how they were used.
- Result/contrast clause: "ut...quid differat...quam deus nobis dedit" — shows the intended clarification: how our hope differs from their vain things and what God has given.
- Clarifying clause (appositive and explanatory): "res ipsa, hoc est vera beatitudo, quam dabit" — defines the "thing itself" and links it to what God will give.
- Final clarifying clause with contrast: "non tantum auctoritate divina, sed adhibita etiam ratione...clarescat" — says: make this clear not only by divine authority but also by reason applied; it uses the pairing 'not only…but also' to show two ways of proving the thing.
6) Proficient model (what a clear student answer looks like)
Translation (short): Since the subject is the two cities (earthly and heavenly) and their limits, I must discuss this. First I will explain, as reason permits, the mortal arguments by which people tried to make happiness for themselves in this life’s misery, so that we can see how our hope differs from their vain things and what God has given us. The thing itself — true blessedness — which God will give, will be shown not only by divine authority but also by reason.
Analysis summary: The sentence opens with a causal phrase (quoniam = since), then a main plan-statement (I must discuss). The core clause that follows is an instruction: "first must be explained" (prius exponenda sunt) with its object "the arguments of mortals." Those mortal arguments are described in a relative clause (quibus...). The writer then sets the purpose: to show how Christian hope differs and to reveal the thing itself (res ipsa), which is explained by an appositive "hoc est vera beatitudo." The closing uses a contrast structure "not only... but also" to show two grounds for clarity: divine authority and reason.
7) Exemplary model (detailed, accurate, with metalanguage and t-model thinking)
Precise translation: Since concerning the due boundaries of each city, namely the earthly and the heavenly, it seems to me from now on that I must dispute, first must be explained, as far as the nature of finishing this work allows, the arguments of mortals by which they endeavored to make beatitude for themselves in the unhappiness of this life, so that it may be clear how our hope differs from their vain things and what God gave us; the thing itself — that is, true beatitude, which he will give — may be made clear not only by divine authority but also by reason applied, such as we may employ because of unbelievers.
Four-level MCT map (short t-model description):
- Level 1 (parts of speech): nouns (civitatis, finibus, argumenta), verbs (uideo, exponenda sunt, moliti sunt, clarescat), adjectives (terrenae, caelestis, vanis, vera), pronouns/relatives (quibus, quam), prepositions (de, in, ab), conjunctions (quoniam, sed), verbal nouns (terminandi).
- Level 2 (parts of sentence): Binary view — left side: the situation that needs treatment (subjective idea introduced by quoniam), right side: predicates of necessity and explanation (I must dispute; first must be explained; may be made clear).
- Level 3 (phrases): key appositive "res ipsa, hoc est vera beatitudo" (renames and focuses meaning); prepositional modifiers anchor meaning ("in huius vitae infelicitate"); gerundive/infinitival idea "terminandi" marks scope of the project; relative clause "quibus...moliti sunt" modifies "argumenta mortalium."
- Level 4 (clauses): complex-composite sentence: opening causal clause (quoniam...) + main instruction clause (prius exponenda sunt ...) + embedded relative and result clauses (quibus..., ut...quid differat...), plus final complementary clause with correlative contrast (non tantum... sed etiam ... clarescat).
Why this is strong: The exemplary answer identifies grammatical roles, explains how phrases group meaning, distinguishes clause types (dependent vs independent), and states the author’s rhetorical purpose (to clarify Christian hope vs worldly vanities using both authority and reason).
8) Teacher comments — Ally McBeal cadence (short, lively, encouraging)
Oh honey, you opened the door with 'Since...' and walked right into a banquet of clauses — cha-cha! Nice. You found the main beat: "first must be explained" — that's your chorus. Your appositive? Sweet little trumpet — "the thing itself, that is true beatitude" — it sings the truth. Keep your rhythm: group your phrases, name your clauses, and let the verbs lead the dance. Nice work — keep it crisp, keep it clear, and let that Latin sparkle!
9) ACARA-style rubric (simple, 4-level) — use to mark student work
| Criteria | Exemplary (A) | Proficient (B) | Developing (C) | Needs improvement (D/E) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding & translation | Accurate translation; captures nuance and purpose. | Clear translation; mostly accurate meaning, minor slips. | Basic meaning clear; important details missing or slightly wrong. | Translation confusing or many errors; main idea unclear. |
| Use of metalanguage (parts of speech, clauses, phrases) | Correct terms used and applied; shows how terms work together. | Correct terms used; application mostly accurate. | Some correct terms; inconsistent application. | Few or incorrect terms; little understanding. |
| Clause & phrase analysis | Identifies independent/dependent clauses, appositives, relative clauses and explains function. | Identifies most clause types and key phrases; explains function. | Identifies some clauses/phrases but explanation limited. | Fails to identify or to explain clause/phrase roles. |
| Communication & structure | Clear, organized, uses t-model thinking; coherent paragraphing. | Organized and clear; mostly logical progression. | Some organisation, but ideas jump or repeat. | Disorganised; hard to follow. |
| Teacher feedback (short) | "Stunning — you named the parts and explained the music of the sentence. Keep going!" | "Solid work — good translation and clear analysis. Tighten a couple of clauses and you’re gold." | "You’re getting there — focus on clause roles and appositive meaning next." | "Revisit translation and basic clause types. Start with small sections and build up." |
10) Quick tips for you (13-year-old edition)
- Start by translating in short chunks — don’t wrestle the whole sentence at once.
- Underline verbs (they’ll show you where the clauses live).
- Circle appositives (they rename and give focus — like a subtitle).
- Label dependent words (since/ut/quoniam) — they usually make clauses dependent.
- When in doubt, make a tiny t-model: left = who/what, right = what is being said about it.
Want a printable worksheet version of the proficient and exemplary models with blanks to practice? Say the word and I’ll make one — cha-cha, clause by clause.