Caerus Latin

The PETE Method

PETE is a structured approach for answering literature questions in OCR J282. Each paragraph of your response should follow these four steps.

P — Point

State your argument clearly.

Your Point is the topic sentence that answers the question directly. It should make a claim about the effect the author creates — not a summary of what happens.

Example: "The author creates a sense of danger in this passage."

The Point tells the examiner what you are going to argue. Keep it focused: one clear claim per paragraph. Avoid starting with "In this passage..." or simply describing events.

E — Evidence

Quote the Latin text exactly.

Use the exact Latin words from the passage. Always include the line reference in brackets after the quotation.

Example: "The poet writes magnō cum timōre currēbant (line 3)."

Evidence grounds your argument in the text. Examiners cannot award high marks for analysis that is not supported by Latin. Aim to quote 2–6 words rather than entire sentences — precision matters more than length.

T — Translation

Translate your quoted Latin precisely.

Give an accurate English translation of the Latin you have just quoted. The examiner needs to see that you understand what the Latin means.

Example: "They were running with great fear."

Translation shows comprehension. A student who quotes Latin without translating it signals to the examiner that they may not understand the text. Keep translations literal enough to show grammatical awareness: “they were running” (imperfect, not “they ran”) demonstrates tense awareness that feeds directly into Explanation.

E — Explanation

Explain HOW the Latin evidence supports your Point.

This is the most important step — and the one that distinguishes good answers from outstanding ones. Analyse the specific language: word choice, word order, tense, case, literary devices.

Example: "The ablative phrase magnō cum timōre emphasises the intensity of their fear, while the imperfect currēbant suggests continuous, panicked movement — they could not stop running."

Avoid simply identifying a device (“this is alliteration”) without explaining its effect. The examiner wants to know WHY the author made this choice and WHAT effect it creates on the reader. The best answers link the specific Latin feature to the overall effect stated in the Point.

Exam tip: In a 10-mark question, aim for 2–3 PETE paragraphs. Each paragraph scores up to 3–4 marks. Quality of explanation matters more than quantity of points — a single precise analysis of word order or tense is worth more than listing three devices without explanation.

See Also

  • Essay Skills — a complete 10-mark model answer using PETE
  • MANGOES — use MANGOES to identify literary devices for your Explanation step