Two drafts
A close draft and a readable draft have different jobs.
The close draft keeps structure visible. It may sound stiff, but it helps you see subjects, clauses, modifiers, and unresolved choices.
The readable draft is where English begins to breathe. The rule is simple: every improvement in style must still answer to the Latin.
Revision checks
Polish only after these questions are answerable.
- Which Latin words justify the subject and main verb in English?
- Which modifiers have been moved for readability?
- Which clause relationships were preserved or changed?
- Which ambiguity was resolved, and why?
- What did the readable draft add that the Latin does not support?
Teacher value
Revision becomes discussable when the stages are visible.
Teachers can give better feedback when they can see the path from rough structure to readable English. A final sentence alone hides too much.
The draft should remain connected to the source long enough for the student to explain the choices.
viaFlaminia
How viaFlaminia helps
viaFlaminia keeps the Latin and draft side by side, with glosses and tags preserved as part of the project. That makes revision a visible process rather than a mysterious rewrite.
Readable English is the finish line, not the first guess.
Revision ruleKeep learning
Use these guides as a method, not a shortcut. The stronger habit is to make each translation decision visible before accepting a final English sentence.
FAQ
Before you start.
Should a Latin translation always sound literal?
No. A final translation should be readable, but only after the source relationships have been understood.
Where does AI comparison fit?
It can help after a student has a draft to compare. It should not replace the evidence-gathering stage.