Why beside matters
Distance weakens accountability.
When the draft lives on a separate sheet or in a separate app, it becomes easy to polish the target language while forgetting why a phrase was chosen. Keeping the draft beside the Latin preserves the chain of responsibility.
The question becomes simple: which Latin word, ending, or construction justifies this part of the translation?
Draft in two passes
- First write close to the Latin, even if the result is awkward.
- Then revise for natural expression without erasing the grammatical evidence.
- When a polished phrase drifts too far, return to the source line.
- Leave hard choices visible until the second pass.
A fluent sentence is not a successful translation unless it can still point back to the Latin.
Revision ruleFor teachers
Side-by-side drafting makes feedback more specific. Instead of saying “awkward” or “wrong,” a teacher can ask which source feature the student was trying to preserve, and whether the revised phrase still preserves it.