Puer stilum dextra tenet et in charta clare scribit.

Latin does not have articles like English the and a/an.

So:

• puer can mean the boy or a boy
• stilum can mean the pen/stylus or a pen/stylus
• charta can mean the paper or paper, depending on context

Latin leaves that idea to context, while English usually has to make it explicit.

Because stilum is the direct object of tenet.

The boy is doing the action of holding, and the thing being held is the stylus, so Latin puts stilus into the accusative singular:

• nominative: stilus = the stylus as subject
• accusative: stilum = the stylus as object

So puer stilum tenet means the boy holds the stylus.

Because puer is the subject, while stilum is the object.

In Latin, nouns change form depending on their job in the sentence.

• puer is nominative, because it is the one doing the action
• stilum is accusative, because it receives the action

English mostly uses word order to show this, but Latin often uses endings.

dextra here is ablative singular: more precisely, dextrā if macrons are shown.

It means with the right hand.

This is a very common Latin use of the ablative: the ablative of means/instrument. It tells you what tool or means is used to do something.

So:

• stilum dextrā tenet = he holds the stylus with his right hand

Latin often uses the ablative without a preposition for this idea.

Because for a simple idea like with the hand as an instrument, Latin very often prefers the bare ablative:

• dextrā = with the right hand

Using cum is not the normal choice here.
The ablative alone already expresses the idea of means or instrument.

So an English speaker may expect with, but Latin often does not need a preposition in this kind of phrase.

Here in means on or in in a location sense, so it takes the ablative.

That means charta here is really chartā in the ablative singular, if macrons are written.

A useful rule:

• in + ablative = in/on a place, location
• in + accusative = into/onto a place, motion toward

So:

• in chartā scribit = he writes on the paper
• but in chartam would suggest motion onto the paper

Because clare is an adverb.

It comes from the adjective clarus, clara, clarum, and first/second-declension adjectives often form adverbs in -e.

So:

• clarus = clear, bright
• clare = clearly

In this sentence, clare modifies scribit, telling us how he writes.

Literally it means he writes clearly.

Depending on context, that could be understood as:

• he writes clearly
• he writes neatly
• he writes legibly

The important grammatical point is that clare is an adverb modifying the verb scribit.

Because the verb endings already show the person and number.

• tenet = he/she/it holds
• scribit = he/she/it writes

The ending -t tells you the verb is third person singular.

Since puer is already the subject, Latin does not need to add a separate pronoun like he.

Because the sentence joins two verbs with et:

• puer stilum dextra tenet
• et in charta clare scribit

The subject puer naturally carries over to the second verb unless Latin says otherwise.

So the full sense is:

• The boy holds the stylus with his right hand and writes clearly on the paper.

Latin often avoids repeating the subject when it is already clear.

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because Latin endings show the grammatical roles.

English depends heavily on order:

• The boy holds the stylus

But Latin can move words around more freely because:

• puer is marked as subject
• stilum is marked as object

So Puer stilum dextra tenet is natural Latin, but other arrangements are also possible for emphasis.

Yes. Et is the ordinary Latin word for and.

Here it connects the two actions:

• tenet = holds
• scribit = writes

So the sentence describes one boy doing two related things.

They are both present tense, third person singular, but they belong to different conjugation patterns.

• tenet comes from tenēre = to hold
• scribit comes from scribere = to write

Both mean he ...s in English here:

• tenet = he holds
• scribit = he writes

So they match in person and number, even though they come from different verb classes.

Yes. That is a very close, literal rendering.

Piece by piece:

• Puer = the boy
• stilum = the stylus
• dextra = with the right hand
• tenet = holds
• et = and
• in charta = on the paper
• clare = clearly
• scribit = writes

That literal version is helpful for seeing the grammar, even if a smoother English translation might vary a little.