how to write ib english hl essay

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IB English, the HL Essay: All You Need to Know

Written By Our IB++Tutor Birgitte J.

What You Need to Know

• The HL Essay is a 1200-1500 word formal essay and it is based on a literary work studied as part of the course. You cannot use the same work for the IO or the Paper 2 [1] for this essay.
• In the IB Language and Literature course [2] , the essay can also be based on a non-literary or collection of non literary text(s).
• You develop a line of inquiry , a question that lends itself to an argument focused on how a theme or message is conveyed through literary features.
• The essay is completed in your own time and you should get some feedback from your teacher during the development of the essay.
• You do not have to incorporate secondary sources beyond the text you are working with.

The paper is externally assessed, meaning the final grade given is from the IB Examiner, not from your teacher. However, your teacher will give a predicted grade that is sent to the IB [3] .

How to Approach the Essay

The essay requires you to construct a focused, analytical argument, examining the work from a broad literary or linguistic perspective. It also requires you to adhere to the formal framework of an academic essay, using citations and references.

Connection to the Learner Portfolio

The HL essay is based on the exploration you have engaged with in the Learner Portfolio [4] . In the lead-up to the drafting of the essay, you must decide which text to focus on for further investigation, and which topic to write about. In choosing the topic, you can consult the course’s seven central concepts. You can choose any text with the exception of the texts used for the Internal Assessment (the IO) or the Paper 2.

How to choose a text

Don’t wait until the last minute and talk with your teacher about the text you want to use and the focus you are considering. Write your ideas out to make sure your line of inquiry is focused and appropriate for an analytical argument of a paper of this length.

In the case of a collection of short stories, poems, song lyrics or any short literary text, you may choose to use just one literary text from the work. However, It may be necessary to use more than one literary text from the work chosen.

The Language and Literature course only *

In the case of short non-literary texts, it may be necessary to use more than one from the same text type by the same author, for example the same creative advertising agency, cartoonist, photographer or social media user. At least one of these texts must have been studied in class. (If using a text in translation it must be a professional and published translation).

Determining the Topic and the 7 Course Concepts

It’s helpful but not mandatory to start with the seven central concepts of the course in generating or determining a topic for the essay. The questions below are meant as starting points for the focus of the essay, not as complete lines of inquiry which should be more specific to the chosen text (see examples of lines of inquiry below).

Questions may include; How is identity represented in the text? How are the characters in the text representative of a group? How does the text reflect the identity of the writer?

Questions may include; How is an aspect of the text representative of a culture or a particular place? How is a group of people or an institution conveyed? How is the text representative of a cultural perspective?

3-Creativity

Questions may include; How is the text representative of an individual or collective creativity, or lack of creativity? How is the text a reflection of the creativity of the writer?

4-Communication

How is communication or lack of communication conveyed in the text? How does the text itself communicate with the reader? How are aspects of communication illustrated through literary features?

5-Transformation

How is change or development illustrated in the text? How are characters transformed through action, communication or events in the text? What is the relationship between transformation and the goals, values and beliefs conveyed in the text?

6-Perspective

How is a perspective or different perspectives represented in the text? How is a shift in perspective portrayed? How is the writer’s perspective revealed through the text?

7-Representation

How does the text represent a particular theme or message? How are attitudes conveyed? In what way is reality or the world within the text represented?

IB English Language and Literature Guide examples of lines of inquiry

• Identity —how does Ralph Ellison, in his novel Invisible Man, succeed in making his narrator a convincing spokesperson for the concerns of African-Americans in the 20th century?
• Culture —how does Robert Capa represent post-Second World War France to qualify/exemplify the brutalities of the French population on former Nazi collaborators in La Femme Tondue? (Language A: language and literature only)
• Creativity —how do Mario Testino’s portraits manage to convey the personalities of those portrayed in original ways? (Language A: language and literature only)
• Communication– which view of love does Matt Groening convey in Love is Hell? (Language A: language and literature only)
• Transformation– in what ways does The Alan Parsons Project’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination offer a transformative re-reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s tales?
• Perspective– how does Mary Shelley’s protagonist in Frankenstein use the motif of dangerous knowledge to show the perspective of fear and anxiety of excesses in scientific enterprise in early 19th century Europe?
• Representation– through what means does Juan Rulfo successfully convey the representation of realistic and non-realistic characters and situations in Pedro Páramo?​

A Final Note on the Learner Portfolio and the HL Essay

The Learner Portfolio is not assessed but schools are required to keep it on file. It is intended to be a platform for reflecting on the texts studied, facilitating development of independent thinking. The reflections may include responses to cultural perspectives and values, inter-relationships and identities as it relates to topics and themes in the texts studied. The reflections may serve as a springboard for the line of inquiry in the HL essay. For example, you may keep a record of themes present, reflections on how particular passages within the texts reflect those themes, or how themes and passages convey one of the 7 central concepts.

[1] Paper 2 is cancelled for the 2022 cohort. No announcement has been made for the 2023 at the time this article was written.

[2] There are 3 IB English courses. The two most common are IB English A: Literature SL/HL, a course focused on literature (Poetry, drama, short stories and novels) and the IB English Language and Literature SL/HL course, focused on literature AND a variety of non-literary (non-fiction) text types.

[3] The examiner’s grade is independent from your teacher’s predicted grade.

[4] An individual collection of student work compiled during the course in which you explore and reflect on the texts throughout the course.

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IB English A (Lang & Lit) HL Essay IA examples

Type a search phrase to find the most relevant English A (Lang & Lit) HL Essay IA examples for you

Not sure what to search for? You can always look through our example Internal Assessments below for inspiration.

All English A (Lang & Lit) HL Essay IA Examples

Filter exemplars, how does jordan peele represent racism in the 21st century in his thriller movie ‘get out’, how does beyoncé portray the american black southern identity struggle by reclaiming cultural elements in the visual album lemonade, want to get full marks for your ia allow us to review it for you 🎯, how does shakespeare use characterisation to conform to and challenge gender roles and expectations in the play macbeth, how does barbara kruger’s usage of imagery, text, and coloring in her different artworks create relations in order to employ women’s bodies and beauty standards in society, in what ways does henrik ibsen, in his play, a doll’s house, employ stylistic features to communicate the victorian social codes of the 1870s, fast track your coursework with mark schemes moderated by ib examiners. upgrade now 🚀, how does marjane satrapi portray western stereotypes about the iranian culture in her graphic novel, persepolis i , to what extent does the patriarchy dictate female identity and enforce their transformation in carol ann duffy’s the world’s wife, line of inquiry: how does the representation of women in liza donnelly’s cartoons convey harmful societal norms and expectations as a barrier to women’s empowerment in different levels of society, how does dangarembga’s use of characterisation for tambudzai and nyasha portray hybrid identities as a result of assimilating into a dominant culture in nervous conditions, how does duffy critique the madonna-whore dichotomy by revisiting historical representations of women, how does maya angelou, in her collected poems, celebrate the resilience of women through her perspective as an african-american poet, how does social stratification affect the morality or the moral standards of the great gatsby in the given social context, how rishi sunak's speech net zero reflects a shift in political strategy towards addressing climate change, and how this impacts youth perception and support for increased governmental action, to what extent does jane austen in her novel pride & prejudice use characterization to emphasise the traditional family & marriage model of the early 19th century, how does nawal el saadawi represent the impact of religion and culture through symbolic features in the novel, woman at point zero, how and to what end are stylistic devices utilised in portrayal of masculinity in the late 20th century marlboro advertisements, how does the narrative of the documentary "ice cold: coffee, murder, and jessica wongso" attempt to reshape the audience's perception of jessica wongso’s guilt, in what ways and to what effect does marjane satrapi illustrate the struggle for identity formation in persepolis: a story of a childhood, through the use of emilia’s character in othello, how does shakespeare reflect the realities of women in the elizabethan era to provide historical commentary, how does natalie diaz explore the marginalisation of native american people and how it affects their relationship with their identity in her poetry, how does kazuo ishiguro employ a first person point of view to explore the ways stevens’ sense of duty and loyalty shape his identity in the novel the remains of the day, how does michelle obama’s use of transformative narratives in her speeches inspire and empower audience to affect personal and societal change, how does banksy utilize visual and textual elements in his artworks in order to transform the publics opinion on capitalisms prominence in modern-day society, how and why is the notion of corruption in colonial algerian society in the 1940s presented as the result of the rejection of that which is different from the common standard in the stranger, how does william shakespeare portray the transformation of othello’s character caused by jealousy in his tragic play othello, how does federico garcía lorca convey passion in a way that contradicts the social norms within blood wedding, how do the comedic devices come out as an expression of jo koy’s cultural identity in his netflix special 'live from seattle', to what extent does the film dead poets society by peter weir promote the pursuit of passion and self-expression, how does guy delisle’s use of symbolism in pyongyang indicate the democratic people's republic of korea's tactics of maintenance of power, how and to what effect does chekhov's characterization of the titular three sisters reflect the greater sociopolitical upheavals of late nineteenth-century russia, how does natalie diaz portray addiction and its impact on family dynamics, how and to what effect do the structural devices in lokasenna’s mimetic dialogue demonstrate the possession and transfer of power between characters, how do dimitry moor’s propaganda posters promote the ideologies of socialism to the proletariats of russia, in what ways does primo levi’s autobiography, if this is a man, present the difficulties of communication in auschwitz, poet juana ramírez de asbaje’s usage of the courtly love genre in “my divine lysi” and “i beg you, señora” to express her love for maría luisa manrique de lara y gonzaga, marchioness of la laguna, 11th countess of paredes, how does chimamanda ngozi adichie reveal the social and psychological effects of triple oppression through the main character in her short story “the thing around your neck”, the seven days as an exploration of the complexities within blackness, how do angela carter’s short stories in “the bloody chamber” portray gender roles through associations with nature to resist patriarchal and androcentric customs in society, how does wilfred owen use imagery to address the mental trauma of combat, jana curcio's exploration of racial generalization leading to the distortion of identity and freedom in the photo collection skin tones: visualize racism.

Higher Level Essay

Whether you are an HL Literature student or HL Lang/Lit student, the HLE requires some special attention.  The good thing about this assessment is that it’s a processed – rather than on-demand – piece of writing.  This means you can take your time, put in the work, and produce something that you love and makes you proud.  Our students crush this assessment!  Use the same resources they do and enjoy your success.

HLE Writing Guide

Writing this assessment doesn’t have to be challenging.  In fact, we think it can be fun and rewarding!  Let us guide you through the entire writing process, from line of inquiry to the last word of your conclusion.  Our students do well on this assessment, and so can you.

Part of our  IBDP English A Student Toolkit , this resource includes:

• 100-page course book with guidance on films, photos, cartoons, and many other non-literary BOWs
• 5 sample papers across genres
• Examiner scores and comments
• Line of Inquiry guidance
• Step-by-step approach to building the HLE in small and manageable chunks
• Complete set of graphic organizers to guide students from start to finish

Developing a Line of Inquiry and Thesis

The Line of Inquiry (LOI) and thesis are the cornerstone of the assessment, so don’t proceed until these are under control.  Sadly, many students get off to a poor start with this step, and this means they end up writing either a shallow essay or one that doesn’t really satisfy the requirements of the task.  These videos should help you unlock the task.

Start with a text you love and work toward developing a literary or linguistic perspective. Watch this video and start your pathway to success.

How To Write the Line of Inquiry

If the first method didn't work for you, please try another approach.

How to Write the Line of Inquiry (part 2)

Turn that LoI into a clear, precise, and insightful thesis statement that will drive the essay.

HLE Sample Thesis Statements and Writing

The HLE Complete Course from Start to Finish

We feel this is some of our best work.  Teachers and students around the world have commented that this HLE series gets the job done and results in some powerful writing that makes students proud.  Please take the time and work through the videos sequentially.  Work along side with us.  Let us guide you to HLE success!

Choose your text and write the LOI.

Student planning doc

Model Student planning doc

Time for brainstorming and outlining.

Student Organizer

Completed Sample Organizer

Master the intro and conclusion.

Sample Intro and Conclusion

Learn how to write strong HLE body paragraphs.

Sample Body Paragraphs

Learn to revise, edit, and polish the final product.

Final instructions before submission

Dave’s complete sample HLE

Some Sample Papers

Sometimes it’s easier to just look at a final product, break it down, and see how other students have approached the HLE.  That’s why Dave and Andrew selected some strong papers, highlighted them, and discussed their strengths and weaknesses.  We’ve examined tons of these things, so listen carefully.  Lots of tips and tricks in these videos to help you pick up some extra points and crack into that mark band you want and deserve.  Understand the task.  Work hard.  Defeat the HLE and allow yourself to beam with pride.  Go ahead, you’ve earned it.

You’ve probably noticed that Andrew and Dave love drama. Dialogue, stage directions, props…they’re amazing! Watch our student crush this HLE on Death and the Maiden by Dorfman. What can you steal from this essay in terms of ideas, organization, and overall approach? Document: HLE Student Sample – Drama

Poetry anyone? Andrew and Dave love poetry for the HLE. They are complete “mini works” with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They are rich in techniques. They are complex and have deep meaning. In short, they rock. Just remember that for the HLE, “short texts need friends.” Document: HLE Student Sample – Poetry

Looking For More Support?

Hey, nobody said this thing would be easy.  No worries.  We’ve got you covered.  Perhaps you want to see some more student writing?  Check.  We’ve got that.  Perhaps you want to know some key points to include?  Check.  We got that too.  You’re almost there!  Finish these last two videos, add some finishing touches to your work, and submit that baby in with pride and confidence.

So you watched the videos above but are still concerned about “showing deep thinking” on the HLE? It’s ok – we know this is tough. Check out this video to see several samples of how to build big thinking into your writing. Document: Showing Deep Thinking in the HLE

We know, we know. The content is overwhelming and it’s just too much at times. You just want the top ten tips for success? Fine. Here you go. But don’t forget to go back and watch the rest of these videos when you’re feeling more energy. They’re a set. Watch them all and ace the HLE.

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   HL Essay Home Free Access Weekend! P1 - Examination Questions P2 - Examination Questions Start Here Paper 1 Paper 2 Individual Oral The Learner Portfolio Extended Essay Essential Knowledge Resources  

• HL Essay - The Basics
• HL Essay - Choosing a Topic
• HL Essay - Great Examples (Literature)
• HL Sample: Non-literary Body of Work - George Monbiot's Essays
• HL Essay - Gaining Level 7
• HL Essay - Student Samples

Here you will find examples of real student HL Essays. Take a read and, using the marking criteria, grade them. You can compare your marks with those of the examiner.

Student Samples

The Characterization of Luis Alberto Molina through the use of Films, Dialogue and Stream of Consciousness in Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman 

Luis Alberto Molina, commonly referred to as Molina, is arguably the most fascinating and captivating character in the prose novel Kiss of the Spider Woman, written by the Argentine author Manuel Puig. The novel, first published in its original Spanish in 1976, revolves primarily around the relationship between two convicts in a Buenos Aires prison, presumably during the military dictatorship of the late 1970s: Molina, a homosexual cross-dresser imprisoned for sexual perversion, and Valentin, imprisoned and tortured for being a member of a Marxist resistance group. Puig employs several narrative techniques to reveal the intrinsic nature of Molina’s character while confined in a cell with an initially hostile companion. Firstly, Molina frequently submerges the reader into the realm of film, as he narrates several romantic films throughout the novel, the most significant being the 1942 film Cat People and one described as Nazi Propaganda. The films express Molina’s longing for escapism and his mannerism. Secondly, the author’s use of unmarked, outer dialogue establishes Molina’s self-identity. Furthermore, the dialogue portrays Molina in relation to Valentin, as the two develop a strong bond throughout the novel, to the point where they share complete intimacy and engage in sexual activities. Lastly, Puig’s use of stream of consciousness writing provides vital insight into Molina’s internal conflicts and reveals his true identity as a spy. 

The author employs films narrated by Molina as a medium through which his character is introduced to the reader and developed throughout the novel. In order to combat boredom and help pass the time, Molina vividly narrates the plots of several movies, often embellished with romance. As the films are presented through Molina’s eyes, they give vital insight into his perception of the world around him. The novel begins with Molina describing the appearance of the main protagonist of the film Cat People: Irena, a Romanian immigrant who fears she will turn into a panther if a man kisses her. In the film, she falls in love with a charming architect, who takes on a protective role and attempts to take away her fears. Molina goes into great detail, stating that “[her] face, [is] more oval than roundish, […]” (1) and that her hair is “ […] cut in bangs […], and is down to the shoulders, […], with little curls at the end too, almost like a permanent wave.”(1). This vivid description portrays Molina as a man who admires feminine features. Throughout the narration, Molina pays special attention to fashion, decorations in homes, and romance, highlighting his obsession with escaping into fantasy worlds. This message is further reiterated when Valentin “break[s] the illusion” by criticizing Molina’s narration, to which he responds that he would rather have “the panther woman’s boyfriend to keep [him] company instead of [Valentin].” (17). Additionally, the film is riddled with symbols of femininity and masculinity, which Molina sympathizes with. When asked by Valentin who he relates to in the film, he reveals that he identifies with Irena, as “[…] She’s the heroine,[…] Always with the heroine.” (25). This shows Molina’s desire to be the hero of his own life story. This foreshadows the ending of the novel, where Molina dies in an attempt to deliver information to Valentin’s resistance movement. Furthermore, Molina strongly connects with the pipe-smoking architect, due to him being “ […] the gentle type, and understanding.” (17). This subtly hints towards Molina’s submissiveness, as he desires a partner that protects him like the architect protects Irene. The second film follows the story of a French woman who falls in love with a Nazi officer and is forced to spy on him for the French resistance. While Valentin is quick to point out that the film is portraying the nazis as the saviors of Europe and calls it “Nazi junk”, Molina decides to ignore him, stating that “The film [is] divine, and for me, that’s all that’s what counts.” (78). Molinas unwillingness to see past the superficial glamour of the film and recognize that it intends to vilify the french resistance furthers the notion of Molina’s disconnect from a hostile society and his need to escape into fictional, romantic scenarios. Additionally, the themes of espionage and betrayal in the second film foreshadow the revelation that Molina is a spy for the prison warden, and has been promised early release if he extracts information on Valentin’s resistance movement. Consequently, the films are key to decipher Molina’s personality as they display a disconnect from reality and give insight into his feminine nature. 

Traditionally, novels are told by a narrator who exists either inside (internal) or outside (external) the story’s universe. What sets the novel apart from others is the fact that the author omits an external narrator entirely, using outer dialogue between the two characters to reveal Molina’s character. This narrative device effectively places the reader into the head of Molina and provides information about his self-identity. Furthermore, the change in dialogue from one character to another is indicated solely by a dash, forcing the reader to, at times, deduce who is speaking solely by their diction. When Valentin brings up Molina’s tendency of escapism and mocks his femininity, Molina retaliates, exclaiming that “You’re all alike, always coming to me with the same business.” (19), expressing his anger towards the society that rejects him. Molina continues by saying that “If a woman’s the best there is, […] I want to be one.” (19). This powerful phrase is the first glimpse the reader gets of Molina’s identity, as it becomes clear he doesn’t consider himself a stereotypical, masculine man. Once Valentin opens up to Molina about his relationship with his girlfriend, Molina reciprocates, revealing he is in love with a heterosexual waiter named Gabriel. Molina perceives Gabriel as a “real man” due to him being “elegant, […] soft and masculine.” (61). When asked about his definition of masculinity, he responds by stating “[…] it’s knowing what you want, where you’re going.” (61). The reader automatically recognizes that Molina doesn’t fit his own definition of masculinity, as he pursues the impossible goal of living with Gabriel, despite him being married. Furthermore, when talking about himself in the third person, Molina calls himself a “woman”, stating that “[…] when it comes to him, I can’t talk about myself like a man, because I don’t feel like one.” (60). This reveals Molina’s self-identity as a stereotypical female and accordingly, his attraction to a “real man”.Therefore, the author’s choice to employ outer dialogue between the prisoners is effective in refining Molina’s character as the device forces the reader to see things from his perspective, simultaneously allowing for a great deal of personal interpretation due to the first-hand narration. 

A third narrative technique that Puig employs to great effect is stream of consciousness writing. The device, meant to give the reader an insight into Molina’s disturbed state of mind, is used extensively throughout chapter 5 (96-112), where Molina privately pictures the plot of a third movie while Valentin studies politics. In the stream of consciousness writing, several of Molina’s thoughts help the reader understand his internal conflicts. Firstly, Molina’s resentment towards the society that loathes him is once again shown when he thinks: “[…] it feels so bad when someone gives you a black look, […] or when they refuse to look at you all together.” (105). This is strongly contrasted by feelings of guilt, which is expressed when he thinks of his sickly mother, whom he fears will die of a broken heart due to having a son “steeped in vice” (105). In the next few sentences, the reader gets a glimpse into an emotion once thought impossible by the sensitive, gentle character: rage. When Molina reflects on the judge that was determined to bring on him “[…] the full weight of what the law permitted […]” (106) and his mother’s horrified reaction, he becomes furious:“[…] if he dared to say one stupid word about her, I would kill the son of a bitch […]” (106). Towards the end of the passage, Molina thinks about the promise the warden gave him of a reduced sentence, giving the reader the first clue that he is a spy. The stream of consciousness section is therefore vital in the portrayal of Molina’s character as the reader interprets his potential for violence as the ultimate expression of affection towards his mother, as well as emotions such as resentment, rage and guilt. 

In conclusion, the narrative techniques mentioned above combine synergistically to give Molina his charismatic, romantic, and conflicting character. The films ‘told’ by Molina are central to the construction of his identity as they reveal his disconnect from reality and his feminine personality. The author’s use of outer dialogue adds to Molina’s characterization as his communication with Valentin reveals his self-identity. Finally, Puig’s use of stream of consciousness writing displays conflicting emotions that plague Molina. The construction of Molina’s character is vital as he is central to the plot of the novel and challenges the readers perception on homosexuality, gender expression and identity. 

Puig, Manuel, and Thomas Colchie. Kiss of the Spider Woman. Vintage International, 1991. 

Bibliography

Cat People. Directed by J. Tourneur, RKO Pictures, 1942.

Examiner's Marks

The motif of death and the interconnection between the Netflix series  13 Reasons Why  and the novel  Crossing the Mangrove

Word Count: 1500

Bibliography:

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IB English A Language and Literature: HL Essay Assessment Considerations

Please note:  The purpose of this information is to elaborate on the nature of the IB assessment task, define and explain the assessment criteria and their implications, share observed challenges in students’ submitted assessment work, and offer strategies and approaches for assessment preparation. 

This post is not meant to replace a reading of the IB Language A Subject Guides or the Teacher Support Materials available on MYIB.  Those resources should always be a first stop for teachers when checking the requirements of each assessment task and how the task should be facilitated. 

HL Essay Overview

Nature of the task.

• Students are asked to develop a line of inquiry of their choice in connection with a work or body of work studied in the course.
• In this context, teachers serve as advisors.  The HL essay is an opportunity for students “to develop as independent, critical and creative readers, thinkers and writers” [1] which suggests there should be some degree of autonomy in choosing a work or body of work and determining the line of inquiry.
• The final essay is a focused argument critically examining a broad literary or linguistic perspective in one of the works or bodies of work studied in the course.  The focus of the critical examination should be appropriate for the discipline; while there may be some overlap with other disciplines (e.g., art or film), teachers will need to use their professional judgement to evaluate appropriate boundaries for the line of inquiry [2] .
• The essay should be developed “over an extended period of time” [3] .  Adequate time should be given for students to refine their ideas, plan their arguments, draft, and revise their essays.  Teachers are expected to play an active role guiding and facilitating this process.
• The essay is formal and should adhere to the conventions of an academic essay in its structure and use of citations.  
• In the marking of the assessment task, there is equal quantitative value placed on the ideas presented in the essay (10 marks) and the essay’s organization and use of language (10 marks).  Maximum: 20 marks. [4]
• The final essay produced for submission needs to be 1200-1500 words in length.  Examiners will not read more than 1500 words. [5]

Explanation of the task

• It is important that students develop a line of inquiry that is focused, analytical, and (when relevant) literary before they begin researching and writing.  Students do not need to name literary or textual features in their question; however, the question should lend itself to an analytical investigation of the work that is appropriate for the discipline.
• The seven course concepts (identity, culture, creativity, communication, transformation, perspective, and representation) may serve as a starting point when developing a line of inquiry. [6]
• The discussion, ideas, and inspiration for the HL Essay will ideally come from the student’s Learner Portfolio.  Students may expand on an idea, activity, or smaller-scale assessment explored in class as inspiration for selecting a topic and developing a line of inquiry.  Students may also explore their own, self-generated lines of inquiry.
• Each student’s line of inquiry should develop from their own work or ideas about the work.  Ideally, the learner portfolio will document this evolution (in some form).

Selection of work

• Students base their essays on one work or body of work studied in the course. Students may choose any work or body of work, except for the works/body of work used for the Individual Oral or the works chosen for the Paper 2 exam. 
• Students should consult with their teachers when selecting a text, work, or body of work to ensure the material is rich enough to support a focused, analytical argument of this length.
• Documentaries and full features films are full, non-literary “works” and are acceptable material on which to base a line of inquiry for the HL Essay.
• Literary bodies of work include collections of short stories, poetry, essays, graphic narratives, etc.
• Non-literary bodies of work may include an advertising campaign, a journalist’s published articles or editorials, a photojournalist’s series of photographs, related public service announcements or campaigns, research and relevant publications by an organization (such as Human Rights Watch), a series of texts or shows by an interviewer, commentator or satirist, a podcast series, an editorial cartoonist’s publications, etc. [7]  
• The texts in the body of work must share authorship.  This means the texts are written or produced by a single author or are written and produced by collaborators that share a single authorship (such as an advertising agency, corporation, non-profit organization, television show, writer and graphic illustrator, etc.) [8]
• Students may base their essay on one text in a body of work (e.g., one short story in a collection), however students need to be careful to sustain a “broad literary [or linguistic] investigation” as opposed to a close reading or commentary.  They are expected to make explicit connections in the essay between the text and the author’s body of work. [9]  
• In most cases, it will be appropriate for a student to reference at least 2-3 texts in an author’s body of work. 
• Students may explore and use any texts from an author studied in class, even if the specific texts were not part of the course study.  This might be appropriate if the student’s specific literary investigation cannot be supported with the specific texts studied but could be supported with other texts by the author. [10]

Determining the topic (and line of inquiry)

• The essay needs to be focused on a broad literary or linguistic investigation that addresses a concept developed in the work or body of work. 
• Students who struggle to identify a suitable concept can use one of the seven course concepts as a starting place to develop their line of inquiry (e.g., What does the work communicate about…? In what ways does the work transform our perspective on…?  To what extent does the work represent…? )
• Students should be encouraged to explore a concept that is significant to them and their reading of the work. 
• Teachers can advise and coach students through the process of selecting a topic and developing a line of inquiry, but teachers are not supposed to assign topics (or works) to students. [11]

What is the HL Essay Assessing?

Criterion a:  knowledge, understanding, and interpretation (5 marks), defined terms.

• Students need a clear, cohesive thesis statement in the introduction of the essay that states the conclusions the student has drawn in response to the line of inquiry.  The “conclusions” are the student’s central argument for the essay. 
• Students need to understand the difference between demonstrating understanding of a work and offering interpretations of the work’s meanings.  An essay must offer interpretations of the work’s implications to score at least a “satisfactory” mark in Criterion A.
• Good to excellent knowledge and understanding comes from knowing the works very well which usually requires multiple readings .  Clear references, explanations, and detailed analysis in support of asserted interpretations are a more effective demonstration of knowledge and understanding than summary.  
• When analyzing texts from a “body of work”, students are expected to make claims and connections to the body of work.  If the focus of the essay is on an individual text (such as a short story or poem), it is important that the analysis be treated as a “broad literary [or linguistic] investigation”.  Teachers will need to evaluate the extent to which this is possible for each individual text.  It may be helpful for teachers and students to consult articles in scholarly journals to see examples of how a broad literary investigation can be approached with a shorter, individual text.

Activities and protocols that develop skills related to knowledge, understanding, and interpretation.

Formulating Interpretive Statements

This activity scaffolds the process of developing an “interpretive statement” in response to a text or work.  This is achieved through a sentence completion exercise […]

Continue Reading

Concept Formation

In this activity, students use small examples to establish what a concept is (and is not).  This inductive strategy works to give depth, ownership, and […]

Critical Lenses

Critical lenses help students engage with different perspectives with which to approach the reading and interpretation of a work.  Each lens contains questions that provoke […]

Journal Writing

Journal writing helps students develop important thinking skills.  There are the traditional approaches used in the younger years, like imagining a minor character’s point of […]

Criterion B:  Analysis and evaluation (5 marks)

• This criterion asks students to critically analyze, evaluate, and compare how meaning is constructed and communicated in a work or body of work.
• The discussion, analysis, and evaluation of literary or linguistic features must work to develop the line in inquiry and central argument for the essay.  This is a common shortcoming in student essays.
• The interrelationships of authorial choices and their effects may be complex, which requires thoughtful organization in the planning stage of the essay. 
• Assertions that make judgements about a writer’s competency or simply state a preference for an author or style are not literary evaluations.
• An insightful literary analysis usually includes an appreciation of form-specific features.

Activities and protocols that develop skills related to analysis and evaluation

Why might this detail matter?

This activity gets students to think about the significance of minor details in a work.  These details can be used as evidence to form the […]

Ladder of Abstraction

This activity allows students to process the ways in which details from a work might represent larger abstract ideas. Process Divide students in groups of […]

Appoint a Devil’s Advocate

This protocol invites divergent thinking in a group and works to facilitate a culture where different ideas are viewed as collaborative rather than combative.  Preparation […]

This activity helps students visually see and appreciate the ways in which parts make up a whole.  One of the challenges many students have is […]

Criterion C:  Focus, organization, and development (5 marks)

• The line of inquiry (which includes the topic) should be clearly stated either as the title or in the introductory paragraph of the essay. 
• The thesis (or argument) for the essay should be clearly communicated in the introductory paragraph. 
• Effective organization helps students maintain focus, achieve cohesion, and develop claims.  This means considering the most effective way to present the argument and its supporting evidence and analysis (chronologically, most persuasive evidence first, by sub-topic, cause and effect relationships, first impressions vs. later reflections, claims and counter claims, etc.).
• Each paragraph should be a point of development that supports the conclusions drawn from the line of inquiry (i.e., the essay’s central argument).  The nature of the argument and the substance of the analysis should determine the number of paragraphs, their length, and their order.  Forcing an argument into a formulaic essay structure can be limiting.
• Purposeful transitions create cohesion and logically take the reader through the essay’s evidence-based claims.
• Essays organized by authorial choices tend to be limiting because they struggle to appreciate the interdependency of features’ effects.
• One citation method should be sustained throughout the essay.

Activities and protocols that develop skills related to organization and development

Generate, Sort, Connect, Elaborate: Concept Mapping IDEAS in a Work

This activity asks students to individually identify ideas and issues developed in a work and collaboratively connect and develop one another’s ideas.  This ultimately helps […]

Making a Précis

This activity guides students on how to distill a text into 100-200-word précis or summary.  This is a helpful skill for preparing a passage response […]

This protocol helps students consider which ideas, issues, and feelings are playing a significant role in shaping their personal response to a work. Process Give […]

Sort Card Activity

This activity helps students organize information and identify conceptual trends.  This activity models a process that students can use when planning their own essays and […]

Significant Quotes

Who said it?  What is the context? and Why is this quote significant? may seem like an archaic exercise in today’s educational landscape, but the […]

Criterion D:  Language (5 marks)

• A wider vocabulary and knowledge of sentence structures gives students more language tools to express abstract and complex thoughts. 
• Correct use of terminology may be considered in awarding marks in this criterion; however, jargon is not the sole focus. 
• When students use vocabulary and sentence structures that are comfortably in their repertoire, they usually express their thinking more clearly.  When students stretch to use words or sentences structures with which they are not familiar, they risk miscommunication.
• An essay does not need to be flawless to earn top marks in this criterion, however the expectation for language to be clear, varied, and accurate is higher in this component.  This is because students have an opportunity to revise their essays.
• Voice is welcomed in all IB assessment tasks: formal writing does not need to be turgid.

Activities and protocols that develop skills related to use of language

Interpretive Statement Wall

This protocol helps students develop revision skills by asking clarifying and critical questions about each other’s interpretive statements or thesis statements.  This helps students develop […]

Evaluating Thesis Statements

This activity helps students understand the role language plays in communicating specific and complex ideas in a thesis statement.  The approach invites active collaboration, and […]

Discussion Posts and Personalized Learning

This formative assessment gives students an opportunity to personalize their learning while engaging in collaborative discussion with their peers around their chosen text(s) or work. […]

This protocol helps students generate ideas in response to a work. Process Give students a writing task, asking them to identify one thing they think […]

[1] Language A: Language and Literature Guide, First assessment 2021 , IBO: 2019. pp. 42.

[2] To gain an understanding or confidence in evaluating analysis that is “appropriate for the discipline”, teachers may want to invest some time perusing scholarly articles written on works they teach or are familiar with using a database such as JSTOR or Ebscohost.  These titles and articles an also be shared with students as guides and exemplars.

[4] Ibid, pp. 45.

[5] Ibid, p. 42.

[6] Ibid, p. 43.

[7] A list of text types can be found on p. 22 of the Language A: Language and Literature Guide.  As mentioned in the guide, the list is not exhaustive.

[8] “Selection of work”. Language A: Language and Literature Guide, First assessment 2021 , IBO: 2019, p. 43.

[11] Language A: Language and Literature Guide, First assessment 2021 , IBO: 2019. p. 44.

[12] Definition:  a short statement of the main points.

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Ultimate Guide To IB English – Language A: Literature HL Exam

What’s covered:, ib hl vs sl: what’s the difference, how do hl papers/exams work, how are the ib english sl papers/exams scored, how does the ib english hl exam affect my college chances.

IBDP, which stands for The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme , is a common high school diploma alternative to the AP system, a system very popular here in the U.S. The IB system is much more internationally accepted, and considered a lot more rigorous in academics and exams. 

The exams can be a hard spot for IB for many students, and one of its flagship subjects, English Literature, is considered difficult and its exam is no different. Hopefully this guide can break down the exam into some digestible information and make it easier for you to approach the examination. 

All IB classes/courses have two versions, higher level (HL) and standard level (SL) . The most prevalent  difference between these two versions is mostly the amount of coursework expected, as well as some key differences to what’s being provided to the student as learning material. 

Language A is separated by not only the difficulty of exams but, there are different kinds and options for reading material for the class. Reading material matters here because the exams are based on reading material. 

HL papers for the Literature exam are divided into two components:

• Paper 1 is a 2 hour and 15 minute long essay-based examination that requires you to analyze unseen texts.
• Paper 2 is a 2 hour and 15 minute long examination that will require you to answer questions based on the required texts for the course, and questions can be picked based on which texts you chose to read. 

This paper is a bit more difficult for most students because the questions are based on unseen excerpts as opposed to the reading materials you’ve read during the two year curriculum. These unseen texts are hard to prepare for, but based on the type of student you are, you might find this more approachable as they’re concise and require more reading between the lines. For these texts it’s important to get to the motive and theme of the text as soon as possible, as opposed to understanding the actual context. Skim reading and breaking down sections into groups based on common themes is a common hack for this paper. 

Ideally you’d want to have a general plan before you step into paper 1. The plan should detail your approach to reading the exam and its texts. Breaking the texts down to the following subcategories would be useful for literature analysis:

• Contextual and Content
• Author Motives

By breaking the text down like this, you can identify the purpose of the excerpt and hence answer any question that involves the analysis of the literature pretty easily, because your plan has already been executed as you were skimming or reading. 

This plan should make paper 1 much more manageable, but some practice goes a long way. Make sure to use previous examinations and specimen papers to your advantage and practice older questions to perfect your skills.

Paper 2 can be considered a little easier given that you’re aware of the texts that will be used for the examination, and you can choose which questions you wish to solve out of the provided options. These options make it even easier to implement the plan as described previously! Paper 2 is only as difficult as you come underprepared so study those texts and provide literature!

The texts refer to readings that have been assigned from a board at IBO, and these selections are sent to schools all over the world. The way the paper is designed, no matter which option you choose to read for a text, there will be an exam question that pertains to your selection. There will also be numerous generalized questions that can refer to many texts and be pretty-opened. 

There’s ample time to create answers that are more concrete and proofed compared to responses in paper 1, therefore the grading expectations for this paper are less lenient than paper 1. Understanding your provided reading material is key to excelling in this paper, so making sure to come in prepared is the key difference of passing and failing this paper.

Both papers are scored out of 20 points, and are based off a rubric/criterion chart that can be used to pick a score based on performance. 

The criteria can be clearly seen in the diagram above, with level 1 being the weakest performance in each criteria, up to 5 being the strongest.

You should study the criteria thoroughly because it shows you what the grader is looking for in a  good, well-written essay/response. 

The scores out of 20 are then used along with your performance in internal assessments to determine a grade out of 7 for the class . The table below, called a grade boundary table, is used by graders to determine this score out of 7.

To calculate your grade, you would take the total score on both papers (which is out of 40) and your internal assessment grades, a total isn’t as clear here as it’s based on what your teachers would decide. Divide your earned points by the number of available points to score, and multiply the decimal by a 100.

Read Early 

Given that paper 2 is completely dependent on how well you’re prepared by understanding your literature options, read earlier and get a head start. The sooner you understand your text, the earlier you can analyze prior to the exam. By getting this over with, when the exam rolls around you’re already done with the prep work required to solve the prompts and questions.

By reading earlier you may also notice the text you chose isn’t quite suited for you, or you simply don’t enjoy reading it. The extra time from starting it earlier, gives you a chance to swap our selections if required.

Exam Stress Management

A more general, but equally as important tip! Managing stress during exam season can be difficult, but a couple healthy practices can make it easy! Start by telling yourself exams are not as important as schools make them out to be! They are not going to decide our future, and certainly have less impact on your chances of college admission than you’d think! Understanding this can remove a lot of stress off you, which funnily enough might make you even perform better due to feeling less inclined to exceed those expectations that were previously placed on you!

In short they do not! Scores don’t mean much when it comes to college admissions, but showing the will to be in a hard class like English Literature HL is more important. Colleges are inclined to favor students with a set of more difficult classes as opposed to high scores and other metrics. 

A nifty tool, CollegeVine’s admissions calculator , takes all factors that do matter in college admissions, ranging from extracurriculars, GPA, and standardized test scores, along with a lot more, and provides you with your unique chances of getting into a college/university of your choosing. 

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

HL essay – outline

Check the Subject Guide and with your teacher for official information about the HL essay.

The HL essay is an external assessment . External assessments are marked by the IB.  Teachers not involved in the marking of external assessments.

The HL essay is a 1200-1500 word essay that counts for 20% of the overall course.

Students must select a body of work OR a work that is the focus on their analysis. Students also need to choose a topic that will be part of the analysis. The Subject Guide suggests students could consult use one of course’s seven central concepts as a topic (pg. 43). The Subject Guide also states that the topic, “should enable a broad literary or linguistic focus for the essay” (pg. 43).

Students cannot use the same work or body of work for more than one assessment in the course. Therefore the work or body of work used for the HL essay CANNOT be the same one used in the Individual Oral. Also, if a student uses a work in the HL essay that work CANNOT be used for Paper 2.

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IB English Paper 1 Explained

Ace your IB English Paper 1 exam with the #1 IB English Resource for 2022 as Voted by IB Students & Teachers

IB English Paper 1 is one of those nerve-wracking experiences that everyone has to endure. It's especially scary because you have no idea what you'll end up writing for your final exam–and your grades depend on it!

The best preparation you can do is be acutely aware of the exam structure and proven strategies that have worked for past IB7 graduates.

If you want to fully wrap your head around the IB English Paper 1 guided analysis, then this quick guide is for you.

Meet your instructor Jackson Huang, Founder of LitLearn. His mission is to make IB English as pain-free as possible with fun, practical lessons. Jackson scored an IB45 and was accepted to Harvard, Amherst, Williams Colleges, and full scholarships to University of Melbourne & Queensland.

What is a Paper 1 exam?

In a Paper 1 exam, you are given two mysterious, unseen texts . Each text is between 1-2 pages in length.

For SL students, you're in luck! Your task is to write a guided analysis on just one of the two texts. Total marks: 20. You have 1 hour and 15 minutes.

For HL students, you're in less luck… Your task is to write two guided analysis essays–one on each of the texts. Total marks: 40. You have 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The mystery text types you'll get for Paper 1 depend on whether you're in IB English Language & Literature or IB English Literature.

For IB English Literature , Paper 1 text types belong to four neat categories (hooray!):

• Fictional prose (e.g. short stories, extracts from novels)
• Non-fiction prose (e.g. scientific articles, extracts)
• Dramatic plays

For IB English Language and Literature , your text types could be… really… anything. Be prepared to be surprised. Typically, at least one of the text types will include some visual element like an image, photo, or cartoon. Here's the (non-exhaustive) list of Lang Lit text types:

• Magazines, blogs, articles and editorials
• Speeches, interview scripts, radio transcripts
• Instruction manuals, brochures
• Comic strips, political cartoons
• … and the list goes on…

What do I write in a guided analysis?

For each Paper 1 text, the IB English Gods pose a short, open-ended question.

This question is called the guiding question , and your essay must focus on answering this guiding question using analysis (we'll explain “analysis” in a second).

Examples of guiding questions:

• How does the writer characterize the protagonist's state of mind?
• How and to what effect do textual and visual elements shape meaning?
• How is narrative perspective used to create meaning and effect?

Even though you're technically allowed to choose your own focus and ignore the default guiding question, it's highly recommended that you go along with what's given… unless you really don't know how to answer it, or you're super confident in your Paper 1 skills.

Now, what are we supposed to do with the guiding question?

Guiding questions always ask you to explain how and why certain language or visual choices are used to build one or more central ideas .

And so the vague instruction "Answer the guiding question" actually translates to something very specific:

Explain  how and why the writer uses specific language to build their central idea(s).

This sentence pretty much sums up not just IB English Paper 1, but the gist of analysis and IB English overall.

Writing Deep, Insightful Analysis

If you want to get a high score on Paper 1 (and every IB English assessment in general), you must know how to write deep, insightful analysis.

After helping numerous IB English students at LitLearn, we've found that weak analysis is the #1 reason students struggle in IB English.

Biggest Mistake

The main mistake you're likely making is that your analysis doesn't dig deep enough .

Students make the mistake of only touching the surface-level meaning of the texts. For example, common mistakes include:

• only recounting the plot
• mentioning techniques and ideas without digging into the how and why
• not identifying the most relevant techniques for analysis.

The diagram below shows the difference between surface-level meaning, deep analysis, and deeper analysis.

If you're unsure about how to write strong analysis for IB English, or you're not confident in what to look for in your texts, then you should watch this free 7-minute video lesson from Learn Analysis: Analysis Foundations.

Learn Analysis

No sign up or credit card required.

Essential Techniques you need to know

So how do we write strong analysis that scores highly on Criterion B?

First things first, we need to know how to analyze the major literary and visual techniques (visual for Lang Lit), so that we can quickly find and analyze them under exam stress.

If you're cramming for Paper 1, here are the 7 most important techniques and concepts that you should know for IB English Paper 1. They apply to all text types in Lang Lit as well as Literature:

• Tone, atmosphere and mood
• Diction and voice
• Metaphor, simile, and personification
• The 4 main types of imagery
• The 3 types of irony
• Juxtaposition and contrast
• Grammatical and structural techniques

There's a bunch more, but these 7 categories make a great starting point. The first step is to learn their names and definitions, and flashcards are an excellent way to do this.

Of course, memorizing isn't enough. We also need to know the common effects and purposes behind each of these core techniques, so that we can build a mental library of the most common ways to deeply analyze each technique. If you don't study each technique in detail, it's much harder to invent deep analysis on-the-spot during an exam.

We go deep into each of the techniques in Learn Analysis . Here are just a couple of them to get you started.

Level 1 Techniques

Your One Mission in Paper 1

Let's quickly recap what you need to do in a Paper 1.

• You need to discuss the characters, themes and plot of a chosen  literary text, OR the visual and stylistic elements (diagrams, headings, titles, images) for a non-literary text.
• You then need to explain how and why these aspects were achieved by the writer or artist.

These two points are helpful as a basis for understanding, but they won't help you get concrete words onto the exam page. What we need now is a practical guide to writing an actual essay:

• Deciding on a good  thesis
• Choosing the right  points
• Choosing the right structure

A Practical Guide to Writing a Paper 1 essay

An IB English Paper 1 essay boils down to 3 separate parts:

• An introduction paragraph : contains a thesis and an outline of your points
• A body (usually 3 paragraphs) : contains your points
• A conclusion : wraps up the essay

Choosing a thesis

The thesis or subject statement is a single sentence in the introduction of the guided analysis that states how the writer achieves their overall purpose.

This is also the main argument that you are trying to prove in your essay, and it's typically related to the guiding question . The examiner can usually judge the strength of your analytical skills JUST from your subject statement alone, so it needs to be well-written!

Choosing the right essay structure for IB English Paper 1

Every text works best with a specific paragraph structure. Finding this match isn't always easy, but it's also one of the most important things to get right in your Paper 1 guided analysis.

You can organise your essay by:

• ideas or themes
• sections (sequential, e.g. stanza by stanza for poems)
• the ‘Big 5'
• and probably a whole host of other acronyms that English teachers love to invent.

Criterion C for IB English Paper 1 is Organisation . It's worth a whole 5/20 marks, so it's definitely in your best interest to choose the most appropriate structure for your essay.

Pro Tip: I recommend students to stay away from the Big 5 . Sure, it's useful as a memory device to tell you what elements to look for in a text, but it's not a good essay structure for analysis.

Why? Because analysis is about examining the causal interplay between techniques, stylistic choices, audience, tone, and themes. The Big 5 and SPECSLIMS artificially silo these components in your discussion.  Heed my advice or pay the price! (notice that rhyme?)

So in my opinion, there are only two types of structure that are most  conducive (yep, another new vocab, omnomnom) to getting a 7. Ideas/themes  and Sections . Take this as a hot tip and run with it. If your teacher is forcing you to use other structures, then you'll need to know why this is recommended.

We go into much more depth and explain it all inside Learn Analysis.

Pro members only

Writing body paragraphs: Why and How

Once you've chosen the best structure for your essay and decided on a strong thesis as your central argument, the rest of the essay needs to revolve around proving  this argument.

How do you prove this subject statement? You do it by looking at individual points. These smaller points support smaller, more specific aspects of the overall thesis.

The idea is that each body paragraph, or point, aims to prove a separate, smaller aspect of the bigger thesis. It's like a jigsaw puzzle : You must piece together smaller, more manageable pieces to build the bigger argument (i.e. the thesis).

In reality, this translates into writing 2, 3 or 4 points, each of which fits snuggly it its own paragraph or multiple paragraphs (depending on the complexity of the point).

In each point, you must include:

• Quotes, references to images, titles, headings, or visual elements. This is the evidence.
• Analysis of language and literary techniques.  Use specific quotes from the text and explain how and why they are used by the writer to shape his/her message.

Obviously, this is a quick summary of how to write a high-quality body paragraph. We dive deeper into the specific details of how to structure a body paragraph in the guided analysis.

Planning ahead

Ironically, the most important part of IB English Paper 1 is not the analysis itself (well it is, but not really). The part you have to get right the first time is the plan. Most students do not know how to plan effectively, or get flustered in the exam and don't plan, or don't even try to plan because they think they're above it. Big mistake!

Before you even begin writing, you should plan out your essay in sufficient detail. You will lose track of time, thought and sanity if you do not have a clear road map of every part of your essay before you begin writing.

You can learn how to annotate and plan quickly & efficiently using the flowchart method, which we demonstrate inside Learn Analysis and Paper 1 .

In the Pro lesson below, we go into detail on exactly how to plan a Paper 1 essay effectively and efficiently under exam conditions.

How do I practice for Paper 1?

Most students think that doing a lot of practice papers is the best way to improve in Paper 1. However, there's a much more efficient, targeted method to study for Paper 1.

We work our way up from the smallest, most manageable chunks of analysis to the full Paper 1 exam. It's a good idea to reserve real IB English past papers for 2 months before your final exam so that you don't run out of past papers--they are the best preparation for the final exam. Also, if your analysis skills aren't already strong, doing real past papers is a waste of an excellent exam prep resource.

Questionbank

Quote analysis exercises with exemplar IB7 solutions

Short guided analysis exercises with exemplar IB7 solutions

1 hour practice exams with detailed markschemes or video solutions

IB past paper solutions: Exemplar essay plans and full essay responses

Question​bank

Paper 1 Practice Exams

Past Paper 1 Solutions

Paper 2 Guide

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IB4 to IB6 in 2 weeks " The lessons are really effective in grabbing my attention and making English more fun to learn. "

IB4 to IB6 in 1 day " With just day 1 of the course, I improved immediately and overnight when I did a practice essay and improved by 4 marks from my previous grades " Read the full review

IB5 to IB7 " I got 5s since my first year of DP and now my final grade is 7! I can't thank you enough 🙂 LitLearn is truly a lifesaver. "

Sample essay questions for IB English Literature Paper 1

Mastering the art of literary analysis for paper 1.

IB English Literature Paper 1 is a critical component of the IB assessment, testing your ability to analyze unseen texts. Practicing with sample essay questions can significantly enhance your readiness and confidence. Here are some sample questions and tips to help you excel in IB English Literature Paper 1.

Understanding Paper 1: Guided Literary Analysis

Structure of paper 1.

• Standard Level (SL) : Analyze one unseen literary text in 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Higher Level (HL) : Analyze two unseen literary texts in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Types of Texts

• Prose Extracts : Could be from novels, short stories, or essays.
• Poetry : Poems from various periods and styles.
• Drama Extracts : Excerpts from plays.

Sample Essay Questions

Prose extracts.

• Question : How does the author develop the protagonist’s character in the extract? Discuss with reference to specific literary techniques.
• Tips : Focus on aspects like dialogue, narrative style, descriptions, and actions. Highlight how these elements contribute to the overall portrayal of the character.
• Question : Explore the theme of isolation in the provided extract. How does the author convey this theme through literary devices?
• Tips : Identify key passages that illustrate isolation. Discuss symbolism, setting, tone, and character interactions that highlight the theme.
• Question : Analyze the narrative perspective in the extract. How does the point of view influence the reader’s understanding of the story?
• Tips : Consider the narrator’s reliability, perspective, and how it shapes the reader’s interpretation. Discuss how the narrative voice adds depth to the story.
• Question : Discuss the use of imagery and symbolism in the poem. How do these elements contribute to the poem’s overall meaning?
• Tips : Identify vivid images and symbols. Analyze their significance and how they enhance the themes and emotions of the poem.
• Question : How does the poem’s structure and form contribute to its meaning? Discuss with reference to specific formal elements.
• Tips : Focus on aspects like rhyme scheme, meter, stanza arrangement, and line breaks. Explain how these elements support the poem’s themes and tone.
• Question : Analyze the tone and mood of the poem. How does the poet create these effects, and what is their impact on the reader?
• Tips : Identify the tone (e.g., melancholic, joyful, reflective) and mood. Discuss diction, imagery, and sound devices that establish the poem’s emotional atmosphere.

Drama Extracts

• Question : How does the playwright use dialogue and character interaction to develop the plot and reveal character traits in the extract?
• Tips : Focus on key dialogues and interactions. Analyze how they advance the plot and provide insights into characters’ motivations and relationships.
• Question : Discuss the importance of setting and stage directions in the extract. How do they contribute to the development of the play’s themes and atmosphere?
• Tips : Examine detailed descriptions of the setting and stage directions. Analyze how they enhance the audience’s understanding of the themes and tone.
• Question : Explore the use of conflict and tension in the extract. How does the playwright build these elements to engage the audience?
• Tips : Identify moments of conflict and tension. Discuss how dialogue, pacing, and character actions contribute to the dramatic effect.

Tips for Writing Paper 1 Essays

Preparation.

• Practice Regularly : Analyze a variety of unseen texts regularly to become comfortable with different styles and genres.
• Familiarize Yourself with Literary Devices : Ensure you have a strong grasp of literary terms and concepts, as these will be crucial for your analysis.
• Time Management : Practice writing essays within the given time limits to develop your ability to organize and articulate your thoughts quickly.

During the Exam

• Read the Text Carefully : Take time to read the text thoroughly. Annotate key passages, noting important literary devices and themes.
• Plan Your Essay : Spend a few minutes planning your essay. Outline your main points and the evidence you will use to support them.
• Structure Your Essay : Use a clear and logical structure. Typically, an essay should have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Support with Evidence : Use specific examples and quotations from the text to support your analysis. Explain how these examples illustrate your points.
• Stay Focused : Keep your analysis focused on the question. Avoid tangents and ensure every paragraph contributes to your overall argument.
• Proofread : If time permits, quickly review your essay for any grammatical or spelling errors and ensure your argument is clear and coherent.

Mastering IB English Literature Paper 1

Excelling in IB English Literature Paper 1 requires practice, a deep understanding of literary techniques, and the ability to analyze unseen texts effectively. Use these sample essay questions and tips to enhance your preparation and confidence for the exam.

Ready to ace your IB English Literature Paper 1 exam? Join RevisionDojo today and access personalized study tools, curriculum-specific question banks, and resources enhanced by Jojo AI. Let us help you master literary analysis and achieve your academic goals with confidence.

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The Complete IB Extended Essay Guide: Examples, Topics, and Ideas

International Baccalaureate (IB)

IB students around the globe fear writing the Extended Essay, but it doesn't have to be a source of stress! In this article, I'll get you excited about writing your Extended Essay and provide you with the resources you need to get an A on it.

If you're reading this article, I'm going to assume you're an IB student getting ready to write your Extended Essay. If you're looking at this as a potential future IB student, I recommend reading our introductory IB articles first, including our guide to what the IB program is and our full coverage of the IB curriculum .

IB Extended Essay: Why Should You Trust My Advice?

I myself am a recipient of an IB Diploma, and I happened to receive an A on my IB Extended Essay. Don't believe me? The proof is in the IBO pudding:

If you're confused by what this report means, EE is short for Extended Essay , and English A1 is the subject that my Extended Essay topic coordinated with. In layman's terms, my IB Diploma was graded in May 2010, I wrote my Extended Essay in the English A1 category, and I received an A grade on it.

What Is the Extended Essay in the IB Diploma Programme?

The IB Extended Essay, or EE , is a mini-thesis you write under the supervision of an IB advisor (an IB teacher at your school), which counts toward your IB Diploma (learn more about the major IB Diploma requirements in our guide) . I will explain exactly how the EE affects your Diploma later in this article.

For the Extended Essay, you will choose a research question as a topic, conduct the research independently, then write an essay on your findings . The essay itself is a long one—although there's a cap of 4,000 words, most successful essays get very close to this limit.

Keep in mind that the IB requires this essay to be a "formal piece of academic writing," meaning you'll have to do outside research and cite additional sources.

The IB Extended Essay must include the following:

• A title page
• Contents page
• Introduction
• Body of the essay
• References and bibliography

Additionally, your research topic must fall into one of the six approved DP categories , or IB subject groups, which are as follows:

• Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature
• Group 2: Language Acquisition
• Group 3: Individuals and Societies
• Group 4: Sciences
• Group 5: Mathematics
• Group 6: The Arts

Once you figure out your category and have identified a potential research topic, it's time to pick your advisor, who is normally an IB teacher at your school (though you can also find one online ). This person will help direct your research, and they'll conduct the reflection sessions you'll have to do as part of your Extended Essay.

As of 2018, the IB requires a "reflection process" as part of your EE supervision process. To fulfill this requirement, you have to meet at least three times with your supervisor in what the IB calls "reflection sessions." These meetings are not only mandatory but are also part of the formal assessment of the EE and your research methods.

According to the IB, the purpose of these meetings is to "provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their engagement with the research process." Basically, these meetings give your supervisor the opportunity to offer feedback, push you to think differently, and encourage you to evaluate your research process.

The final reflection session is called the viva voce, and it's a short 10- to 15-minute interview between you and your advisor. This happens at the very end of the EE process, and it's designed to help your advisor write their report, which factors into your EE grade.

Here are the topics covered in your viva voce :

• A check on plagiarism and malpractice
• Your reflection on your project's successes and difficulties
• Your reflection on what you've learned during the EE process

Your completed Extended Essay, along with your supervisor's report, will then be sent to the IB to be graded. We'll cover the assessment criteria in just a moment.

We'll help you learn how to have those "lightbulb" moments...even on test day!  

What Should You Write About in Your IB Extended Essay?

You can technically write about anything, so long as it falls within one of the approved categories listed above.

It's best to choose a topic that matches one of the IB courses , (such as Theatre, Film, Spanish, French, Math, Biology, etc.), which shouldn't be difficult because there are so many class subjects.

Here is a range of sample topics with the attached extended essay:

• Biology: The Effect of Age and Gender on the Photoreceptor Cells in the Human Retina
• Chemistry: How Does Reflux Time Affect the Yield and Purity of Ethyl Aminobenzoate (Benzocaine), and How Effective is Recrystallisation as a Purification Technique for This Compound?
• English: An Exploration of Jane Austen's Use of the Outdoors in Emma
• Geography: The Effect of Location on the Educational Attainment of Indigenous Secondary Students in Queensland, Australia
• Math: Alhazen's Billiard Problem
• Visual Arts: Can Luc Tuymans Be Classified as a Political Painter?

You can see from how varied the topics are that you have a lot of freedom when it comes to picking a topic . So how do you pick when the options are limitless?

How to Write a Stellar IB Extended Essay: 6 Essential Tips

Below are six key tips to keep in mind as you work on your Extended Essay for the IB DP. Follow these and you're sure to get an A!

#1: Write About Something You Enjoy

You can't expect to write a compelling essay if you're not a fan of the topic on which you're writing. For example, I just love British theatre and ended up writing my Extended Essay on a revolution in post-WWII British theatre. (Yes, I'm definitely a #TheatreNerd.)

I really encourage anyone who pursues an IB Diploma to take the Extended Essay seriously. I was fortunate enough to receive a full-tuition merit scholarship to USC's School of Dramatic Arts program. In my interview for the scholarship, I spoke passionately about my Extended Essay; thus, I genuinely think my Extended Essay helped me get my scholarship.

But how do you find a topic you're passionate about? Start by thinking about which classes you enjoy the most and why . Do you like math classes because you like to solve problems? Or do you enjoy English because you like to analyze literary texts?

Keep in mind that there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing your Extended Essay topic. You're not more likely to get high marks because you're writing about science, just like you're not doomed to failure because you've chosen to tackle the social sciences. The quality of what you produce—not the field you choose to research within—will determine your grade.

Once you've figured out your category, you should brainstorm more specific topics by putting pen to paper . What was your favorite chapter you learned in that class? Was it astrophysics or mechanics? What did you like about that specific chapter? Is there something you want to learn more about? I recommend spending a few hours on this type of brainstorming.

One last note: if you're truly stumped on what to research, pick a topic that will help you in your future major or career . That way you can use your Extended Essay as a talking point in your college essays (and it will prepare you for your studies to come too!).

#2: Select a Topic That Is Neither Too Broad nor Too Narrow

There's a fine line between broad and narrow. You need to write about something specific, but not so specific that you can't write 4,000 words on it.

You can't write about WWII because that would be a book's worth of material. You also don't want to write about what type of soup prisoners of war received behind enemy lines, because you probably won’t be able to come up with 4,000 words of material about it. However, you could possibly write about how the conditions in German POW camps—and the rations provided—were directly affected by the Nazis' successes and failures on the front, including the use of captured factories and prison labor in Eastern Europe to increase production. WWII military history might be a little overdone, but you get my point.

If you're really stuck trying to pinpoint a not-too-broad-or-too-narrow topic, I suggest trying to brainstorm a topic that uses a comparison. Once you begin looking through the list of sample essays below, you'll notice that many use comparisons to formulate their main arguments.

I also used a comparison in my EE, contrasting Harold Pinter's Party Time with John Osborne's Look Back in Anger in order to show a transition in British theatre. Topics with comparisons of two to three plays, books, and so on tend to be the sweet spot. You can analyze each item and then compare them with one another after doing some in-depth analysis of each individually. The ways these items compare and contrast will end up forming the thesis of your essay!

When choosing a comparative topic, the key is that the comparison should be significant. I compared two plays to illustrate the transition in British theatre, but you could compare the ways different regional dialects affect people's job prospects or how different temperatures may or may not affect the mating patterns of lightning bugs. The point here is that comparisons not only help you limit your topic, but they also help you build your argument.

Comparisons are not the only way to get a grade-A EE, though. If after brainstorming, you pick a non-comparison-based topic and are still unsure whether your topic is too broad or narrow, spend about 30 minutes doing some basic research and see how much material is out there.

If there are more than 1,000 books, articles, or documentaries out there on that exact topic, it may be too broad. But if there are only two books that have any connection to your topic, it may be too narrow. If you're still unsure, ask your advisor—it's what they're there for! Speaking of advisors...

Don't get stuck with a narrow topic!

#3: Choose an Advisor Who Is Familiar With Your Topic

If you're not certain of who you would like to be your advisor, create a list of your top three choices. Next, write down the pros and cons of each possibility (I know this sounds tedious, but it really helps!).

For example, Mr. Green is my favorite teacher and we get along really well, but he teaches English. For my EE, I want to conduct an experiment that compares the efficiency of American electric cars with foreign electric cars.

I had Ms. White a year ago. She teaches physics and enjoyed having me in her class. Unlike Mr. Green, Ms. White could help me design my experiment.

Based on my topic and what I need from my advisor, Ms. White would be a better fit for me than would Mr. Green (even though I like him a lot).

The moral of my story is this: do not just ask your favorite teacher to be your advisor . They might be a hindrance to you if they teach another subject. For example, I would not recommend asking your biology teacher to guide you in writing an English literature-based EE.

There can, of course, be exceptions to this rule. If you have a teacher who's passionate and knowledgeable about your topic (as my English teacher was about my theatre topic), you could ask that instructor. Consider all your options before you do this. There was no theatre teacher at my high school, so I couldn't find a theatre-specific advisor, but I chose the next best thing.

Before you approach a teacher to serve as your advisor, check with your high school to see what requirements they have for this process. Some IB high schools require your IB Extended Essay advisor to sign an Agreement Form , for instance.

Make sure that you ask your IB coordinator whether there is any required paperwork to fill out. If your school needs a specific form signed, bring it with you when you ask your teacher to be your EE advisor.

#4: Pick an Advisor Who Will Push You to Be Your Best

Some teachers might just take on students because they have to and aren't very passionate about reading drafts, only giving you minimal feedback. Choose a teacher who will take the time to read several drafts of your essay and give you extensive notes. I would not have gotten my A without being pushed to make my Extended Essay draft better.

Ask a teacher that you have experience with through class or an extracurricular activity. Do not ask a teacher that you have absolutely no connection to. If a teacher already knows you, that means they already know your strengths and weaknesses, so they know what to look for, where you need to improve, and how to encourage your best work.

Also, don't forget that your supervisor's assessment is part of your overall EE score . If you're meeting with someone who pushes you to do better—and you actually take their advice—they'll have more impressive things to say about you than a supervisor who doesn't know you well and isn't heavily involved in your research process.

Be aware that the IB only allows advisors to make suggestions and give constructive criticism. Your teacher cannot actually help you write your EE. The IB recommends that the supervisor spends approximately two to three hours in total with the candidate discussing the EE.

#5: Make Sure Your Essay Has a Clear Structure and Flow

The IB likes structure. Your EE needs a clear introduction (which should be one to two double-spaced pages), research question/focus (i.e., what you're investigating), a body, and a conclusion (about one double-spaced page). An essay with unclear organization will be graded poorly.

The body of your EE should make up the bulk of the essay. It should be about eight to 18 pages long (again, depending on your topic). Your body can be split into multiple parts. For example, if you were doing a comparison, you might have one third of your body as Novel A Analysis, another third as Novel B Analysis, and the final third as your comparison of Novels A and B.

If you're conducting an experiment or analyzing data, such as in this EE , your EE body should have a clear structure that aligns with the scientific method ; you should state the research question, discuss your method, present the data, analyze the data, explain any uncertainties, and draw a conclusion and/or evaluate the success of the experiment.

#6: Start Writing Sooner Rather Than Later!

You will not be able to crank out a 4,000-word essay in just a week and get an A on it. You'll be reading many, many articles (and, depending on your topic, possibly books and plays as well!). As such, it's imperative that you start your research as soon as possible.

Each school has a slightly different deadline for the Extended Essay. Some schools want them as soon as November of your senior year; others will take them as late as February. Your school will tell you what your deadline is. If they haven't mentioned it by February of your junior year, ask your IB coordinator about it.

Some high schools will provide you with a timeline of when you need to come up with a topic, when you need to meet with your advisor, and when certain drafts are due. Not all schools do this. Ask your IB coordinator if you are unsure whether you are on a specific timeline.

Below is my recommended EE timeline. While it's earlier than most schools, it'll save you a ton of heartache (trust me, I remember how hard this process was!):

• January/February of Junior Year: Come up with your final research topic (or at least your top three options).
• February of Junior Year: Approach a teacher about being your EE advisor. If they decline, keep asking others until you find one. See my notes above on how to pick an EE advisor.
• April/May of Junior Year: Submit an outline of your EE and a bibliography of potential research sources (I recommend at least seven to 10) to your EE advisor. Meet with your EE advisor to discuss your outline.
• Summer Between Junior and Senior Year: Complete your first full draft over the summer between your junior and senior year. I know, I know—no one wants to work during the summer, but trust me—this will save you so much stress come fall when you are busy with college applications and other internal assessments for your IB classes. You will want to have this first full draft done because you will want to complete a couple of draft cycles as you likely won't be able to get everything you want to say into 4,000 articulate words on the first attempt. Try to get this first draft into the best possible shape so you don't have to work on too many revisions during the school year on top of your homework, college applications, and extracurriculars.
• August/September of Senior Year: Turn in your first draft of your EE to your advisor and receive feedback. Work on incorporating their feedback into your essay. If they have a lot of suggestions for improvement, ask if they will read one more draft before the final draft.
• September/October of Senior Year: Submit the second draft of your EE to your advisor (if necessary) and look at their feedback. Work on creating the best possible final draft.
• November-February of Senior Year: Schedule your viva voce. Submit two copies of your final draft to your school to be sent off to the IB. You likely will not get your grade until after you graduate.

Remember that in the middle of these milestones, you'll need to schedule two other reflection sessions with your advisor . (Your teachers will actually take notes on these sessions on a form like this one , which then gets submitted to the IB.)

I recommend doing them when you get feedback on your drafts, but these meetings will ultimately be up to your supervisor. Just don't forget to do them!

The early bird DOES get the worm!

How Is the IB Extended Essay Graded?

Extended Essays are graded by examiners appointed by the IB on a scale of 0 to 34 . You'll be graded on five criteria, each with its own set of points. You can learn more about how EE scoring works by reading the IB guide to extended essays .

• Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 points maximum)
• Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 points maximum)
• Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 points maximum)
• Criterion D: Presentation (4 points maximum)
• Criterion E: Engagement (6 points maximum)

How well you do on each of these criteria will determine the final letter grade you get for your EE. You must earn at least a D to be eligible to receive your IB Diploma.

Although each criterion has a point value, the IB explicitly states that graders are not converting point totals into grades; instead, they're using qualitative grade descriptors to determine the final grade of your Extended Essay . Grade descriptors are on pages 102-103 of this document .

Here's a rough estimate of how these different point values translate to letter grades based on previous scoring methods for the EE. This is just an estimate —you should read and understand the grade descriptors so you know exactly what the scorers are looking for.

Here is the breakdown of EE scores (from the May 2021 bulletin):

How Does the Extended Essay Grade Affect Your IB Diploma?

The Extended Essay grade is combined with your TOK (Theory of Knowledge) grade to determine how many points you get toward your IB Diploma.

To learn about Theory of Knowledge or how many points you need to receive an IB Diploma, read our complete guide to the IB program and our guide to the IB Diploma requirements .

This diagram shows how the two scores are combined to determine how many points you receive for your IB diploma (3 being the most, 0 being the least). In order to get your IB Diploma, you have to earn 24 points across both categories (the TOK and EE). The highest score anyone can earn is 45 points.

Let's say you get an A on your EE and a B on TOK. You will get 3 points toward your Diploma. As of 2014, a student who scores an E on either the extended essay or TOK essay will not be eligible to receive an IB Diploma .

Prior to the class of 2010, a Diploma candidate could receive a failing grade in either the Extended Essay or Theory of Knowledge and still be awarded a Diploma, but this is no longer true.

Figuring out how you're assessed can be a little tricky. Luckily, the IB breaks everything down here in this document . (The assessment information begins on page 219.)

40+ Sample Extended Essays for the IB Diploma Programme

In case you want a little more guidance on how to get an A on your EE, here are over 40 excellent (grade A) sample extended essays for your reading pleasure. Essays are grouped by IB subject.

• Business Management 1
• Chemistry 1
• Chemistry 2
• Chemistry 3
• Chemistry 4
• Chemistry 5
• Chemistry 6
• Chemistry 7
• Computer Science 1
• Economics 1
• Design Technology 1
• Design Technology 2
• Environmental Systems and Societies 1
• Geography 1
• Geography 2
• Geography 3
• Geography 4
• Geography 5
• Geography 6
• Literature and Performance 1
• Mathematics 1
• Mathematics 2
• Mathematics 3
• Mathematics 4
• Mathematics 5
• Philosophy 1
• Philosophy 2
• Philosophy 3
• Philosophy 4
• Philosophy 5
• Psychology 1
• Psychology 2
• Psychology 3
• Psychology 4
• Psychology 5
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 1
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 2
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 3
• Sports, Exercise and Health Science 1
• Sports, Exercise and Health Science 2
• Visual Arts 1
• Visual Arts 2
• Visual Arts 3
• Visual Arts 4
• Visual Arts 5
• World Religion 1
• World Religion 2
• World Religion 3

What's Next?

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Not sure where you want to go to college? Read our guide to finding your target school . Also, determine your target SAT score or target ACT score .

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HL essay tips

I asked my teacher multiple fucking times about things I was stuck on and she either left me on read or told me that it was unfair of me for asking for her time. So any HL Lit students, would you please give me some tips on the general form, structure, content etc... because it’s due in 2 days and I’ve had literally no time to improve it.

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IB English Paper 2 Writing Guide

Table of contents.

I’ve had many experiences helping IB students, so preparing for IB English Paper 2 can be challenging and fun. This test isn’t just about knowing about literature; it’s also about showing that you can analyze something complex quickly. In this post, I will give some essential tips and ideas to help you do well on Paper 2 English IB.

What Is IB English Paper 2?

IB English Paper 2 is a part of the English A test for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. This test is mostly about literature and compares two or more works to see how well students can think critically and understand what they are reading. I’ve been teaching kids about the IB program for years and have seen how Paper 2 pushes them to use what they’ve learned in profound and complex ways.

Paper 1 is an unseen textual analysis assignment. Paper 2 asks students to write articles that compare and contrast at least two literary works they have read in the course. This test assesses how well you understand the texts, how deeply you can analyze them, and how critically you can think about different types of writing.

These are some crucial parts of IB English Paper 2:

• Duration and format . The test is two hours long and has essay questions about the types of writing you’ve studied, like drama, poems, or prose.
• Comparative study . Students must show they can look at themes, characters, and literary methods to find similarities and differences between works.
• References in the text . The best papers are supported by precise textual references illustrating the points made.

I think doing well on IB English Paper 2 requires careful studying and a flexible approach to the test. According to IB standards, students should not only show that they understand the works but also that they can think deeply about how they relate to each other. From my experience, the best way to prepare for an exam is to read a lot, write compared essays repeatedly, and participate in conversations that help you better understand literary subtleties. Students can do well on Paper 2 and enjoy the art of writing if they master these skills.

What Is the Format of the IB English Paper 2 Exam?

Differences exist between SL and HL English students. SL students have 1.5 hours for the exam, whereas HL students receive 2 hours. At this time, you are tasked with composing a comparative essay. You must thoroughly understand the expectations and strive to meet them effectively.

Structure of the Exam and Time Allotment

The structure of the exam is designed to challenge your analytical and interpretative skills. I’ve seen that students who manage their time usually do well. To use a planned method, you should plan your essays for about 30 minutes and then write them for the other 90 minutes. Using this method, you can carefully arrange your ideas and craft your reasons, ensuring that each point is well-thought-out and given clearly.

Types of Questions Students Asked

The questions in IB English Paper 2 mainly involve comparing two or more literary works . These questions aren’t just about finding patterns and differences; they also ask how and why they are essential in writing. I think it’s crucial to make complicated links between ideas, people, and places. You must care about the works and know much about using literary techniques.

I highly suggest you practice with different questions to gain confidence and speed when answering them. It will help you think more critically when time is short and apply what you know to various situations. When students answer many practice questions and think about their answers, I’ve seen them build a more profound knowledge of the literature, which is essential for getting a good score on Paper 2.

How to Answer IB English Paper 2 Questions?

To correctly answer IB English Paper 2 questions, you need a plan that integrates information, research, and writing skills. As an experienced IB teacher, I know that a well-prepared student can do well on this challenging part of the IB English test by following a set of steps.

Firstly, you must understand the question entirely. Break the question into several parts to ensure you know what it wants you to do. I’ve seen that misinterpreting the question is a frequent mistake that can significantly lower your score.

Once you grasp the question, plan your response. Here’s a simple checklist to guide your planning:

• Find the central ideas or parts of the writings that the question brings out.
• Figure out what the writings have in common or what makes them different.
• Outline your case and make sure it directly answers the question.
• Pick the information from the books that most support your point of view.

When you write your essay , the thesis statement and list of things you will discuss should be apparent initially. This part is a strong base for your case. IB standards say you need a clear case that connects directly to the texts and the question.

Develop your points in a planned way in the body of your essay. As far as I know, each paragraph should be about a different part of your comparison or analysis and should connect back to your thesis. Use quotes from the texts to back up your points, and then examine these quotes to show that you have a better knowledge of the texts.

In the last part of your essay, you should restate your key points and explain how they answer the question again. This ending is critical because it strengthens your case and affects the last reviewer.

From my experience, using these techniques can make you feel more confident and help you do well on Paper 2 questions. Remember that every writing is a chance to show how well you understand and can analyze literature.

How to Prepare for IB English Paper 2?

Preparing for IB English Paper 2 is a big part of doing well in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. As an experienced IB writer who has taught students for years, I’ve seen firsthand how proper planning can improve success. In this guide, I’ll give you some of my best tips on how to get the best marks.

Fully Understand the Syllabus

From what I’ve seen, it’s vital to understand the course material. Make sure you know every piece of literature that is part of your training. This knowledge will help you connect between books, a big part of Paper 2.

Learn how to Do Comparative Analysis

Paper 2 is built around comparative analysis . Find multiple works’ themes, ideas, and artistic elements and see how they relate or vary. I suggest making thorough charts that compare these things next to each other. It will help you see the links and differences more clearly.

Make Your Thesis Strong

A strong thesis statement tells your essay what it will be about. It shouldn’t just answer the question but also add something new. IB standards say writing with a precise, logical topic tends to get better grades. You should spend a lot of time working on your thesis until it clearly states your main point.

Get Help With Your Paper

Work on managing your time.

Managing your time well can make or break how well you do on a test. From what I’ve seen, practice while timed is very helpful. Stick to the time limits for planning, writing, and reading your writings, and try to make the test set as similar to the real thing as possible.

Ask for Feedback

Feedback is a great way to improve. I know that getting comments on your writing from teachers or peers daily can help you see things differently and where you need to improve. To improve at writing, make it a habit to use this feedback during your practice sessions.

You Might Also Like:

• How to Write an Executive Summary for an Essay
• How to Write an Explanatory Essay
• How to Write Interesting Essays
• Argumentative Essay Introduction
• Strong Transition Words for Essays
• How to Write a Reaction Paper About an Article
• How to Ask Questions in an Essay
• How to Create Essay Title
• How to Analyze a Short Story

Pitfalls in IB English Paper 2 and How to Avoid Them

One big mistake is not having a clear point or case . IB rules say that an essay needs to have a focused point directly related to the question to get a good grade. I’ve seen that writings that stray too far from the main idea get lower grades. You should always start your essay with a strong, clear thesis statement to avoid this. Make sure that each piece directly supports this argument.

Another common problem is that there isn’t enough written proof . A good IB English essay uses exact quotes and thorough literary references to support its points. Some students make the mistake of making broad claims about the text without providing proof. To avoid this, always use quotes in your research and show how they help your points.

Keeping track of time is another big problem during the test. Many students have trouble finishing their essays in time , which can cause points to fall short or conclusions to be drawn too quickly. I believe it is very important to practice while timed. Regular practice sessions should be timed to look like the actual test.

Lastly, another common mistake is forgetting that the paper needs to be finished . A good ending not only restates the key points but also shows how the thesis is related to the question. You should take a few minutes at the end of your writing process to develop a thoughtful ending that will stick with the reviewer.

As we wrap up this guide, remember that you will do well on IB English Paper 2 if you prepare well and follow a plan. Have faith in your skills and feel good about taking the test. Good luck! Also, we can help you if you remain confused and need help with English Paper 2 or any other IB Student Help .

Nick Radlinsky

Nick Radlinsky is a devoted educator, marketing specialist, and management expert with more than 15 years of experience in the education sector. After obtaining his business degree in 2016, Nick embarked on a quest to achieve his PhD, driven by his commitment to enhancing education for students worldwide. His vast experience, starting in 2008, has established him as a reputable authority in the field.

Nick's article, featured in Routledge's " Entrepreneurship in Central and Eastern Europe: Development through Internationalization ," highlights his sharp insights and unwavering dedication to advancing the educational landscape. Inspired by his personal motto, "Make education better," Nick's mission is to streamline students' lives and foster efficient learning. His inventive ideas and leadership have contributed to the transformation of numerous educational experiences, distinguishing him as a true innovator in his field.

To do well on IB English Paper 2, you need to know not only the texts, but also how to compare and contrast them in a test-like setting. I use my many years of experience as an IB teacher to give you important tips and techniques in this complete guide.

IB Paper 1 Writing Guide

As an experienced IB writer, I’ve compiled this complete guide to help you feel strong as you take on this critical part of the IB Diploma Programme. This article details the methods and skills you need to ace Paper 1, from understanding how the test is set up and choosing the right texts.

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In this article, I’ll consider the immediate steps you should take after receiving an EE score that didn’t meet your expectations. We’ll discuss how to analyze feedback effectively, manage your emotions, and consider whether a retake is the right choice for you. If a retake isn’t feasible, we’ll look at alternative paths that can still lead you to diploma success.

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Failing your TOK essay can be disheartening, but it’s not the end of your IB path. As a seasoned IB writer, I understand the intricacies of the TOK essay and the common pitfalls students face. In this article, I’ll guide you through practical steps to reassess, revise, and rebound from a failing grade.

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• Writing good paragraphs
• Essay Writing

Writing good paragraphs is inevitably an essential element of all good essays, and one that you will spend a good deal of time developing throughout the course.  But what does it take to write them consistently and effectively?  The answer to that question is not straightforward, and of course there are many different kinds of paragraphs, and many different ways of writing them successfully.  Having said that, it probably is true to say that good paragraphs - however varied, and whatever their subject, often have similar technical characteristics.  Let's try to identify some of them...

Good paragraphs will typically:

1.  Identify one clear topic or subject and stick with it,  not meander through several or many.

2.  'Present' the subject of the paragraph in the first sentence - a 'topic sentence'

3.  Consist of other points that unpack the topic of the paragraph and explore the way it is presented or developed in the text.

4.  Make a variety of different kinds of statement, some descriptive, some analytical, some interpretive.

5.  Explore the main topic of the paragraph in and through supporting points, e.g. around 2-4

6.  Support each point with reference to the text, sometimes in the form of short quotation, at others in reference to particular moments, scenes or events.

7.  Develop:  a paragraph will make progression and overall present a development in the argument.  In this sense a paragraph can be like a mini essay, with an introductory statement, a main body of exploratory points and then a kind of conclusion which assesses how far the paragraph has developed the argument.

8.  Will be neither too long nor too short.  If your paragraph is only a coupe of sentences long then the chances are there is not enough material for a paragraph topic to be clearly identified or explored.  Equally, if the paragraph goes on for more than, say, half a side, it may well be a sign that it should be split into two (or more) topics instead.  Typically, an 'average' A4 page will consist of 2-3 paragraphs.

9.  Present points that develop from one into the other, either by finding similarities or points of contrast or opposition.

10.  Connect meaningfully with the topic (and the points raised) in the previous paragraph, as well as the one following.

Read through the following model paragraph (taken from an essay on Master Harold and the Boys , by Athol Fugard), with teacher notes alongside, to see how these characteristics can be realised.  (Teachers  - you could project this table in full screen for students to read).

The ballroom scene is important because it reinforces the idea of Sam in his role as mentor to Hally. 1   At the start of the scene, Hally is reluctant to see the dance as anything more than 'simple' and declares that it has no more significance than "American sodas with ice cream". 2 Through Sam's excited anticipation of the dance competition, however, 3 he manages to convince Hally that it is more: "There's only standing room left.  We've got competitors coming from Kingwilliamstown, East London, Port Alfred", he remarks - portraying the extent of its importance throughout the whole of the region, as well as its significance as a voice for the black community. 4 Furthermore, as the scene gains momentum, the dance begins to move towards something of more figurative importance. 5   For Sam, it carries meaning in terms of the relationship between the three men.  He states, "Look at the three of us this afternoon:  I've bumped into Willy, the two of us have bumped into you..." and then he goes even further to announce its status as a metaphor for the conflict between people and nations. "America", he says, "has bumped into Russia, England is bumping into India, rich man bumps into poor man". 6  Sam is therefore presented as a wise and mature man who possesses considerable insight, and Hal cannot help but be swayed by his persuasive rhetoric.  He comments, "You're right.  We mustn't despair".  However, it is ironic, or perhaps a fitting reminder of the futility of this idea, that the phone rings at precisely at this point.  This provides one further example of the play's modulation between hope and despondency. 7

1.  The topic statement (first sentence of the paragraph) clearly states the one single issue with which the paragraph is going to be concerned.

2.  This is the first point of the paragraph (in support of the topic).  It is clearly articulated and notice the way two quotations have been embedded correctly.

3.  The use of the conjunction, 'however', here connects the point made in the previous sentence with this new one.

4.  Remembering that points are usually structured along the:

• Explanation

...approach, this sentence gives a nice example of the way an 'explanation' of the point-evidence can be made.

5.  Here, the word 'furthermore' effectively connects previous points to this third main idea.

6.  Note the way that different lengths of quotation are represented here - singular words or phrases embedded, complete lines or sentences preceded with a colon.

7.  At the end of the paragraph, the student takes stock of the points s/he has made and moves them forward by coming up with a couple of interpretive ideas.  Firstly, what we can learn about the character of Sam in general through this exploration, and second, tying the topic to the play as a whole in the comment about its interest in the interplay between hope and despair.

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• How To Write a Textual Analysis for IB English Paper 1?

The toughest challenge is writing a Textual Analysis for IB English Paper 1. Through this article, we give you practical tricks and tips. So you can easily frame and analyze your texts. Before that, let’s understand the SL and HL criteria. If you choose SL, you must write a guided analysis of one text from the two texts. This assignment carries 20 marks and takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete. If you choose HL, you must write two guided analyses from the given two texts. Each analysis carries 40 marks and takes 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete.

Let’s Understand What Types of Questions Are Asked In Textual Analysis for IB English .

• In IB English Literature Paper 1: fictional prose (extracts from novels or short stories), dramatic plays, poems, non-fiction prose (extracts or scientific articles)
• IB English Language and Literature Paper 1: speeches, comic strips, brochures, magazines, radio transcripts, articles, web pages, editorials, political cartoons, instruction manuals, interview scripts, etc.

Steps to Write An Effective Textual Analysis for IB English

Step 1: Figure out the given text- Firstly, you have to analyze the question text thoroughly. Give yourself the maximum time to read and understand the text. Then, figure out the text time, i.e., newspaper editorial, blog post, speech, script, etc.

Step 2: Identifying the structure of the text- Secondly, deep dive into the given text by identifying the following things:

• Main themes/ideas
• Tome/mood/atmosphere
• Text’s context, i.e., social, historical, or cultural.
• Intended audience/purpose
• Juxtaposition/contrast
• Metaphor/simile/personification
• Psychology of colour
• Headings and their writing styles

Step 3: Write a Good Thesis- Thirdly, write an impressive thesis with the help of these points that reflect your understanding:

• Constructive Arguments/Interpretations
• Avoid vague or common statements
• Persuasive techniques
• Various perspectives
• Discuss characters and stylistic elements
• Explain how and why the writer wrote in their text
• Relevant quotations
• Evidence that supports your arguments
• Focus on key phrases
• Illustrate your points creatively

4th Step: Organize your essay-

Fourthly, be clear and confident while writing your analysis. And follow these suggestions to score high:

• Write a compelling introduction by giving the main outline of the text.
• Divide the body paragraphs into 3-4.
• Address all the pinpoints.
• Write in easily understandable parts.
• Write in appropriate transitions.
• Write an impressive conclusion.

Step 5: Avoid these mistakes- Lastly, while writing your analysis, try to avoid the following errors:

• Unorganized planning
• Take lots of time while writing your introduction
• Long quotes
• Irrelevant statements
• Make your essay too heavy or too light
• Not dig deeply
• Not using relevant techniques

In summary, all the above steps help you write an impressive and effective textual analysis for English Paper 1. There is no need for extra workouts—all you have to do is be organized and structured. The proper management at the right time helps you to acquire a good score in your Textual Analysis for IB English Paper 1.

What & How to Select the Right Text?

Fortunately, SL students can choose the text from English Paper 1, but not HL students. Also, for SL students, your marks depend on what you choose. And why do you choose it?

Selecting the writing text is crucial. Also, if you choose text that is not understandable or difficult, you will probably lose marks. We recommend choosing text you can score well in.

• First and foremost, choose the text that you are genuinely interested in.
• Read and try to engage with your text.
• If it is understandable, then select it.
• It has to contain ample material for analysis.
• Look for descriptive elements that easily capture the reader’s attention.
• Lastly, choose a text from which you can quickly generate a thought-provoking analysis.

After choosing the correct text, put all your efforts into proving all your arguments with the help of supportive evidence. Moreover, don’t forget to build your thesis in a manageable chunk. So your examiner quickly understands your points.

On top of that, don’t forget that you have to write a high-quality body that draws examiners’ attention. Lastly, summarize your text in a well-defined manner.

How Can We Help You in Writing A Deep Analysis?

With the help of our tutoring, you can develop essential skills to write a practical textual analysis. So, our IB English Tutor focuses attention on the following:

• How do you read the text thoroughly?
• How do you plan your text content?
• How do you contrast and compare various texts?
• How do you show your understanding with the help of impressive techniques?
• How do you incorporate the right strategies?
• How do you manage your time?
• How do you frame the thesis statement?
• How do you develop coherent responses?

Our IB English tutoring pays attention to each point of your textual analysis. So you can easily attain a high score. Our tutors make you capable of composing a perfect thesis that contains all the essential things. They make sure that you score well on this paper.

When writing the textual analysis, be confident, give appropriate suggestions (if needed), and make the right decisions. If you do not know how to do that, get our tutors’ help. They build your confidence, provide practical suggestions, and help you make the right decisions. So, get our tutor’s help whenever you need it.

Indeed, there is no secret ingredient in scoring well in the paper. All you have to do is make yourself capable of engraving those skills that will help you write the textual analysis. So, don’t be afraid to work hard and efficiently cope with the given textual analysis.

We know you are anxious about how to write a textual analysis for English Paper 1. But you don’t have to worry about anything. If you follow the above steps, you will succeed. If you want our help, then we are here to help. Let’s bang the English Paper 1!

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• IB Exam Revision Tips Here are some tips and suggestions by our IB Online Tutors on how to effectively revise the enrite IB Diploma Program syllabus. If you follow these suggestions properly then you can not only improvise your understanding but you can also score a perfect 45 in your diploma program.