hl essay thesis statement

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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7 Tips to Achieve a Level 7 on the IB HL English Essay

What is the IB English HL Essay?

The IB English HL Essay is usually written at the end of the first year of IB English in international schools and constitutes 25% of the IB English grade. For IB HL English Language & Literature, the source for the 1200-1500 word essay will be a non-literary or literary text studied in the course; for HL English Literature, this will be a literary text studied in the course.

As an International Baccalaureate Higher Level English student, one of the most daunting tasks is achieving a level 7 on the essay. However, with the right approach and mindset, it’s definitely achievable. Here are the top tips to help you achieve a level 7 on your IB HL English essay.

• Analyze the question carefully: Before diving into writing, read the prompt carefully and identify the key themes and ideas. Make sure you understand what the question is asking for. This will help you to stay focused and on-topic throughout the essay.
• Develop a strong thesis statement: Your thesis statement should reflect the main argument of your essay. It should be clear, concise, and specific. Remember, a strong thesis statement is the foundation of a successful essay.
• Use evidence effectively: Include specific quotes and examples from the text to support your arguments. Make sure to explain how the evidence relates to your thesis statement.
• Analyze literary techniques: IB exams often require students to analyze literary techniques such as symbolism, imagery, and metaphors. Make sure to identify these techniques in the text and explain how they contribute to the overall meaning.
• Plan your essay: Before writing, take some time to plan out your essay. Create an outline or a rough draft to organize your thoughts and ideas. This will help you to structure your essay effectively and ensure that you cover all the necessary points.
• Edit and revise: After finishing your essay, take some time to edit and revise. Check for grammar and spelling errors, and make sure that your sentences are clear and concise. Also, ask someone else to read your essay and provide feedback.
• Stay calm and focused: Finally, stay calm and focused throughout the exam. Remember to manage your time effectively, and don’t panic if you encounter a difficult question. Take a deep breath and approach the question logically and systematically.

In conclusion, achieving a level 7 on your IB HL English essay requires careful planning, effective use of evidence, and a clear and concise writing style. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to success.

Are you ready to improve your exam performance?

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• Feb 19, 2023

Creating the English HL Essay: Turning Analysis into a Thesis Masterpiece

Updated: Jul 7, 2023

The English HL essay is undoubtedly the flagship assessment of Higher-Level English. At its core, the HL essay depends on the same analytical skills as any other piece of English assessment. However, the HL essay sets itself apart by requiring a more specific and conceptual line of inquiry, and overall greater depth of analysis. With these requirements, the HL essay is often the single most daunting assessment in the HL English calendar. So, to help you on your HL essay journey, this blog will detail some useful tips and considerations to get you heading on the right track.

1) The Line of Inquiry

The line of inquiry is the central question around which the entire HL essay rests. A good line of inquiry will set you up for a terrific analysis, while a bad line of inquiry will leave your essay stuck and directionless. But what actually makes a good line of inquiry?

The trick is to allow the line of inquiry to focus your analysis. Take this hypothetical line of inquiry: “ How and why does J.R.R. Tolkien use the race of Men as a philosophical discussion of agency and its relationship with mortality in books within the Lord of the Rings? ”.

Starting with the imperatives “how” and “why”, this line of inquiry immediately constrains your analysis to keep you focused on technique (the how) and purpose (the why). This protects you from straying off track; so long as you keep talking about the hows and the whys, you guarantee yourself those marks that are for focus and relevancy.

This line of inquiry further keeps on task by explicitly stating the feature of your text that speaks to some real literary concept. In this case, we can see that the student using this line of inquiry is arguing that the race of Men is a tool that Tolkien has used to talk about agency and morality. Agency and morality are the literary concepts, the race of Men is the feature. By connecting them in the line of inquiry, you make it significantly easier to keep making that connection all the way throughout the entire HL essay. Not only this, but by connecting in-text features with a concept, it becomes significantly easier to produce the kinds of insightful arguments that push you into the top band of Criterion A.

The line of inquiry makes or breaks your HL essay (no pressure). That said, the HL essay is an ongoing journey. It is both common and perfectly okay to change or even completely scrap a line of inquiry partway through the drafting process.

2) The Analysis Itself

The analysis in the HL essay itself takes a very similar shape to analyses elsewhere in English assessments: technique, implications, authorial purpose, text type, audience positioning, evaluation, link to paragraph thesis, and so on. These avenues of analysis are the backbone of English in general and so it should come as no surprise that they are the backbone of the HL essay as well.

Where the HL essay can diverge from the other assessments is the points that you are arguing within the body paragraphs. Body paragraphs in the paper 1, for example, often cover how individual categories (say, visual techniques) contribute to the overall meaning of the text. The HL essay body paragraphs are considerably more related to the concept that you are arguing.

Taking the Lord of the Rings example above, you could have one paragraph about the race of Men and how Tolkien portrays their culture as a means of questioning the futility of having agency in light of definitive mortality. Then, you could have a second paragraph about how the race of Men is made distinct against other races in the Lord of the Rings as a tool of evaluating the role of mortality in driving personal choice, and so on for further paragraphs.

As you can see, rather than targeting specific groups of techniques, the HL essay paragraphs first address the conceptual discussions created within the text, and then the techniques are brought in to explain how these discussions emerge and what commentary the author is trying to make.

3) Structure and Terminology

There is no definitive go-to structure for the HL Essay. So long as there is an introduction and a conclusion framing a series of body paragraphs that each contain a thesis point, analysis, evidence and connections to the line of inquiry, then you are fulfilling the requirements of formal essay structure mandated by Criterion C.

Similarly, there is no required number of body paragraphs. Given the word count, 3-4 paragraphs is a good number to ensure that you are creating detailed points without repeating ideas. But, you are free to add more or less paragraphs and there are sometimes situations or texts where that may be necessary.

Criterion C and D are somewhat more check-boxy than A and B. How you fulfil Criterions A and B can be more variable depending on your text, as individual text types have defining features that lend themselves to potentially different directions of analysis. A short story, for example, would contain dialogue and so an analysis of speech and language takes on a completely different form than it would in a poem. But Criterion C and D are relatively consistent.

As long as you have a cohesive and formal essay structure as said above, combined with clear, analytical, and explicit vocabulary and tone, Criterion C and D are as good as guaranteed to you. Key things to consider when ensuring that these criteria are fulfilled include your tone (academic and unemotive), punctuation, and sentence variety (mixture of simple, compound, and complex sentences).

Closing Remarks

The HL essay is a task aimed to allow students to demonstrate the extent of their literary skills that they have learnt over their time in the diploma program. It can be daunting, and absolutely must be difficult in order to provoke insightful analysis, but it is just as possible to get a 7 on it as on any other assessment in any other subject. My final recommendation? Draft, redraft, redraft, and redraft again. Even if you’re just rewriting the same ideas every time, constant revision and review builds a crucial familiarity with the concepts and theses that you are arguing.

Good luck on your HL essay journey!

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• HL Essay: Exemplar 3 (George Monbiot)
• Higher level essay
• HLE sample work

Sample HL Essay

Sample hl essay with teacher's comments.

HL essay – the process

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

There are a number of different ways to develop an HL essay. Consider the following outline; it isn’t 100% comprehensive but it covers the key elements.

Preparing for the HL essay

• Carefully read through the HL essay requirements and criteria.
• Analyze HL essay samples. Make sure you understand how a particular HL essay sample addresses the requirements and criteria.
• Work very hard on your schoolwork and school assessments. Although you may not realize it early on, these are designed to build the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful on your HL essay.
• You will probably start working on your individual oral before your HL essay. The bodies of work and works you use on your individual oral CANNOT be used on your HL essay.
• As you work through bodies of work and works in your class, put a list together of ones you are considering using for your HL essay. Keep adding notes / details about the works and bodies of works on your list as you go through the course.
• Consider a few different topics (e.g. one of the course’s concepts) for your HL essay. Keep adding notes / details about the topics on your list as you go through the course.
• Once you narrow down your list of possible bodies of work and work for your HL essay, go through them and annotate them specifically for the HL essay. Your HL essay will need evidence to support your arguments – start collecting it early on.

Creating your HL essay

• Evaluate your different options, consult with your teacher and then choose a final work OR body of work that will be the focus of your HL essay. Remember that the work or body of work that you choose cannot be used for another IB assessment.
• If you are considering using a short literary text (e.g. a short story) for the HL essay check the requirements on page 43 of the Subject Guide.
• Evaluate your different options, consult with your teacher and then choose a final topic for your HL essay. The Subject Guide states that the topic you choose, “should enable a broad literary or linguistic focus for the essay. In achieving this, the course’s seven central concepts may be a helpful starting point for students in generating or determining a topic for the essay” (43).  
• Create an outline of your essay. The basic outline can start with a clear thesis statement and topic sentences.
• Early in the development process make sure your ideas / arguments / evidence meet the requirements and criteria for the HL essay.
• Periodically re-read review sample HL essays.
• As you put together your first draft, make absolutely sure that all of your sources are cited properly. If you wait too long to do this properly you will drastically increase the chances of making a mistake.
• You must put together the best possible first draft. Better first draft = better feedback from your teacher.
• Your teacher will give you feedback on your first draft but the feedback is somewhat limited. Page 44 of the Subject Guide provides additional information.
• As you get closer to finishing the final draft, double check that your HL essay follows all of the IB requirements and addresses the terms in the criteria.
• Before submitting your final essay make absolutely sure that all of your sources are cited properly.
• Submit your final draft to your teacher / IB according to the instructions you have been given. Each school has a slightly different process.

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• Knowledge Base
• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

Cite this Scribbr article

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McCombes, S. (2023, August 15). How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/thesis-statement/

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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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English A: Language and Literature Support Site

The great gatsby (hle).

The following HL Essay aims to answer the line of inquiry: 

Read the essay carefully. Apply the HLE assessment criteria and discuss the marks you would award the script before reading the examiner's marks and comments. How different were your marks and comments from the examiner's marks and comments? What improvements would you make to this essay to achieve better results?

This essay is good because it has a clear angle or focus on a 'topic'. Look carefully at the assessment criteria, and you will see that you need to explore a 'topic' through your HL Essay. In this case, it is the role of higher education in the novel The Great Gatsby. This level of specificity is good when considering your topic.  

Related pages

• HL Essay: Assessment criteria
• HL Essay: Skills: HLE Builder
• Literary works: The Great Gatsby

IB History: Writing Effective Paper 3 Essays

In the International Baccalaureate (IB) History course, Paper 3 assesses the "Aspects of the History of the Americas" for HL students. Writing effective essays for Paper 3 requires a combination of historical knowledge, critical analysis, and strong essay-writing skills. Here's a guide on how to write compelling Paper 3 essays:

 1. Understanding the Assessment Criteria:

1. command terms:.

   - Analyze, evaluate, and compare historical events.

   - Clearly understand the meaning of each command term and tailor your response accordingly.

2. Historical Concepts:

   - Demonstrate an understanding of key historical concepts such as causation, consequence, continuity, and change.

3. Synthesis:

   - Integrate information from different sources and demonstrate the ability to synthesize knowledge.

 2. Essay Structure:

1. introduction:.

   - Provide a clear thesis statement that outlines the main argument of your essay.

   - Offer a brief overview of the historical context.

2. Body Paragraphs:

   - Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that relates to your thesis.

   - Provide evidence, examples, and historical facts to support your arguments.

   - Analyze and interpret the significance of the evidence.

3. Counterarguments:

   - Address potential counterarguments to your thesis.

   - Either refute counterarguments or incorporate them into your analysis to show a nuanced understanding.

4. Use of Historical Perspectives:

   - Integrate different historical perspectives into your analysis.

   - Discuss how the perspectives of different groups or individuals shape historical events.

5. Conclusion:

   - Summarize your main arguments and restate your thesis.

   - Provide a brief reflection on the broader historical significance of your analysis.

 3. Historical Context and Background:

1. demonstrate contextual knowledge:.

   - Begin your essay by providing the necessary historical context.

   - Show an understanding of the broader historical forces at play during the period in question.

2. Chronological Organization:

   - Organize your essay chronologically if it makes sense for the topic.

   - Chronological organization helps demonstrate an understanding of the temporal development of events.

 4. Analysis and Evaluation:

1. cause-and-effect relationships:.

   - Analyze the cause-and-effect relationships between historical events.

   - Examine the short-term and long-term consequences of key actions.

2. Historical Significance:

   - Evaluate the historical significance of events, individuals, or developments.

   - Discuss the impact of the chosen topic on the broader course of history.

3. Causal Links and Comparisons:

   - Establish clear causal links between events.

   - Make effective comparisons to highlight similarities and differences.

 5. Use of Evidence:

1. primary and secondary sources:.

   - Integrate evidence from both primary and secondary sources.

   - Critically evaluate the reliability and bias of your sources.

2. Quantitative Data:

   - Incorporate relevant quantitative data when applicable.

   - Use statistics and figures to strengthen your arguments.

 6. Writing Style:

1. clarity and cohesion:.

   - Write in a clear and concise manner.

   - Ensure that your essay flows logically from one point to the next.

2. Avoid Repetition:

   - Avoid unnecessary repetition of ideas.

   - Use varied sentence structures to maintain reader engagement.

3. Historical Terminology:

   - Demonstrate a command of historical terminology.

   - Use specific terms and concepts relevant to the time period.

 7. Revision and Proofreading:

1. review your essay:.

   - Take time to review and revise your essay.

   - Check for coherence, consistency, and clarity.

2. Seek Feedback:

   - Share your essay with peers or teachers for feedback.

   - Consider their suggestions for improvement.

By following these guidelines, you can craft well-structured, insightful, and historically grounded essays for the IB History Paper 3. Remember to practice regularly and engage with a variety of historical sources to enhance your analytical and writing skills.

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IB English A: Literature: Individual Oral Assessment Considerations

Please note:  The purpose of this information is to elaborate on the nature of the IB assessment tasks, 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: Literature Subject Guide  or the  Teacher Support Materials  available on  My IB .  Those resources should always be a first stop for teachers in checking the requirements of each assessment task and how the task should be facilitated.    

Individual Oral Overview

30% at sl; 20% at hl, nature of the task.

• The Individual Oral is 15 minutes long. For the first 10 minutes, the students will deliver their response to the prompt, which is then followed up with a 5-minute discussion led by the teacher. 
• The prompt for the Individual Oral is: “Examine the ways in which the global issue of your choice is presented through the content and form of two of the works that you have studied. 1 ” 
• The rubric on which the Individual Oral is assessed is worth a total of 40 marks. 
• On the day of the exam, students will bring blank copies of their extracts as well as 10 bullet-pointed notes into the room. The extracts they choose should be representative of the way in which a global issue is presented in the work and may also provide the students a few talking points about authorial choices that contribute to that presentation as well. The extracts are not the center of the discussion but rather serve as launching points to talk about the work(s) as a whole, and Criterion C assesses that the students are balanced in their examination of both extracts and works. 
• After the first 10 minutes, teachers ask the student follow-up questions. This can be an opportunity for a teacher to nudge students in the direction of aspects of the prompt/assignment requirements that were not adequately addresses in the assessment.  While it may be helpful for the teacher to pre-prepare follow up questions, the teacher-student discussion tends to be more organic and helpful to the student if the questions build upon points the student has made in their oral.  Furthermore, teachers should avoid leading questions. 

Selection of the global issue

• A global issue is an issue within the work that exists transnationally but is also something that manifests in local contexts. Something like “how a community is dependent on fracking in Colorado” would be too precise to be a global issue. Something broader like “how the harvesting of energy sources impacts communities” might be more appropriate as it can be applied to other locations and situations. 
• Students and teachers should refer to the five Fields of Inquiry in the Language A guide 2  or the  UN Sustainable Development Goals  (SDG’s) as launching points for developing more specific global issues.  

Fields of Inquiry

• Culture, identity and community 
• Beliefs, values and education 
• Politics, power and justice 
• Art, creativity and the imagination 
• Science, technology and the environment 

Sustainable Development Goals

• No poverty 
• Zero hunger 
• Good health and well-being 
• Quality Education 
• Gender Equality 
• Clean water and sanitation 
• Affordable and clean energy 
• Decent work and economic growth 
• Industry, innovation and infrastructure 
• Reduced inequalities 
• Sustainable cities and communities 
• Responsible consumption and production 
• Climate action 
• Life below water 
• Life on land 
• Peace, justice and strong institutions 
• Global partnerships
• The student can further narrow the global issue from these broad fields.  A specific and more narrowed global issue helps students sustain focus in the task and adequately develop their ideas in the 10 minutes allocated to the presentation portion of the Individual Oral.  
• Penalty:  Orals that discuss more than one global issue will score a zero in Criterion A. 

Selection of work s/bodies of work

• SL Students should note that the works they choose are not eligible to be used for their Paper 2.  
• HL students should note that the works they choose cannot be used for the Paper 2 or HL essay.  
• Students must also select extracts from their works that serve as a supportive example of what they are asserting about each work’s presentation of the global issue.  
• The learner portfolio can be a helpful place for students to look back on their coursework and identify global issues that are prominent throughout the works they have studied.  
• Penalty:  Students who base their oral on two works written in English or two translated works will score a zero in Criterion A. 

Selection of the extracts

The extract should contain 40 consecutive lines (max), or the equivalent. 

• “The equivalent” can be interpreted as a significant moment or sequence in a work that is typically a page in length (e.g., a page of a graphic novel).  
• A complete text such as a poem or song can be an extract.  
• For texts containing images, extracts should be replicated in color when possible. 
• Adding line numbers and/or figure numbers to the extract will help the listener locate specific parts of the extract with ease. 

What is the Individual Oral Assessing?

Criterion a:  knowledge, understanding, and interpretation (10 marks), defined terms.

• The student’s answer to the prompt should consist of two overarching conclusions, one for how each work presents the global issue. These can be presented as thesis statements at the beginning of the oral. According to the rubric, orals that do not interpret implications in relation to the global issue (i.e., by offering a conclusion) are unlikely to score above a 4 in criterion A. 
• The response should discuss the ways in the global issue is presented in both the extract and the work.  Responses that only discuss the extract or only discuss the work are unlikely to show “adequate” understanding.   
• When the extract serves as optimal evidence for how the global issue is presented in the entire work, this helps the student balance their discussion, make connections, and fluidly discuss both the extract and the work. 
• During the 5-minute teacher-led discussion, students can demonstrate further knowledge and understanding through their responses to their teacher’s questions which can enhance their mark in Criterion A. This can be an opportunity to recall more details from the work or add more nuance to an interpretation.  

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

This protocol helps students independently synthesize information, events, or key ideas from a work/body of work.  Process Ask students to identify 5 words that represent […]

Card, Stack, and Shuffle

Assumptions play an important role in our understanding and interpretation of work, and this protocol helps students critically evaluate assumptions.  The types of assumptions will […]

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 […]

In this activity, students publicly identify their position in response to ideas and issues and justify that position with like-minded (and differently minded) peers.  This […]

Interviews using Naïve Questions

Conversations with a naïve partner can be an effective means to engage in reflection and identify gaps in knowledge or understanding.  The protocol below can […]

Criterion B:  Analysis and evaluation (10 marks)

• The identification of authorial choices can only get students so far. These features should be mentioned only if they support claims about the presentation of the global issue (see the “Focus” element of Criterion C). If the analysis of authorial choices is not in reference to the global issue, the rubric indicates that students are unlikely to score in the adequate bands and above. 
• Students are rewarded for making meaningful references to form-specific elements, genre-specific elements, and using corresponding terminology correctly, assuming the analysis is in reference to the presentation of the global issue.  “Simple” or more obvious authorial choices are rewarded in the middle bands of the criterion.  The higher bands reward attention to detail and perceptive insight which often includes a careful, close reading of the work.  
• Because the IO prompt asks the student to consider both the “content and form” of the works, there is an implied expectation they address the literary form and its corresponding formal features.  As teachers prepare students for this assessment, they can remind students to consider structural choices (in addition to language choices) made in the extract and in the work as whole.  
• Credit for “evaluation” is only attainable in the top two mark bands of Criterion B. Students must work to appreciate how those authorial choices present the global issue. Their conclusions might even weave in discussions about why the work communicates its ideas about the global issue in a specific way; it might have to do with the specific elements of a form, the function of literary works, the culture in which the work was produced, etc. 
• During the 5-minute follow-up discussion, teachers might ask students to provide further analysis of the extracts and the works which can enhance the student’s mark in Criterion B. This can be an opportunity to further detail the effects of specific authorial choices or recognize patterns of or connections between authorial choices that work to develop the global issue.  

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 […]

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 […]

Diversity Rounds

This protocol directs students to reflect on the ways in which their identity shapes their reading/ audience response compared to others in a group.  The […]

Criterion C:  Focus, organization, and development (10 marks)

• There is no prescribed way for students to organize the ideas they wish to present. However, like with the other IB English assessments, students must think about how they can best convince someone of their drawn conclusions, which often includes considering the order in which they present their ideas so as to develop the most effective line of reasoning.  
• It is important that students balance their presentation.  There are two considerations here:  the first is balancing the discussion between the two literary works; the second is balancing the discussion of each extract and its corresponding work. This plays an important role when awarding marks in this criterion. 
• It is worth noting that comparative analysis and evaluation is not a requirement of the assessment criterion, but students may discuss connections and contrasts between the work and body of work if it seems natural or interesting to do so. However, this should not be the focus of the task.   
• Criterion C will only be assessed based on the first 10 minutes of the individual oral; a student’s response cannot be improved or damaged based on the organization of their responses to their teacher’s questions [3].  
• The extent to which students adhere to the 10-minute time limit is considered in this criterion.  Orals that have long stretches of silence or are considerably under or over the 10-minute mark, may be limited in what they can achieve in this criterion.  

Activities and protocols that develop skills related to organization and development

Generate, Sort, Connect, Elaborate: Concept Mapping Significant MOMENTS in a Work

This activity asks students to individually identify significant moments in a work and collaboratively connect the moments to ideas, issues, and other moments in the […]

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 […]

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 […]

Criterion D:  Language (10 marks)

• Though this is an oral assessment, the student’s language is assessed in a similar way to the other assessments, considering clarity, accuracy, variety, and style. It is important to note that even a student with occasional errors can still score well if their language is effective (persuasive and nuanced) enough to enhance their presentation of the ideas in the oral.  
• Unlike in the previous oral, students now can “practice” the presentation of their ideas before the exam. Students can take advantage of this to try to think about enriching the vocabulary they use, transitioning fluidly from point to point, and using a variety of sentence structures. However, students may not prepare a “script” for their presentation, and the 10 bullet points they bring cannot be excessively long, which means it should still be a verbal articulation of ideas rather than a recitation. 
• A wider vocabulary and knowledge of sentence structures gives students more language tools to express abstract and complex thoughts.   
• Correct use of literary terminology may be considered in awarding marks in this criterion; however, jargon is not the sole focus.   
• The Individual Oral is a formal assessment and therefore students are expected to sustain a formal register throughout the presentation.  Of course, voice is welcomed in all IB assessment tasks: formal assessments do 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. […]

Stir the Classroom

This protocol requires that members take ownership of the ideas discussed within a group so that if called, they can synthesize them for their next […]

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: Literature Guide, First assessment 2021 , IBO: 2019. pp. 56.

[2] Language A: Literature Guide, First assessment 2021 , IBO: 2019. pp. 57.

[3]  “10 tips for schools & teachers for the individual oral”. My IB Website, IBO: 2020.  

[4] Language A: Literature Guide, First assessment 2021 , IBO: 2019. pp. 61.

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