hl essay minimum word count

IB English HLE Explained

Free introductory guide to IB English Higher Level Essay (HLE) by IB44 and IB45 graduates Lareina Shen and Saesha Grover.

In this guide, LitLearn students (and 2022 IB grads!)  Lareina Shen and Saesha Grover share their wisdom on how to conquer the IB English Higher Level Essay (HLE).

Lareina achieved an IB44, and Saesha achieved an IB45 as well as the coveted IB7 in IB English Literature HL, so you are in safe hands.

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 IB English HLE?

The HL Essay (HLE) is a 1200-1500 word essay about a text studied in the IB English course. For Lang Lit, the work you choose to analyze can be literary or non-literary, but for IB English Literature the text must be literary.

The HLE will make up  25% of your final IB English HL grade , and it is graded externally. You must choose your own line of inquiry   (i.e. a question that you will answer in your HLE–more on this later).

How do I choose my text for HLE?

Do NOT choose the “easiest” text. Life is always better when you do things you're interested in, and that advice applies to the HLE, too. Choose the literary / non-literary work that interests  you the most, so that you can (semi?)-enjoy the HLE planning and writing process.

You could start by thinking of a theme that you find particularly interesting and determining which text studied in class demonstrates this theme well.

How do I choose my line of inquiry for HLE?

The line of inquiry is the core question that you will answer in your essay. A quick example might be:

"To what extent is masculinity undermined by the characterisation of Little Thomas?"

Now, it's your job to forge your destiny and come up with your own line of inquiry. But it's not a complete free-for all! There are rules. The main rule is that your line of inquiry must fall under one of the 7 main concepts of IB English (see below for a quick summary).

This summary is vague, so let's go in-depth on a couple of these concepts to really show you what you should be doing in the HLE.

Identity is what makes you, YOU. Here are some questions the concern your own personal identity:

• What is your favourite colour? And why is it your favourite?
• What makes you different from others? Why do you think these qualities came to be?
• How would someone describe you in three words?

Now apply this same logic to characters within your text.

• How would you describe this character in three words?
• How do their actions within a text influence your view of their identity?
• How has the author crafted this character to make you view the character in a certain way?

Let's take a look at a concrete example of how we might choose evidence and quotes for a HLE on cultural identity. This example is based on a Vietnamese work in translation “Ru” by author Kim Thúy. For context, “Ru” is an autobiographical fictional account which explores Kim Thúy's move from Vietnam to Canada as an immigrant and her consequent struggles. The structure of her novel is largely lyrical and poetic.

Let's look at a section from her novel that may help us come up with an essay idea based on the concept of Identity. When she returns to Vietnam, she attends a restaurant, however this becomes a major awakening for her in terms of how she views her own personal identity. Kim narrates within her novel:

The first time I carried a briefcase, the first time I went to a restaurant school for young adults in Hanoi, wearing heels and a straight skirt, the waiter for my table didn't understand why I was speaking Vietnamese with him. Page 77, Rú

This is a perfect quote for the Identity concept. Can you see why? Let's think through it together…

Why would the waiter be confused if Kim, a “briefcase”-carrying individual in “heels” and a “straight skirt”, was speaking Vietnamese with him?

What does being “Vietnamese” look like to the waiter? Why does Kim not conform to his expectation? Was it perhaps due to what she was wearing?

Now, if we look at the section which follows this in the novel, we are able to see the impact this had on the character of Kim's sense of identity.

the young waiter reminded me that I couldn't have everything, that I no longer had the right to declare I was Vietnamese because I no longer had their fragility, their uncertainty, their fears. And he was right to remind me. Page 77, Rú

Here, we can clearly see that this character is now questioning her Vietnamese cultural identity. This is just one example that demonstrates the concept of Identity.

Culture seems to be this confusing thing.  Does it have to do with religion? Race? Beliefs? What does it mean? Does the monster from Frankenstein fit into a certain culture?

The easiest way to put it is this:  Culture is the way someone lives. It is their “way of life.” Think of it as an umbrella term. “Culture” can include so many different things; the list just goes on, for example religion, values, customs, beliefs, cuisine, etc.

Now think, how would I form an essay from this concept?

• When you read a text in class, you will notice that authors let you form an opinion on the culture of certain characters or groups within a text, but how is this done?
• How does the author represent the culture of a certain community?
• What types of patterns in daily routines are discussed?

It seems odd writing an essay about “creativity” because… like… how can anyone definitively say what ‘counts' as being creative–or not? When I say the word creativity , I think of new inventions, or maybe those weird and wacky art installations living inside those ‘modern art' museums. But hey, what's creative to me might not be creative to you!

When formulating a HLE on the concept of creativity we have two main pointers for you. Look for:

• Interesting + Unique techniques or literary devices used within a text by the author. You can learn more in the  Learn Analysis section of LitLearn.
• Recurring stylistic choices by the author

Now, for this concept, let's look at how we might select supportive evidence and quotations for a HLE on creativity within the narrative style of author Mary Shelley in “Frankenstein”. The narrative style uses  epistolary narration . This is a narrative technique in which a story is told through letters. This was something that I found both interesting and recurring within Frankenstein, which I believe worked to create a personal touch within the novel.

Additionally, Mary Shelley allows different characters to narrate Frankenstein during different volumes. Let's investigate this! I have written out different character profiles of the narrators below:

These 3 characters, each relate a part of the novel Frankenstein. This is an example of a creative authorial choice that allows us, as readers to explore different points of view within the text. This is just one example of a creative aspect of a text which you can analyze for your HLE.

Representation

Representation is all about how something is  portrayed, conveyed, shown, described, illustrated, depicted . There are many different things that can be ‘represented' within a text, and it doesn't have to be tangible.

For instance, you can look at how a belief, idea or attitude is depicted within a text through different characters or devices.

Again, let's explore a concrete example to make things clear: this time the graphic novel “Persepolis”. We'll consider an HLE on how a text  represents the  impact of political turmoil on society .

Chapter 10 of “Persepolis” highlights societal changes occurring due to the Iranian Revolution. The panels below list the authorial choices relevant to the negative representation of political change in a society. When looking at the techniques highlighted in the slides below, think about how you feel when you look at the panels below. Can you sense a more positive or negative feeling?

Cool, but what do we do to turn all this into an actual HL essay? Here is a sample response. The introduction might begin like this:

In the captivating graphic novel “Persepolis,” the author Marjane Satrapi explores the social and political impacts of the Iranian revolution. In particular, Satrapi conveys a disapproving viewpoint on political turmoil within the text. Throughout the graphic novel, Satrapi carefully represents how social isolation, hypocrisy and confusion is experienced by a young girl living in Tehran, as a result of political turmoil.  Example HLE Introduction

Then, in a body paragraph, on one of the key ideas mentioned above, we could analyze the different literary techniques. For example, Panel 1 is a great representation of the experience of confusion in the midst of political turmoil:

Marji is the younger girl pictured in the panels above. While her parents appear quite concerned by the news on the TV, she appears to not be in full comprehension of the cause for their distress. This is demonstrated by the visual imagery and dialogue, in panel 7, for instance, if you observe the facial expressions by each of the characters. Example of analysis in body paragraph

This is just a short example from one particular text. To help you unpack any text, try look for the following when analyzing chapter to chapter:

• What is the main idea of the chapter?
• Why did the author write it? What purpose does it serve?
• What do you believe is the overarching importance of the passage?

Brainstorming Tips

If you're having trouble picking your text and line of inquiry, then use this simple 20-minute process to brainstorm potential questions for your HLE:

• For each text / non-literary work, go through each concept in the table below.
• Write down a question for each of the two prompts for each category.
• Repeat for all of your texts.
• Pick the question-text combination that has the greatest potential for strong analysis.

How do I ensure my HLE question has a good scope?

Choosing a question with good scope is extremely   important, and it's one of the biggest challenges in the HLE. Here's why:

• If your scope is too broad , you may have too much to write about in order to answer the question, and therefore you won't be able to write deep analysis (which is super important–more on this later…)
• If your scope is too narrow , you may not have enough to write about and end up overanalyzing unnecessary and obscure details. Also something to avoid!

So, to help you get the balance just right , here are three examples of HLE questions, specifically for the concept of  Identity which we mentioned in the table above (by the way, the example is a made-up novel for illustration purposes).

• Too broad: “How does Irene Majov in her novel  Deadly Men effectively make her narrator a powerful mouthpiece?”
• Too narrow: “How does Irene Majov in her novel  Deadly Men effectively make her narrator a powerful mouthpiece for the concerns of Asian-Americans toward discrimination in the workforce in the 21st century?”
• Just right: “How does Irene Majov in her novel  Deadly Men effectively make her narrator a powerful mouthpiece for the concerns of Asian-Americans in the 21st century?”

How to get a 7 on IB English HLE

There are many things that contribute to a 7 in your HLE and your IB English grade overall. But if we had to boil it down to one secret, one essential fact… then it'd have to be this: Get really good at analysis .

Analysis is the key to a 7 in IB English. It doesn't matter if it's Paper 1, Paper 2, HLE, IO… You must learn how to analyze quotes at a deep level, and structure your analysis in a way that flows and delights your teachers and examiners.

Start with the basics

Start with the basic foundations of analysis for free inside LitLearn's Learn Analysis course.

Our free and Pro resources have helped IB English students skyrocket their grade in weeks, days and even overnight...   Learn Analysis for IB English , the simplest guide to a 7 in IB English.

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Finding Quotes

Also, you'll need to find good quotes for your text. Some good sources where you can find relevant quotes include  Goodreads , SparkNotes ,  LitCharts , and Cliffnotes . Of course, you could just find quotes yourself directly–this will ensure your quotes are unique.

Understanding the IB English HLE rubric

An essential step to getting a high mark on the HL Essay is understanding the rubric! It is SO important that you know what IB English examiners are looking for when grading your essay, as this helps you to shape the content of your essay to match (or even exceed) their expectations.

The IB English HL Essay is graded out of 20 marks . There are 4 criteria, each worth 5 marks.

Use the checklist below to make sure you're not making simple mistakes! Note that this is not the official marking criteria, and I strongly recommend that you reading the official rubric provided by your teacher.

Criterion A: Knowledge, understanding, and interpretation

• Accurate summary of text in introduction
• Focused and informative thesis statement
• Effective and relevant quotes
• Relevant and effective summary and ending statement in conclusion

Criterion B: Analysis and evaluation

• Relevant analysis of a variety of stylistic features 
• Relevant analysis of tone and/or atmosphere
• Relevant analysis of broader authorial choices i.e. characterization, point of view, syntax, irony, etc.

Criterion C: Focus, organization, and development

• Introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion
• Organized body paragraphs – topic sentence, evidence, concluding statement/link to question
• Appropriate progression of ideas and arguments in which evidence (i.e. quotes) are effectively implemented

Criterion D: Language

• Use expansions (e.g. “do not”) instead of contractions (e.g. “don't”)
• Use of a variety of connecting phrases e.g. “furthermore”, “nonetheless”, “however”, etc.
• Complete sentence structures and subject-verb agreement
• Correct usage of punctuation
• Appropriate register – no slang
• Historic present tense : the use of present tense when recounting past events. For example, we want to write “In  The Hunger Games , Peeta and Katniss work   together to win as a district” instead of using the word “worked”.
• Avoid flowery/dictionary language just to sound smart; it is distracting and difficult to read. As long as you concisely communicate your message using appropriate language, you will score a high mark under this criterion.

Here's everything we discussed:

• IB English HLE is tough work! Start early.
• Brainstorm using the table of concepts to come up with a strong HLE question. Don't give up on this!
• Analysis is the key to a 7 in IB English HLE (and in fact all IB English assessment). Check out LitLearn's course  Learn Analysis for IB English   for immediate help on the exact steps to improve in IB English analysis.

Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor 💪

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Higher Level Essay

Crash course on HLE basics.

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• September 26, 2021

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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Higher Level Essay  ​ Weighting: 20% 

• 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? ​
• How does F. Scott Fitzgerald foreshadow how Gatsby’s unnatural attachment to the past causes his downfall in TheGreat Gatsby?
• In what ways would Marxist theory about the stratification of wealth and power explain the violence that runs through the action of the novel A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez?
• To what extent was the characterization of the protagonist in Patrick Süskind´s Perfume influenced by Franz Kafka´s The Metamorphosis?

The Learner Portfolio and the Higher Level Essay

• Reflect on the ways in which each text they read relates to the seven central concepts of the course  .
• Keep an ongoing record of themes and issues they find interesting in relation to each of the texts they read.  
• Explore how key passages in the texts they have studied are significant in relation to those themes and issues.   
• Trace the evolution of their thinking and planning in connection with their chosen topic.  
• Record references for, and ideas and quotations from, secondary sources they might want to mention in their essay.
• Reflect on the challenges that the HL essay poses for them as individual learners.  ​

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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IB English HL Essay: 2024 Ultimate Guide for full marks

Are you looking to excel in your IB English HL Essay? This comprehensive guide will help you master the essential skills needed to craft a high-scoring essay. The IB English HL Essay requires students to analyze literary works critically and present well-structured arguments.

IB ENGLISH HL ESSAY

8/15/2024 9 min read

Understanding the IB English HL Essay Criteria

The assessment criteria for the IB English HL Essay are meticulously structured to evaluate various elements of a student's work. Understanding these criteria is crucial for achieving full marks. The core areas of assessment are knowledge and understanding, analysis, organization, and style.

Knowledge and Understanding

A high-scoring essay demonstrates deep knowledge and understanding of the prescribed texts. It's essential to show familiarity with the text's themes, genres, and contextual background. For example, an essay analyzing Shakespeare's "Hamlet" should display an awareness of the historical and social influences of Elizabethan England, as well as Shakespeare's literary genius. To excel in this criterion, students should not only recount the plot but also delve into the intricate details that underpin the narrative.

Another critical component is the quality of analysis. Successful essays don't just describe but critically examine the text, uncovering deeper meanings and connections. High achievers often employ a variety of analytical lenses such as psychoanalytic theory, feminist critique, and post-colonial analysis. For instance, an essay might explore the symbolism of the green light in "The Great Gatsby," moving beyond literal interpretation to discuss its thematic significance and what it reveals about the characters' aspirations and societal constraints.

Organization

Organizational structure plays a pivotal role in the clarity and coherence of the essay. An essay must follow a logical progression of ideas, divided into well-structured paragraphs with clear topic sentences and smooth transitions. Top-scoring essays often use introduction and conclusion sections effectively to frame the argument, while each body paragraph meticulously builds on the preceding one. This ensures that the essay reads as a cohesive whole, rather than a disjointed collection of thoughts.

Finally, the essay's style combines both linguistic precision and creativity. Excellence in this criterion involves the effective use of varied sentence structures, rich vocabulary, and rhetorical devices such as metaphor and irony. A well-written essay maintains formal academic tone while also engaging the reader with compelling arguments and striking language. For instance, employing vivid imagery or thoughtful analogies can elevate the writing, making complex ideas more accessible and memorable.

Mastering these criteria — knowledge and understanding, analysis, organization, and style — is the key to scoring full marks in the IB English HL Essay. By understanding what examiners are looking for and implementing these strategies, students can significantly improve their performance. Examples from top-scoring essays provide practical insights into how these elements can be effectively incorporated.

Choosing the Right Topic and Text

Selecting the right topic and text for your International Baccalaureate (IB) English Higher Level (HL) essay is a pivotal step towards scoring full marks. The topic and text you choose will form the foundation of your essay's depth and analytical richness. Hence, making an informed decision is crucial to ensure that these elements provide ample scope for deep analysis and exploration, as required by IB standards.

When choosing a text, consider works that are sophisticated and rich in themes, characterization, and stylistic elements. These texts should offer multiple layers of meaning, allowing you to showcase your ability to dissect and interpret various narrative techniques. Classic novels, contemporary literary works, or even a collection of poems by a single author often serve as excellent choices because they typically display a range of complex literary features.

A compelling topic is one that not only aligns with your personal interests but also adheres to the criteria set by the IB curriculum. It should be specific enough to allow for thorough examination yet broad enough to cover significant aspects of the text. For instance, analyzing the representation of power dynamics in George Orwell’s 1984 or exploring themes of identity and displacement in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah can offer substantial material for in-depth analysis.

To pick a successful topic, start by noting themes and elements that intrigue you as you engage with the text. Brainstorm potential angles of exploration that would allow you to delve deeply into the content. Importantly, ensure the chosen topic adheres to IB's assessment criteria, which emphasize analysis, interpretation, and clear articulation of ideas.

Examples of successful topics from past students include the examination of existential themes in Albert Camus' The Stranger or the critique of social class structures in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice . These selections demonstrate an in-depth connection with the text, enabling students to exhibit their critical thinking and analytical skills effectively.

Remember, the ultimate goal in choosing the right topic and text is to provide yourself with the best possible platform to demonstrate your analytical capabilities and meet the rigorous standards set by the IB curriculum.

Conducting In-depth Literary Analysis

Conducting a thorough literary analysis is an essential skill for excelling in the IB English HL essay. This process involves delving deeply into the text to unravel its complexities and uncover its hidden meanings. The first step in this journey is identifying the core themes of the text. Themes represent the central ideas or messages that the author aims to convey. To identify them, one must thoroughly read the text, paying close attention to recurring motifs, symbols, and character actions that highlight broader societal, philosophical, or psychological questions.

Equally vital is recognizing the literary devices the author employs to enrich the narrative and underscore the themes. These devices include metaphors, similes, alliteration, and irony, to name a few. For instance, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet , the use of soliloquies, particularly "To be, or not to be," helps to explore Hamlet's inner turmoil and philosophical pondering on life and death. By dissecting such passages, you can gain insights into character development and thematic expression.

Stylistic elements like tone, diction, and syntax play a crucial role in shaping the reader's interpretation of the text. Analyzing an author's choice of words, sentence structure, and the tone can reveal subtextual layers and emotional undertones. Consider how the terse, fragmented sentences in Ernest Hemingway’s works contribute to the minimalist style and reflect the characters' emotional struggles. By focusing on these aspects, the analysis becomes multi-dimensional and richer.

Effective note-taking is indispensable in organizing your insights and ensuring that no critical detail is overlooked. Techniques such as annotating the text, using color-coded highlights for different themes and devices, and maintaining a separate notebook for detailed notes can be extremely helpful. Structure your notes well, categorizing them under different headings such as themes, symbols, and stylistic elements, which will streamline the essay-writing process.

To illustrate, consider George Orwell’s 1984 . Annotate passages that depict the pervasive surveillance and control in the novel to pinpoint how these elements reflect the theme of totalitarianism. Highlight Orwell’s use of paradoxical phrases like “War is peace” to discuss the manipulation of language as a tool of power. By systematically organizing these insights, crafting a coherent and comprehensive essay becomes achievable.

Structuring Your Essay for Maximum Impact

When striving for top marks in the IB English Higher Level (HL) essay , a well-structured essay is paramount. An ideal structure not only ensures that your arguments are presented logically but also aids in guiding the examiner through your analysis seamlessly. The structure begins with a clear introduction, coherent body paragraphs, and a robust conclusion.

The introduction is your first opportunity to make an impression. It should start with a hook that captures the reader’s interest, followed by some background information that sets the context of your analysis. Crucially, a strong thesis statement must be included in the introduction – this is a concise summary of your primary argument or interpretation. This thesis statement will act as a roadmap for your essay, informing the reader of the central thread of your discourse.

Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph while linking it to the thesis statement. It's important that these topic sentences act as a cohesive guide for the reader, ensuring each point of analysis is clearly related to your overall argument. Subsequent sentences within each paragraph should include evidence and interpretation, often drawing on textual quotations and critical analysis to substantiate your claims. The consistent use of evidence is key to demonstrating a thorough understanding of the text and its nuances.

Clarity and cohesion are integral to an effective essay. Clarity ensures that your arguments are easily understood, while cohesion relies on the logical flow of ideas. To maintain both, make strategic use of transition words and phrases – these can be particularly effective in guiding readers from one idea to the next, thus preserving a smooth flow of your argument. Words and phrases like "furthermore," "moreover," "in addition," and "consequently" can help develop a narrative continuity and sophistication in your writing.

A strong conclusion is essential to encapsulate your arguments and affirm the validity of your thesis statement. It should not introduce new information but rather synthesize the points made in the body paragraphs, ultimately reinforcing the overarching argument posed in the thesis statement. An effective conclusion leaves a lasting impression and underlines the significance of your analysis.

In sum, structuring your IB English HL essay with a clear introduction, logically organized body paragraphs, and a cogent conclusion can significantly enhance the impact of your analysis. Remember, the structure is the skeleton of your essay; it needs to be robust to support the weight of your insightful arguments and critical evaluations.

Polishing Your Essay: Editing and Proofreading Tips

Editing and proofreading are critical to achieving full marks on your IB English HL essay. These steps ensure that your essay is clear, concise, and free of errors. It is important to approach editing and proofreading as separate phases to maximize the effectiveness of your revisions. First, focus on content and structure, then on grammar and mechanics.

Begin by reviewing your essay for consistency and clarity. Assess whether your arguments are logical and well-supported with textual evidence. Ensure that each paragraph transitions smoothly to the next and that your thesis is effectively communicated. Look out for any gaps in logic or areas where your analysis could be deepened. Confirm that the essay meets word count requirements, trimming unnecessary details without losing crucial information.

Once you are satisfied with the content, shift focus to grammatical precision. Common errors often include subject-verb disagreement, incorrect tense usage, and punctuation issues. Read your essay aloud; this can help you catch grammatical mistakes and awkward phrasings that may not be as obvious when reading silently. Also, consider the nuances of word choice to enhance the sophistication of your language.

Checklists can be invaluable during the proofreading process. Here is a basic checklist to follow:

- Are all arguments substantiated with evidence? - Is your thesis clearly articulated and consistently referenced throughout the essay? - Are your sentences varied in structure and length, preventing monotony? - Have you avoided colloquialisms or overly casual language? - Have you adhered to word count limitations without compromising on content?

Additionally, seeking feedback can offer new perspectives on your work. Peers or teachers can provide constructive criticism highlighting areas you may have overlooked. To facilitate this process, ask specific questions about your essay’s clarity, argumentation, and technical accuracy. Be open to feedback and ready to make necessary revisions based on the suggestions you receive.

Effective editing and proofreading are indispensable in your path to achieving a high score on the IB English HL essay. By methodically refining both content and grammar, utilizing checklists, and welcoming external feedback, your essay will be polished to meet the highest standards of academic writing.

Frequently Asked Questions and Expert Advice

One of the questions frequently asked by IB English HL students concerns time management. Effective time management is crucial, given the extensive reading, planning, and writing required. Experts recommend creating a detailed schedule that allocates specific time blocks for each stage of the essay preparation process. Divide the workload into manageable chunks to avoid last-minute panic. Utilizing planning tools, such as planners or digital calendars, can significantly enhance your efficiency.

Another common concern is dealing with writer's block. To overcome this, experts advise maintaining a regular writing habit. Daily writing exercises can help reduce the fear of the blank page. When writer's block strikes, take a short break or engage in a different creative activity to reset your mind. Collaboration with peers can also spark new ideas and provide fresh perspectives.

Understanding examiner expectations is often a challenge for students. Examiners look for clarity, coherence, and a deep understanding of the text. It is critical to address all parts of the essay prompt thoroughly. Supported arguments with well-integrated textual evidence can greatly strengthen your essay. Familiarize yourself with past examiners' reports to understand common pitfalls and successful strategies.

Another query revolves around organizing the essay. A well-structured essay typically follows a clear outline: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each section should serve its purpose - the introduction should outline your thesis and main arguments, body paragraphs should develop these arguments with evidence, and the conclusion should summarize and restate the thesis in a reflective manner.

For students seeking additional support, numerous resources are available. Tutoring centers provide personalized guidance to enhance essay-writing skills. Online forums such as the IB Survivors or specific IB subreddit forums are excellent platforms to share experiences and gather tips from other students. Libraries and academic institutions often offer workshops specifically tailored to IB English HL essays, providing invaluable expert insights.

In case of any further questions or personalized assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to your teachers, school counselors, or dedicated IB tutors. These resources are designed to support you through the essay-writing process and help you achieve full marks in your IB English HL essay.

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• Feb 19, 2023

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

Updated: Jul 8, 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 External Assessments, first examination 2021, SL does NOT do this essay, only HL.

Students submit an essay on one non-literary text or a collection of non-literary texts by the same author, or a literary text or work studied during the course. The essay must be 1,200 - 1,500 words in length. (20 marks) 20%

The HL essay offers students an opportunity to develop as independent, critical and creative readers, thinkers and writers by exploring a literary or language topic over an extended period of time, refining their ideas by means of a process of planning, drafting and re-drafting. The essay requires students to construct a focused, analytical argument examining the work from a broad literary or linguistic perspective. It also requires them to adhere to the formal framework of an academic essay, using citations and references.

HL Essay Explained

Producing the HL Essay: IB External Assessment (April-May Junior Year)

Outlining your ideas.

HL Essay Outline, Traditional

HL Essay Graphic Organizer

MLA Formatted Graphic Organizer

Seeing Exemplars by Score

HL Exemplars by Score (Meridian Students Only Have Access)

Revising/Editing

Self or Peer Review of HL Essay

Research: Find a couple of articles in addition to your primary texts to help you support your analysis.

Ms. Van Winkle offered some helpful tips on researching for your HL essay.

Researching about Film: Check out these sources

Gale Literature

ProQuest Ebooks

Academic OneFile

EBSCO eBooks

JSTOR (currently offering 100 free articles per month to all students)

Online Film Critics Society (film & television reviews/criticism)

https://musiccritic.com/

Learn more about literary theory and criticism at Purdue OWL

Google Scholar (proceed with care - you will find wonderful articles, but the paywalls will break your heart; Ms. V an Winkle may be able to find articles though, so check with her )

Important! When conducting research from off-campus, you’ll need passwords for our subscriptions. Find login information here.

Using these database supports will:

Reduce useless search results

Get you to better information, faster

Hone your scholarly sleuthing skills

Need a refresher on search techniques like Boolean operators, truncation/wildcards, etc.? Watch research tutorial videos here.

UT Austin has an interactive tool to help you generate search terms.

Did you know that Gale databases allow you to:

Highlight and annotate the text of an article

Export the full text of the article to Google Drive - OR export just your notes and highlights

Any articles you send to your Google Drive during the same browser session will automatically go into a single folder - keep all your research together without even thinking about it!

Top 8 Tips for Earning a Level 7 on the IB English HL Essay

• What is the IB English HL Essay?

Demands of the IB English HL Essay

• Examples of Level 7 IB English HL Essay Titles
• 1. Consider the Source you Wish to Write About
• 2. Decide on your Topic by Brainstorming Wider Themes

3. Consolidate your Line of Argument in a Thesis Statement

• 4. Identify the Strongest Evidence for your Argument

5. Plan, Structure, and Research

6. write a first draft with citations.

• 8. Re-write if Necessary

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.

This external assessment will be unlike any English essay students will have written so far, as it requires learners to develop their own question, argue in the framework of an academic essay, and use citations.

In this way, the scope and direction of the IB HL Essay for English can be quite hard for learners to understand and master. Candidates need to research literary commentary to supplement their arguments and create a polished piece of literary criticism based on significant literary or thematic elements studied in the IB English curriculum.

Even the process of constructing an essay title and narrowing down the scope of the essay is challenging in itself. When our IB English tutors teach our students, we first prioritise this conceptual foundation. 

Examples of Level IB English HL Essay Titles

Here are some examples of previous IB English HL Essay titles which have secured 7s: 

The Inversion of Social Construct in Primo Levi’s If This is a Man

Masculinity and Strength in Yukio Mishima’s The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea  

Alienated Masculinity in Katherine Mansfield’s The Garden Party and Other Stories 

IB English HL Essay Overview

Having written an IB English HL Essay ourselves (‘Written Assignment’, during our time), our private IB English tutors know that many IB English students will find it challenging to elevate their analysis to an essay of this length while staying laser-focused on the topic.

This kind of sophisticated analysis is required for a Level 7 in IB English HL, so we model how we tutor based on the learning style of the student to best refine their line of argument.

Here is a broad outline of how we would structure the IB HL English Essay research and writing process. It also serves as a good checklist to keep in mind when writing any high school essay, especially for the IB.

1. Carefully Consider the Source you Wish to Write About

This seems like an obvious point, but some candidates choose what they believe to be the easiest option (e.g. a text with more obvious discussion points), even if they do not particularly like the text. Though this may be a good option for some, we have seen students struggle with researching, writing, and perfecting an IB English HL essay on a text they ultimately are not interested in. This can affect the strength of the line of argument, and how convincing the essay is.

2. Decide on your Essay Topic by Brainstorming Wider Themes

By narrowing down the most significant themes of the source, it is much easier to settle on a suitable topic. This is usually quite challenging, and we advise students to turn to private IB English tutoring if they struggle with this.

Along with constructing a suitable essay question, consolidating a strong line of argument, i.e. thesis statement, is crucial for a 7 in any IB subject, especially English. This will form the foundation and direction of the essay.

4. Identify the Strongest Pieces of In-Text Evidence for your Argument

This is a generalised suggestion, and the specific evidence to use will differ depending on the source and question that each candidate chooses for their IB English HL Essay. Essentially, your main arguments must be supplemented by the strongest two to four pieces of in-text evidence. In the IB English HL Essay, these are the primers for your analytical insights.

This is the most important part of the essay writing process and the make-or-break moment for IB English HL Essay success. You should produce a coherent plan, with main points clearly supplemented with the strongest in-text evidence and references to broader literary commentary.

Following appropriate introductory, analytical (PEAL), and conclusion structures should be familiar at this point from other IB essays, even outside of English. The challenge is now to express yourself in formal and persuasive language, while referencing research appropriately.

The first draft of any essay will require heavy editing to ensure that it is structurally organised and well-executed. At BartyED, our private IB English tutors regularly advise students in this crucial stage of the IB English essay. Our support ranges from fixing the tone of an essay to cutting down words (almost all students end up with more words than they planned for).

8. Re-Write If Necessary

Depending on the quality of the essay, the final steps of completing the HL English Essay will be making the relevant edits and refining expression as per the IB English Essay mark scheme. All of the assessment criteria must be met, which can pose a considerable challenge in itself. 

Follow these steps, and with a good tutor, the HL English Essay is sure to be polished and high-level. Check out our website for more information about BartyED IB English tutoring programmes and frequently asked questions about the course. Or, contact a BartyED IB English tutor today to make sure you secure top marks for your coursework!

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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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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.

Privacy Overview

• Support Sites

English A: Language and Literature Support Site

Hle assessment criteria, criterion a: knowledge, understanding and interpretation.

• To what extent does the essay show knowledge and understanding of the work or body of work?
• To what extent are interpretations drawn from the work or body of work to explore the topic?
• To what extent are interpretations supported by relevant references to the work or body of work?

Criterion B: Analysis and evaluation

• To what extent does the essay show analysis and evaluation of how the author uses stylistic and structural features to construct meaning on the topic?

Criterion C: Coherence, focus and organisation

• To what extent does the essay show coherence, focus and organisation?

Criterion D: Language

• To what extent is the student’s use of vocabulary, tone, syntax, style and terminology accurate, varied and effective?