ib lang and lit hl essay examples

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.

Basic Analysis

No sign up or credit card required.

Free signup required.

Pro members only

Level up to Advanced Analysis

Since you're in HL, you'll also be needing Advanced Analysis skills if you want to impress your examiner. We've got all of that covered inside our Pro lessons.

Advanced Analysis

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 💪

Question​bank

Paper 1 Practice Exams

Past Paper 1 Solutions

Paper 2 Guide

From Struggling to Succeeding in IB English

How IB English students like you have improved their grades with LitLearn Pro... Read the reviews.

IB4 to IB6 in 12 days " LitLearn helped me understand exactly what I was doing wrong and how to improve upon those mistakes. " Read the full review

IB6 to IB7 in 1 week " I ended with a 7 in English Literature HL and I am so happy about that. Thank you Jackson. " Read the full review

IB5 to Perfect 20/20 in 1 week " I managed to be the only person in my IB cohort of 120 students to get a perfect score of 20/20 " Read the full review

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

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

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

Every resource to ace IB English

Voted #1 IB English Resource 2022 by IB Students & Teachers at ibresources.org

Learn Analysis

Master the essential skill of IB English with a step-by-step course.

Questionbank

Practice analysis with 60+ short questions and IB7 answers.

Exam prep guide, practice papers, past paper solutions.

Exam prep, planning and writing guide. Exemplar essay.

Individual Oral

Preparation guide, examples and full exemplar script.

Higher Level Essay

Crash course on HLE basics.

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.

IB English Guys

Newsletter signup.

English Collaborative

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.

Photo by Marcel Friedrich on Unsplash

2 thoughts on “ IB English A Language and Literature: HL Essay Assessment Considerations ”

Thank you for this resource.

You’re welcome! If you see something that should be added, please let us know!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Top Nav Breadcrumb

• Ask a question

Call for essays: language and literature

Calling all Diploma Programme (DP) alumni! We are looking for graduates and students, like you, to help the IB create a sample set of essays for an upcoming new Study in language and literature courses: the higher level (HL) essay. We need sample HL essays in the following languages: English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, German, Japanese and Turkish covering 16 different topics!

Show off your writing and set an example for future IB students.  Submit a proposal  by 30 June 2018 (extended from May) to write an original 1,200-1,500-word essay on a topic you choose within the categories of language and literature, or just Literature (full details below). If your proposal is selected, completed essays will be awarded a USD 50 Amazon gift card. 

ESSAY PROPOSAL FORM

What is the HL essay?

The HL essay is a component that requires candidates to write a 1200-1500 word formal essay, following a line of inquiry of their own choice into one of the texts studied. HL Language A: language and literature candidates will have a choice between writing about a non-literary or literary text.

Why was it added to the course?

The development of the HL essay followed the elimination of both written tasks and the written assignment in Studies in language and literature courses. Without those components, there would no longer be written coursework targeting research, editing and citation skills that are of such importance for university courses.  The essay also differentiates further between SL and HL, asking HL candidates to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the nature of linguistic or literary study.

What topic should my essay discuss? (choose one from either)

Language and literature

• On a number of columns by one same columnist
• On an advertising campaign
• On the body of work of a photographer
• On a biography
• On a collection of essays
• On a TV series or a film
• On a blog or any other electronic text
• On a series of articles by one same writer

Or  Literature

• On a work of poetry
• On a work of fiction
• On a work of non-fiction
• On a work of drama
• On a graphic novel
• On a group of songs by one same author
• On a work of poetry in translation
• On a work in translation

In what language should my essay be written?

We need essays in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, German, Japanese and Turkish.

What is the deadline?

Submit your  proposal  no later than 30 June 2018, though earlier is recommended. We will review proposals on a rolling basis and contact you individually with additional details and a deadline for the final essay.

Why DP graduates?

We need creative and original examples to guide students; we know you have the skills to do this! Show off your writing and set an example for future IB students.  Submit a proposal  for an original 1,200-1,500-word essay on a topic you choose within either the categories of Language and literature, or just Literature. If your proposal is selected and you submit a completed essay, you may be eligible to receive a USD 50 Amazon gift card .

What concept should I use as a starting point for the essay?

To guide students in their choice of topic, we recommend using the seven central concepts in the course as a starting point for developing a line of inquiry. These concepts are listed here:

The representation of the identity of a particular character or group of characters in the work, or on the way in which the work relates to the identity of the writer

The representation of the culture of a particular place, institution or group of people, or on the way in which the work itself relates to a particular culture.

The representation of the individual or collective creativity, or lack of creativity, within the work, or on the way in which the work represents the creativity of the writer.

Communication

The representation of acts of communication, or failures in communication, in the work, or on the way in which the work itself represents an act of communication.

Transformation

The representation of transformation or transformative acts in the work, or on the way in which the work itself is a transformative act either of other works through intertextual reference to them or of reality by means of a transformative effect on the reader’s identity, relationships, goals, values, and beliefs.

Perspective

The representation of a particular perspective or perspectives within the work, or on the way in which the work represents the writer’s perspective.

Representation

The way in which the work represents different themes, attitudes and concepts, or in the extent to which literature can actually represent reality.

Questions or comments? Write to [email protected] .

About the IB

IBDP English A: Language & Literature

Website by David McIntyre & Tim Pruzinsky

Updated 19 April 2024

InThinking Subject Sites

Subscription websites for IB teachers & their classes

Find out more

• thinkib.net
• IBDP Biology
• IBDP Business Management
• IBDP Chemistry
• IBDP Economics
• IBDP English A Literature
• IBDP English B
• IBDP Environmental Systems & Societies
• IBDP French B
• IBDP Geography
• IBDP German A: Language & Literature
• IBDP History
• IBDP Maths: Analysis & Approaches
• IBDP Maths: Applications & Interpretation
• IBDP Physics
• IBDP Psychology
• IBDP Spanish A
• IBDP Spanish Ab Initio
• IBDP Spanish B
• IBDP Visual Arts
• IBMYP English Language & Literature
• IBMYP Resources
• IBMYP Spanish Language Acquisition
• IB Career-related Programme
• IB School Leadership

Disclaimer : InThinking subject sites are neither endorsed by nor connected with the International Baccalaureate Organisation.

InThinking Subject Sites for IB Teachers and their Classes

Supporting ib educators.

• Comprehensive help & advice on teaching the IB diploma.
• Written by experts with vast subject knowledge.
• Innovative ideas on ATL & pedagogy.
• Detailed guidance on all aspects of assessment.

Developing great materials

• More than 14 million words across 24 sites.
• Masses of ready-to-go resources for the classroom.
• Dynamic links to current affairs & real world issues.
• Updates every week 52 weeks a year.

Integrating student access

• Give your students direct access to relevant site pages.
• Single student login for all of your school’s subscriptions.
• Create reading, writing, discussion, and quiz tasks.
• Monitor student progress & collate in online gradebook.

Meeting schools' needs

• Global reach with more than 200,000 users worldwide.
• Use our materials to create compelling unit plans.
• Save time & effort which you can reinvest elsewhere.
• Consistently good feedback from subscribers.

For information about pricing, click here

Download brochure

See what users are saying about our Subject Sites:

Find out more about our Student Access feature:

• HL Essay: Exemplar 7: The Awakening
• Higher level essay
• HLE sample work

Teachers sometimes read the course study guide and notice that two novellas are tantamount to one literary work. This recognition provokes a subsequent, entirely reasonable question that goes something like this: If two novellas are a work, and a student writes a Higher Level (HL) Essay (or responds to a Paper 2 question), do they need to write about both novellas? InThinking is not the IB, so we must be careful about...

To access the entire contents of this site, you need to log in or subscribe to it.

Alternatively, you can request a one month free trial .

IBDP English A: Language & Literature

Website by Neil Allen

Updated 7 March 2024

P1 - Examination Questions

P2 - examination questions, individual oral.

• The Learner Portfolio

Extended Essay

Essential knowledge,     home  .

• Paper 1 - Examination Questions
• Paper 1 - M22 Responses
• Paper 1 - M21 Responses
• Paper 2 - Examination Questions
• Paper 2 - Exemplar Response
• Paper 2 - Planning during the Exam
• About the Author, this Site & the IB Diploma
• The Course at a Glance
• A Conceptual Framework
• May 2022 - Examinations in the Epoch of Corona
• Marking Criteria - The Basics
• Paper 1 - Frequently Asked Questions
• Paper 1 - Structuring a Guided Textual Analysis
• Paper 1 - Video Guide to Textual Analysis
• Paper 1 - Writing Guiding Questions
• Paper 1 - Student Examples: Comic Strip
• Paper 1 - More Samples
• Paper 1 - Dealing with Infographics
• Paper 1 - Examination Strategy
• Paper 2 - Frequently Asked Questions
• Paper 2 - Making Analytical Points
• Paper 2 - Features of the Literary Genre
• Paper 2 - Structuring an Essay
• Paper 2 - Unpacking the Criteria
• Paper 2 - Examination Strategy
• Individual Oral - Frequently Asked Questions
• Individual Oral - Establishing a Global Issue
• Individual Oral - Organising the 10 minutes
• Individual Oral - More Student Samples
• Individual Oral - Boiling it down
• Individual Oral - To mock, or not to mock?
• Individual Oral - Global issue?
• Individual Oral - Preparation
• Individual Oral - Body of Work Preparation
• Individual Oral - Text Choices

HL Essay - The Basics

Hl essay - choosing a topic.

• HL Essay - Great Examples (Literature)
• HL Sample: Non-literary Body of Work - George Monbiot's Essays

HL Essay - Gaining Level 7

• The Learner Portfolio - Reflections
• The Learner Portfolio - Classroom Activities
• Extended Essay - Choosing your Category
• Extended Essay - Literary Examples
• Extended Essay - Non-Literary Examples
• What is a theme?
• Words and Phrases for Writing about Text
• What is intertextuality (and why does it matter)?
• Inquiry through Essential Questions
• The Language of Photography
• Glossary of Terms
• Understanding Command Terms
• Marking Criteria

The Higher Level (HL) essay is a formal academic essay of between 1,200 - 1,500 words. It is, obviously, a task that is only completed by HL students. Based on what you study in your course, the essay gives you the opportunity to choose an area that is of particular interest to you and, with guidance from your teacher, write a focused essay that shows an understanding of a literary work or a non-literary body of work you have studied. This website has been written to help you gather and formulate your ideas, and to draft and write an excellent academic essay.

Essential Questions

What are the requirements for the Higher Level Essay?

On what stimulus material should the higher level essay be based, can i write the higher level essay on a single non-literary text, how do i design a suitable line of inquiry for the higher level essay, what does a really good higher level essay look like.

This section will:

• Give you a more detailed insight into the requirements and expectations of the assessment;
• Help you with how to choose a topic - an essential requirement and the difference between success and failure;
• Share student work with you, and allow you opportunity to assess and see examiners' comments.

This page provides you with a clear and basic introduction to the HL Essay, an academic essay based on literary works or non-literary texts studied during your course. Later pages provide you with tips, models, and activities to help you...

For Higher Level students, the fourth assessment component is the Higher Level essay. What to choose for a topic is the biggest challenge.

HL Essay - Student Samples

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

Being able to see really good model examples is essential to learning skills. All the better if those models are truly assessed by examiners as part of a session, and if they adhere to our guidelines for organising and structuring an excellent...

Which of the following best describes your feedback?

The HL essay is what most distinguishes the two courses. It's designed for a student to demonstrate independent research and literary analysis skills as they develop their own line of inquiry. Because this essay is written over a period of time, it allows students to really demonstrate their commitment and competence with the process of writing. What's more, this format allows for students to share their most original interpretations of a text to prove themselves as independent, critical and creative readers and writers.

Assessment in a Nutshell

Students write an analytical essay about one of the works studied in class. This could be a literary work, non-literary work or BOW. The essay must be between 1200 and 1500 words, and it will account for 20% of the student's final grade. This assessment is only for HL students.

Strategies & Resources

Literary Analysis, The Writer's Toolbox

Reflecting on Your Work

Applying Race Theory to Morrison's The Bluest Eye

Applying Race Theory to Jordan Peele's Get Out

A Postmodern Analysis of Carol Ann 

Duffy's The World's Wife

Narrative Techniques Reflecting PTSD in Han Kang's Human Acts

A Marxist Criticism of Bong Joon-ho's Parasite

Defying Damaging Tropes in Promising Young Woman

A WAY WITH LITERATURE

Your Compass in Literature and General Paper.

• Sep 15, 2023

IB Lang Lit SL/HL Paper 2 Comparative Essay: Journey

A critical commentary responding to a IB Lang Lit Paper 2 prompt comparing Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Henrik Ibsen's A Doll House on their use or presentation of journey/s.

The Question: Journey

Referring to two works you have studied, discuss how the writers portray the significance of a journey..

Some questions will have philosophical quotes to open the question , functioning as a frame for your thinking and interpretation of the literary/dramatic texts you choose to compare. Luckily (or perhaps unluckily), this question does not have such a feature . This means you will need to frame the topic/motif word, "journey", yourself.

Identify specific instances or moments and/or motifs/symbols in the literary texts for a sharper , more targeted comparison .

Ensure that the question/prompt/topic you choose should be quite clearly or easily seen/noticed in the texts of your choice.

Of course, this could be after allowing yourself some time to reframe/slightly re-define the topic . For instance, a journey is an act of travelling , it includes a starting point and a destination , or multiple destinations . It takes you from place/space/state to place/space/state . It involves some forms of movement or even displacement . To do so, agency is often required . You could examine both physical/literal journeys/movements and spiritual/metaphorical ones. So feel free (of course with restraint and discretion), to redefine or reframe the prompt/concept word such that it allows more space and applicability to your texts . However, do exercise discretion when doing so. Ensure that you are not distorting the topic or the prompt into something unrecognisable!

Do be acutely sensitive to the similarities or differences in literary form and structure of the texts you have studied. Even if they are of similar form (prose, drama, poetry), there are often differences or nuances to their styles , and the socio-historical and literary contexts in which the texts have been produced, shaped and situated .

The Essay for IB Lang Lit Paper 2

The characters in Death of a Salesman (henceforth Salesman ) by Arthur Miller and A Doll’s House (henceforth Doll) by Henrik Ibsen undertake various journeys of great significance. On the surface, these journeys symbolise immense promise, fundamentally altering the course of characters’ lives toward fortune and success. However, this potential is deeply deceptive. For both Willy Loman and Nora Helmer, these journeys represent their deepest insecurities and fears as well, embodying their greatest failings in the eyes of society. At the end of the two texts, both characters embark on final journeys to leave their lives behind definitively. While Willy’s last journey into death is a culmination of his empty life of failure and broken dreams, Nora’s departure represents a fresh beginning for her, journeying away from her old life of restriction and dependence toward a new future of freedom.

Both Salesman and Doll have significant journeys at their core, travelling to faraway lands in pursuit of fortune and salvation. In Salesman , Miller employs Willy’s older brother Ben’s journey to Africa, where he made his fortune discovering diamond mines, as a potent symbol of the American Dream. When Ben first appears to Willy, Miller’s stage directions describe him as “a stolid man, in his sixties, with a moustache and an authoritative air”, painting a striking portrait of his confident stature and presence. Indeed, he is “utterly certain of his destiny, and there is an aura of far places about him” – his commanding, well-travelled presence embodies respect, power, and wealth to Willy, wholly encapsulating his ultimate conception of consummate success. Indeed, Ben’s journey into the jungle with its diamonds is a repeated motif throughout Salesman . Existing as a figment of Willy’s imagination, Ben and his journey symbolise the American Dream, feeding into the pipe dream of rags-to-riches success that Willy has chased his whole life. Willy’s belief that, “the jungle is dark but full of diamonds” demonstrates his unwavering faith and hope in an exotic journey to lead him towards the glittering promise of precious diamonds, delivering him the fortune and fulfilment that he desperately desires.

In Ibsen’s work, it is the Helmers’ journey to Italy to cure Torvald’s illness that forms the foundation of their life of bliss and luxury thereafter, serving as a central symbol of Nora’s love and commitment to her role as Torvald’s wife and their happy life together. Nora explains to Mrs Linde, “It was to me that the doctors came and said that [Torvald’s] life was in danger, and that the only thing to save him was to live in the south.” Indeed, the life-threatening stakes of the journey are evident, underscored by the absolute “only” suggesting its sheer importance for Torvald’s survival. As such, she tells Mrs Linde that “I too have something to be proud and glad of. It was I who saved Torvald’s life.” Her repetition of the personal pronoun emphasises her role and agency in saving her husband, evincing the magnitude of her happiness and sense of achievement in her efforts. Indeed, the journey is Nora’s greatest triumph. Just as Ben’s journey is a symbol of the riches and success that Willy dreams of, the Helmers’ journey is likewise a symbol for Nora of their good fortune, single-handedly saving her beloved and ensuring the future of their “beautiful happy home”.

However, these journeys harbour deeper, darker significances as well. These journeys serve as portentous symbols of betrayal and deceit in the texts, burdening the characters with their heavy, leaden weight. In Salesman , while both Willy’s father’s journey to Alaska and Ben’s journey to Africa represent their pursuit of great riches and success, they are also painful symbols of the betrayal and abandonment he suffers. As Willy reminisces, “Dad left when I was such a baby and I never had a chance to talk to him and I still feel– kind of temporary about myself” – the polysyndeton adds a plaintive, child-like quality to his speech, emphasised by his forlorn admission of his feelings of “temporar[iness]”, demonstrating his deep sense of hurt and betrayal from his father’s journey to Alaska. Similarly, Willy “longingly” pleads “Can’t you stay a few days” as Ben moves to leave the scene, desperately trying to get Ben to remain with him. For Willy, these expeditions are traumatic reminders of his father’s and brother’s betrayals of him, leaving him behind to fend for himself in the dust, revealing the dual significance of their journeys.

For Doll , it is Nora’s act of deceit and subterfuge that forms the core of the Helmers’ journey to Italy. Not only was her forgery to borrow the money for the trip a criminal act, but her deception of doing so behind Torvald’s back represents a massive transgression against the societal expectations of female obedience and financial dependence. As such, the significance of her betrayal and deceit lies in her desperate attempts to conceal her disgraceful secret, lest it ruin the Helmers’ happiness and reputation it had brought about. In criticising Krogstad’s own act of forgery, Torvald unknowingly comments on his wife’s own situation, saying, “A fog of lies like that in a household, and it spreads disease and infection to every part of it. Every breath the children take in that kind of house is reeking of evil germs.” Ibsen employs the metaphor of infection to describe perceived moral bankruptcy, proliferating and eating away at all in its vicinity. Powerfully, he even adopts the idea of an all-consuming “fog” that envelopes everyone in its shroud, invasively entering the “breath” of children and thoroughly corrupting them. The Helmers’ journey to Italy is one such act of deceit, suggesting that in Nora’s greatest act of love and salvation lies a symbol of her deepest disgrace and betrayal of society’s conventions and expectations of her.

Damningly, the two playwrights also demonstrate the ultimate hollowness of the fortunes promised by these journeys. In Salesman , Miller deflates the symbol of the American Dream with the sharp pin prick of reality, exposing the beguiling riches and fortune of exotic journeys as empty promises. When Willy asks Linda about the “diamond watch fob” that Ben brought back from Africa for him, Linda reminds him that he “pawned it… for Biff’s radio correspondence course.” The symbolic riches of Ben’s journey to Africa are undermined by the harsh reality of the Lomans’ poverty, exposing the hollowness of the lofty fortune and success that Ben’s journey promised. Moreover, Willy’s own journeys as a salesman are a far cry from the exciting, fortune-filled adventures of Ben’s expedition, with his dull, dreary travels earning him a paltry income that barely supports his family. When Willy initially recounts his business journey to Linda, he proudly declares that he made “five hundred gross in Providence and seven hundred gross in Boston”. Yet, these inflated boasts are quickly punctured as Linda works out his actual earnings of a meagre “seven dollars and some pennies”, only worsened by the overwhelming cumulative list of mounting debts in “…nine-sixty for the washing machine… for the vacuum cleaner there’s three and a half due on the fifteenth. Then the roof, you got twenty-one dollars remaining”. Far from the alluring promise of wealth and adventures embodied by the “diamonds” , Willy’s own journeys merely offer the mundane reality of broken household appliances and indigent poverty, exposing the drab truth belying the glittering journey towards the American Dream.

Likewise, Ibsen demonstrates the inherent hollowness of the blissful family life gleaned from the Helmers’ journey. Just as Willy realises that the promise of Ben’s epic journey is a mere pipe dream, it becomes evident that the apparent good fortune of love and happiness brought about by the Helmers’ trip is a lie, with their marriage built primarily on Torvald’s desire for respect, control, and reputation, rather than any genuine feeling. Upon discovering Nora’s secret, Torvald’s reaction is not one of gratitude but instead of deep reproach and fury, exposing his preoccupation with social approval above all else. He tells Nora, “The thing must be hushed up at all costs”, only able to refer to her act of selfless sacrifice obliquely as “the thing”, and even demanding continued secrecy around the truth of their journey to the extent of the absolute in “at all costs”, demonstrating the intensity of his shame and emasculated humiliation. Cruelly, he declares, “All we can do is save the bits and pieces from the wreck, preserve appearances…”. The ideal life of a loving husband and happy family crumbles as Torvald reveals his true colours, callously referring to Nora’s greatest act of love as a disastrous “wreck”, leaving behind the ruined remnants of “bits and pieces” from their former, blissful façade. Instead, he is focused on the maintenance of “appearances”, suggesting his prioritisation of his social image over any true affection or love for Nora. As such, Ibsen demonstrates the superficiality of their love, exposing their joyful domestic life together, made possible by their trip to Italy, to be lacking in true happiness and only possessing frivolous, foolish “merry”.

Ultimately, both plays end with their respective protagonists’ departure from their old lives. For Salesman , Willy takes his car and commits suicide, embarking on a tragic final journey into the “dark jungle” of death. In the Requiem, Linda tells Willy, “I made the last payment on the house today. Today, dear. And there’ll be nobody home”. Despite the fulfilment of one of the Loman’s life goals, the “diamonds” reaped are completely hollow, without any happiness, family, or meaning behind it. We are confronted with the inherent meaninglessness of the various journeys of Willy’s life, as well as the ultimate emptiness of his final journey into death, demonstrating the yawning chasm between reality and the grand symbolism of Ben’s journey and the American Dream. In the closing moments of Salesman , the stage is filled with the enchanting “music of the flute”, alluding to the tantalising journey into the wilderness that eluded Willy all his life. Even in death, he is haunted by the glimmering potential of what could have been, leading away towards riches and success just out of reach.

Conversely, Nora’s flight is much more empowering and hopeful. While Willy’s death is merely the final meaningless journey of a long life of meaningless journeys, Nora’s departure stands in contrast to the Helmers’ trip that catalyses the play. The woman who embarked on that initial journey, naïve and wholly self-effacing in the face of her husband’s needs, is different from the woman who leaves her husband at the end of the play, independent and free from the restrictions of his patronising iron fist of control. The play ends with “the sound of a door shutting”, with its resounding note of finality ringing out across the stage in a decisive end to her old life of dependence and captivity.

While both plays employ journeys as a glimmering symbol of reward, promising great fortune and fulfilment, Miller and Ibsen recognise the deceptive quality of these false promises. In time, these journeys come to harbour darker significances of deceit and betrayal for the characters, with their apparent promises of happiness and riches exposed to be hollow illusions. At the end of each play, both protagonists embark on final journeys to leave their old lives behind. While Willy’s final journey into death encapsulates a lifetime hopelessly spent chasing dreams just out of reach, Ibsen illuminates a brighter, hopeful future for Nora as she begins her new life.

Found the essay useful? Interested in Literature or General Paper lessons? Contact us using the button below:

• IB Lang Lit
• Critical Analysis

Recent Posts

A Fowl Take: 2022 A Levels' H2 Unseen Poetry Comparison (Nature)

Let’s Talk Balls: Music and Dance in Pride & Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice: The Marriage Matrix (A Peek into our Sample Lesson!)

Stay tuned for our next article and open class!

Don't miss out on our article releases and open class offers!

Welcome to AWWL!

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the best ib english study guide and notes for sl/hl.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Are you taking IB English and need some help with your studying? No need to reread all the books and poems you covered in class! This study guide is for IB English A students (students in IB English A: literature SL/HL, IB English A: language and literature SL/HL, or IB English literature and performance SL ) who are looking for additional guidance on writing their commentaries or essays.

I've compiled this IB English study guide using the best free materials available for this class. Use it to supplement your classwork and help you prepare for exams throughout the school year.

What's Tested on the IB English Exams?

The IB English courses are unique from other IB classes in that they don't have a very rigid curriculum with exact topics to cover. Instead, your class (or most likely your teacher) is given the freedom to choose what works (from a list of prescribed authors and a list of prescribed literature in translation from IBO) to teach. The exams reflect that freedom.

On the exam for all English A courses, you're asked to write essays that incorporate examples from novels, poems, plays, and other texts you've read. You're also asked to interpret a text that you've read for the first time the day of the exam.

The exact number of questions you'll have to answer varies by the course , but the types of questions asked on each all fall into the two categories listed above.

What's Offered in This Guide?

In this guide, I have compiled materials to help teach you how to interpret poetry and how to structure your essay/commentary. I've also provided notes on several books typically taught in IB English SL/HL.

This should be most of the material you need to study for your IB exam and to study for your in-class exams.

How to Interpret Poetry Guides

Many people struggle the most with the poetry material, and if you're one of those people, we have some resources specifically for making poetry questions easier.

Here is a full explanation of how to interpret poetry for the IB exam with term definitions, descriptions of types of poems, and examples. We also have tons of poetry resources on our blog that range from explaining specific terms all the way to complete, expert analyses of poems you should know.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• Imagery defined
• Everything you need to know about Point of View 
• The 20 poetic devices you should know 
• Understanding allusion 
• A crash course on Romantic poetry 
• Understanding personification 
• Famous sonnets, explained
• An expert guide to understanding rhyme and meter, including iambic pentameter
• The eight types of sonnets 
• Expert analysis of "Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas

This is another great resource with poetry terms defined on "flashcards" , and you can test yourself on the site by clicking "play."

How to Write Your Essay Guide

If you're not sure how to write your essay, here's a guide to what your essay should look like for the IB English SL/HL papers. This guide gives advice on how you should structure your essay and what you should include in it. It also contains a few sample questions so you can get a better idea of the types of prompts you can expect to see.

IB English Book Notes

Based on the list of prescribed authors and literature from IBO, I picked some of the most popular books to teach and provided links to notes on those works. What's important to remember from these books is key moments, themes, motifs, and symbols, so you can discuss them on your in-class tests and the IB papers.

• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• A Farewell to Arms
• Animal Farm
• All the Pretty Horses
• A Streetcar Named Desire
• Anna Karenina
• As I Lay Dying
• Brave New World
• Crime and Punishment
• Death of a Salesman
• A Doll's House
• Don Quixote
• Dr. Zhivago
• Frankenstein
• Great Expectations
• Heart of Darkness
• Lord of the Flies
• Love in the Time of Cholera
• Love Medicine
• One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
• Romeo & Juliet
• Sense and Sensibility
• The Awakening
• The Bluest Eye
• The Great Gatsby
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• The Stranger
• The Sun Also Rises
• Waiting for Godot

The Best Study Practices for IB English

Hopefully, this guide will be an asset to you throughout the school year for in-class quizzes as well as at the end of the year for the IB exam. Taking practice tests is also important, and you should also look at our other article for access to FREE IB English past papers to help you familiarize yourself with the types of questions asked by the IBO (and I'm sure your teacher will ask similar questions on your quizzes).

Make sure you're reading all of the novels and poetry assigned to you in class, and take detailed notes on them. This will help you remember key themes and plot points so you don't find yourself needing to reread a pile of books right before the exam.

Finally, keep up with the material you learn in class, and don't fall behind. Reading several novels the week before the IB exam won't be much help. You need to have time and let the material sink in over the course of the class, so you're able to remember it easily on the day of the IB exam.

What's Next?

Want some more study materials for IB English? Our guide to IB English past papers has links to every free and official past IB English paper available!

Are you hoping to squeeze in some extra IB classes ? Learn about the IB courses offered online by reading our guide.

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

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

As an SAT/ACT tutor, Dora has guided many students to test prep success. She loves watching students succeed and is committed to helping you get there. Dora received a full-tuition merit based scholarship to University of Southern California. She graduated magna cum laude and scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT. She is also passionate about acting, writing, and photography.

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

IB Language and Literature: Excellent Exemplars

• IB Language and Literature General Resources & Information
• Books in the library
• State Library
• National Library
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
• The World's Wife
• Chronicle of a Death Foretold
• A Doll's House

Excellent Exemplars

• The Social Dilemma
• Seamus Heaney
• Home This link opens in a new window

Exemplar Podcasts

• Podcast Exemplar 1 Stephanie Cho

Exemplar PDFs

• Exemplar Mock HL Essay 1 Demonstrating the Ability & Disruptive Power of Photography Giles Peress Challenges the Underlying Causes of Global Complacency & Ignorance Through the Use of Photographic Journalism
• Exemplar Mock HL Essay 2 How Does the Amanda Knox Documentary Highlight the Way in Which the Media Manipulates Legal Cases?
• Exemplar Mock HL Essay 3 In What Way Does Judith Wright Challenge Contemporary Attitudes Towards the Australian Landscape?
• Exemplar Paper 1 response to Alex Perry Extract From Alex Perry's 'Oscar Pistorius & South Africa's Culture of Violence' - How Does Perry Alert Readers To The Problems in south Africa?
• Exemplar Paper 1 Response to Monbiot
• << Previous: A Doll's House
• Next: The Social Dilemma >>
• Last Updated: Feb 20, 2024 12:44 PM
• URL: https://geelong.libguides.com/ibenglish

404 Not found

Prediction Exams and November 2023 Past Paper Solutions available now!    🚀 Math AA HL Bootcamps are in beta! 🚀

IB English Literature HL

IB Literature Higher Level is an intensive course and part of the IB diploma program taught over two years. The IB Lit HL curriculum focuses on the study of 13 literary texts from different periods and cultures (Time and Space). Through critical analysis and interpretation, students in the Eng Literature HL develop an in-depth understanding of the connections between texts (Intertextuality) and their role as readers and writers in shaping meaning. (Readers, Writers, and Texts) The IB Lit HL course explores, analyzes, and develops a more nuanced understanding of Literature than the SL course. The Eng Lit Higher Level course is highly demanding. It requires strong analytical skills, very good usage and understanding of language, detailed knowledge and understanding of genre conventions, and literary and stylistic features.

Questionbank

Develop your analytical skills through in-depth study of a variety of texts. No pre-reading required!

Practice Exams

Choose your revision tool! Contains topic quizzes for focused study, Revision Village mock exams covering the whole syllabus, and the revision ladder to precisely target your learning.

IB English Guys

Paper solutions, samples, and analytical skills explanations curated by the IB English guys to pump up your scores.

Past Papers

Full worked solutions to all past paper questions, taught by experienced IB instructors.

Course Structure and Content

The Higher Level course requires students to study thirteen literary texts. These must be balanced between literary form, period, and place and include a variety of forms.

At the end of the program, all English Literature HL students sit papers 1 and 2. Paper 1 consists of two literary texts for analysis. Each text has a guiding question as an entry point from which to write the response. Lit HL students must complete both written pieces in two hours and 15 minutes. Paper 2 is a comparative essay of two literary works. The paper offers four questions and should be completed in 1 hour and 45 minutes. The third component HL students complete is the Individual Oral, which consists of two parts: a 10-minute oral analysis by the student, where the student presents two extracts (one from a text originally written in English and the other in translation) examining how a global issue is presented both in the selected extracts and the complete works. This part is followed up by a 5-minute conversation about the extracts and the global issue led by the teacher. Finally, English Literature HL students complete a fourth component, the HL essay, which is completed in class and consists of exploring a line of inquiry in connection with a literary work/s by the same author. The work must have been studied in class. The essay must be between 1200-1500 words.

Thank you Revision Village Members

#1 IB Math Resource

Revision Village is ranked the #1 IB Math Resources by IB Students & Teachers.

34% Grade Increase

Revision Village students scored 34% greater than the IB Global Average in their exams (2021).

80% of IB Students

More and more IB students are using Revision Village to prepare for their IB Math Exams.

More IB English Resources

Language & literature sl, language & literature hl, literature sl, literature hl.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Contextual and Content
• Author Motives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read Early 

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

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

Exam Stress Management

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

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

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

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Marking your Language and literature HL essay

• Register for event

Through an in-depth, clear explanation of each marking criterion, overall marks, and best fit you are equipped to practice marking real student samples at your own pace. You will sharpen your marking skills by receiving feedback from real IB examiners on your selection of each criterion mark. Translate marking expertise into the classroom to help students prepare for internal assessments and broader learning experiences. In this marking resource, you will find guidance on how to apply the language and literature HL essay criteria along with several student essays to practise marking. Each student’s essay, in this resource, is complemented with a detailed review on how it achieved its final mark. Earn a certificate of completion to enhance your professional development portfolio.

General information

Some of the main benefits educators can gain from self-paced modules include: 

• Accessing professional development from the comfort of their homes – no need to incur travel or accommodation costs. 
• Self-paced module can be completed and revisited repeatedly for six months from date of purchase. 
• Self-paced module topics can be hyper-focused and cover topics not normally featured in typical IB professional development workshops and events. 

The self-paced modules do not count towards authorisation or evaluation. However, they are an excellent opportunity to build and enhance professional development portfolios.

IB self-paced modules are category 3, building on and enhancing professional development portfolios. 

The introductory price is 125 USD.

Cancellation Policy.

Once registered, cancellations are not permitted for the self-paced modules.

Self-paced Module Completion Requirements

• Participants should plan to spend five hours of active online participation and learning to complete each self-paced module. 
• Participants will receive access to their self-paced module within 24 hours of registration and have six months from the date of registration to finish all the learning engagements. 
• Self-paced modules are fully online and asynchronous with no facilitator, so participants can complete the module at their own pace. 
• Access to the content on each self-paced module is available for six months from date of purchase. 
• Once participants complete all the learning engagements, they will be able download the completion certificate.

We use cookies on this site. By continuing to use this website, you consent to our use of these cookies.   Read more about cookies