thesis statement english ib

IB English A: Language and Literature Paper 1 Commentary Advice

Many students, both HL and SL, come to Elite IB for assistance with Paper 1, the unseen aspect of the IB Language and Literature course. This blog aims to address some of the most common concerns and to provide students with a highly useful method to write the ideal commentary.

Standard Level

The biggest difference between SL and HL is that you only have to write a commentary on a single piece at Standard Level. The IB selects a diverse range of sources for Paper 1 extracts so the key here is flexibility. This adaptability is something you can acquire by doing lots of practice on different types of text, going above and beyond the mocks you do with your teacher.

It is very important to appreciate the IB’s assessment criteria when thinking about how to structure your commentary. These are broken down below.

Criterion A – Understanding and Interpretation

The IB is looking for an excellent overall appreciation of the text: its main message, the central purpose of the author, as well as an understanding of its basic features. You should aim to show this at the very beginning of your commentary, and this should be the first thing you are trying to understand about the text when you read it for the first time.

Criterion B – Appreciation of the Writer’s Choices

Throughout your commentary, you should bear this criterion in mind. Try not to stray too far into the broad themes of the passage because the examiners are always looking for a focus on the linguistic features of the text , and the exact techniques by which the author is conveying their overall meaning.

Criterion C – Organization and Development

You should avoid a line-by-line approach to your commentary: instead, organise your paragraphs around specific themes and features of the text.

Criterion D – Language

Write in a formal fashion, using as much precise vocabulary as possible. Avoid slang and make sure you quote frequently from the passage – around three times each paragraph.

How to write a commentary in 14 steps

• When you open the paper, look at each of the extracts and decide which text you will focus on. You should aim to practice various different types (articles, adverts, travel writing etc.) so you are comfortable with them, but it is natural for students to have a preference. Pick the text with the most substance you feel you can comment on in an intelligent manner. Spend a maximum of 5 minutes making this decision.
• Give an initial reading of your chosen passage and try to identify its overall message. Helpful questions you can ask yourself at this stage are: What is the essence of the text? What meaning is the author trying to convey? What is the central emotional resonance? What can you infer about the context?
• Spend some time thinking about this, and then formulate a thesis statement : a single sentence that states very clearly your exact impression of the text. Think of this as the what section of your commentary.
• Go over the text, this time asking yourself the question: how is the author accomplishing this aim? This should not be an attempt to spot features randomly but considering how language has been used to fulfil the essential meaning of the text . Annotate thoroughly, scouring the text for as many different linguistic devices that serve your thesis statement as you can.
• After about five minutes of close reading, you should hopefully have found three or four major linguistic areas. Select three quotations from each of these areas and organise them under headings, trying to add adjectives before them to make your points more specific: e.g. sensationalist language, use of juxtaposing quotations and erratic structure.
• Now you are ready to begin your plan. Write your full thesis statement . For example: ‘throughout the article, the author performs a subtle piece of satire that ridicules the current US President comprehensively, and this is achieved through the use of dark humour, effective linguistic motifs and a simple structure.’ The thesis statement should combine your overall impression of the passage with a precise indication of the three main linguistic areas you are going to focus on .
• Now plan each of your three paragraphs. Ideally, you will select three quotations, one from the beginning, middle and end of your text, demonstrating an appreciation for the device across the passage and noting any differences or developments. For each quotation, write a few words in your plan that will prompt you to analyse the language of the quotation directly . Overall this will mean around nine quotations, each of which you will analyse in turn throughout your commentary.
• Try and find good linking sentences between these paragraphs as you plan them, rather than beginning each paragraph with ‘Another aspect of the text is…;’ Using good conjoining sentences will make your commentary seem more than the sum of its parts and help you fulfil Criterion C.
• Once you have completed this for all your paragraphs, you are ready to start writing! You should spend around 30 minutes on your plan : this may seem like a lot but it will mean that when you come to writing the commentary you will be able to do so much more fluently and will save yourself time.
• Begin the commentary with some brief context about the passage, no more than a few sentences. After that should be your thesis statement, which should be stated in a precise and clear manner. Then outline the three main areas you will be focusing on, indicating the approach you will take, remembering to include precise adjectives.
• Next, go into your first paragraph. Think of each paragraph as being a mini-essay. Just as the introduction serves as the basis from which the rest of your essay is expanded, each paragraph should unfold neatly from its opening sentence. Therefore each of your quotations should merely be illustrations of the point you make in your opening sentence. Make sure you analyse the specific language of each quotation, remembering each time to connect those thoughts to the message of your thesis statement.
• In between each paragraph, try to use as many connecting sentences as possible. If, for example, the sarcastic tone of an article is conveyed through its structure, use this as the bridge between those two paragraphs.
• As you progress through the commentary, remember to quote frequently from the text. Keep the quotations short so you can go into lots of details about the techniques being used.
• Your conclusion, much like your introduction, should not be very long. Hopefully, the process of writing the commentary has prompted you to think of something in addition to your original thesis statement. Perhaps there is greater subtlety you wish to add at this stage. Make one additional comment on the text overall and then recap the main areas you have written about. End with a direct reference to your original thesis statement.

The more you practice, the more you will feel able to write four or five paragraphs in your commentary. This is absolutely fine, and the same method suggested here can also be used.

Higher Level

This is a great chance to display your skills in comparison and contrast, something you will be familiar with from other parts of the IB.

Assessment Criteria

The main difference with the HL criteria is Criterion A: Understanding and comparison of the texts

Level 5 – ‘There is an excellent understanding of the texts, their context and purpose, and the similarities and differences between them; comments are fully supported by well-chosen references to the texts.’

A lot of the method for planning and structuring the commentary at HL is similar to the SL method, so what follows is some useful advice on how to Compare and Contrast.

• Always organise your paragraphs around particular themes and features of the text.
• Focus on the points of similarity in these themes within each paragraph, and then move on to discussing the differences. You should avoid writing a commentary that deals entirely with one passage and then another since the IB is looking for a coherent structure that can synthesise both passages into a single effective commentary.
• In your paragraphs, remember always to directly analyse any language that you quote. This should involve some comment on the way in which the author’s language is shaping their meaning, and also the effects on the reader .
• You should always use the guiding questions that the IB gives as part of the Paper 1 question, but be sure to be more precise than this when you are structuring your essay. In your introduction, it can be tempting to follow the guiding questions broadly and write something like, ‘and this is achieved through the use of tone’ but this is actually rather imprecise and not what the examiners are looking for. It is absolutely fine to use these prompts in your commentary, but always be sure to specify the way in which this feature has been used rather than just a generic reference. Therefore, rephrase it in your introduction by saying, for example, that you will discuss the use of ‘sardonic tone’.
• Try to infer as much about the context as possible: the date of the publication, the information in the passage, your own knowledge about what is being discussed. Use this to inform your ideas about who the readership of the text might be, and therefore the effects that certain techniques might have on these readers.
• Finally, remember to keep quoting directly from both texts. Avoid going off into broad comparisons between ideas in both texts, and remember to keep your commentary grounded in the language that is being used, and the relationship that has to the overall meaning of the text.

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Arguably, the most important aspect of any Paper 1 text is the author’s purpose. What is the author trying to tell the reader? What do they want you to think about during and after reading or viewing the text? What ideas are they trying to share with you? Have they written the text to persuade, inform or entertain (PIE)? Or is this text merely sharing an opinion or explanation? The former three purposes represent the three main surface-level types of author’s purpose (PIE) but you need to delve much deeper if you want a strong score. An advert obviously tries to persuade but to do what? More importantly, how does it persuade? Who does it try to persuade or who would such persuasive techniques more likely succeed to persuade? How do the form and meaning combine to persuade? Are there some readers who it would not manage to persuade?

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Some of these questions can be answered easier than others – answers often leap out as you first read a text but other points remain elusive until after an exam and you start discussing it with your classmates. It’s easy to miss certain points within a text when you have no organized method of annotation. What you should annotate and write about is always different but always similar.

To analyze a text well, you need to comprehend it well. The following (Big 5) should be the minimum of the questions that you are trying to solve:

Audience and Purpose – Who wrote the text? Who was it written for? Why did the writer write it? 

Content and Theme – What is the text about? 

Tone and Mood – What is the writer’s tone? How does the text make the reader feel? 

Stylistic Devices / Structure – What stylistic devices does the writer use?  / What kind of text is it? What structural conventions are used?

Before the start of your IB English A Language & Literature Paper 1 exam, you are given 5 minutes to look at the texts. SL students should choose one text. HL (new curriculum) need to write two separate analyses. Firstly, go to the bottom of the text to see the text-type and author’s name – these give you hints about context before you start reading. There may also be contextual hints at the start. Next, use the time to skim both texts quickly (2 minutes). SL students, trust your gut instinct and just go with it. After skimming, read through the text slowly but don’t annotate yet. Get a feel for the author’s main idea(s) and how they try to fulfill that purpose. Then, use one of the methods of analysis (ACTS, SOAPSTONES, STATIC, etc.) and start highlighting sections like a lunatic! Use the margin to add notes – is it about stylistics or structure? Why has the author chosen it and what effect does it have on the writing? How do devices combine? What effect does the image (if there is one) have on the text and reader?

Generally, you need to show that you understand how the author fulfills their purpose but you also need to show an understanding of the importance of context and who the target audience is/are, as well as conveying that you know how all of the different parts interconnect. The ACTS model is often criticized by teachers for not being thorough enough but has also been utilized to produce level 7 responses. The truth is that teachers often have a very convoluted idea of what the IB is looking for in an English A Paper 1 answer. ACTS, STATIC or TEAPCALIM all serve the purpose of helping you quickly remember the main points to analyze. How you choose to structure an essay is much more complex.

Our advice is to always include a thesis statement at the end of the introduction. This should use the author’s purpose as the anchor point and include how the author attempts to fulfill their purpose, including the (intended) effect on the reader. Paragraphs obviously need to combine to fully answer your thesis statement but there must also be an organized flow. This shows the examiner that you understand how different features of the text combine to create meaning.

You might hear from some teachers that an analysis must have an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This is perfectly correct except that your analysis must have at least three body paragraphs. Teachers who prescribe to such stringent structures are either highly pessimistic of their students’ abilities to express themselves outwith a strict framework, have not read enough great examples of multiple body paragraph responses or have never read the rubric. It is possible to write eight (shorter) body paragraphs and score a 7. The important thing is that you take steps toward proving your thesis statement and that you follow a logical method. We recommend the PEEL (Point, Example, Elaborate and Link back to Point – which is in turn linked to the thesis statement) method for shorter paragraphs or using a topic sentence then PEEPEEL (or similar) for longer paragraphs.

In a future post, we will explore different ways to plan paragraphs.

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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.

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

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

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

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

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

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

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

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Table of contents

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

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

The best thesis statements are:

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

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

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

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

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

For example, you might ask:

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

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

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

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

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

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

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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IB English A: Literature: Individual Oral Assessment Considerations

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

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

Individual Oral Overview

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

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

Selection of the global issue

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

Fields of Inquiry

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

Sustainable Development Goals

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

Selection of work s/bodies of work

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

Selection of the extracts

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

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

What is the Individual Oral Assessing?

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

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

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Criterion B:  Analysis and evaluation (10 marks)

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

Activities and protocols that develop skills related to analysis and evaluation

Why might this detail matter?

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

Ladder of Abstraction

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

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

Diversity Rounds

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

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

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

Activities and protocols that develop skills related to organization and development

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

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

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

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

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

Criterion D:  Language (10 marks)

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

Activities and protocols that develop skills related to use of language

Interpretive Statement Wall

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

Evaluating Thesis Statements

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

Discussion Posts and Personalized Learning

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

Stir the Classroom

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

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

[1] Language A: Literature Guide, First assessment 2021 , IBO: 2019. pp. 56.

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

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

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

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The written task 2 asks you to respond to a text critically, answering one of six prescribed questions. The Language A: Language and Literature guide also calls this form of assessment an "essay". At the heart of essay writing is the thesis statement. This is the sentence that comes at the end of the introduction paragraph. In a very concise and poignant way, thesis statements state the main idea of the essay. They...

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Individual Oral

IB English Individual Oral (IO) Explained

Free introductory guide to the IB English Individual Oral by IB45 and IB43 graduates Richard Nguyen & Jerica Nieva.

In this guide, IB45 graduate Richard Nguyen and IB43 graduate Jerica Nieva will share their wisdom on how to tackle the IB English IO. The guide covers everything from choosing global issues to selecting a good extract to structuring the IO to preparing for the question section at the end!

Richard and Jerica both achieved 7s in IB English Language and Literature, with Richard scoring an almost perfect 38/40 for his IB English IO.

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 the IO?

First things first, what is the IB English Individual Oral ?

• It's a 15 minute oral exam.
• The first section is a 10 minute presentation by you, the student, followed by a second section consisting of 5 minutes of questions asked by your teacher.
• The IO is centered around a Global Issue.
• For IB English Language and Literature, you must analyze a literary text and a non-literary body of work.
• For IB English Literature, you must analyze two literary works (one of them must be a work-in-translation).
• Comparison and contrast is not a requirement (unlike in Paper 2)

How do I choose a good Global Issue?

A strong house requires a stable foundation. And if you want to get a 7 for your Individual Oral, then you must have a strong global issue (GI).

The global issue should* belong to one of the following 5 themes:

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

*Actually, that's a lie. According to the current IB English syllabus (First assessment 2021), your global issue doesn't need to belong to any of the suggested themes. The themes are simply suggested by the IB to help you with brainstorming.

First, an excellent Global Issue is one that is relevant to our current society. It must be relatable to many people across diverse cultures and national borders.

Global Issue Examples

To make it clear exactly what we mean, here is a weak global issue as an example…

Now let's look at an example of a strong global issue …

If you're stuck on choosing a global issue, check out this detailed lesson on choosing your global issue. We also include 25 global issue starters to get your creative juices flowing.

No sign up or credit card required.

How do I pick good extracts for my IB English IO?

Throughout IB English, you'll study various literary and non-literary texts in class that you may choose to use in your IB English IO. How you select your extracts can greatly impact your IO as they need to relate to your global issue. 

Before selecting your extract, you should consider how well it can support your chosen global issue. To do this, consider breaking down your main topic into different explanations for how and why it is a global issue, and making these specific for each text. 

Let's read about Richard's experience to see how he approached this process:

“I talked about societal expectations placed on women for one body of work ( The Thing Around Your Nick by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie), and how these expectations reduce their autonomy in Nigerian society. For another body of work (this was a collection of essays by Marina Keegan my school put together), I discussed how several different norms affect human life: having a stable and high-income job rather than pursuing a risky passion, doing vain acts of charity such as saving whales rather than making a homeless man walk to a shelter. Everything links back to the global issue, that's how you remain focused.” Richard Nguyen, IB45 graduate

You should also consider how the maximum number of lines that you can include in your extract for each text is 40 lines. This gives you some freedom in choosing how in-depth you want your analysis to be. Overall, you want your close analysis to be covering the whole extract – meaning that there is no point in choosing 40 lines and only analyzing the first 20 lines of it. You could lose marks for failing to demonstrate your full knowledge of the extract in Criteria A! So sometimes, less is more and choosing 20-25 lines is the better call. 

Alternatively, you may find that analyzing a long extract is necessary for having enough evidence to support your global issue in a close analysis. Using up to 40 lines in this case would instead be a good approach! Having an effective close analysis will make more sense when we learn about structuring an IO in the next section.

Steps for selecting extracts:

• Read both texts and find a common global issue.
• Find different extracts within your texts that relate to the global issue.
• Compare the different extracts for each text, and pick the one that has a variety of literary and structural techniques that will best support your global issue. Remember these techniques must serve a purpose in portraying the author's intention and commentary on your global issue.
• Consider cutting down your number of lines if you are struggling to include everything in your analysis planning, or adding more lines if you find you need more evidence. 

For Step 3, you must know how to find and analyse literary, visual and structural techniques. Analysis is one of the most difficult skills to master–and yet it is crucial to scoring highly on the IB English IO (and HLE, Paper 1, and Paper 2).

How should I structure my IB English IO?

Overall, an IO speech is 10 minutes long and covers an introduction, text analyses, and a conclusion. Afterwards, there is a 5-minute period in which your examiner will ask different questions – this may seem daunting, but we will guide you on how to prepare later on. It is very important that you are spending the correct time on each section of your speech as criteria C is about organization! Generally, you should aim to have 1 minute for your introduction and conclusion, and 4 minutes for each text analysis.

What do I say in my introduction?

Firstly, your introduction is vital in establishing your global issue and how you plan to explore it through your literary and non-literary texts. As it is only 1 minute, you want to ensure that the information you include is necessary and wholly contributes to your examiner's understanding of your IO.

• Introduce the global issue. Don't be vague in this section and spend around 2-3 sentences specifying how and why your global issue is relevant and multifaceted enough for an IO.
• Introduce your first text. Give only the most significant details such as the author's name, date, text type, and text source. You may also consider detailing the extract pages and whether your text is from a collection. 
• Briefly explain (1-2 sentences will be sufficient!) how your first text relates to the global issue.
• Complete steps 2 and 3 for your second text. It would also be helpful when introducing your texts to specify which is literary and non-literary. 
• Don't be tempted to include a comparison in your introduction! It works better in your conclusion if you wish to include it. 

Secondly, how you structure your textual analyses can vary a lot depending on the number of ideas you aim to cover, and how you organize them to appear cohesive. Before planning your IO structure, you should thoroughly understand the difference between close analysis and wide analysis .

How do I analyze in IB English IO?

There are two different types analysis required in the Individual Oral: Close analysis and Wide analysis. It's important to pick an essay structure that balances the two types of analysis.

What is close analysis?

Close analysis is similar to how you would analyze for a Paper 1 – you reference specific quotes, images, or scenes from the extract when making your analysis and evaluations. Of course, we need to link to the Global Issue in the right way, and also find insight in these links. This is why choosing your extract lines is a critical process as you want to be demonstrating a full understanding of your extract.

Just like in Paper 1, we recommend that you learn how to analyze the 7 main techniques. There are a lot more, but these are a great starting point if you're unfamiliar with literary techniques and analysis.

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How do I choose a balanced IO structure?

The Close and Wide analyses for both texts need to be balanced. There are two main structures that we recommend, which we delve into in the Pro lesson below.

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How do I prepare for the IO Questions?

Not gonna lie–the questions can be curveballs.

While your response to these questions cannot make you lose any marks in an IO (which is a relief!), this section is still very crucial in securing those bonus marks to bring you up a grade. 

Questions that are asked may be about:

• Ideas in your IO speech that could be explored in more detail (this is the most common source of questions!). 
• Providing further examples from the text or extract on a certain topic or line of inquiry. 
• Providing further explanation on the author's intention or audience effect of a specific literary technique that you mentioned. 

While these questions are generally relevant to your global issue, they may not be. Ultimately, it is up to your examiner. 

For example, your examiner may ask if there are other extracts that explore “how patriarchal values inhibit women in Nigeria”. And you'll have to answer if there is such an extract and do some light analysis on how this inhibition is caused. Does it inhibit opportunities? Or self-expression? Freedom?

Although your preparation for the IO questions is crucial, the timing of your responses can also influence your performance as you want to be making the most out of the 5-minute period. Here are some tips for during an IO: 

• Spend around 1-1.5 minutes for each response – this allows you to answer up to 4-5 questions. While it might seem insightful to give a 4-minute-long answer, it also restricts the examiner from asking more questions which are generally about parts of your speech that needed a bit more support. 
• If you are nearing 4.5 minutes, it is best to not finish your current response for a new question as you won't be able to give another response in 30 seconds.

Let's read Richard's wise words on how he prepared for his IB English IO questions:

“The best advice I can give you is to know your texts inside out. After each section or chapter from a body of work, write notes about what is explored regarding your global issue. This way, you'll be actively thinking about how the global issue is depicted through your texts. Think: 'what does this section tell me about the global issue?' You should also prepare other examples that prove your point in your analysis. When writing about how the author portrays the global issue through a scene, know if a similar scene pops up in your body of work where the global issue is portrayed in the same way or another one. Essentially, read the entire bodies or work and have a general idea of how the global issue seeps through the entirety of the texts.” Richard Nguyen, IB45 graduate

More lessons in the IO Study Guide

We can't cover everything in this introductory guide.

LitLearn's Pro lessons take you step-by-step through choosing your global issue, planning your IO and choosing the right structure.

We also show you how to approach the IO with the right mindset to avoid costly mistakes, and detailed worked examples to show concrete strategies to score a 7 in your analysis and IO insights.

Wrapping up

We hope this guide has helped you navigate one of the most important (and stressful!) parts of your IB English assessment. Thanks to Jerica and Richard for collaborating on this guide to help fellow IB English students out there.

Question​bank

Paper 1 Practice Exams

Past Paper 1 Solutions

Paper 2 Guide

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The 3 basic principles essential to IB English analysis

Learn how to analyze diction for IB English

Learn how to analyze modality & imperative language for IB English

Questionbank

Try Question 7 from the Analysis Questionbank

Try Question 23 from the Analysis Questionbank

Free introductory guide to the Paper 1 guided analysis exam

The 3 ingredients you're not including in your thesis

Free introductory guide to the Paper 2 comparative analysis exam

Covers the levels of knowledge crucial to Paper 2 preparation

Free introductory guide to the Individual Oral assessment

Helpful list of global issue starters to kickstart your imagination.

Higher Level Essay

Free introductory guide to the HLE assessment

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