3 Expert Tips for Earning a 7 on the IB English Literature Paper 1 Exam

Introduction to IB English Literature Paper 1

The IB English Literature Paper 1 is an exercise in unseen textual analysis. Students are presented with two literary texts. At SL, students must write a commentary on one of the texts. At HL, students must write two essays, one on each of the texts.

Paper 1 comprises 35% of the student’s overall grade, although this weighting has been adjusted for the May 2021 and 2022 exam series. IB students may be presented with a prose extract, a piece of drama, a poem, or even song lyrics, and (if they are SL) may be given two guiding questions. Here are some tips to make Paper 1 the delight that it is.

Tip #1: Know the IB English Literature Paper 1 assessment criteria

Familiarise yourself with the assessment criteria of the Paper 1.

The rubric may just seem like the usual IB jargon to you, but paying attention to exactly how you will be graded is essential in order for you to score in the top mark band. 

For example, note that in the IB English Literature Paper 1 rubric, Criterion A (Understanding and Interpretation) and Criterion B (Analysis and Evaluation) are separate. This means that you can write an excellent analysis of the author’s use of language, structure, and style (hence scoring high in Criterion B) but still score badly overall if you haven’t stepped back and shown a greater understanding and interpretation of the text (which is essential to scoring highly in Criterion A).

Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by omitting a clear and cohesive interpretation of the text. 

Tip #2: The five things to write about in any IB English Literature Paper 1 essay

The Big 5.

Here’s a list of the Big 5 things to remember when doing unseen analysis in the IB English Literature Paper 1. Not all texts are the same so you may find some of these more useful than others when analysing different works.

  1. Purpose: What does the author wish to achieve? What is the central message(s) expressed?

  2. Content: What is literally happening? What is it about? What are the main ideas of the text

  3. Tone/mood: How does it make you and/or the reader/audience feel? Describe the atmosphere. 

  4. Stylistic devices: How does the author use language to convey a sentiment of the message? What kinds of linguistic tools does he/she employ?

  5. Structure: How is it organised, literally (e.g. regular/irregular; linear/non-linear)? What kinds of structural elements of a particular text type do you see?

Tip #3: How to structure an IB English Literature Paper 1 paragraph

Keep your paragraphs structured.

When doing the IB English Literature Paper 1, many focus on the content and forget to prioritise structure as much. The danger with forgetting to prioritise structure, other than losing marks in Criterion C (Focus and Organisation), is that students end up without a line of argument or direction to their response.

The structure below works for an analytical response in the IB English Literature Paper 1 commentary.

Introduction: 

  • A relevant, attention-grabbing first sentence

  • Introduce work and link them to your hook

  • Thesis statement (connecting literary techniques to theme/question)

Body 1

  • Topic sentence (how technique 1 relates to the theme/question)

  • Provide quotes to illustrate point/argument

  • Explanation and analysis (reinforces thesis statement)

Body 2

  • Topic sentence (how technique 2 relates to the theme/question)

  • Provide quotes to illustrate point/argument

  • Explanation and analysis (reinforces thesis statement)

Body 3

  • Topic sentence (how technique 3 relates to the theme/question)

  • Provide quotes to illustrate point/argument

  • Explanation and analysis (reinforces thesis statement)

Conclusion

  • Summary of central points (return to the thesis statement)

  • Final argument(s) and observations about the text

  • Optional link back to hook (1a) offering final thoughts

Personalised IB English Tutoring

With the right support, almost any student can feel confident on exam day. At BartyED, we also think personal engagement and motivation are crucial, and tutor our students for top results in the IB English Literature Paper 1 exam.

If you feel like targeted guidance and personalised teaching programmes would help you with Paper 1 or IB English Literature in general, feel free to reach out to our private IB English tutors today at (852) 2882 1017 or enquiries@bartyed.com.

Guest User