ib paper 2 comparative essay

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• 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.

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HL External Assessments, first examinations 2021

HL Paper 2: Comparative essay (1 hour 45 minutes)

The paper consists of four general questions. In response to one question, students write a comparative essay based on two works studied in the course. (30 marks) 25%

SL Paper 2: Comparative essay (1 hour 45 minutes)

The paper consists of four general questions. In response to one question, students write a comparative essay based on two works studied in the course. Students are required to answer one question only.(30 marks) 35%

The only difference between HL and SL is that HL Paper 2 is weighted less at 25% while SL Paper 2 is weighted at 25%.

Comparative essay on literary texts

Paper Two Explained

Paper Two Rubric

High Exemplar and Comments

Mid Range Exemplar and Comments

Producing a Paper Two: Compare and Contrast Two Texts Analysis, IB External Assessment (May of Senior Year)

Compare and Contrast Two Texts, Similarities and Differences

Compare and Contrast Two Texts, Point by Point Method

Compare and Contrast Two Texts, Block Method

Developing a Thesis

TWO WORKS: Writing the thesis statement for a compare/contrast essay

In (Name of Work), (Full Name of Author) (uses, employs, utilizes), (device/strategy/technique), and (device/strategy/technique) to (show, reveal, emphasize, argue, insist, point out) that (effect/purpose/theme), while in (Name of Work), (Full Name of Author) (uses, employs, utilizes), (device/strategy/technique), and (device/strategy/technique) to (show, reveal, emphasize, argue, insist, point out) that (effect/purpose/theme).

In (Name of Work) and (Name of Work), both (Full Name of First Author) and (Full Name of Second Author) (use, employ, utilize, rely on) (device/strategy/technique) to (show, reveal, emphasize, argue, insist, point out) that (effect/purpose/theme)

IB English Paper 2 Completely Explained

This guide will explain ​ IB English Paper 2 ​ and what you need to ace the exam come May or November, when the IB Gods throw you this (seemingly) insurmountable task.

If you don’t know all about Paper 1 already, do check out ​LitLearn’s amazing guide​ for IB English Paper 1. Paper 1 is all about ​ on-the-spot thinking ​ and adrenaline-pumping analysis ​. What about Paper 2?

Well, IB English Paper 2 is ​ all of those things ​, plus extensive ​ preparation ​. But don’t fret! I survived Paper 2, and so have many others before you. All you need is a couple sprinkles of guidance from a seasoned Paper 2 veteran (ahem).

This guide covers all the essential topics for acing IB English Paper 2.

Topics included in this guide

1. What is Paper 2? 2. How to answer a Paper 2 prompt 3. Understanding the “key” of a prompt 4. Morphing: the most important skill in IB English Paper 2 5. How many texts to use in a Paper 2 comparative essay? 6. How to choose the best points across your texts 7. The brainstorm process for Paper 2 8. Essential steps to prepare for IB English Paper 2

Let’s get started!

What is IB English Paper 2?

You’re in the exam room. With a silent but solemn hand gesture, the chief exam invigilator signals your cohort to open the test paper. A flurry of pages turning and sliding. You stare at the page. What do you see? You see several prompts… one, two, three, maybe four. You wipe the sweat from your forehead and try to focus on the words on the page:

“We are all prisoners of ourselves.” Discuss how the sense of imprisonment shapes the meaning and the effect on the audience of at least two texts you have studied.

Okay, let’s drop the dramatic tone.

A Paper 2 exam consists of three or four of these prompts. From these options, you choose one prompt and write a 1000 to 1500-word essay on it.

How long do you get? 1.5 hours for Standard Level (SL) students, and 2 hours for Higher Level (HL) students.

In these 1000 to 1500 words, your task is to write a ​ comparative essay ​, which — you guessed it — means comparing ​ similarities ​and contrasting differences ​ between the texts you’ve studied in class for Paper 2 (i.e., poems, novels, plays or short stories) .

Now that you understand what a Paper 2 essay involves, let’s jump into how to ​ properly ​ ​ answer ​ one of these IB English Paper 2 prompts.

How to answer a Paper 2 Question Let’s stick with the above example about the theme of “imprisonment”.

First, see that ​ philosophical quote ​ at the start of the prompt? It’s there to spark ideas, to get the juices flowing in your brain. You don’t have to refer to it directly unless the questions explicitly asks you to do so. So the take-away message here is to not be ‘imprisoned’ by the philosophical quotes at the start of the prompts.

Second, notice the command term “discuss”. This is usually replaced by words like “evaluate”, “analyse”, “examine”. ​ Don’t worry about it too much ​: it doesn’t mean anything too important, because at the end of the day you still have to analyse, you still have to compare, and you still have to contrast.

The key of the prompt The part ​ after ​ the command term is the ​ most important ​ part of the prompt:

“[…] how the sense of i ​ mprisonment ​ shapes the meaning and the effect on the audience […]”

Here the “sense of imprisonment” — the ​ key ​ of the prompt — tells us exactly what we need to write about in the essay.

Can you find the key in this next prompt?

Compare and contrast the effectiveness of the use of irony in two or more texts you have studied.

Notice the command term “compare and contrast” and the important part after it. The key of this prompt is “​ the use of irony ​“.

Get comfy with morphing stuff

More often than not, our texts ​ do not ​ contain anything explicitly related to the prompt’s key, say, the theme of “imprisonment”.

Pay attention to this next paragraph…

The ​ secret to scoring a 7 in Paper 2 ​ is to get very comfortable with bending, morphing and twisting your texts and/or the prompt so that they are as compatible with each other as possible. There are two ways that this can be achieved:

1. Morphing existing ideas in your own texts to fit the prompt. ​ While Jane Sherwood’s (some random character) nostalgia in your ​ Incredible Text 1 ​ may not directly relate to “imprisonment”, you could twist the character’s nostalgia into the idea that emotions can trap or “imprison” an individual in a treasured memory or a past experience. Nostalgia and imprisonment seem like unlikely brothers at first, but with a bit of justification they look almost like identical twins.

2. Redefining the prompt (reasonably). ​ The key of the prompt can often be ​ vague ​. For example, there was a real IB exam prompt that asked whether “male characters were more interesting than female characters.” What does “interesting” even mean? The IB Gods are inviting you to ​ constrain the topic ​ in a way that works for your texts specifically. You could write in the first sentence of your introduction: “Interest, an important part of dramatic works, is often generated by emotional conflict and the subsequent creation of tension.” Here I have restricted the broad topic of “interesting” to the more clearly-defined topic of “emotional conflict” because this redefinition works well for the texts I’ve studied for IB English Paper 2. You should do the same.

In reality, you have to morph both your texts and the prompt in order to reach a snug fit between the two. Getting to this point, which all happens during the planning stage, is the ​ most difficult ​ part of the Paper 2 process because it requires you to know your texts so well that you can apply the ideas in your texts to different situations.

How many texts to compare and contrast?

Before we continue with this guide, we need to address the age-old question of how many texts should we compare and contrast in an IB English Paper 2 comparative essay?

I ​ strongly ​ recommend that you use only ​ two texts ​ for your Paper 2 exam because it is extremely difficult to deal with three texts at the same time.

Now that we agree on how many texts to compare and contrast, let’s see how we can make the texts work together.

Choosing the best points across your two

There’s an easy way, and there’s a hard way.

If you want a score of 5 or below ​, you can simply think of two points to answer the prompt for Text 1 and two other points to answer the prompt for Text 2. Then, slap them together into different paragraphs, regurgitate some shallow comparison and contrast, and call it a comparative essay. That doesn’t sound very sophisticated, does it?

On the other hand,​ if you want a score of 6 or 7 ​, you’ll need to use a lot more brainpower and insight. The points that you choose for your two texts are very important, in terms of how the points relate to each other and to the prompt. The points need to have enough overlaps that similarities can be analysed, but not too much similarity because you also want to contrast differences.

Source : ​https://litlearn.com/ib-english-paper-2-completely-explained/

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IB English Paper Two – Everything You Need to Know To Ace the Exam

Written by Jay ayliffe

When it comes to Paper 2 for IB English Lit/Lang and Lit, there are several things that students often find challenging. Some common reactions to seeing a Paper 2 for the first time include: 

• ‘The questions don’t make any sense!’
• ‘It’s too broad – I don’t know what they want me to say’
• ‘There’s no way I’m going to be able to remember the right quotes for that!’

Now, these are understandable reactions! Paper 2 can seem a little wacky and abstract, especially after the more relatively straightforward Paper 1 exam. However, if you take the time to unpack what the IB is looking for and follow the tips below, you’ll find that Paper 2 isn’t that bad. With the right preparation, it can be pretty straightforward, after all!

what is the English Paper 2 Exam?

In a nutshell, the IB asks you to write a comparative essay in response to a prompt.

Over the course of the year, whether you are a Lit or a Lang/Lit Student, you will have studied a series of texts. These may be poems, novels, plays or short stories.  The Paper 2 exam allows you to draw upon these texts, using them to explore similarities and differences in relation to the central theme of the prompt. For instance, 

“Not rounding off, but opening out.” Comment upon the way writers deal with the ending. In your answer, you should refer to two or three texts you have studied.”

Or how about?

Writers utilise a number of different devices within their works, including using time jumps or other non-linear structures. Considering two texts, discuss how writers use structural elements in unusual or interesting ways to shape meaning.”

Okay, these questions may seem a little mean at first, but you only have to answer one question! You will have 1.5 hours if you are a Standard Level (SL) student and 2 hours if you are an English Lit/Lang Higher Level (HL) student! (If you want some more help breaking down the question, check out this helpful blog on command terms )

The key thing to do here is to provide a structured and detailed answer that offers a balanced and meaningful discussion of both texts. Ideally, this means you are identifying 2-3 points of insight from the central questions relevant to both texts. This allows you to write 4-6 chunky paragraph s in answer to the question, in addition to the MANDATORY introduction and conclusion.

What do I need to do to prepare for the Paper 2 Exam?

First of all, planning is essential ! You will not know which questions the IB will ask you before opening your exam. However, a quick look over papers from previous years will tell you about the common themes and techniques the IB loves to ask about. Broadly, you can categorise these questions into three groups:

Why you should learn more than 2 works

Now, you have a rough idea of what they could ask you. Next, you should go back to your set of texts. Determine which combination of works would work best for you if you had to answer one of these questions. 

Some students commit to just learning two works. They rely on their in-depth knowledge of these texts to answer any question that may come up. I understand their approach, but I think having at least two possible combinations of texts available is best (e.g. Text A+B, A+C, or B+C). This ensures you are best prepared to answer questions with reference to the most relevant works.

Also, you certainly don’t want to be stuck giving yourself more to do by exaggerating the importance of one theme/technique in a work because that’s the only one you know!

With these choices made, you can start compiling quotes, context and moments from the texts, which you can use as evidence. Aim for 4-5 really good points of information that you can expand upon in your essay. Even better, if you already know that, you can directly compare/contrast it with a quote/technique from the other piece of work.

For instance, with my Paper 2 exam, I found it helpful to organise my notes in the following layout:

As you can see, I have prepared a mixture of quotations and techniques that I could draw upon for this question on endings. It also allows me plenty of room to elaborate on individual points when I develop new ideas and connections.

Practising Paper 2 Questions

Practising exam questions will help you feel confident writing Paper 2s. Through practice, you will also learn to adapt your prepared notes to specific prompts.

However, before getting stuck in, spend a bit of time thinking about your introductions. An excellent introduction will outline everything you want to cover in your essay, which is key to ensuring you are heading in the right direction. Have a look at the one below and think about all the different criteria it is attempting to reach:

As in all art forms, the ending of a play usually serves to resolve its central conflict, to highlight character development and to convey to the audience a final, lasting message which summarises the major themes and motifs previously seen in the performance. Wilde’s’ Importance of Being Earnest (Importance) appears to display all of these conventions as by the end of the play, the central protagonist, Jack emerges triumphant. However, theatre, as a highly versatile and varied art form, can and has been used to explore radical modernist and postmodernist approaches to art such as in Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot where these traditional conventions of an ending are questioned. Indeed, while Wilde’s play follows the traditional conventions of an ending in theatre almost to the point of comedic lunacy, Beckett’s play seeks to completely dismiss them . This is undoubtedly the result of the two theatrical productions differing purposes and cultural contexts where Importance clearly belongs to the theatrical genre of comedy of manners while Waiting for Godot is part of the theatre of the absurd.  Yet despite these radically different approaches, both highlight the importance of endings as a tool for a playwright to reiterate their main message and to provide the audience with a particular impression to take away. Sample Paper 2 Introduction by Jay

Criterion A: Knowledge, Understanding and Interpretation

• A clear statement about the writer’s choices and the effects of literary devices. It also sets up the basic structure of the essay to cover three core elements: conflict resolutions, character development and lasting message.

Criterion B: Analysis and Evaluation

• Unambiguous comparative statements about how and why the two texts differ regarding their endings, as well as share similarities.

Criterion C: Focus and Organisation

• The student introduces two key texts and their authors. There is a balanced description of both works, which the student will continue in the main body.

Criterion D: Language

• Spelling, punctuation and grammar is consistently accurate. The student uses a range of vocabulary and relevant, literary/text-specific terminology with precision.

Try to build a habit of writing essay plans with a short introduction. Doing this will help you to turn your notes and ideas into written answers more easily. It will also be an excellent resource for future exam prep! (Also, if you need help putting in the time for revision, these apps can be really helpful!)

6 Final Tips

Here are 6 final top tips to keep in mind next time you head into your Paper 2 English Exam!

• Develop Strong Time Management: Time management is crucial during the exam. Allocate a specific amount of time for planning (no more than 20 minutes) and stick to it. Make sure you give yourself enough time to talk about both works in a balanced way.
• Annotate The Question: Highlight key phrases and jot down initial thoughts. These annotations will ensure that you are sticking to the question and mean you won’t have to start with a blank page!
• Develop a Strong Thesis: In the comparative essay, a well-crafted thesis is essential (Click here to learn more about writing a brilliant thesis ). Clearly state your argument and how you will be referring to both texts in your answer. This will guide your essay and keep it focused.
• Compare Throughout: Every paragraph should start with a comparative, e.g. Both texts explore the theme of loneliness or Unlike text A, Text B utilises its setting to highlight . These topic sentences set you up to dig deeper and explore how these different writers’ choices contribute to the overall meaning and message of the texts.
• Incorporate Literary Devices: Demonstrate your knowledge of literary devices by incorporating them into your analysis. Discuss how these devices enhance the texts and support your arguments.
• Proofread and Revise: Allocate some time at the end of the exam to proofread your essays. Check for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Ensure that your ideas flow smoothly and coherently.

Final Thoughts

I hope this all helps! Remember to prepare for the prompts, test your introductions and focus on critical analysis. If you follow these tips and dedicate yourself to practise, you’ll be in the best possible position to go and ace the English Paper 2 Exam! However, if you want extra assistance and guidance, please check Lanterna’s Online Private Tutoring service . Our tutors can sit down with you 1-on-1 online and help you plan, improve and offer feedback on your Paper 2 exams.

Preparing for your IGCSE?

When preparing for IGCSE , students often seek effective strategies to enhance their chances of success. Exploring different study techniques is crucial. For instance, integrating mind mapping into your revision routine can significantly improve information retention. Additionally, consider joining or forming a study group. Collaborating with peers not only fosters a supportive learning environment but also allows for the exchange of diverse perspectives. Another valuable approach is to leverage online resources, such as educational websites and forums like Lanterna. These platforms provide access to supplementary materials and can help reinforce key concepts. By adopting these varied methods, students can tailor their preparation to suit their learning styles, setting a solid foundation for IGCSE success.

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IB Language and Literature 2.0

Group 1 english higher and standard level, literary compare and contrast, how to approach ibdp language and literature and ibdp literature paper 2..

Whether you are a standard or higher level student, Paper 2 tests your ability to compare and contrast the literary works you have studied on your course. In fact, the paper is the same for both higher level and standard level students. You will be give a choice of four ‘open’ questions and you will have 1 hour and 45 minutes to compare and contrast the content, form and writing features of two literary works of your choice in light of the question you choose to answer. There are 30 marks available in this paper, which represent 35% of your grade at SL and 25% at HL. The only rule you must follow when choosing your works is you may not write about a literary work that you have used for a previous assessment. That means that the work(s) you discussed in your Individual Oral Presentation and your HL Essay (if you chose a literary work at all) are off the table. Despite this limitation, that still leaves you a choice of: two out of three literary works if you are a Standard Level Lang and Lit student; at least four works if you are a Higher Level Lang and Lit student; six works if you are an SL Literature student; all the way up to choosing two out of a whopping ten remaining works should you be a Higher Level Literature student. Oh – and did I mention Paper 2 is a closed book exam? Yes, that means you’re going to have to prepare your references in advance (more on that later).

Whichever Language A course you have elected to study, in this section you’ll learn how to prepare for Paper 2, explore some different questions, see how to plan on the day, and discover how to structure and write a brilliant compare and contrast essay. You’ll find sample essays that have been written using the texts from your course which you can read and discuss, and you’ll be encouraged to prepare in the best way possible: by writing your own practice responses to sample open questions.

Class Activity 1: FAQs

Having to sit any exam can be a stressful experience, and even the best students may experience nerves and anxiety in the run up to an important exam. Thankfully, once you’re in the exam room, and it’s just you and your paper, nerves tend to melt away – and some people even report enjoying having the time and space to compose a longer piece of writing and show what they can do! One of the best ways to alleviate stress in the build up to your exams is to be confident in what you are being asked to do. So – how well do you know and understand the requirements of this paper?

Pair up and discuss these frequently asked questions – click on each one (or scroll down to the bottom of this page) to see whether you are right and to discover some good advice.

Class Activity 2: Make Your Own Revision Guide

Trying to answer correctly a question or a problem that is difficult for us, forces us to reflect exercising multiple cognitive functions. Consequently, it generates better learning, even when the answer is incorrect. The more “mental sweat” it costs us to recover some of the memory, the better it will be anchored later and the more it will also cost to forget it. From Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

I’m not going to tell you not to reread the texts you want to write about in your paper 2 exam. And i’m not going to tell you not to review your notes either. What I am going to say is that these methods practiced by themselves create something called the ‘Illusion of Knowing.’ If ever you’ve tried to answer a question in class and said something like, “I know the answer but I can’t explain it right now,” you’ve experienced the illusion of knowing for yourself. You recognise material you’ve previously seen and your brain tricks you that you ‘get it’. Familiarity is not the same as mastery – in fact, familiarising yourself with your prior learning is only the second step in a ten step process identified in the book Make It Stick (see infographic above). To help you get a few steps ahead – all the way to step 7: ‘Elaborate’ – you’re going to have to get active.

It’s not enough to simply reread what you’ve studied before. Writing in your own words generates more impact than passively reviewing what has been previously heard or read. It is useful, for example, to write a summary of what you remember immediately after reviewing your notes. Build structures by extracting the most important ideas and create a written framework for them. Don’t be afraid to explore new thoughts and ideas by connecting fresh concepts you’ve recently learned with previous concepts from your notes. After all, you may be working with texts you studied last week, last month, or even last year.

What’s more, the internet is chock full of tools that make this kind of work easier and more enjoyable. You might like to create a Padlet , collaborate with other people using Onenote , or use Canva to make a visually stunning booklet. You may know software that I’ve never even heard of, but would be perfect for making a revision guide to a literary work. Or you might prefer to work the old fashioned way with pen and paper, creating a poster, booklet or handout. However you choose to work, include in your revision guide: plot summary; setting; characters; themes; important symbols; key quotations (ten or so is a good number to aim for); the major literary features of the text; contextual information . Try to create as concise a revision guide as possible – and always try to use your own words rather than simply copying notes from one place to another. To empower yourself even further, explain your work to other students verbally once you’ve finished.

Class Activity 3: Venn Diagram

When it comes to compare and contrast, there’s no better planning method than the Venn diagram. Deriving it’s name from John Venn’s 1880s published maths papers, the humble Venn diagram has actually been used for centuries by philosophers and mathematicians to consider and organise logical relationships between two or more items – such as the two literary works you need to write about in your exam. At the beginning of your Paper 2 exam, after you’ve chosen your question and before you begin to write your answer, you can use a Venn diagram to quickly and easily organise your thoughts, highlighting how the works are similar and different in relation to a given question.

Select a question from this list , use the questions below, or work with a question you have been given by your teacher. Spend approximately ten minutes thinking about how you might use two literary works of your choice to answer the question, noting your ideas about similarities and differences between two texts on a Venn diagram template. Feed your ideas back to your classmates.

Learner Portfolio: practice for Paper 2

You know what they say: practise makes perfect. Undoubtedly the best way to prepare for any exam is to ‘Generate’ (refer to Step 8 in the Make It Stick infographic). There’s no getting away from it – paper 2 is a challenging exam. It’s probably one of your longest examinations and you might find it the most mentally and physically draining. It’s not easy to write for an hour and forty-five minutes, give or take. Generating sample answers of your own not only increases your familiarity with the texts you might use, but it will also help build your physical and mental stamina. You’ll make discoveries about the texts you read, find ways to explore complex issues, develop your own use of language, and more, through the process of generation. Practicing earlier rather than later gives you time to ‘Reflect’ (step 9) and ‘Calibrate’ (step 10) as well.

Here is a selection of open questions written in the style of the questions you’ll be given in the Paper 2 examination. You can click on some of these questions to read sample answers that have been prepared as models for you to discuss and learn from. While all of these answers have clear strengths, none are perfect, so you might like to discuss how you would approach the questions differently or improve the answers. When you feel you are ready, choose any question and prepare an answer using your own choice of two literary works. Submit your answer for grading, then add it to your Learner Portfolio:

• Referring to two of the literary works you have studied, discuss both how and why the text invites the reader to identify with situations, characters and/or ideas.
• Friendship marks a life more deeply than romantic love. Consider this idea with reference to two works you have studied.
• Some say ignorance is bliss. How is ‘not knowing’ presented in two of the works you have studied and to what effect?
• Discuss the significance of urban and/or rural settings in two works of literature you have studied.
• With reference to two literary works studied, consider how the point of view shapes our understanding of the story.
• Often the appeal for the reader of a literary work is the atmosphere a writer creates (for example, peaceful, menacing, or ironic). Discuss some of the ways atmospheres are conveyed, and to what effect, in two works of literature you have studied.
• How is ‘home’ depicted in two of the literary works you have studied, and what is its significance?
• In any two of the literary works you have studied, discuss the means as well as the effectiveness with which power or authority is exercised.
• Animals and images drawn from the world of animals are a rich source of inspiration for writers. Discuss how animals and natural images are used to develop central ideas in two works of literature you have studied.
• Works of literature can often function as social commentary. Discuss with reference to two literary works you have studied.

Wider Reading and Research

• Successful Learning According to Science – article at the Siltom Institute

FAQ: Answers

Is paper 2 harder than paper 1.

I would say the answer to this question is ‘it depends’. Some students prefer the analytical writing required by Paper 1. It is also easier in terms of reading requirements: the texts in Paper 1 can usually be read in just a few minutes. On the other hand, Paper 1 is more of a ‘one-shot’ task. If you misread or misinterpret an unseen text in Paper 1, it can be difficult to compose an effective answer. Because Paper 2 involves discussing texts that you have prepared, and should be very familiar with, you are much less likely to make mistakes in understanding and interpretation.

How many works should I prepare?

Paper 2 requires you to compare and contrast any two literary works you have studied (except those you have already used for a previous assessment; the rules are quite clear that you cannot use the same text twice). If you are a Standard Level Language and Literature student, it is more than likely that you will only have three remaining texts in any case, so you should prepare two of these in as much detail as you can. There is no requirement to choose texts from the same genre – nor must you prepare texts from different genres. You can prepare two poets or no poets; combine a novelist with a playwright, a non-fiction work with a collection of poetry, and so on. There are also no requirements about texts written in English and translated texts. The choice is yours. The questions you will be offered are open enough to appeal to any combination, as long as you have studied the texts as part of your literature course. Visit some of the samples prepared for you on this page to look at the variety of different text combinations in action.

Students of other courses, especially Higher Level Literature students, will have many more texts to choose from. Nevertheless, this exam paper is the same for all four Language A courses and you too will only need to write about two texts. However, it is possible that you have found many ways to compare several of your texts and are interested in preparing different combinations that will help you answer different questions. Keep in mind, though, that preparing a text in detail can be a time-consuming process and, while I’ve no doubt that English is one of your favourite subjects (!) you have other exams to prepare for as well. There is only so much time you can dedicate to revision and only so much information that your brain can comfortably hold. It is recommended, therefore, that you prepare two texts like everybody else, and certainly no more than three texts. If you do prepare an extra text, remember write about only two about once you have chosen the question you want to answer in the exam.

How do I choose the best question to answer?

The exam paper will give you a choice of four open questions of which you must pick only one. Try not to enter your exam determined to answer a specific question or type of question – what might happen if a question you prefer is not available on the day? Your choice should be primarily guided by the suitability of the texts you have prepared. It is highly likely that one of the questions is totally un suitable for the texts you have prepared and you should eliminate this question without a second thought. For example, perhaps the question is asking you to write about the presentation of future societies in two literary works – and your texts are not set in future societies! You can also discount questions where you do not understand the wording or you have never studied the central issue in the question. For example, if a question asks you how literary works use humour to create effects, and you have never discussed uses of humour or humorous writing conventions in your class, it might be wise to avoid this question as well. Use the process of elimination to quickly narrow down your options.

Once you have eliminated one or two questions, you should be left with a manageable choice, or maybe even a straight decision to make out of two. Any question you have not crossed out by now is a question that, theoretically, you could answer. It is time to make a confident choice about which question is most suitable for the texts that you have prepared. You may be lucky and something that you have studied extensively in class might be staring you right in the face. For example, perhaps you wrote a Learner Portfolio entry about a certain writer’s use of symbolism – and here’s a question asking you to compare symbolism in two literary works. Even if this is not the case, you should be able to make a confident choice about which question to answer for the duration of the exam.

One last piece of advice: once you have made a plan and begun to write – stick with your choice. The very worst thing you can do is change your mind partway through an exam. Have faith in yourself; if you get stuck, pause, think through any problems, and return to your Venn diagram rather than go back to the start.

What should I write in the introduction?

It is essential that in your introduction you achieve three aims:

• Define the terms of the question you have chosen to answer and set yourself a conceptual framework in which to write;
• Introduce the literary works that you will use to explore these terms;
• State your thesis by setting out specific ways in which your chosen works are both similar and different in terms of the concept you have defined.

You’ll find a good thesis has three parts as well: how the concept is presented through a feature of Work A; how the concept is presented through a feature of Work B; how the concept is presented through a shared feature or different features of both works A and B. Examine the introductions in the sample answers on this page to see what this looks like in practice.

How should I structure my response?

The idea of comparing and contrasting two complete literary works can be quite overwhelming, and it helps to practise writing in a structure that is effective and achievable in the time you are given in the exam: 1 hour and 45 minutes. It is important to remember that this exercise is a comparative essay , for which there are two widely accepted ‘structures’ or ‘shapes’ in which to write: block structure and point-by-point structure . Writing in a block structure means you will cluster your ideas about one text before moving to the next – literally writing in long ‘blocks’. Point-by-point structures alternate between one text then the other, making careful points of comparison and contrast along the way. While both have advantages and disadvantages, neither is inherently right or wrong and you should practice both until you find an approach that suits you, your abilities, and the question at hand. In fact, you may find that certain questions lend themselves to one particular structure over another. Generally speaking, though, point-by-point is a more difficult structure to manage, as you need to organise your ideas carefully before you start to write; however, you will have more opportunities to draw comparisons, which is the whole point of this paper, and you may find this approach more fruitful:

• Introduction
• Block 1: discuss features of Work A in light of the question. Include analysis of writing features and/or stylistic choices made by the writer of Work A.
• Block 2: discuss features of Work B in light of the question. Include analysis of writing features or stylistic choices made by the writer of Work B. Begin to draw comparisons or contrasts with Work A, but keep the focus on Work B.
• Block 3: discuss the similarities and/or differences between Work A and Work B in light of the given question.

POint-by-point

• Discuss one writing feature of Work A in light of the question.
• Explicitly draw parallels with a feature of Work B, drawing out points of similarity and difference.
• Discuss a second writing feature of Work A in light of the question.
• Repeat as many times as you can in the time available…

Whichever structure you choose, in terms of length, you should aim to write over three pages and maybe as much as five pages, depending on the size of your handwriting. While quality is preferable to quantity, you need to be honest with yourself about how much knowledge, understanding, analysis, and discussion you can convey in anything under three pages, no matter how small you think your handwriting is. Short answers (and over-long, rambling answers) are unlikely to score very well. It is also strongly advised that you arrange your work in manageable paragraphs, clearly signposting your comparisons (points of similarity) and contrasts (points of difference) using appropriate connectives and linking phrases, such as:

To compare:

• Bears similarity to
• In the same way
• Compares to

to contrast:

• On the other hand
• By contrast
• As opposed to
• In a different way
• Contrasts with

Do I need to memorise quotations?

A close look at the mark scheme for Paper 2 will help answer this question. Criteria B is marked according to your ability to analyse and evaluate ‘ textual features and/or writers’ broader choices ‘. These phrases give you considerable scope as to how exactly you reference your literary texts. For example, a discussion of symbolism may involve you writing about the broad symbols used in a particular text. In this case, you would only need to remember the symbols, not necessarily quote the exact lines of prose, poetry or drama they appear in. Similarly, the decision to write from a particular point of view is a ‘broader choice’. it is perfectly possible to describe or paraphrase events that happened in a literary work from a certain character’s perspective without replicating exact quotations. The same goes for the rhythm and meter of poems, the way characters effect other characters, the structure of a plot… and so on. Many stylistic choices can be approached in this way.

On the other hand, no feature is more important in a work of literature than a writer’s choice of words. Literature is made of words! Analysing a text without making any reference to specific words might be like trying to describe a work of art without making any reference to line, colour, shape or composition. It’s possible – but it’s likely to be pretty vague and miss out on some of the most important and noteworthy moments. And, in all honesty, I’m sure you can recall some of the words of the texts you have read without even trying to memorise quotations. For example, anyone who’s read The Merchant of Venice is unlikely to forget ‘a pound of flesh’, ‘hath not a Jew eyes’, ‘my house is hell’ and other seminal lines. So my recommendation is to work with the texts closely, read, re-read, practise, and get the language of your texts stuck in your mind. Memorising a dozen or so important quotations from each of your literary works shouldn’t be too hard for anybody. And remember too, in a closed book exam no one is expecting you to have every single word of every single quotation memorised perfectly – paraphrasing the essence of a line and embedding single words and phrases from the literary works is often enough.

Should I write about context and background?

Another good look at the mark scheme helps answer this question. Criteria A asks for your understanding and interpretation of the works in relation to the question. This implies that you can focus your analysis entirely on the literary works you have chosen to write about irrespective of context or background you may have learned.

However, implied in Criteria B is your ability to understand and evaluate the effects a writer was intending to create – and it’s here that your knowledge of context can turn your response from average to good to great. While your personal interpretation of a text is totally valid, you should also be aware that no writer was hiding things in their literary works simply for future IB students to find. Shakespeare wasn’t writing for you – he was writing for a late sixteenth / early seventeenth century English audience who may have had very different expectations, and responded to his words in very different ways, than a twenty-first century teenager in a classroom somewhere else in the world. Being able to write a nuanced response may necessitate consideration of who, exactly, the text was for, and the influence of important social, historical, or cultural factors – and therefore an acknowledgment of the author’s life and wider context of the work. Read one or two of the sample answers in this section to see how contextual information can be integrated concisely into your main body paragraphs.

How do I write a good conclusion?

There are many ways to write an effective conclusion, but as you get towards the end of your answer you might be running short of time. In high pressure situations, it’s tempting to want to finish as quickly as possible. You might, for example, summarise the main points of your response in a nice and neat way – while this isn’t the worst thing you can do, you should ask yourself if this is really necessary. After all, your examiners are (hopefully) intelligent people and it’s unlikely they would need a summary of something they have only just read.

Instead, try to write in a circular structure. Return to your introduction and look again at the concept you defined at the start of your answer. Re-evaluate these ideas with the benefit of the work you have just produced. Can you present a final thought that wraps up your argument nicely, or perhaps present an exception or even irony you have discovered? Check out the sample answers on this page and look at how this might, in reality, be achieved.

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Self-Taught Language A: Paper 2: Comparative Essay

• Creating your Book List
• Finding a Tutor
• Diagnostic Assessment
• Organizing your Course
• Foundation Knowledge and Skills
• Readers, Writers and Texts
• Time and Space
• Intertextuality: Connecting Texts
• Paper 1: Guided literary Analysis
• Paper 2: Comparative Essay
• Individual Oral

Paper 2 is an externally-assessed component requiring an essay in response to a given question concerning a comparative critical discussion of two works studied during your course.  

There will be four questions presented in the paper 2 exam, one of which should be chosen for your essay.  

You must refer to two works you have studied and focus closely on the topic in the question. You should compare and contrast the two works in the light of the question, analysing their formal and stylistic features as well as the way these features contribute to the creation of meaning in the texts. You will need to think carefully about which of the works you have studied can be best explored in relation to the question and which of the questions will enable you to best demonstrate your understanding of the works you have studied.  

Know, understand and interpret

Relevant assessment objectives  

Know, understand and interpret a range of texts, works and/or performances, and their meanings and implications.  

Know, understand and interpret contexts in which texts are written and/or received.  

Know, understand and interpret elements of literary, stylistic, rhetorical, visual and/or performance craft.  

Know, understand and interpret features of particular text types and literary forms.  

You will be expected to show knowledge and understanding of the meanings evident in two works you are discussing; focusing on how these are conveyed and their relevance to the chosen question. Knowledge of the contexts of the works in relation to the question selected is also important. How the craft of the writer, in terms of their use of literary, stylistic, performance and rhetorical devices, can be understood and might be interpreted also needs exploration, as do the features of the selected works.  

For example, if you choose a question such as “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”. To what extent do two of the works you have studied present concepts of good and bad as a matter of perception? When answering, you should ensure you show an understanding of the two works through the lens of the concept of good and bad. You should identify where there are different perceptions of good and bad and go on to develop an interpretation of the works in relation to the question.  

Parallels should be drawn between the two works to show similarities and differences in the way the topic is presented and addressed. How effectively you have compared and contrasted both works in relation to the question would be considered in this assessment objective.  

Analyze and Evaluate

Analyse and evaluate uses and effects of literary, stylistic, rhetorical, visual or theatrical techniques.  

Analyse and evaluate relationships among different texts.  

Analyse and evaluate ways in which texts may offer perspectives on human concerns.  

In the case of the question referred to in the previous section, you would analyse primarily how literary devices in the works have been used to assert or question an absolute view of good and bad. In this connection, it will be necessary to use relevant evidence from the works to support your claims. You do not need to memorize quotes, but ensure that your arguments are justified with references to aspects of the works themselves. You would also be expected to evaluate the way different techniques have been used to fulfill different aims in the works and their relative effectiveness.  

Parallels should be drawn for this assessment objective between the two works to show similarities and differences in the way meaning has been constructed. How effectively you have compared and contrasted both works in relation to their literary features and the way these have constructed meaning would be considered in this assessment objective.  

Communication

Communicate ideas in clear, logical and persuasive ways.  

Communicate in a range of styles and registers and for a variety of purposes and situations.  

Criterion C in paper 2 requires that your answer should be well focused. The focus that you are expected to apply in the case of paper 2 is the one indicated by the question. In an example question such as “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”, you are being asked whether the notions of good and bad are relative and therefore vary from person to person. You should make sure that everything in your essay is relevant to this focus. Another element to remember for this criterion is the balance between the two works under discussion and you should make sure that you have not discussed one at greater length than the other.  

Criterion D does not differ much from the same criterion in paper 1. Both a guided analysis and a comparative essay are academic pieces of writing and therefore need to be formal and impersonal. In terms of language, it is useful to be familiar with a range of vocabulary to refer to and describe specific elements of texts like tone, perspective and characterization. Linking expressions and structures that relate to comparison and contrast could also help to organize your essay more effectively.  

Advice on preparation

This exam is designed to test your knowledge and understanding of any two of the works studied and the way style and content interact. Your preparations should mean you come into the examination knowing and understanding at least three of the works studied, even though you will only write about two of them.  

To help prepare for criteria A and B, you will need to take notes on stylistic and literary elements and themes that are present. You should consider how the writer crafts their writing and what the effects of this are upon the work and the reader.  

As you read the works on your booklist throughout the course, you should get a sense of which ones complement each other. The richer and more varied the connections between two works, the more suitable they will be for paper 2. It is recommended that during your course, in consultation with your SSST tutor, you should set aside three works to study for paper 2. This will make revision for this component more manageable and make it easier to choose a question in the exam.  

Paper 2 is a literary essay so you must ensure that you understand and have skills in essay writing. It is important to note that how an essay is structured and organized in one language may be different in another. Criterion C looks at the focus and organization of your comparative essay. As mentioned in the discussion of the assessment objectives, in this component it is not only organization and coherence that matters, but also that your essay should have a clear focus on the question. Therefore, you have to know how to organize and structure an essay. Criterion D assesses how appropriately you use language to make an argument. In your learner portfolio you should practise using a register and language that is appropriate for a comparative literary essay. This means using language that is precise, clear and accurate and utilizes literary terms when referring to the works.  

You are not just being assessed on how to write an essay: you must be able to communicate understanding and give a comparative critical response to two works read in your study in response to one of four questions. This does not mean you have to memorize quotes, but you do have to know details about the works. For example, if you are writing about a novel, you should be able to discuss the plot, narrative style, point of view and characters. If you are writing about a poem, you should show an understanding of the structure, form, and content.  

Activities to help you prepare

This will help you to understand how your work will be assessed:  

Look at the marking criteria of paper 2 and cut up the separate bands of each criterion. See if you can put them back together in the correct order for each criterion, from the lowest mark to the highest mark.  

Think of an ideal essay structure for paper 2. Write a plan for it on a piece of paper, then find another student who is also doing a language A subject to discuss it and see if they agree. Ask your tutor or supervisor what they think.  

Write a checklist for a successful paper 2 essay. What elements should a good paper 2 essay have? Use this checklist on a past paper which scored a high mark to see if you agree with the examiner.  

Ask your SSST supervisor to provide you with examples of student work in the teacher support material (TSM) and mark these with the assessment criteria. Afterwards, compare your mark with that given by the examiner. What could this student have done to make their essay better? What did they do well? How does this affect what you will do in your essay? Write your reflection in your portfolio.  

During your course, you should frequently ask your tutor or supervisor for examples of paper 2 essay questions to practise with so you can get used to the requirements, as well as applying and improving your comparative and analytical skills.  

Use the assessment criteria to mark what you have written in your practice essays. Which were the areas where you did well and which areas could you improve? Discuss with your supervisor or tutor what you can do to improve these areas.  

These activities may help you to understand your selected works and how you might write about them:  

After reading two works, you could try and find a common aspect such as theme, perspective or how imagery is being used to convey meanings and then outline their similarities and differences using a Venn diagram.  

In your portfolio, imagine and write a dialogue that the authors of two different works might have had, bringing out the similarities and differences.  

Rewrite the ending of two works, in each case using the perspective of the author of the other work to do so.  

Explore how the work of one of the authors you have read might have changed if written by another author on your booklist.  

Think of general questions that might appear in paper 2 which would be suitable for you to work on with different pairs of works you have read, then outline an answer.  

Take 20 minutes to write an introduction setting out your thesis in relation to the question you chose. Then, get another language A student to peer review your work.  

Paper Two Resources

• Paper 2 Basics
• Paper Two Guidance

Paper Two Criteria and Rubric

• Paper Two Rubric
• << Previous: Paper 1: Guided literary Analysis
• Next: Individual Oral >>
• Last Updated: Oct 22, 2023 9:30 AM
• URL: https://learn.wab.edu/hs/LangA/self-taught

Paper 2 is back!  That’s right, we all have tackle this beast in May 2023, so it’s time to master the basics about comparative literary analysis.  Remember that this task demands attention to authorial choices and how they shape meaning.  So, when reading your literary works, pay attention to the moves the writer makes to communicate important ideas.

Part of our  IBDP English A Student Toolkit , The Complete Study Guide for Paper 1 and Paper 2 includes:

• 250+ pages of updated review material!
• The best of our website videos and documents 
• NEW content not available on our website
• 20 highlighted papers with examiner notes 
• Discussion videos justifying marks on sample papers
• Full assortment of graphic organizers
• Sentence stems and guidance for analysis

Paper 2 Exam Review Video Course

Looking for more detailed instruction?  Our Paper 2 Exam Review course leverages two short stories and guides you step-by-step through the writing process in 10 videos.  In the end, you will have written a strong sample response for your selected texts.  This course is for dedicated students looking to do the hard work necessary to improve their Paper 2 skills.

Part of our  IBDP English A Student Toolkit , this resource includes:

• Step-by-step approach to building the Paper 2 response
• 10 asynchronous lessons and 2 hours of NEW video
• Two short stories with completed graphic organizers to model the entire Paper 2 writing process
• Blank graphic organizers to use with your Paper 2 texts
• Guidance on using generative AI for Paper 2 revision

Free Study Sessions - May 2024 Exam Prep!

We know students are gearing up for exams, and we’re eager to help.  Join us for a FREE Study Session!

Each study session will last approximately 2 hours and review the key concepts needed for success on exam day.  Please visit the  Revision Village Study Session   page for timezones and register now!

May 2024 Exam Review – MUST WATCH!

Students are asking questions about remembering quotes for Paper 2.  We tell our students to “ drop the anchor ” into critical moments of their literary works and “ go fishing ” for powerful references and features.  Watch this video and learn this valuable skill!  

Remember:  You CAN study for English Paper 2!  Be sure to use the graphic organizer in the video description!

Paper 2 From Start to Finish

In this 9-video series, we’ll show you the entire process from start to finish.  We’ll use two short stories as our model and follow the “we go, you go” protocol.  We’ll show you the steps with our sample stories, and then encourage you to do the same steps with your chosen Paper 2 texts.  In the end, you will have written an entire sample paper under our guidance.  So, be sure to download and complete all the graphic organizers.  Stay with us.  Follow the models.  Do like we do.  Paper 2 success is within reach!

Unpacking the Paper 2 Task

• Document: Nuts and Bolts
• READING: Two Short Stories

Breaking Down Text 1

Document: 1-Text Organizer   – TEXT 1

Breaking Down Text 2

Document: 1-Text Organizer   – TEXT 2

Comparing Texts 1 and 2

Document: Comparative Organizer

Writing the Outline and Thesis

Document: Getting ready to write

Writing the Introduction:

Document: Writing the Intro

Writing Body Paragraphs.

Document: Body Paragraphs

Writing the Conclusion

Document: Paper 2 Conclusions

Scoring the Sample Paper 2

Document: Examiner Scoring

Paper 2 - Breaking Down the Skills

Sure, we understand that you want to see sample papers and examiner comments.  Those are coming.  However, none of those support materials matter unless you know the basics of Paper 2.  Watching the videos and reading the accompanying documents will put you in an excellent position to showcase your best comparative writing on assessment day.  Once you have mastered, these skills, then it’s time to move on to practice papers.

Meet the assessment and understand how to achieve success on Paper Two.

Paper 2 Details and Tips

Learn how to break down the question and get stay focused.

Document: Breaking Down the Question

Don’t forget to brainstorm and mind map!

Document: Brainstorming and mindmapping

The thesis is important…watch this video!

Document: Writing the Thesis

Block style or alternating style?  Watch this video to find out.

Document: Structuring the Response

How can I get off to a strong start in this paper?  We’ve got the answer.

It’s critical to write strong comparative body paragraphs.  Watch this!

Mr. Giles always says to “end strong.”  Watch this video and find out how!

Document: Writing Conclusions

Paper 2 - Refining Our Skills

Now that you’ve seen the entire process from beginning to end, let’s combine some of these ideas and refine our understanding of the key skills needed to master this assessment.  

How can we quickly understand the question, brainstorm ideas, and get to the thesis?

Document: From Question to Thesis

Still stuck with that introduction?  Here is some more support.  Watch and nail this important step!

Document: Introduction 2.0

The more body paragraphs we read, the better we get at this difficult task.  Watch the video!

Document: Comparative Body Paragraphs

Once you have all the skills in place, it’s time to make sure you understand all the key tips and details of this important assessment.  Looking at student and teacher models is also helpful, and we will continue to populate this section as the year progresses.

In this video, notice how the student approaches the work, maintains focus, and shows complete command of references, features, and the language of the question. 

Document: Paper Two - Student Sample

This video presents 10 important tips students should remember when getting ready to write Paper 2.

Document: Paper Two - Top Ten Tips

This video shows students how to formulate their own sample questions. Give it a try!

Document: Spitballing Paper 2

Watch this video right before exams. Don't miss this checklist!

Document: Paper 2 Checklist

IB English Guys

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What is the best way to prepare for IB English Paper 2?

Table of Contents

• 1 English Paper 2
• 2 Grade Weightage
• 3 Example guiding questions from the 2018 exam:
• 4 Example preparation schedule

The comparative literary essay

Every IB student has to write Paper 2. It doesn’t matter whether they choose Language & Literature, or Literature, SL or HL. Since 2021, even the questions and marking guides are the same.

Related article: Differences Between IB Literature and Language & Literature

English Paper 2

• A comparative analysis of two works studied
• Choose from four general questions
• 1 hour 45 minutes

Grade Weightage

• Language & Literature SL, 35%
• Language & Literature HL, 25%
• Literature SL, 35%
• Literature HL, 25%

At least 3 months before the exam, students should revise several works to be ready for Paper 2. The IB suggests preparing three works. Some works will be more flexible than others, and some students in the past have aced this paper by preparing just two works. Of course, it is better to prepare 2 works in a responsible way than 3 works in a sloppy way. If a student is trying to decide how much to prepare, they should look at Paper 2 questions from past exams and make sure that their chosen works are flexible enough to answer any of the guiding questions.

Example guiding questions from the 2018 exam:

• How do the two works you have studied show that good can come out of destruction or violence?
• How and to what effect are strangers or strangeness represented in the two works you have studied?
• Discuss how one or more of the formal characteristics of a genre influence meaning in the two works you have studied.

Conventional advice is that students should annotate their works to prepare for Paper 2. But how do you annotate a work for Paper 2 and annotate it well? The most common problem is annotating too much. When students are worried about finding material for every kind of question, they start highlighting anything that could be even a little relevant, and their annotations become cluttered. A struggling student might create a “key” that looks like this:

When a student looks at these cluttered pages, it will be impossible to tell what is really important. They may not even remember why they highlighted a sentence. Instead, students should choose a few open-ended questions which actually interest them.

Using simple questions like “Which characters demonstrate courage?” or “Who feels guilty?” may seem like poor preparation for specific IB questions. But students are unlikely to guess what the IBO is thinking anyway. In a proper annotation of a work, the same few scenes and quotes will always stand out. When a student does this, they will also start to understand how the parts of the work relate to the whole, because questions like “Which characters demonstrate courage” require the student to carefully read every part of the book looking for the best evidence.

Example preparation schedule

4 Months before: Choose three works to annotate carefully and thoroughly 2 Months before: Practice writing Paper 2 1 Month before: Review and improve annotations

Students should be able to reread a book in 12 hours, depending on the length of the book. They should also spend time thinking about several thematically focused questions and analyse parts of the book that are relevant to the chosen focus areas. Ideally, students will finish annotating their works two months before the exam. In the last two months, students should practice several examples of paper 2. Every practice paper should be strictly timed for 1 hour and 45 minutes. When a student doesn’t have time to write a full practice paper, they can practice for the topic by writing a short outline that includes all the evidence they might use.

Students usually find that they need to go back into their works to revise their annotations and investigate some additional questions. This is normal, and also a reason why responsible students should start preparing for paper 2 early.

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P2: Comparative Essay

May (Senior Year)

Weighting: HL=25% / SL=35%

Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes

Paper 2 contains four questions of a general nature, which require students to write a comparative essay referring to two works studied during the course. Students are required to answer one question only. The essay is written under examination conditions, without access to the studied works. Students will be expected to compare and contrast two of the works studied in relation to the question chosen. Students are expected to make detailed reference to the works in their answer, but they are not expected to include quotations from them.

Given the open and flexible nature of the course, potentially any work studied can be used by students for paper 2. It is highly recommended, however, that students should preselect three of the works studied in preparation for this paper, either individually or in conjunction and in consultation with the teacher. This will make it more manageable for students, at the moment of the exam, to select the essay question and the two works to answer it with.

Past Paper 2 Questions

Paper 2 Assessment Chart

PAPER 2 TIPS

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Paper 2 Comparative Essay - study tips

• comparative essay

By J O Y September 24, 2016 in Languages A Language & Literature

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For the paper 2 comparative (HL student here), is it better to study two or three texts in preparation for the exam?

I'm thinking of Great Gatsby vs A Streetcar Named Desire but I don't know if I should also study Master Harold and the Boys IN CASE it would be better suited to the paper 2 questions on the exam. 

Also, I really struggle with the Paper 2 as I've been consistently getting low 5s with the practice papers. I think it's because I struggle to come up with ideas relevant to the given questions while timed conditions so if you have any tips it would really helpful!

Also as an HL student, are be in any way expected to use our HL text (the Crucible) in the exam? 

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No, you're not expected to use your HL book as the examiner may even know all 3 works you studied in class, or whichever of those 3 works is the HL one. If you're pressed for time, I suggest just focusing yourself on the 2 works that has the most in common with each other. Unlike in HL Paper 1 Comparative Essay, you're really more comparing similarities than differences.

I've seen some good essays where a student manages to talk about all 3 works and gets a high 6 (19/25), but all the excellent essays that I've red only discussed 2 works. With the amount of time you have, even for HL, trying to talk all 3 works can result in the pitfall of being more superficial than you'd like, and your arguments spread thin .

That said, I haven't done many Paper 2s yet. I've only done one paper 2 that my teacher assessed -- got an 18/25, which was Ok imo -- and some practice ones that I tried to self-assess. It definitely isn't easy. (Having dropped to English A SL now, I'm hoping I'll be able to score higher for both my Papers due to the (slightly) less harsh demands of the criteria)  

But as for tips on how to prepare effectively for Paper 2, all I can suggest is that you know your novels pretty well enough in terms of themes, contexts, symbols, and characterization. Unlike in Part 4 Critical Study where you also need to know more precise details of the devices used throughout the work, context is what matters most for Paper 2 -- so long as whatever you're discussing is related to the contexts of the work you're studying, and that you back your points up with relevant examples and details from the actual work, you'll end up with a strong Paper 2.

Edit: You mentioned 5 works in total in your post -- how is that possible? If I'm not mistaken, you're only supposed to study 3 works at HL for Part 3 Texts and Contexts, which are for your Paper 2. I wouldn't suggest self-studying works that your teacher didn't taught; for one, there might be important areas that you can miss out without the guidance of a teacher, and although I don't know the inner workings and procedures of the exams, I think your teacher will submit a form or something stating the 3 works studied in class. You know, to prevent students from bringing in something like A Game of Thrones into discussion.. I might be wrong though, but then you should probably ask your teacher if you're allowed to discuss works that are still prescribed by the IBO, but not studied in class.

4 hours ago, IB`ez said: Edit: You mentioned 5 works in total in your post -- how is that possible? If I'm not mistaken, you're only supposed to study 3 works at HL for Part 3 Texts and Contexts, which are for your Paper 2. I wouldn't suggest self-studying works that your teacher didn't taught; for one, there might be important areas that you can miss out without the guidance of a teacher, and although I don't know the inner workings and procedures of the exams, I think your teacher will submit a form or something stating the 3 works studied in class. You know, to prevent students from bringing in something like A Game of Thrones into discussion.. I might be wrong though, but then you should probably ask your teacher if you're allowed to discuss works that are still prescribed by the IBO, but not studied in class.

Hey thanks for the reply! 

We've only studied one HL text for the comparative essay (The Crucible) but we've also studied four SL texts (Freedom of the City, Gatsby, Streetcar and Master Harold). I'm not quite sure what you mean by Part 3 Texts and Contexts though? 

Blackcurrant

Study ALL your Part 3 novels for the exam. That's really the best way. And know them inside-out. You can never "predict" (and shouldn't put yourself at risk this way) what you will need for the Paper 2 exam.

1 hour ago, J O Y said: Hey thanks for the reply!  We've only studied one HL text for the comparative essay (The Crucible) but we've also studied four SL texts (Freedom of the City, Gatsby, Streetcar and Master Harold). I'm not quite sure what you mean by Part 3 Texts and Contexts though?  Thanks for the tips though! Really helpful

Well, there's a difference between Part 3 and Part 4 texts.

Part 4 texts are the 3 works usually studied in the first year for the DP, and are the works that your orals and Written Assignment/Task 2 will be based on. For example, I studied The Great Gatsby, Atonement, and Macbeth as my Part 4 texts that goes into the Internal Oral assessment.

Part 3 texts are the 3 works studied in the last year of DP that you will be using to for your exam Paper 2; I'm studying The Handmaid's Tale, Metamorphosis, and The Road, and I can only discuss these works for my Paper 2, as otherwise would result in low marks. I suggest you confirm with your teacher to know which works are part of which part.

6 hours ago, IB`ez said: Well, there's a difference between Part 3 and Part 4 texts. Part 4 texts are the 3 works usually studied in the first year for the DP, and are the works that your orals and Written Assignment/Task 2 will be based on. For example, I studied The Great Gatsby, Atonement, and Macbeth as my Part 4 texts that goes into the Internal Oral assessment. Part 3 texts are the 3 works studied in the last year of DP that you will be using to for your exam Paper 2; I'm studying The Handmaid's Tale, Metamorphosis, and The Road, and I can only discuss these works for my Paper 2, as otherwise would result in low marks. I suggest you confirm with your teacher to know which works are part of which part.

Thanks heaps!!

Just now, J O Y said: Ok thank you! Got it now  I asked around my fellow IB classmates and Gatsby's our part 3 text so I can't use it for the comparative :/ oh well. Also you're so lucky you got to study Atonement!! I love it (hate Briony)  Thanks heaps!!

Ahahahah I hated Atonement so much. I literally spent all summer revising and internalizing the whole story and ended up fully annotating and analyzing a lot of pages as I know I wouldn't be able to do so in the preparation time -- I found it really hard to analyze extracts from it in general.

1 minute ago, IB`ez said: Wait what nNOo Part 3, and not Part 4, texts are the ones you ARE supposed to use for your Paper 2   Ahahahah I hated Atonement so much. I literally spent all summer revising and internalizing the whole story and ended up fully annotating and analyzing a lot of pages as I know I wouldn't be able to do so in the preparation time -- I found it really hard to analyze extracts from it in general.

WHOOPS SORRY YES I MEANT PART 4 (bad with numbers here) 

I guess that's the thing with having to analyse works :') I loved the Great Gatsby before having to deconstruct it in class - ruined it for me

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• Paper 2: structuring the essay
• Paper 2: Comparative essay
• Paper 2: a guide for students

This page focuses on how best to plan and structure your comparative essay for the Paper 2 examination. Previous pages have underlined the importance of giving yourself plenty of time with your texts, thinking about how they connect to the areas of exploration, the course concepts, as well as each other. This page focuses on how to make the most of these connections in terms of organising your essay so that it allows...

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Exam prep, planning and writing guide.

How to Choose Quotes for Paper 2

Free introductory guide to IB English Paper 2 by IB45 and IB7 graduates.

Choosing the right quotes for your IB English Paper 2 exam is extremely important. The quotes you learn ultimately make or break your exam performance.

The problem is that it’s difficult to  find  these elusive, “good” quotes.

• How do you even begin the laborious search through your texts?
• What quotes should you be looking out for?
• How many quotes should you learn? How many is too much?
• Should you commit the quotes to memory word-for-word?

In this blog post, we’ll answer all of these questions.

• Good Quote, Bad Quote

The best quotes for IB English Paper 2 exams are those that can be analysed in the context of multiple themes, characters and/or techniques . I call these Super Quotes. Why are they Super, you ask?

• Deeper analysis.  Quotes like these often find themselves at the busy intersection of themes, characters and techniques–a trait that makes them ooze with analytical potential. Such complexity is especially conducive to deeper, more sophisticated analysis. You’ll be needing these quotes to do well.
• Memorise less. One of these quotes might cover 2 themes and 1 character. What does that mean? You’ve covered 3 areas of potential analysis with just one quote! Now you can memorise 1 quote instead of 3, even though you’ve got just as many areas covered. 3 birds with 1 stone–how’s that for quote hunting?

Let’s give you concrete examples of good and bad quotes.

• Great Quote

Sarah shook as she stared into the ice-eyes of her oppressor.

With an explosive quote like this, you will be equipped to analyse at least 3 different topics in your Paper 2: characterisation (of Sarah and her oppressor), literary techniques (sibilance), and themes (oppression).

• Not-so-great Quote

Now let’s take a look at a quote that you shouldn’t memorise under any circumstance. Even with a Desert Eagle to your head.

Her tears dripped onto the dry ground.

While this quote serves to characterise the girl, too (her sadness, in particular), there is a much less explicit link to the theme of oppression. There also lacks significant literary techniques in this quote.

• Where to find good quotes

You need some familiarity with your texts for this step, so make sure you’ve read it at least once . As you go through the texts again (for the second or third time, etc.), scan the pages through 3 different lenses: characterisation, theme, and technique . This is because all the questions in the final IB English Paper 2 exam are related to these three categories.

You should have a good idea of where the most interesting parts of the text are (i.e., places with lots of conflict and character development). You should be able to find lots of quotes in these places to get you started.

Quotes can also come in pairs or triplets. These quotes can be used to compare and contrast themes, characterisation, and techniques across different parts of the text. The examiner will see that you aren’t just analysing your texts in isolated bits and pieces–one quote here and there–but that you are analysing the text as a whole and noticing changes in characterisation, recurring patterns (e.g., style in the writer’s work), and developments of the literary themes. These quote combos allow you to reach high into the 7 range.

• Effective examples of quote combos
• character development: find quotes comparing and contrasting a character in the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the text.
• recurring patterns: the writer consistently uses, say, figurative language to develop a specific theme. This is an interesting style that shows your sensitivity to the complex workings of a literary piece.
• Spreading out your quotes

Taking the IB English Paper 2 is a bit like playing baseball: You better be prepared for curveballs . These curveballs take the form of really random-sounding questions like the two below (which have been used in real IB Paper 2s):

• “To what extent are female characters more interesting than male characters?”
• “How is the notion of justice explored in your texts?”

Therefore it makes sense to stock up on as many types of quotes as possible so that no matter how the IB spins the Paper 2 that is hurtling at you at 90km/h, you’ll be able to adapt and answer these super random questions.

Here are some specific steps you can take to ensure a good spread of quotes:

• Brainstorm all the main characters, themes and techniques in your texts.
• For every good quote you find, identify the theme(s), character(s) and technique(s) it relates to.
• Have a look at the spread of your quotes. Are they focused on too few themes? What about the spread across characters and techniques?
• If the variety is too little, engage in a hunt for quotes that relate to areas you haven’t yet adequately covered.

Now let’s talk about how to organise your quotes in a useful way that helps with study.

• How to build your quote bank

I’ll share a format that worked well for me. I had a table for each category in separate Word documents. One doc for themes, one doc for characters, one doc for techniques. Each of these documents contain one table for quotes.

• Table structure

Paper 2 is all about comparison and contrast  between texts . You cannot just analyse quotes in isolation. Themes, characterisation and techniques require discussion and evidence (i.e., quotes) coming from both texts (I don’t recommend analysing more than two texts in one Paper 2 comparative essay).

A lot of IB English students find it difficult to do comparison and contrast in IB English Paper 2 because they did not have the end goal in mind . They do not build their collection of quotes with comparison and contrast in the forefront of focus.

To be clear, you need to find common themes (and characters and techniques) across every combination of your texts:

• Text A and Text B
• Text B and Text C
• Text A and Text C
• All three texts

By having comparison and contrast in the forefront of your mind when you build your quote bank, Paper 2 will come much more naturally to you because you have the comparative structure embedded in your memory already.

I used LitCharts for my texts. They gave a good starting point for my quote bank. LitCharts used to be free back in 2014, but I think now you have to pay for them. I do recommend them if you are short on time but want high-quality quotes.