english b essay example

IB English B EE examples

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Dec 23, 2020
18 min read

CSEC English B: A Guide to Writing Poetry Essays

Updated: Jun 1, 2021

If you're reading this, chances are, you've been subjected to the unfortunate torture that is the English B (comparative) poetry essay. That's right- you've been allotted around 30 minutes to write on two of the twenty poems CSEC prescribed for your study over two years. Fun , right?

All jokes aside, we're all going to face a poetry essay at some point or another, whether practice assigned at school or the 'real McCoy' on the exam.

Writing poetry essays can seem daunting though- you're presented with a three part question demanding that you satisfy all necessary requirements to attain your maximum 25 marks. And on top of that, no matter how hard you try to clear your mind, it can be very difficult to arrange your thoughts well enough to put together an essay that can convince your teacher that you deserve at least a passing grade.

Well, worry no more! One of the main reasons we make silly slip-ups in our essays is because we don't necessarily know what it means to write a sufficient essay, and therefore don't have a small plan in our minds to which we can abide calmly during those nerve-wracking minutes. Hopefully after giving this guide a quick read, you'll understand more about how to tackle a question, the parts of an essay, what you want to try to achieve in each of those parts, and making an essay that stands out .

Step 1: The question

Poetry essay questions come in two varieties :

1) One where the poems you are to write on are named, for example:

“The poems ‘A Stone’s Throw’ and ‘The Woman Speaks to the Man Who has Employed her Son’ are about how women are treated.” For EACH poem:

(a) Briefly describe what is taking place.

(b) Discuss the speaker’s attitude to the woman.

2) One where the poems you are to write on are unnamed, and you are to choose two poems from the syllabus that fit a certain theme provided by the question. For example:

Choose TWO poems which you have studied that focus on a significant experience or event. For EACH poem:

(a) Describe the experience or event.

(b) Discuss the speaker’s attitude to this experience or event.

(Both questions are taken from the January 2013 English B Paper 2)

In every CSEC poetry question you get, parts one and two of the question will ask you to describe, discuss or explain some aspect of the poem. The third part of the question will always ask you to discuss a poetic/literary device used in the poem.

I know that this may be repetitive to you, but you should always read both questions through very carefully. It would be very unpleasant to begin writing on a question only to glance back at the paper and realize that you mistook a crucial detail , or even worse- that you can't fully answer the question you chose (this only applies to the actual exam, where you will choose between the two types of questions).

The question literally gives you the instructions for your essay, so they should not be overlooked .

Apart from ensuring that you don't mistake any details, reading the question also gives you the time to plan your essay mentally. The first sentence of the question will give you a guide as to what the theme of your essay will be, and what information you will include in the introductory paragraph. The instant that you read the question, you will be able to think about answers to each of the three parts of the question on which you will expound throughout the essay.

Step 2: The Introductory Paragraph (5 sentences)

Depending on the type of writer you are, you may prefer to write a separate plan for your essay before beginning writing. If you believe that you write better and more efficiently after planning out your essay, then, by all means, do your prior planning. A little time spent before arranging your thoughts is worth it, if it helps you.

A good plan can take the form of a few bullet points written loosely on a sheet of paper, where you note key concepts surrounding each of the parts of the question. For example, planning a first body paragraph for the question on the treatment of women could look like this:

a) A Stone's Throw - the woman in question is being abused in the name of justice by a group of ravenous men, who want to punish her for alleged promiscuity

The Woman Speaks to the Man who Has Employed Her Son - the mother, despite having cared for her son and placing no limits on his potential, has to accept being betrayed by this very son, who now seeks a father figure in a man offering him work as part of a gang

Those are brief summaries, and it would be expected that you go into more detail within the body paragraph.

While some may prefer to plan their essays, others (such as myself) prefer to just jump right into the essay and keep themselves in check while writing.

The introductory paragraph is a very important start, and can even help you in planning the essay overall. Let us first consider the parts of the introductory paragraph of a poetry essay:

As shown above, the introductory paragraph of a poetry essay will contain five basic parts: the hook, stating poems, and question parts 1, 2 and 3.

The Hook is one of the best ways to make your essay stand out. It is a statement that should be based on the theme of the question chosen. So, for question 1 from the past paper, the theme would be the treatment of women . Question 2's theme would be significance experience or events .

Making an interesting general statement can seem very difficult at first, but it's really about either trying to 'sound smart' or expressing your thoughts on the theme (just make sure that you don't use any personal pronouns like 'I' and 'we.' For example, look at the following hooks based on question 2:

"Each unique experience, whether triggered by disruptive forces such as nature, contextual obligation and temporal necessity influence momentary revelations described in most of the poems prescribed by the CSEC syllabus."

(Note that although the hook is important for distinguishing your essay, you should not take too long to write it, since you still have 4 and a half paragraphs to write afterwards.)

After the hook, you must state the poems you have chosen (or the poems provided by the question) in a sentence that also compares the two. Maybe a bit complicated? Look at the following example for question 2:

"The poems “South” by Kamau Brathwaite and “An African Thunderstorm” by David Rubadiri both include vivid descriptions of significant experiences in the life of each speaker."

See? In this sentence, you just want to mention both of the poems you will be comparing. It connects what you said in your hook to the rest of the essay.

Question Parts 1, 2 and 3 simply involve you summarizing how you will answer each part of the question in the rest of the essay. Maybe in previous grades, you've heard of the thesis statement, where teachers would expect a simple sentence like "this essay will..." and then you would restate the question.

However, at this higher level of writing (yes, you are at a higher academic level now, yay), teachers want something a little less... bland.

For each part of the question, it is suggested that you write at least one sentence outlining your answer (in relation to BOTH poems). So, part 1 of question 2 asks you to "Describe the experience or event." So, your sentence would give a brief description of the experience or event in both poems you chose (in this case, we chose "South" and "An African Thunderstorm"):

"Brathwaite illustrates the incident of migration in “South” through a homesick islander while Rubadiri presents a more concrete experience of the destructive force of nature (a thunderstorm) through a member of an African village."

(Using the last names of the poets can be a good way to refer to the poems during comparisons)

Notice that only a few words are used to describe the experience in each poem, since you are only summarizing what you will discuss in a whole paragraph later.

Comparing the poems like that in the sentence can be useful when you want to write efficient sentences.

The same thing is done for question parts 2 and 3:

"The persona of “South” is averse to his new surroundings after leaving his homeland, and feels oppressed by a strange and cold environment , while the speaker of “An African Thunderstorm” along with the members of his village react with fear towards the cloud of impending doom. "

"Brathwaite employs personification to convey the impact of migration on the persona. Rubadiri uses repetition to communicate the effect of the experience of the thunderstorm."

Aaaand just like that, you've completed your introductory paragraph! The best thing about introductory paragraphs like this is that they help you plan and think about the answers to all the questions before actually expounding on each point. Let's look at the combined introductory paragraph:

"The length of the average human’s lifetime encompasses the interwoven intricacies of several experiences which influence the internal mindscape of the person in question as well as those around them. Each unique experience, whether triggered by disruptive forces such as nature, contextual obligation and temporal necessity influence momentary revelations described in most of the poems prescribed by the CSEC syllabus. The poems “South” by Kamau Brathwaite and “An African Thunderstorm” by David Rubadiri both include vivid descriptions of significant experiences in the life of each speaker. Brathwaite illustrates the incident of migration in “South” through a homesick islander while Rubadiri presents a more concrete experience of the destructive force of nature (a thunderstorm) through a member of an African village. The persona of “South” is averse to his new surroundings after leaving his homeland, and feels oppressed by a strange and cold environment, while the speaker of “An African Thunderstorm” along with the members of his village react with fear towards the cloud of impending doom. Brathwaite employs personification to convey the impact of migration on the persona. Rubadiri uses repetition to communicate the effect of the experience of the thunderstorm."

Step 3: The Body Paragraphs

You are probably already familiar with the three parts of a paragraph: the topic sentence, body sentences and the concluding sentence. However, in a poetry essay, you are comparing two poems, and you are doing that while answering a question in 3 parts. As a result, your paragraphs may be a bit different.

Instead of that model, it may be useful to think of each paragraph as composed of different chunks of points, examples and explanations for each poem. I like to think of each paragraph as containing two paragraphs within it, a separate topic sentence for each poem :

Overall Topic Sentence (Optional)- This sentence gives a general overview of both poems. This is optional though, as it is more efficient to simply start with the topic sentence for the first poem.

Look at the following examples for parts 1 and 2 (an overall topic sentence is not very applicable to question part 3 ):

Part 1: "The poems both investigate very distinctive experiences in the lives of the personas, each one important to the speaker in conflicting ways."

Part 2: "Each persona finds himself in the midst of a strange and somewhat threatening circumstance, and their own reactions as well as those of the people around them reflect the severity of what is occurring."

Poem Topic Sentences

The poem topic sentence should be a specific connection of the poem to the question, and can be similar to what was written in the introductory paragraph. Each poem topic sentence should be the start of what you will write on that particular poem, so your body paragraph will be like two paragraphs in one.

For example, for question 2 part 1, the topic sentences for the two poems selected could be:

"Firstly, the persona of “South” explores the experience of migration and the impact of abandoning his homeland."

"On the other hand, the persona of “An African Thunderstorm” finds himself and his village threatened by an immensely powerful thunderstorm. The poem explores this terrifying experience by relating in evocative detail the destructive power of the storm."

Note: Using comparative phrases such as 'on the other hand,' 'contrarily,' 'by comparison,' and 'similar to' can help to better connect the content of your essay.

The topic sentences are only meant to introduce the content (body sentences) of your paragraph, so your description of South would follow the topic sentence concerning South, and the same would go for An African Thunderstorm.

Body Sentences (Point, Example, Explanation)

The body sentences of your paragraphs are where you get to contribute the real content of your essay. When writing your body sentences, you should try to follow the structure Point, Example, Explanation, abbreviated as P.E.E., (if you're into that, I guess you can remember it like that).

Point- This is where you state an aspect of your answer to the question. So, for part 1, you would 'describe the event or experience.'

Example- Use an example (a quote) from the poem to support your point.

Explanation- Explain your point more and show how your example supports your point.

These three parts can be in three separate sentences, in one sentence, or even just two. You can even mix up the order of the parts to how you see fit. How much you write is fully dependent on w hat you find sufficient for answering the question.

Look at the following example of a completed body paragraph (the body sentences are underlined and colour-coded, red for point , blue for example and green for explanation ):

"Firstly, the persona of “South” explores the experience of migration and the impact of abandoning his homeland. The speaker leaves his island home, a picturesque landscape of shimmering ocean waves and sand , as shown in “ I have travelled: moved far from the beaches.” He has gone to “ stoniest cities,” towns of stony foundations and even stonier people, contrary to the warm people he remembers from his home. The northern lands he traversed were plagued with unpleasant weather conditions, like “ slanting sleet and… hail.” Travelling to the “ saltless savannas” of Africa, he noticed they were completely devoid of the salty ocean of his homeland which he misses so dearly. Now, he lives in a house amongst the trees in the forest “where the shadows oppress [him]" and the darkness around him reflects the longing for his island home. In the forest, there is only the rain and the river, which, to him, can never substitute for the boundless opportunity and joy of the sea. Leaving his home has brought him to several places in the northern world; each a stark contrast to the one place he feels he belongs. Now, he settles in a place that lacks the ocean and its distinct character, and the “tepid taste of the river” cannot satisfy him in its ordinary and saltless nature. On the other hand, the persona of “ An African Thunderstorm” finds himself and his village threatened by an immensely powerful thunderstorm. The poem explores this terrifying experience by relating in evocative detail the destructive power of the storm. The clouds are said to “ come hurrying with the wind,” denoting the speed with which the winds propel them towards the settlement. “ Like a madman chasing nothing,” the wind darts and turns, whirling about with no definite direction or purpose, bound to cause damage to the things around it. The persona sees the wind tossing things up as it moves by at breakneck speeds, carrying the “ pregnant clouds” (filled with rain and other hallmarks of meteorological terror) on its back. The “trees bend to let [the wind] pass” as it whistles by, showing the sheer force of its movement- even forcing the strong, tall-standing trees to bend as though prostrating themselves before the wind’s undeniable power. Around the persona in the village, the wind sends the clothes of the people flying off, waving in the wind like “ tattered flags.” Blinding flashes of lightning strike in the distance followed by the low rumble of thunder, a chaotic image of the imminent tempest. The “ pelting march of the storm” is continuous and seemingly unstoppable as it approaches the village, communicating the idea of doom associated with this experience."

Note that in the paragraph above,a separate sentence explanation is not as necessary since you are simply describing the poems.

Step 4: Concluding Paragraph

Sometimes, writing a concluding paragraph can seem like the most difficult part, because you don't have a clear path as to what to write . In these cases, for the sake of efficiency, you can think of the concluding paragraph as having 4 parts:

General Statement on the Theme or the Poems- This can be similar to your hook

Summary Sentence of Body Paragraph 1

Summary Sentence of Body Paragraph 2

Summary Sentence of Body Paragraph 3

For example:

"In conclusion, experiences define both the premise and particularities of human life. Distinct significant events create both momentary and long-lasting impacts to the person in question as well as those around them. The poems “South” and “An African Thunderstorm” both present a significant experience in the lives of the personas. While the speaker’s reaction to migration in “South” is in phases, beginning with a denial of oppressive memory followed by acceptance, the people around the speaker in “An African Thunderstorm” react with both fear and seemingly malapropos joy to the imminent thunderstorm. Brathwaite implements personification to relay the impact of external migration on the persona. Rubadiri employs repetition to convey the thunderstorm’s impact on the environment, and therefore rationalizes the fear of the members of the village."

(Starting with "In conclusion" is very common, so you can usually omit such clichéd connectors)

Now, let's take a look at the completed essay:

The length of the average human’s lifetime encompasses the interwoven intricacies of several experiences which influence the internal mindscape of the person in question as well as those around them. Each unique experience, whether triggered by disruptive forces such as nature, contextual obligation and temporal necessity influence momentary revelations described in most of the poems prescribed by the CSEC syllabus. The poems “South” by Kamau Brathwaite and “An African Thunderstorm” by David Rubadiri both include vivid descriptions of significant experiences in the life of each speaker. Brathwaite illustrates the incident of migration in “South” through a homesick islander while Rubadiri presents a more concrete experience of the destructive force of nature (a thunderstorm) through a member of an African village. The persona of “South” is averse to his new surroundings after leaving his homeland, and feels oppressed by a strange and cold environment, while the speaker of “An African Thunderstorm” along with the members of his village react with fear towards the cloud of impending doom. Brathwaite employs personification to convey the impact of migration on the persona. Rubadiri uses repetition to communicate the effect of the experience of the thunderstorm.

Firstly, the persona of “South” explores the experience of migration and the impact of abandoning his homeland. The speaker leaves his island home, a picturesque landscape of shimmering ocean waves and sand, as shown in “ I have travelled: moved far from the beaches.” He has gone to “ stoniest cities,” towns of stony foundations and even stonier people, contrary to the warm people he remembers from his home. The northern lands he traversed were plagued with unpleasant weather conditions, like “ slanting sleet and… hail.” Travelling to the “ saltless savannas” of Africa, he noticed they were completely devoid of the salty ocean of his homeland which he misses so dearly. Now, he lives in a house amongst the trees in the forest “where the shadows oppress [him]" and the darkness around him reflects the longing for his island home. In the forest, there is only the rain and the river, which, to him, can never substitute for the boundless opportunity and joy of the sea. Leaving his home has brought him to several places in the northern world; each a stark contrast to the one place he feels he belongs. Now, he settles in a place that lacks the ocean and its distinct character, and the “tepid taste of the river” cannot satisfy him in its ordinary and saltless nature. On the other hand, the persona of “ An African Thunderstorm” finds himself and his village threatened by an immensely powerful thunderstorm. The poem explores this terrifying experience by relating in evocative detail the destructive power of the storm. The clouds are said to “ come hurrying with the wind,” denoting the speed with which the winds propel them towards the settlement. “ Like a madman chasing nothing,” the wind darts and turns, whirling about with no definite direction or purpose, bound to cause damage to the things around it. The persona sees the wind tossing things up as it moves by at breakneck speeds, carrying the “ pregnant clouds” (filled with rain and other hallmarks of meteorological terror) on its back. The “trees bend to let [the wind] pass” as it whistles by, showing the sheer force of its movement- even forcing the strong, tall-standing trees to bend as though prostrating themselves before the wind’s undeniable power. Around the persona in the village, the wind sends the clothes of the people flying off, waving in the wind like “ tattered flags.” Blinding flashes of lightning strike in the distance followed by the low rumble of thunder, a chaotic image of the imminent tempest. The “ pelting march of the storm” is continuous and seemingly unstoppable as it approaches the village, communicating the idea of doom associated with this experience.

Each persona finds himself in the midst of a strange and somewhat threatening circumstance, and their own reactions as well as those of the people around them reflect the severity of what is occurring. In “South,” the persona’s reaction to migration can be divided into two distinct stages as related by the poem. His initial reaction is one in which he is ‘oppressed’ by the darkness of his surroundings and seems overtaken by an emotion of inextricable gloom. He is now in a place so unlike his island home, devoid of the ocean which he so loves and has lacked in all the places he has gone to since migrating. The only water he finds here is from the rain or the river, whose ‘tepid taste’ is unappealing and bland to him. In this initial reaction, he denies the river. He, who is “ born of the ocean,” cannot “ seek solace in rivers.” While the ocean has a characteristic ebb and flow, the river runs on ad infinitum, without end. Instead of representing limitless renewal like the ocean, the river instead flows on “like [his] longing” for his homeland. By denying the river, he also denies himself longing for home- even though it is the absence of things he cherishes and misses so dearly that creates his sense of gloom in the first place. His second reaction, shown in the volta of the poem, is when he accepts the river and decides to join it. The river, though constantly flowing like the persona’s longing, is both a conduit of humanity’s past events as well as a path to the sea. In accepting the river and in turn his longing, he also is able to tap into the historical archive of the river and recall his own childhood. Thus, the persona’s reaction is an abridged version of the Kubler-Ross Model of Grief- he begins with denial of the river and what it represents in reaction to being parted with his homeland, and ends with accepting its repertoire of past events (good and bad) to reminisce happily on visions from his childhood. He is able to return to the sea. On the other hand, the persona of “An African Thunderstorm” does not have a reaction illustrated by the poem to the experience of the thunderstorm. Instead, the poem focuses on the reactions of women and children in the village. The children are said to scream with delight in the ‘whirling wind,’ seemingly malapropos given the context of the destructive force of the storm. However, it makes sense as a puerile reaction to a novel experience. A child, not understanding the workings of the world as of yet, is most likely going to be delighted when confronted by something new, like strong winds or the beginnings of rain. The women and mothers of the village have a completely opposite reaction to the children. They instead “dart about… madly” showing a frenzied response to an obvious threat. They seem to be in a panic, either trying to complete preparations for the imminent storm, or, darting about aimlessly unsure of any way they can mitigate the its effects. The women’s babies are said to be “ clinging on their backs” reflecting a possible fear which they share with their mothers. The startling nature of the advent of something so undeniably malignant would be cause for babies to be fearful- and even if they were unable to comprehend it, they would be inheriting the evident fear displayed by their frantic mothers.

Finally, Brathwaite employs personification in “South” in order to convey the effect of migration on the persona. After migrating, the persona comes to live in a house in the forest. He specifically says “ the shadows oppress me,” giving the shadows a human-like quality in being able to abuse him in some way. The context of this line is based around his sojourns far away from the beaches of his home and now settling in a forest house. The shadows cast by trees in the canopy of a forest over the forest floor are likely what he refers to- so very different from the “ bright beaches” full of sunshine from his island home. However, he may also refer to shadows figuratively, and thus the line may take on a dual meaning. Shadows could also refer to recurrent memories of his home, in line with the common association of shadows with memories. So, having left the beaches he so dearly loves, he is stuck amidst the shadows of trees which only remind him of how far he has gone from where he belongs. The gloominess of this forest contradicts what he is used to, so it is as if he is being victimized by his own environment. In the same way, memories of his past, which only remind him of how incongruous the forest is to his island, subject him to constant longing and yearning for a return home. On the other hand, repetition is used in Rubadiri’s “An African Thunderstorm” to convey the impact of the experience of the thunderstorm on the environment. The line “trees bend to let it pass” is repeated twice throughout the poem and denotes the motion of the trees in relation to the wind. The trees lean and bend over when the wind passes by, shifting from its path due to its violence and strength. However, this also conveys a subservience in the trees in that they bend to allow the wind to pass. It is as though the trees are prostrating themselves before a powerful king as he strolls stately by. In the same way, the trees, tall and robust stalwarts of nature are bent forcefully by the mighty wind. Thus, the thunderstorm is shown to be immensely powerful, forcing everything around it to morph and change to accommodate its unhindered passage.

In conclusion, experiences define both the premise and particularities of human life. Distinct significant events create both momentary and long-lasting impacts to the person in question as well as those around them. The poems “South” and “An African Thunderstorm” both present a significant experience in the lives of the personas. While the speaker’s reaction to migration in “South” is in phases, beginning with a denial of oppressive memory followed by acceptance, the people around the speaker in “An African Thunderstorm” react with both fear and seemingly malapropos joy to the imminent thunderstorm. Brathwaite implements personification to relay the impact of external migration on the persona. Rubadiri employs repetition to convey the thunderstorm’s impact on the environment, and therefore rationalizes the fear of the members of the village.

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Example of a great essay | Explanations, tips & tricks

Example of a Great Essay | Explanations, Tips & Tricks

Published on February 9, 2015 by Shane Bryson . Revised on July 23, 2023 by Shona McCombes.

This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction , focused paragraphs , clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion .

Each paragraph addresses a single central point, introduced by a topic sentence , and each point is directly related to the thesis statement .

As you read, hover over the highlighted parts to learn what they do and why they work.

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Other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about writing an essay, an appeal to the senses: the development of the braille system in nineteenth-century france.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

In France, debates about how to deal with disability led to the adoption of different strategies over time. While people with temporary difficulties were able to access public welfare, the most common response to people with long-term disabilities, such as hearing or vision loss, was to group them together in institutions (Tombs, 1996). At first, a joint institute for the blind and deaf was created, and although the partnership was motivated more by financial considerations than by the well-being of the residents, the institute aimed to help people develop skills valuable to society (Weygand, 2009). Eventually blind institutions were separated from deaf institutions, and the focus shifted towards education of the blind, as was the case for the Royal Institute for Blind Youth, which Louis Braille attended (Jimenez et al, 2009). The growing acknowledgement of the uniqueness of different disabilities led to more targeted education strategies, fostering an environment in which the benefits of a specifically blind education could be more widely recognized.

Several different systems of tactile reading can be seen as forerunners to the method Louis Braille developed, but these systems were all developed based on the sighted system. The Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris taught the students to read embossed roman letters, a method created by the school’s founder, Valentin Hauy (Jimenez et al., 2009). Reading this way proved to be a rather arduous task, as the letters were difficult to distinguish by touch. The embossed letter method was based on the reading system of sighted people, with minimal adaptation for those with vision loss. As a result, this method did not gain significant success among blind students.

Louis Braille was bound to be influenced by his school’s founder, but the most influential pre-Braille tactile reading system was Charles Barbier’s night writing. A soldier in Napoleon’s army, Barbier developed a system in 1819 that used 12 dots with a five line musical staff (Kersten, 1997). His intention was to develop a system that would allow the military to communicate at night without the need for light (Herron, 2009). The code developed by Barbier was phonetic (Jimenez et al., 2009); in other words, the code was designed for sighted people and was based on the sounds of words, not on an actual alphabet. Barbier discovered that variants of raised dots within a square were the easiest method of reading by touch (Jimenez et al., 2009). This system proved effective for the transmission of short messages between military personnel, but the symbols were too large for the fingertip, greatly reducing the speed at which a message could be read (Herron, 2009). For this reason, it was unsuitable for daily use and was not widely adopted in the blind community.

Nevertheless, Barbier’s military dot system was more efficient than Hauy’s embossed letters, and it provided the framework within which Louis Braille developed his method. Barbier’s system, with its dashes and dots, could form over 4000 combinations (Jimenez et al., 2009). Compared to the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, this was an absurdly high number. Braille kept the raised dot form, but developed a more manageable system that would reflect the sighted alphabet. He replaced Barbier’s dashes and dots with just six dots in a rectangular configuration (Jimenez et al., 2009). The result was that the blind population in France had a tactile reading system using dots (like Barbier’s) that was based on the structure of the sighted alphabet (like Hauy’s); crucially, this system was the first developed specifically for the purposes of the blind.

While the Braille system gained immediate popularity with the blind students at the Institute in Paris, it had to gain acceptance among the sighted before its adoption throughout France. This support was necessary because sighted teachers and leaders had ultimate control over the propagation of Braille resources. Many of the teachers at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth resisted learning Braille’s system because they found the tactile method of reading difficult to learn (Bullock & Galst, 2009). This resistance was symptomatic of the prevalent attitude that the blind population had to adapt to the sighted world rather than develop their own tools and methods. Over time, however, with the increasing impetus to make social contribution possible for all, teachers began to appreciate the usefulness of Braille’s system (Bullock & Galst, 2009), realizing that access to reading could help improve the productivity and integration of people with vision loss. It took approximately 30 years, but the French government eventually approved the Braille system, and it was established throughout the country (Bullock & Galst, 2009).

Although Blind people remained marginalized throughout the nineteenth century, the Braille system granted them growing opportunities for social participation. Most obviously, Braille allowed people with vision loss to read the same alphabet used by sighted people (Bullock & Galst, 2009), allowing them to participate in certain cultural experiences previously unavailable to them. Written works, such as books and poetry, had previously been inaccessible to the blind population without the aid of a reader, limiting their autonomy. As books began to be distributed in Braille, this barrier was reduced, enabling people with vision loss to access information autonomously. The closing of the gap between the abilities of blind and the sighted contributed to a gradual shift in blind people’s status, lessening the cultural perception of the blind as essentially different and facilitating greater social integration.

The Braille system also had important cultural effects beyond the sphere of written culture. Its invention later led to the development of a music notation system for the blind, although Louis Braille did not develop this system himself (Jimenez, et al., 2009). This development helped remove a cultural obstacle that had been introduced by the popularization of written musical notation in the early 1500s. While music had previously been an arena in which the blind could participate on equal footing, the transition from memory-based performance to notation-based performance meant that blind musicians were no longer able to compete with sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997). As a result, a tactile musical notation system became necessary for professional equality between blind and sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997).

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Bullock, J. D., & Galst, J. M. (2009). The Story of Louis Braille. Archives of Ophthalmology , 127(11), 1532. https://doi.org/10.1001/archophthalmol.2009.286.

Herron, M. (2009, May 6). Blind visionary. Retrieved from https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2009/05/blind-visionary/.

Jiménez, J., Olea, J., Torres, J., Alonso, I., Harder, D., & Fischer, K. (2009). Biography of Louis Braille and Invention of the Braille Alphabet. Survey of Ophthalmology , 54(1), 142–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.survophthal.2008.10.006.

Kersten, F.G. (1997). The history and development of Braille music methodology. The Bulletin of Historical Research in Music Education , 18(2). Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/40214926.

Mellor, C.M. (2006). Louis Braille: A touch of genius . Boston: National Braille Press.

Tombs, R. (1996). France: 1814-1914 . London: Pearson Education Ltd.

Weygand, Z. (2009). The blind in French society from the Middle Ages to the century of Louis Braille . Stanford: Stanford University Press.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

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

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Bryson, S. (2023, July 23). Example of a Great Essay | Explanations, Tips & Tricks. Scribbr. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/example-essay-structure/

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Shane Bryson

Shane finished his master's degree in English literature in 2013 and has been working as a writing tutor and editor since 2009. He began proofreading and editing essays with Scribbr in early summer, 2014.

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Introduction

My practice papers.

In this blog post, I will share the writing assignments that I completed for the IB DP English B course, including regular summative assessments and homework assignments. The syllabus is the version for first assessment 2020. All assignments shared here include the stimulus, my answer, teacher’s comment and grading , and sometimes a corresponding draft or outline, all in PDF format. Thanks to my teacher, who gave a lot of great advice!

My got the full score, a 7, for my final grade in English B, and I also got a perfect score for the writing task in the May final exam, so you can trust this study resource.

Most of the assignments were written in a limited time like in exams, but not exactly under exam conditions. When we learned a new text type, we used to get the stimuli before the regular summative test for each unit, so we could write a draft, give it to our teacher for feedback, and then revise it ourselves before taking the test. I certainly took advantage of that opportunity every time to get feedback. There were also some assignments for homework after school, so the timing wasn’t as strict as for the other ones.

This time, I tried to pick high-scoring assignment papers that were in different text types. The papers were pretty spread out over time. They could be considered evenly distributed over the two years of DP.

The information in the assignments was more or less made-up , and they were just a medium for me to demonstrate my language skills. Please don’t take the opinions or “facts” in the assignments too seriously. If you are interested in what was mentioned in an assignment, feel free to look for more reliable sources of information.

The table below gives an overview of the assignment content, including the information mentioned above, such as the text type, the topic, the practice condition (whether there was an early draft for feedback), and the score (out of 7 or 30). Click on the links in the “Topic” column to download the corresponding assignment in the row.

🟢 represents under exam condition, i.e., no draft, timed, completed in a classroom
🟡 represents there was an early draft for feedback, but the final work was still timed and completed in a classroom
🔴 represents a more relaxed condition outside of class, i.e., with more time and less stress

You are welcome to use my work, but please note that, unless otherwise stated, all works on this blog, including these scanned PDF documents I’m sharing below, are my original works, which are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

The handwriting on this assignment is very light and hard to read. So I’ve shared another assignment in the same text type—Pamphlet / Brochure, which is the last one in the table. ↩︎

The Danger of a Single Story mentioned in this assignment is a real TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. ↩︎

This PDF file explains some background information about this assignment, which is related to Internment , a novel we studied in class. The author is Samira Ahmed. ↩︎

The documentary 13th mentioned in this assignment is a real documentary film directed by Ava DuVernay. ↩︎

I answered one of the N20 past paper questions in this assignment, and this PDF file also contains the other two available options on the N20 writing paper. ↩︎

Extended Essay

Interested in doing your EE in English B? Read the detailed explanation of what it takes.

Theme for English B Summary & Analysis by Langston Hughes

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
Poetic Devices
Vocabulary & References
Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
Line-by-Line Explanations

“Theme for English B” was published the American poet Langston Hughes in 1951, toward the end of Hughes’s career. The poem is a dramatic monologue written in the voice of a twenty-two-year-old black college student at Columbia University in New York City. His professor gives an apparently simple assignment: to write one page that is “true” to himself. But for the speaker, this assignment raises complicated questions about race, identity, and belonging. As he puzzles through these difficult questions, the speaker arrives at a powerful argument against American racism: white people and black people are not (and should not be) separate or distinct. Instead, they are “part” of each other.

Read the full text of “Theme for English B”

The Full Text of “Theme for English B”

“theme for english b” summary, “theme for english b” themes.

Race, Identity, and Belonging

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “theme for english b”.

The instructor said, ... ... will be true.

I wonder if ... ... in my class.

Lines 11-15

The steps from ... ... write this page:

Lines 16-20

It’s not easy ... ... York, too.) Me—who?

Lines 21-26

Well, I like ... ... are other races.

Lines 27-30

So will my ... ... of you, instructor.

Lines 31-33

You are white— ... ... That’s American.

Lines 34-36

Sometimes perhaps you ... ... are, that’s true!

Lines 37-41

As I learn ... ... for English B.

“Theme for English B” Symbols

Line 9: “hill”
Line 11: “hil”

“Theme for English B” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

End-stopped line.

Line 1: “said,”
Line 3: “tonight.”
Line 4: “you—”
Line 5: “true.”
Line 6: “simple?”
Line 7: “Winston-Salem.”
Line 9: “Harlem.”
Line 10: “class.”
Line 11: “Harlem,”
Line 12: “Nicholas,”
Line 13: “Y,”
Line 15: “page:”
Line 18: “you:”
Line 19: “page.”
Line 20: “who?”
Line 21: “love.”
Line 22: “life.”
Line 24: “Bach.”
Line 26: “races.”
Line 27: “write?”
Line 28: “white.”
Line 30: “instructor.”
Line 31: “white—”
Line 32: “you.”
Line 33: “American.”
Line 34: “me.”
Line 35: “you.”
Line 36: “true!”
Line 37: “you,”
Line 38: “me—”
Line 39: “white—”
Line 40: “free.”
Line 41: “B.”
Lines 2-3: “write / a ”
Lines 8-9: “here / to”
Lines 14-15: “elevator / up”
Lines 16-17: “me / at”
Lines 17-18: “what / I”
Lines 25-26: “like / the”
Lines 29-30: “be / a”
Line 5: “Then, it”
Line 7: “twenty-two, colored, born”
Line 8: “there, then Durham, then”
Line 12: “park, then”
Line 13: “Avenue, Seventh, and”
Line 14: “Y, where”
Line 15: “room, sit down, and”
Line 17: “twenty-two, my age. But”
Line 18: “hear, Harlem, I”
Line 19: “you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk”
Line 20: “York, too.) Me—who”
Line 21: “Well, I,” “eat, sleep, drink, and”
Line 22: “work, read, learn, and”
Line 24: “records—Bessie, bop, or”
Line 28: “me, it”
Line 30: “you, instructor”
Line 32: “me, as”
Line 36: “are, that’s”
Line 39: “older—and”

Alliteration

Line 6: “i,” “i”
Line 7: “t,” “t”
Line 8: “th,” “th,” “th”
Line 9: “th,” “th,” “h,” “H”
Line 10: “c,” “st,” “c”
Line 11: “st,” “h,” “H”
Line 15: “r,” “wr”
Line 16: “n,” “kn”
Line 17: “tw,” “t,” “w,” “I,” “I”
Line 18: “I,” “h,” “H,” “h,” “y”
Line 19: “h,” “y,” “h,” “m,” “t,” “y,” “m,” “t”
Line 20: “h,” “Y,” “t,” “M”
Line 21: “l,” “l”
Line 22: “l,” “l,” “l”
Line 23: “l,” “p,” “p”
Line 24: “B,” “b,” “B”
Line 25: “b,” “m,” “m”
Line 26: “o,” “o”
Line 28: “B,” “b”
Line 29: “B,” “b”
Line 32: “p,” “p”
Line 34: “p,” “w,” “p”
Line 35: “w,” “p”
Line 36: “w”
Line 37: “fr”
Line 38: “l,” “fr”
Line 40: “f”
Line 2: “o,” “o,” “i”
Line 3: “a,” “i”
Line 4: “a,” “ou”
Line 5: “i,” “i,” “ue”
Line 6: “I,” “i,” “i,” “i”
Line 7: “I,” “i,” “i”
Line 8: “I,” “o,” “oo,” “e,” “e,” “e”
Line 10: “I,” “e,” “y,” “a”
Line 11: “i,” “i”
Line 12: “a”
Line 13: “I,” “Y”
Line 14: “ Y,” “I,” “a,” “a”
Line 15: “o,” “oo,” “i,” “i,” “a”
Line 16: “ea,” “y,” “o,” “ue,” “ou,” “e”
Line 17: “y,” “o,” “y,” “I,” “I”
Line 18: “I,” “ee,” “ee,” “ea,” “ea,” “ou”
Line 19: “ea,” “ou,” “ea,” “e,” “e,” “o,” “ou,” “e,” “a,” “o”
Line 20: “ea,” “oo,” “e,” “o”
Line 21: “I,” “i,” “ea,” “ee,” “e”
Line 22: “I,” “i,” “o,” “ea,” “a,” “a,” “i”
Line 23: “I,” “i,” “i,” “e,” “e”
Line 24: “e,” “e,” “ie,” “o,” “a”
Line 25: “ei,” “e”
Line 27: “y,” “I,” “i”
Line 28: “e,” “i,” “e,” “i,” “i,” “e,” “i”
Line 29: “i,” “i,” “e”
Line 30: “ou”
Line 31: “ou”
Line 32: “a,” “o,” “a,” “o”
Line 34: “ou,” “o,” “e,” “e”
Line 35: “o,” “a,” “o,” “e,” “ou”
Line 36: “e,” “ue”
Line 37: “I,” “ea,” “o,” “ou”
Line 38: “I,” “ou,” “ea,” “o,” “e”
Line 39: “ou,” “o”
Line 40: “ee”
Line 41: “i,” “i,” “i,” “B”
Line 1: “tr,” “t,” “r”
Line 2: “m,” “t”
Line 3: “p,” “t,” “t”
Line 4: “t,” “p,” “m,” “t”
Line 5: “t,” “t”
Line 6: “w,” “t,” “t”
Line 7: “t,” “w,” “t,” “t,” “r,” “r,” “n,” “n,” “W,” “n,” “s,” “t,” “n,” “S,” “m”
Line 8: “n,” “t,” “t,” “th,” “th,” “n,” “m,” “th,” “n”
Line 9: “th,” “ll,” “th,” “h,” “ll,” “H,” “l,” “m”
Line 10: “m,” “l,” “c,” “l,” “t,” “m,” “c,” “l,” “ss”
Line 11: “st,” “s,” “m,” “h,” “ll,” “l,” “d,” “d,” “H,” “rl,” “m”
Line 12: “r,” “r,” “k,” “c,” “r,” “ss,” “S,” “ch,” “s”
Line 13: “th,” “v,” “v,” “th,” “m”
Line 14: “r,” “m,” “r,” “r,” “r”
Line 15: “m,” “m,” “t,” “wr,” “t”
Line 16: “n,” “t,” “t,” “kn,” “w,” “wh,” “tr”
Line 17: “t,” “tw,” “t,” “t,” “m,” “t,” “m,” “wh,” “t”
Line 18: “h,” “r,” “H,” “r,” “m,” “h,” “r”
Line 19: “h,” “r,” “h,” “r,” “m,” “t,” “m,” “t”
Line 20: “h,” “M,” “wh”
Line 21: “ll,” “l,” “k,” “l,” “k,” “l”
Line 22: “l,” “k,” “rk,” “r,” “d,” “l,” “r,” “d,” “r,” “d,” “l”
Line 23: “l,” “k,” “r,” “r,” “s,” “s,” “r,” “s”
Line 25: “b,” “c,” “d,” “d,” “n,” “t,” “m,” “k,” “m,” “n,” “t,” “k”
Line 26: “k,” “k,” “r,” “r,” “r”
Line 27: “r,” “t,” “w,” “r,” “t”
Line 28: “B,” “t,” “t,” “b,” “t”
Line 29: “B,” “t,” “t,” “b”
Line 30: “rt,” “tr,” “t,” “r”
Line 31: “r,” “t”
Line 32: “t,” “p,” “rt,” “m,” “m,” “p,” “rt”
Line 33: “m”
Line 34: “m,” “m,” “p,” “r,” “p,” “n,” “t,” “n,” “t,” “t,” “p,” “rt,” “m”
Line 35: “N,” “r,” “f,” “t,” “n,” “nt,” “t,” “rt,” “f”
Line 36: “t,” “r,” “t,” “tr”
Line 37: “l,” “r,” “fr,” “m”
Line 38: “l,” “r,” “n,” “fr,” “m,” “m”
Line 39: “l,” “r,” “l,” “r,” “wh,” “t”
Line 40: “m,” “wh,” “t,” “m,” “r”
Line 41: “s,” “s”
Line 4: “And let that page come out of you”
Line 18: “Harlem, I hear you”
Line 20: “(I hear New York, too.)”
Line 27: “So will my page be colored that I write? ”
Line 28: “Being me, it will not be white.”
Lines 29-30: “But it will be / a part of you, instructor.”
Lines 31-32: “You are white— / yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.”
Lines 34-35: “Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me. / Nor do I often want to be a part of you.”
Line 6: “I”
Line 7: “I”
Line 8: “I”
Line 10: “I”
Line 21: “I like”
Line 22: “I like”
Line 23: “I like”
Line 8: “then Durham, then here ”
Lines 17-19: “But I guess I’m what / I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you: / hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page.”
Lines 25-26: “I guess being colored doesn’t make me / not / / the same things other folks like who are other races.”
Line 25: “like”
Line 30: “a part of you”
Line 34: “a part of me”
Line 35: “a part of you”
Lines 37-38: “As I learn from you, / I guess you learn from me—”

“Theme for English B” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

Winston-Salem
This College
St. Nicholas
Eighth Avenue
(Location in poem: Line 3: “page”; Line 4: “page”; Line 41: “page”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Theme for English B”

Rhyme scheme, “theme for english b” speaker, “theme for english b” setting, literary and historical context of “theme for english b”, more “theme for english b” resources, external resources.

"Theme for English B" Read Aloud — The playwright Jermaine Ross reads "Theme for English B" aloud.

Hughes's Life Story — A detailed biography of Langston Hughes from the Poetry Foundation.

Poetry and the Civil Rights Movement — A collection of poems and resources from the Poetry Foundation focused on the poetry of the Civil Rights Movement.

An Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance — A detailed introduction to the African American literary movement, with links to important poems and poets.

Early Black Students at Columbia University — An article by Paulina Fein on the way tha first black students to attend Columbia University were treated.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Langston Hughes

As I Grew Older

Aunt Sue's Stories

Daybreak in Alabama

Dream Variations

I Look at the World

Let America Be America Again

Mother to Son

Night Funeral in Harlem

The Ballad of the Landlord

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

The Weary Blues

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

English B Extended Essay Topic Ideas

Table of contents

Writing Metier

Struggling to pick a topic for your English B Extended Essay? Fear not, because we’ve got a treasure trove of ideas that’ll spark your creativity and curiosity. Yes, my team at Writing Metier have been in this industry for quite a while now, and I’ll share this awesome list of more than 50 various topic options with you.

From the influence of culture in literature to the evolving dynamics of language in our digital age, we’re covering a spectrum of topics that are not just about writing an extended essay , but about exploring the fascinating world of language and its impact on our lives.

Get ready to find a topic that not only intrigues you but also challenges you to think and write outside the box!

Extended Essay Topics for English B

Ready to explore how literature isn’t just words on a page, but a reflection of our world?

Cultural Influence in Literature

In Cultural Influence in Literature, we’re connecting historical events, cultural identities, and the effects of globalization with the stories and poems we love. It’s like watching history and culture come alive through words.

Influence of Historical Events on Literature

Topic: The Influence of World War II on British Post-War Literature
Research Question: How did World War II shape the themes and characterizations in British post-war literature?
Topic: The Reflection of the Civil Rights Movement in American Literature
Research Question: How did the Civil Rights Movement influence the portrayal of racial themes in American literature of the 1960s?

Representation of Cultural Identity in Modern Novels

Topic: Cultural Identity in the Novels of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Research Question: How does Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie portray Nigerian cultural identity in her novels?
Topic: Exploring Indigenous Cultural Identity in Tommy Orange’s “There There”
Research Question: How does Tommy Orange represent the complexities of Indigenous cultural identity in “There There”?

Impact of Globalization on Contemporary Poetry

Topic: The Influence of Globalization on the Themes of Contemporary African Poetry
Research Question: How has globalization influenced the thematic development of contemporary African poetry?
Topic: Cross-Cultural Influences in the Contemporary Poetry of the Asian Diaspora
Research Question: How do poets of the Asian diaspora incorporate cross-cultural influences in their work in the context of globalization?

Switching gears, let’s talk about Language and Communication. Here, we’re unraveling the magic of how we express ourselves.

Language and Communication

From the evolution of texting to the nuances of cross-cultural chats and the persuasive power of a well-crafted speech , language is our bridge to understanding each other in this hyper-connected world.

The Evolution of Language in Digital Communication

Topic: The Impact of Social Media on the Evolution of English Slang
Research Question: How has social media contributed to the evolution and spread of English slang?
Topic: Emoji as a Language: The Changing Face of Digital Communication
Research Question: How have emojis influenced the way language is used and interpreted in digital communication?

The Role of Language in Cross-Cultural Understanding

Topic: The Role of English as a Lingua Franca in International Business
Research Question: How does the use of English as a lingua franca facilitate or hinder cross-cultural understanding in international business?
Topic: Language Barriers in Healthcare: A Study of Patient-Provider Communication
Research Question: How do language barriers affect communication and understanding between healthcare providers and patients from different cultural backgrounds?

Language as a Tool for Persuasion in Political Speeches

Topic: Rhetorical Strategies in Barack Obama’s Presidential Speeches
Research Question: What rhetorical strategies does Barack Obama employ in his presidential speeches to persuade and connect with his audience?
Topic: The Use of Language for Persuasion in Environmental Activism Speeches
Research Question: How is language used as a tool for persuasion in speeches by prominent environmental activists?

Each of these topics offers a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of culture, language, and literature, providing a rich basis for an Extended Essay in English B.

Now, let’s step into the intriguing world of Comparative Literary Analysis .

Comparative Literary Analysis

Imagine having a conversation between a 19th-century novelist and a contemporary writer, or seeing how poets from different eras play with the same theme. It’s like being a literary matchmaker, finding connections across time and style.

Thematic Comparisons between Classic and Modern Novels

Topic: Exploring the Theme of Love in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars”
Research Question: How is the theme of love portrayed differently in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” compared to John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars”?
Topic: The Evolution of the Hero’s Journey in Classical Greek Literature and Modern Superhero Novels
Research Question: How does the concept of the hero’s journey in classical Greek literature compare to its portrayal in modern superhero novels?

Comparative Analysis of Literary Techniques in Poetry

Topic: A Comparative Analysis of Imagery in the Poetry of William Wordsworth and Sylvia Plath
Research Question: How do William Wordsworth and Sylvia Plath uniquely employ imagery in their poetry, and what effects do these techniques have?
Topic: The Use of Metaphor in the Works of Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou
Research Question: How do Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou use metaphor in their poetry, and what are the implications for understanding their respective themes?

Character Development in Dystopian vs. Utopian Literature

Topic: Character Evolution in George Orwell’s “1984” and Thomas More’s “Utopia”
Research Question: How is character development employed differently in the dystopian world of George Orwell’s “1984” compared to the utopian society in Thomas More’s “Utopia”?
Topic: The Role of Protagonists in Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and Lois Lowry’s “The Giver”
Research Question: How do the protagonists in Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and Lois Lowry’s “The Giver” reflect and challenge the norms of their respective societies?

Next, we’re diving into Media and Society. This is where stories jump off the page and onto our screens.

Media and Society

We’re looking at how social media is reshaping our language, how movies and TV shows mirror our diverse societies, and the powerful role journalism plays in our perception of the world. It’s storytelling with a pulse on society’s heartbeat.

The Influence of Social Media on Language and Communication

Topic: The Impact of Twitter on the Brevity and Informality of Language
Research Question: How has Twitter influenced changes in language use towards greater brevity and informality?
Topic: The Role of Memes in Shaping Modern Internet Slang
Research Question: How have internet memes contributed to the development and spread of modern internet slang?

Representation of Gender and Diversity in Film and Television

Topic: Gender Stereotypes in Contemporary Romantic Comedies
Research Question: How do contemporary romantic comedies perpetuate or challenge traditional gender stereotypes?
Topic: The Portrayal of Racial Diversity in Recent Superhero Movies
Research Question: How has the portrayal of racial diversity in recent superhero movies evolved, and what impact does it have on audience perception?

The Role of Journalism in Shaping Public Opinion

Topic: The Influence of Investigative Journalism on Public Awareness of Environmental Issues
Research Question: How has investigative journalism influenced public awareness and opinion on major environmental issues?
Topic: The Impact of 24-Hour News Cycles on Political Discourse
Research Question: How have 24-hour news cycles affected the nature of political discourse and public opinion?

Let’s take a turn into Literature and Psychology . Before I proceed further, I would like to share with you our psychology essay writing service , which has proved its quality through the lats several years. If you ever need assistance with your psychology-related assignments, they are one of the best on the market.

Literature and Psychology

Here, we’re peeking into the minds of characters and exploring the emotional depths of narratives. How do novels explore mental health? What makes a character in a drama so relatable? It’s like being a literary psychologist, decoding the human experience through stories.

Psychological Analysis of Characters in Literature

Topic: The Psychological Complexity of Hamlet in Shakespeare’s Play
Research Question: How does Shakespeare’s portrayal of Hamlet reflect psychological theories of human behavior and motivation?
Topic: The Representation of Narcissism in Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
Research Question: How does “The Picture of Dorian Gray” depict the psychological aspects and consequences of narcissism?

Exploration of Mental Health Themes in Contemporary Novels

Topic: Mental Health Representation in Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar”
Research Question: How does “The Bell Jar” portray the realities of mental health issues, particularly in the context of the 1950s?
Topic: The Depiction of Depression in J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”
Research Question: How does “The Catcher in the Rye” explore the theme of depression and its impact on adolescent identity?

The Use of Psychological Realism in Modern Drama

Topic: Psychological Realism in Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”
Research Question: How does “Death of a Salesman” employ psychological realism to explore the human condition?
Topic: The Portrayal of Family Dynamics and Psychological Conflict in Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire”
Research Question: How does “A Streetcar Named Desire” use psychological realism to depict family dynamics and conflict?

And now, let’s explore the Adaptation of Literature.

Adaptation of Literature

Ever wonder what happens when a beloved book gets a movie makeover or how ancient myths are reborn in today’s novels? We’re about to see how stories evolve when they travel across mediums and cultures, transforming with each retelling.

Analysis of Film Adaptations of Classic Novels

Topic: The Adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” in Modern Cinema
Research Question: How do modern film adaptations of “Pride and Prejudice” interpret and portray the novel’s themes and characters?
Topic: Cinematic Interpretations of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”
Research Question: How have different film adaptations of “Frankenstein” varied in their portrayal of the novel’s core themes?

The Transformation of Myths and Legends in Modern Literature

Topic: The Modern Reinterpretation of Greek Myths in Contemporary Literature
Research Question: How does contemporary literature reinterpret Greek myths, and what new perspectives do these adaptations offer?
Topic: The Influence of Norse Mythology in Modern Fantasy Novels
Research Question: How have modern fantasy novels incorporated and transformed Norse mythology?

The Impact of Cultural Context on Literary Adaptations

Topic: Cultural Adaptation of Shakespeare’s Plays in Non-Western Contexts
Research Question: How are Shakespeare’s plays adapted and interpreted in non-Western cultures, and what cultural elements are emphasized?
Topic: The Adaptation of “One Thousand and One Nights” in Western Literature
Research Question: How have Western adaptations of “One Thousand and One Nights” been influenced by their cultural context?

Finally, we arrive at Language in Education. Also, make sure to check our other related articles; if you are interested in Film extended essay topics , you will get more than 30 options related to film studies.

Language in Education

This is where the building blocks of language learning come together. We’re talking about the power of bilingual education, the strategies that make learning English B engaging, and the role literature plays in shaping language skills . It’s where language learning meets real-world application.

The Effectiveness of Bilingual Education Systems

Topic: The Impact of Bilingual Education on Academic Achievement
Research Question: How does participation in bilingual education programs affect students’ academic achievement and language proficiency?
Topic: Bilingual Education and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
Research Question: What is the impact of bilingual education on cognitive development in early childhood?

Language Acquisition and Learning Strategies in English B

Topic: The Role of Immersion in Second Language Acquisition
Research Question: How effective is immersion as a strategy for language acquisition in English B learners?
Topic: The Use of Technology in Enhancing English Language Learning
Research Question: How does the integration of technology in the classroom enhance the language learning experience for English B students?

The Role of Literature in Language Learning and Development

Topic: The Impact of Literary Texts on Vocabulary Development in English B Learners
Research Question: How do literary texts contribute to vocabulary development in students learning English B?
Topic: Incorporating Multicultural Literature in English B Curriculum
Research Question: What are the benefits of incorporating multicultural literature in the English B curriculum for fostering cultural awareness and language skills?

There you have it – a sneak peek into the diverse and dynamic world of English B. At Writing Metier, we’re excited to help you explore these avenues in your Extended Essay, bringing fresh insights and perspectives to your writing.

For those of you who were searching for some modern, fresh topics and research questions – here is the next block.

10 Modern Topics for 2024

Here are 10 unique and modern research questions for an English B Extended Essay, each designed to explore contemporary and relevant topics:

How does the portrayal of artificial intelligence in contemporary science fiction literature reflect societal attitudes towards technology and ethics?
In what ways do modern graphic novels challenge traditional narrative structures and themes found in conventional literature?
How does the use of code-switching in bilingual literature influence readers’ understanding of cultural identity and language dynamics?
What role does dystopian young adult literature play in shaping adolescents’ perspectives on political and social issues?
How do contemporary travel blogs and vlogs influence linguistic and cultural perceptions among English B learners?
In what ways do modern podcast narratives utilize language to create immersive storytelling experiences?
How do contemporary song lyrics reflect the linguistic evolution of English in the context of global cultural exchange?
What impact does the increasing use of internet slang and abbreviations in digital communication have on formal language skills among English B students?
How do modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays in film and theater incorporate contemporary language and themes, and what effect does this have on audience engagement?
In what ways do autobiographies of refugees and immigrants contribute to the understanding of cross-cultural experiences and language adaptation among English B learners?

Let’s turn those ideas into an essay that speaks volumes!

Select your IB EE topic wisely!

There you have it – a collection of English B Extended Essay topics to get your gears turning! Picking your topic is just the first step on this exciting path.

If you’re feeling a bit stuck or just want a helping hand along the way, remember Writing Metier is right here to back you up. Whether it’s brainstorming ideas, organizing your thoughts, or polishing your final extended essay draft , we’re here to guide you through.

We’re committed to helping you create an essay that’s not only impressive in meeting IB standards but also brilliantly reflects your own voice and insights.

Need a partner in your essay-writing adventure? Give us a shout, and let’s make your Extended Essay shine!

Free topic suggestions

Vasy kafidoff.

Vasyl Kafidoff is a co-founder and CEO at WritingMetier. He is interested in education and how modern technology makes it more accessible. He wants to bring awareness about new learning possibilities as an educational specialist. When Vasy is not working, he’s found behind a drum kit.

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How long is the IB Extended Essay? 🤔

The IB extended essay is designed to ensure that students learn critical learning skills and can organize their thoughts correctly. The idea is to help students build their skills and empower them to solve more complex real-life problems. However, most students tend to wonder how long the extended essay should be.

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the complete ib extended essay guide: examples, topics, and ideas.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

IB students around the globe fear writing the Extended Essay, but it doesn't have to be a source of stress! In this article, I'll get you excited about writing your Extended Essay and provide you with the resources you need to get an A on it.

If you're reading this article, I'm going to assume you're an IB student getting ready to write your Extended Essay. If you're looking at this as a potential future IB student, I recommend reading our introductory IB articles first, including our guide to what the IB program is and our full coverage of the IB curriculum .

IB Extended Essay: Why Should You Trust My Advice?

I myself am a recipient of an IB Diploma, and I happened to receive an A on my IB Extended Essay. Don't believe me? The proof is in the IBO pudding:

If you're confused by what this report means, EE is short for Extended Essay , and English A1 is the subject that my Extended Essay topic coordinated with. In layman's terms, my IB Diploma was graded in May 2010, I wrote my Extended Essay in the English A1 category, and I received an A grade on it.

What Is the Extended Essay in the IB Diploma Programme?

The IB Extended Essay, or EE , is a mini-thesis you write under the supervision of an IB advisor (an IB teacher at your school), which counts toward your IB Diploma (learn more about the major IB Diploma requirements in our guide) . I will explain exactly how the EE affects your Diploma later in this article.

For the Extended Essay, you will choose a research question as a topic, conduct the research independently, then write an essay on your findings . The essay itself is a long one—although there's a cap of 4,000 words, most successful essays get very close to this limit.

Keep in mind that the IB requires this essay to be a "formal piece of academic writing," meaning you'll have to do outside research and cite additional sources.

The IB Extended Essay must include the following:

A title page
Contents page
Introduction
Body of the essay
References and bibliography

Additionally, your research topic must fall into one of the six approved DP categories , or IB subject groups, which are as follows:

Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature
Group 2: Language Acquisition
Group 3: Individuals and Societies
Group 4: Sciences
Group 5: Mathematics
Group 6: The Arts

Once you figure out your category and have identified a potential research topic, it's time to pick your advisor, who is normally an IB teacher at your school (though you can also find one online ). This person will help direct your research, and they'll conduct the reflection sessions you'll have to do as part of your Extended Essay.

As of 2018, the IB requires a "reflection process" as part of your EE supervision process. To fulfill this requirement, you have to meet at least three times with your supervisor in what the IB calls "reflection sessions." These meetings are not only mandatory but are also part of the formal assessment of the EE and your research methods.

According to the IB, the purpose of these meetings is to "provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their engagement with the research process." Basically, these meetings give your supervisor the opportunity to offer feedback, push you to think differently, and encourage you to evaluate your research process.

The final reflection session is called the viva voce, and it's a short 10- to 15-minute interview between you and your advisor. This happens at the very end of the EE process, and it's designed to help your advisor write their report, which factors into your EE grade.

Here are the topics covered in your viva voce :

A check on plagiarism and malpractice
Your reflection on your project's successes and difficulties
Your reflection on what you've learned during the EE process

Your completed Extended Essay, along with your supervisor's report, will then be sent to the IB to be graded. We'll cover the assessment criteria in just a moment.

We'll help you learn how to have those "lightbulb" moments...even on test day!

What Should You Write About in Your IB Extended Essay?

You can technically write about anything, so long as it falls within one of the approved categories listed above.

It's best to choose a topic that matches one of the IB courses , (such as Theatre, Film, Spanish, French, Math, Biology, etc.), which shouldn't be difficult because there are so many class subjects.

Here is a range of sample topics with the attached extended essay:

Biology: The Effect of Age and Gender on the Photoreceptor Cells in the Human Retina
Chemistry: How Does Reflux Time Affect the Yield and Purity of Ethyl Aminobenzoate (Benzocaine), and How Effective is Recrystallisation as a Purification Technique for This Compound?
English: An Exploration of Jane Austen's Use of the Outdoors in Emma
Geography: The Effect of Location on the Educational Attainment of Indigenous Secondary Students in Queensland, Australia
Math: Alhazen's Billiard Problem
Visual Arts: Can Luc Tuymans Be Classified as a Political Painter?

You can see from how varied the topics are that you have a lot of freedom when it comes to picking a topic . So how do you pick when the options are limitless?

How to Write a Stellar IB Extended Essay: 6 Essential Tips

Below are six key tips to keep in mind as you work on your Extended Essay for the IB DP. Follow these and you're sure to get an A!

#1: Write About Something You Enjoy

You can't expect to write a compelling essay if you're not a fan of the topic on which you're writing. For example, I just love British theatre and ended up writing my Extended Essay on a revolution in post-WWII British theatre. (Yes, I'm definitely a #TheatreNerd.)

I really encourage anyone who pursues an IB Diploma to take the Extended Essay seriously. I was fortunate enough to receive a full-tuition merit scholarship to USC's School of Dramatic Arts program. In my interview for the scholarship, I spoke passionately about my Extended Essay; thus, I genuinely think my Extended Essay helped me get my scholarship.

But how do you find a topic you're passionate about? Start by thinking about which classes you enjoy the most and why . Do you like math classes because you like to solve problems? Or do you enjoy English because you like to analyze literary texts?

Keep in mind that there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing your Extended Essay topic. You're not more likely to get high marks because you're writing about science, just like you're not doomed to failure because you've chosen to tackle the social sciences. The quality of what you produce—not the field you choose to research within—will determine your grade.

Once you've figured out your category, you should brainstorm more specific topics by putting pen to paper . What was your favorite chapter you learned in that class? Was it astrophysics or mechanics? What did you like about that specific chapter? Is there something you want to learn more about? I recommend spending a few hours on this type of brainstorming.

One last note: if you're truly stumped on what to research, pick a topic that will help you in your future major or career . That way you can use your Extended Essay as a talking point in your college essays (and it will prepare you for your studies to come too!).

#2: Select a Topic That Is Neither Too Broad nor Too Narrow

There's a fine line between broad and narrow. You need to write about something specific, but not so specific that you can't write 4,000 words on it.

You can't write about WWII because that would be a book's worth of material. You also don't want to write about what type of soup prisoners of war received behind enemy lines, because you probably won’t be able to come up with 4,000 words of material about it. However, you could possibly write about how the conditions in German POW camps—and the rations provided—were directly affected by the Nazis' successes and failures on the front, including the use of captured factories and prison labor in Eastern Europe to increase production. WWII military history might be a little overdone, but you get my point.

If you're really stuck trying to pinpoint a not-too-broad-or-too-narrow topic, I suggest trying to brainstorm a topic that uses a comparison. Once you begin looking through the list of sample essays below, you'll notice that many use comparisons to formulate their main arguments.

I also used a comparison in my EE, contrasting Harold Pinter's Party Time with John Osborne's Look Back in Anger in order to show a transition in British theatre. Topics with comparisons of two to three plays, books, and so on tend to be the sweet spot. You can analyze each item and then compare them with one another after doing some in-depth analysis of each individually. The ways these items compare and contrast will end up forming the thesis of your essay!

When choosing a comparative topic, the key is that the comparison should be significant. I compared two plays to illustrate the transition in British theatre, but you could compare the ways different regional dialects affect people's job prospects or how different temperatures may or may not affect the mating patterns of lightning bugs. The point here is that comparisons not only help you limit your topic, but they also help you build your argument.

Comparisons are not the only way to get a grade-A EE, though. If after brainstorming, you pick a non-comparison-based topic and are still unsure whether your topic is too broad or narrow, spend about 30 minutes doing some basic research and see how much material is out there.

If there are more than 1,000 books, articles, or documentaries out there on that exact topic, it may be too broad. But if there are only two books that have any connection to your topic, it may be too narrow. If you're still unsure, ask your advisor—it's what they're there for! Speaking of advisors...

Don't get stuck with a narrow topic!

#3: Choose an Advisor Who Is Familiar With Your Topic

If you're not certain of who you would like to be your advisor, create a list of your top three choices. Next, write down the pros and cons of each possibility (I know this sounds tedious, but it really helps!).

For example, Mr. Green is my favorite teacher and we get along really well, but he teaches English. For my EE, I want to conduct an experiment that compares the efficiency of American electric cars with foreign electric cars.

I had Ms. White a year ago. She teaches physics and enjoyed having me in her class. Unlike Mr. Green, Ms. White could help me design my experiment.

Based on my topic and what I need from my advisor, Ms. White would be a better fit for me than would Mr. Green (even though I like him a lot).

The moral of my story is this: do not just ask your favorite teacher to be your advisor . They might be a hindrance to you if they teach another subject. For example, I would not recommend asking your biology teacher to guide you in writing an English literature-based EE.

There can, of course, be exceptions to this rule. If you have a teacher who's passionate and knowledgeable about your topic (as my English teacher was about my theatre topic), you could ask that instructor. Consider all your options before you do this. There was no theatre teacher at my high school, so I couldn't find a theatre-specific advisor, but I chose the next best thing.

Before you approach a teacher to serve as your advisor, check with your high school to see what requirements they have for this process. Some IB high schools require your IB Extended Essay advisor to sign an Agreement Form , for instance.

Make sure that you ask your IB coordinator whether there is any required paperwork to fill out. If your school needs a specific form signed, bring it with you when you ask your teacher to be your EE advisor.

#4: Pick an Advisor Who Will Push You to Be Your Best

Some teachers might just take on students because they have to and aren't very passionate about reading drafts, only giving you minimal feedback. Choose a teacher who will take the time to read several drafts of your essay and give you extensive notes. I would not have gotten my A without being pushed to make my Extended Essay draft better.

Ask a teacher that you have experience with through class or an extracurricular activity. Do not ask a teacher that you have absolutely no connection to. If a teacher already knows you, that means they already know your strengths and weaknesses, so they know what to look for, where you need to improve, and how to encourage your best work.

Also, don't forget that your supervisor's assessment is part of your overall EE score . If you're meeting with someone who pushes you to do better—and you actually take their advice—they'll have more impressive things to say about you than a supervisor who doesn't know you well and isn't heavily involved in your research process.

Be aware that the IB only allows advisors to make suggestions and give constructive criticism. Your teacher cannot actually help you write your EE. The IB recommends that the supervisor spends approximately two to three hours in total with the candidate discussing the EE.

#5: Make Sure Your Essay Has a Clear Structure and Flow

The IB likes structure. Your EE needs a clear introduction (which should be one to two double-spaced pages), research question/focus (i.e., what you're investigating), a body, and a conclusion (about one double-spaced page). An essay with unclear organization will be graded poorly.

The body of your EE should make up the bulk of the essay. It should be about eight to 18 pages long (again, depending on your topic). Your body can be split into multiple parts. For example, if you were doing a comparison, you might have one third of your body as Novel A Analysis, another third as Novel B Analysis, and the final third as your comparison of Novels A and B.

If you're conducting an experiment or analyzing data, such as in this EE , your EE body should have a clear structure that aligns with the scientific method ; you should state the research question, discuss your method, present the data, analyze the data, explain any uncertainties, and draw a conclusion and/or evaluate the success of the experiment.

#6: Start Writing Sooner Rather Than Later!

You will not be able to crank out a 4,000-word essay in just a week and get an A on it. You'll be reading many, many articles (and, depending on your topic, possibly books and plays as well!). As such, it's imperative that you start your research as soon as possible.

Each school has a slightly different deadline for the Extended Essay. Some schools want them as soon as November of your senior year; others will take them as late as February. Your school will tell you what your deadline is. If they haven't mentioned it by February of your junior year, ask your IB coordinator about it.

Some high schools will provide you with a timeline of when you need to come up with a topic, when you need to meet with your advisor, and when certain drafts are due. Not all schools do this. Ask your IB coordinator if you are unsure whether you are on a specific timeline.

Below is my recommended EE timeline. While it's earlier than most schools, it'll save you a ton of heartache (trust me, I remember how hard this process was!):

January/February of Junior Year: Come up with your final research topic (or at least your top three options).
February of Junior Year: Approach a teacher about being your EE advisor. If they decline, keep asking others until you find one. See my notes above on how to pick an EE advisor.
April/May of Junior Year: Submit an outline of your EE and a bibliography of potential research sources (I recommend at least seven to 10) to your EE advisor. Meet with your EE advisor to discuss your outline.
Summer Between Junior and Senior Year: Complete your first full draft over the summer between your junior and senior year. I know, I know—no one wants to work during the summer, but trust me—this will save you so much stress come fall when you are busy with college applications and other internal assessments for your IB classes. You will want to have this first full draft done because you will want to complete a couple of draft cycles as you likely won't be able to get everything you want to say into 4,000 articulate words on the first attempt. Try to get this first draft into the best possible shape so you don't have to work on too many revisions during the school year on top of your homework, college applications, and extracurriculars.
August/September of Senior Year: Turn in your first draft of your EE to your advisor and receive feedback. Work on incorporating their feedback into your essay. If they have a lot of suggestions for improvement, ask if they will read one more draft before the final draft.
September/October of Senior Year: Submit the second draft of your EE to your advisor (if necessary) and look at their feedback. Work on creating the best possible final draft.
November-February of Senior Year: Schedule your viva voce. Submit two copies of your final draft to your school to be sent off to the IB. You likely will not get your grade until after you graduate.

Remember that in the middle of these milestones, you'll need to schedule two other reflection sessions with your advisor . (Your teachers will actually take notes on these sessions on a form like this one , which then gets submitted to the IB.)

I recommend doing them when you get feedback on your drafts, but these meetings will ultimately be up to your supervisor. Just don't forget to do them!

The early bird DOES get the worm!

How Is the IB Extended Essay Graded?

Extended Essays are graded by examiners appointed by the IB on a scale of 0 to 34 . You'll be graded on five criteria, each with its own set of points. You can learn more about how EE scoring works by reading the IB guide to extended essays .

Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 points maximum)
Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 points maximum)
Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 points maximum)
Criterion D: Presentation (4 points maximum)
Criterion E: Engagement (6 points maximum)

How well you do on each of these criteria will determine the final letter grade you get for your EE. You must earn at least a D to be eligible to receive your IB Diploma.

Although each criterion has a point value, the IB explicitly states that graders are not converting point totals into grades; instead, they're using qualitative grade descriptors to determine the final grade of your Extended Essay . Grade descriptors are on pages 102-103 of this document .

Here's a rough estimate of how these different point values translate to letter grades based on previous scoring methods for the EE. This is just an estimate —you should read and understand the grade descriptors so you know exactly what the scorers are looking for.

Here is the breakdown of EE scores (from the May 2021 bulletin):

How Does the Extended Essay Grade Affect Your IB Diploma?

The Extended Essay grade is combined with your TOK (Theory of Knowledge) grade to determine how many points you get toward your IB Diploma.

To learn about Theory of Knowledge or how many points you need to receive an IB Diploma, read our complete guide to the IB program and our guide to the IB Diploma requirements .

This diagram shows how the two scores are combined to determine how many points you receive for your IB diploma (3 being the most, 0 being the least). In order to get your IB Diploma, you have to earn 24 points across both categories (the TOK and EE). The highest score anyone can earn is 45 points.

Let's say you get an A on your EE and a B on TOK. You will get 3 points toward your Diploma. As of 2014, a student who scores an E on either the extended essay or TOK essay will not be eligible to receive an IB Diploma .

Prior to the class of 2010, a Diploma candidate could receive a failing grade in either the Extended Essay or Theory of Knowledge and still be awarded a Diploma, but this is no longer true.

Figuring out how you're assessed can be a little tricky. Luckily, the IB breaks everything down here in this document . (The assessment information begins on page 219.)

40+ Sample Extended Essays for the IB Diploma Programme

In case you want a little more guidance on how to get an A on your EE, here are over 40 excellent (grade A) sample extended essays for your reading pleasure. Essays are grouped by IB subject.

Business Management 1
Chemistry 1
Chemistry 2
Chemistry 3
Chemistry 4
Chemistry 5
Chemistry 6
Chemistry 7
Computer Science 1
Economics 1
Design Technology 1
Design Technology 2
Environmental Systems and Societies 1
Geography 1
Geography 2
Geography 3
Geography 4
Geography 5
Geography 6
Literature and Performance 1
Mathematics 1
Mathematics 2
Mathematics 3
Mathematics 4
Mathematics 5
Philosophy 1
Philosophy 2
Philosophy 3
Philosophy 4
Philosophy 5
Psychology 1
Psychology 2
Psychology 3
Psychology 4
Psychology 5
Social and Cultural Anthropology 1
Social and Cultural Anthropology 2
Social and Cultural Anthropology 3
Sports, Exercise and Health Science 1
Sports, Exercise and Health Science 2
Visual Arts 1
Visual Arts 2
Visual Arts 3
Visual Arts 4
Visual Arts 5
World Religion 1
World Religion 2
World Religion 3

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An excellent EE
Extended Essay 2018

The Extended Essay that provides the basis for this page was awarded an A. This means that it pretty well fulfilled the expectations that the IB has for how to handle the EE task. It can, therefore be seen as some kind of model. Although ... let us be very careful about the idea of a 'model' : EEs can be done in many different ways, depending on the subject matter and the approach, and it would be quite wrong to simply imitate this example in some mindless way.

It was written by Paulina Robino Meehan, who studied the IB at the Mark Twain School in Cordoba, Argentina. Paulina's mother, Patsy, is a long-distance friend and examiner colleague of mine, and when the two of them visited Barcelona, we went out to have a paella in my favourite restaurant on the beach. Chatting to Paulina, getting to know her, we got on to the subject of her Extended Essay ... and what started as polite enquiry became active curiosity because I found the subject matter and the approach really interesting. So, I asked her to send me a copy when she got back home. She did - and I was impressed. Hence this page...

My analysis

I would stress that this is a personal commentary, intended to highlight the strengths of this essay, so that we can all learn from them. This is not a discussion about marking. I don't have access to the detailed marks awarded, and anyway what would be the point of arguing the toss about marks already finalised?

The list of key points below is organised basically by following the sequence of reading the essay - but it also suggests an order in which you might discuss issues with the student you are supervising. These key points are ideas that a student should grasp and take on board, because they are precisely the elements which attract the examiner's attention and will thus influence the marking.

You might also link these key ideas with the analysis of the criteria in the page 2018 Criteria, analysed .

So, here are striking features of Paulina's essay...

a topic worth discussing, with significant anglophone value ... Ireland is an anglophone society, of course, and the 'Troubles' over the last fifty years or so form a hugely important element of Ireland's dramatic, tragic history. Anyone who knows anything about Ireland will immediately understand that there will be serious issues to discuss here, and that these issues should tell us something about how anglophone culture works.

an intriguing approach to the topic ... the idea of looking at songs about the Troubles is instantly attractive, since popular songs are likely to tell us something about the popular attitudes and values that they express. Such songs, one feels, are likely to tell us more about the human experience of the Troubles than any dry list of socio-economic statistics. So, the essay is likely to be lively and imaginative.

a restricted subject area & time-span ... the research question focuses in on 'protest songs' (i.e. NOT 'the arts' or 'the media', which would be far too wide and vague); and there are clear beginning and end dates, limiting the area of research (i.e. NOT 'in the twentieth century' or, heaven help us, 'in Irish history'). Such a tight focus means that neither the student during the research, nor the reader, should be distracted by lots of material that is only vaguely relevant.

a good source of material ... in this context, 'good' must mean both 'appropriate' and 'accessible'. The material is appropriate because the essay is based on a specific type of 'cultural artifact': song lyrics - and the IB's official list defining what are recognised as 'cultural artifacts' includes song lyrics specifically (see the page Cat.2 clarified ). These lyrics are accessible because, as the Appendices show, the 55 lyrics used were all found on the internet - presumably after some lengthy searching!

the title / research question ... possibly the weakest element, because it is not actually a question. However, the phrase "analysis of the purpose" implies the question form 'what was the purpose?', and so the focus of the research is generally clear. Other ways to phrase a research question might have been 'In what ways did the songs reflect the Troubles...' or 'To what extent did the songs reflect..' It must be good practice to make sure that the 'title' is in fact a question, since the 'research question' is so prominently required.

well structured ... the logic of the argument is evident, in basic terms, in the Table of Contents - although the full sense of the argument only becomes clear once you have read the essay and understand the significance of the four periods mentioned. What is clear is a methodical approach - the term 'protest songs' is defined (B) ... 'criteria for classification and analysis' are explained (C) ... detailed analysis is reported (D 1-4) ... results of analysis are compared (E).

a clear and efficient introduction ... explaining in three paragraphs (i) the basic premise, that "songs ... deliver political messages"; (ii) the historical context, through a concise history of the Troubles; and (iii) what the essay is going to do. This lays out a clear framework for what follows.

the theoretical background ... section B provides definitions, by quoting authoritative academic sources. Particularly important is that the categories to be used ("deliberative and epideictic") are explained, thus providing a logical justification for sorting out the material researched.

good use of quotes ... throughout, statements are consistently supported by well-selected quotations from the songs - thus providing concrete examples to back up the general argument.

methodical, meticulous use of footnotes ... have a look at the first page, for example, which has 6 footnotes. These are methodical in that they explain anything that the reader might possibly not know (e.g. acronyms like 'NICRA'); and meticulous in that all information needed to cross-check references is provided, including in the case of internet links the date in which the source was consulted (sensible as the internet sources may change through re-editing).

a rigorous overall approach ... the essay employs a disciplined academic procedure, apparent in (i) the limited corpus of songs, which (ii) are subjected to a degree of mathematical analysis, which in turn (iii) results in tables presenting the distribution of the evidence. This conveys a sense of lucid presentation of hard facts ... as opposed to woolly impressions!

a concise, efficient conclusion ... summing up the evidence that has been researched, and offering some (tentative) interpretations.

a very full bibliography + appendices ... the bibliography is sensibly organised - primary sources for the song lyrics; book sources for the major research into the context; and other online sources for general background. The appendices are ... well, lavish, since they provide the full lyrics of all the songs considered in the research process. This might almost be excessive (who's going to read through all those?), but it does suggest that the author really has looked at all of her source material.

Any objections?

Is this a perfect Extended Essay? Well ... for the reasons given above, it should be seen as close to perfect in terms of the techniques of academic writing indicated by the criteria of the Extended Essay Subject Guide. But ... 'perfect', overall?

I felt a certain dissatisfaction at the end, largely because I felt that the Conclusion was a little too tentative. I wanted to see some acute explanations of why there were different types of songs produced in different periods, but there wasn't much. Indeed, there were hints of complex explanations which weren't developed fully - for instance, that there were fewer condemnation songs "...because there was less freedom of expression and fear of punishment" . This is a serious allegation, but why "less freedom of expression"? where? and what sort of punishment, by whom, against whom?

In addition, the essay handles the limited sample of 55 songs in some detail and very efficiently - but surely a different type of essay based on the same primary sources might have discussed the images and language of the songs in order to explore the experiences of the Troubles.

But hang on, hang on! What can we really expect from an Extended Essay? This is an exercise in academic writing required of students at the end of secondary education. We really shouldn't expect grand theories in an EE. My minor complaints above are not really fair to Paulina, who has handled a sensibly restricted subject area extremely well, and been rewarded with top marks. After all, historians and sociologists and political scientists have been struggling with the appalling complexities of the Troubles for decades now, and still have not arrived at neat comprehensive explanations ...

If a student can manage an original and perceptive insight into the subject, then, wonderful - but that is really over and beyond what is expected in an EE.

And two footnotes:

** Paulina pays a warm tribute to her supervisor, Claudia Brunetto, who "guided me a lot" in all of the successful aspects of the EE - so, hats off to Claudia!

** The conclusion wasn't great, comments Paulina, because "By that time I was really exhausted so I think that I only wanted to finish..." Yes, we should not forget how much effort students put into doing a good EE.

Essay – examples & model answers | B2 First (FCE)

FCE Essay Examples: Topic (Environment)

Example exam task:, example answer (grade: 3), example answer:.

I think that my country has problems with pollution to the environment like all other countries. This problem is normal for Russia. We have big problems with transport because there are too much cars in our country. And because of that we have problems with atmospeer, air in my city and in all Russia is really dirty and sometimes I can’t make a sigh because it smells around me and of course around that cars on the road. I’ve heard about tradition of one country. They don’t go anywhere by car one day a month or a year, they just use bycicle or their feet. I think it could be very good if we had a tradition like that.

So, what about the rivers and the seas? Yeah, there are some really good and clean rivers and seas where you can go, but there are not many of them. Once I saw the river OB in my city, it was about two years ago but I stil remember that in some places it was not blue, it was green or purple I didn’t really understand because it had different colours.

I don’t know what should we do. Maybe we should just open our eyes and look what we did. But Russian people don’t care about the world around them many people care only about themselves an that’s all.

So, the best idea is look around and try to do something good for our planet and for us and our children.

FCE, CAE, CPE

Practice, write & improve, examiners comments & grade:, example answer (grade: 3-4).

To begin with pollution and damage to the environment is the most serious and difficult problem for countries of all over the world. Scientists of different countries predict a global ecocatastrophe if people won’t change their attitude to our planet.

First of all a huge damage to the environment brings a transport. People can’t imagine their living without cars, buses, trains, ships and planes. But it’s an open secret that one of disadvantage of these accustomed things is harmful exhaust. Needless to say that use of environment friendly engines helps us to save atmosphere from pollution.

In addition to this our rivers and seas are in not less danger situation. It’s a fact of common knowledge that numerous factories and plants pour off their waste to ponds. Obviously that cleaning manufacturing water helps to avoid extinction of ocean residents.

Apart from this I’m inclined to believe that every person can and must contribute to solving this important problem. Doing a little steps for protection our environment every day we will be able to save our Earth. And it’s a task of each of us.

Model Answer (Grade: 5)

DEVELOPMENT VS ENVIRONMENT

If we surf the web looking for pollution and environmental catastrophes, we will find out that every country in the world suffers them. This is a natural consequence of the struggle between development and environment.

If a country decided to live isolated from the rest of the world, living on what it can naturally grow and produce, it surely wouldn’t be highly polluted. But we all want exotic food and technological items from all over the world, so we have to pay the price.

Investing on electrical transport would benefit the environment a lot. Even more if this electricity came from a natural source of energy like wind, rivers and solar boards. It’s difficult to achieve this because petrol companies will fight against these actions.

We also have to take care of our rivers and seas. We all have heard about factories throwing highly toxic substances to rivers, without minimizing their poisoning effects. A really strict law should be applied to fine these factories and make them change their policy.

But what about ourselves? We also can do a lot! If, when possible, we bought larger packs of food, we would be producing less rubbish. And this is only an example!

FCE Essay Examples: Topic (Fashion)

In today’s world, the fashion industry has a strong importance in people’s lives. The fashion industry say to the society what to wear and creates new types of clothes all the time.

Some people claim that the fashion industry has a bad effect on people’s lives, they say that the fashion industry creates clothes that the society has to wear. Furthermore, the clothes’ price is extremely high and people, who can’t afford it, should not be in the society.

In the other hand, the fashion industry guide the people to be in a good appearance, because, nowadays, the appearance of the person is more important than the person itself.

In my opinion, the fashion industry doesn’t has a bad influence on people’s lives. It’s something which was created to help people what to wear.

Example Answer (Grade: 4)

Fashion industry is very a discussed subject nowadays: they create and design new clothes everyday in order to satisfy some people needs.

There are many people who claim that the fashion industry is important and good for society. According to them, this industry design beautiful clothes and thanks to that every person can wear shirts, trousers or any acessory which is on today’s fashion.

On the other hand, the fashion industry in some people opinion, controls the market of clothes and because of that they can’t wear what they want to. In addition, the industry can increase the price of clothes, forcing people who don’t want to be “oldfashioned” to buy and pay a large amount of money to keep “beautiful”.

In my opinion, we can’t let the fashion industry decide what we must or musn’t wear. We shouldn’t judge people for its appearance,because that is not important. We must wear whatever we like, want and feel confortable with.

The society we live today is characterised by technology in constant development, fast speed processes, information travelling and getting to people at a blink of an eye and a complex web of social networking. In this context, the fashion industry is becoming increasingly important and having a more and more paramount role in our lives.

On one hand, the fashion industry is undeniably a source of profit and income. It hires millions of people all over the world and generates millions of dollars every year. Furthermore, such profitable business is also believed to be able to spread and make known the culture of a people, encouraging and enhancing a better understanding of each other.

Nevertheless, for those who are neither impressed nor motivated by numbers and figures, the fashion industry is seen as one which segregates people, isolating those who not fit their laws and commands. It is stated that people place too much importance on appearance and the material, world, sadly true, and the fashion industry just spurs on such situation. Moreover, not only are the costs of fashion item unrealistically high, it is thought to be a money better spent on more pressing issues, such as poverty and hunger.

I do believe that the fashion industry, as it is today, has a harmful effect, because it values a minority of people in detriment to the majority. However, it has such a wide reach that, it put into a good use, it can save lives.

FCE Essay Examples: Topic (Languages)

“There are more reasons to learn a foreign language than to pass a test”

Everything around us revolves around language(s), it is the most important thing in our lives. Society would just not function without it. They are It is our future and I would personaly love to learn as many as I possibly can.

Not everything in life is done because it is necessary. Learning a new language can be a lot of fun. Many people only do it as a hoby, or their knowledge is something that brings them pride and pleasure.

Secondly, we have people who do it simply to challenge themselves. Truly I believe that having a great outcome that stems from your hard work and dedication to learn something new is a wonderful way to challenge prove your ability to yourself and others. Then there is travelling. It is very important to be able to understand and have a conversation with someone abroad, unless you would like to get lost or worse.

To conclude, I think that learning a new language is an amazing thing no matter why you do it. It is always better to do things out of enjoyment, but even if you do it for a test, that knowledge will always be useful.

Learning a a foreign languages is very important nowadays. English, in particular, is essential because it allows is spoken all over the world. That’s the reason why we start studying it from the age of six years old. Going abroad and being able to speak to native people is very satisfying and that’s why I want to improve my knowledge about foreign languages.

I decided to take this exam to know how high my level of English is, but also because I need this certification to go abroad next summer. I really want to come back to Cornwall, an amazing region in the South-West of England. I’ve been there twice with my family, but now I want to go alone. Only being there to England I can really improve my English comprehension and speaking skills.

Fortunately I can will have some English lessons which taught in English at university and I can’t wait for it because it will be an interesting challenge for me. Studying foreign languages is essential to live and to travel. It isn’t simple and I surely have to challenge myself everyday, but the result is so satisfying that we I can’t do without it.

FCE Essay Example: Topic (History)

A very common topic that is being discussed nowadays is wether schools should teach subjects that some may consider useless later in life. A clear example is history, since it is quite difficult to learn and does not help us in day-to-day activities.

However, many people do not realize the importance of it or that it affects our lives today. For example, our political system would not be this way if it weren’t for the Ancient Greeks, numerous politicians and wars who helped shape democracy and our constitution. Yet it is still thought that it’s useless.

In addition, it is very important that we never forget about our past since we must know where we were standing years ago. Moreover, there are some things, such as World War II, that we have to remember to prevent them from happening again. We should also know where we we were standing a century ago: our origins, our identity. The more you learn about your ethnicity, the better.

All in all, I think that it is extremely important to learn about one’s own country’s history. Anyone who gets the chance to do this should not waste it, since they are very fortunate to have this opportunity

Would you pass B2 First (FCE)?

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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

Author Interviews

Legendary editor marty baron describes his 'collision of power' with trump and bezos.

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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IB English B EE examples
EE English B A. How successfully has Kate Chopin used male and female characters, and symbols and imagery through the settings in her realist novel, "The Awakening", to depict the main character, Edna's self-discovery while having been encompassed by the gender norms of the 19th century United States? EE English B A.
CSEC English B -Section B Sample Questions
CSEC English B -Section B Sample Questions - 2023 Exam. 25th August 2016 csecengl. A WORLD OF POETRY FOR CSEC —Mark McWatt and Hazel Simmons-McDonald. EITHER. 3. "'My Parents' and 'Little Boy Crying' explore childhood experiences.". Write an essay in which you describe the experience of EACH child. In this essay, you must also ...
CSEC English B: A Guide to Writing Poetry Essays
Step 1: The question. Poetry essay questions come in two varieties: 1) One where the poems you are to write on are named, for example: "The poems 'A Stone's Throw' and 'The Woman Speaks to the Man Who has Employed her Son' are about how women are treated.". For EACH poem: (a) Briefly describe what is taking place.
Essay Writing for CSEC English B with Samples
This presentation outlines how to write an effective comparative essay for CSEC English B using a sample as a guide. Students will discover the importance of...
Sample CSEC English B Short Story Questions-2023 Exam
Sample CSEC English B Short Story Questions-2023 Exam. 29th August 2016 csecengl. SHORT STORIES. A WORLD OF PROSE FOR CSEC —David Williams and Hazel Simmons-McDonald. EITHER. 7. "The stories 'The Day the World Almost Came to an End' and 'Blood Brothers' are both stories about fear.". Write an essay in which you describe the ...
PDF 6.
essay is an excellent example of the skills assessed. Relevance and adequacy content and relevance and accuracy of examples are the major skills that a candidate needs to ... English B question requires. The essay is also organised well as the response is logically developed, the points clearly made the sentence structure, grammar and spelling ...
Carlong English B
Samples of the NEW English B for CSEC ® Paper 1 Examination. Test your readiness for the real exams with these practice tests and get INSTANT feedback. Test 1 Test 2. Two FREE sample tests to give you practice with the NEW Paper 1 of the English B examination.
CSEC English B -Section A Sample Questions- 2023 Exam
CSEC English B -Section A Sample Questions- 2023 Exam. 21st August 2016 csecengl. For each question in Sections A, B, and C, in addition to the 25 marks indicated for content and argument, 10 marks are allocated for language, organization and competence in the mechanics of writing.
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examples to support his/her use of adequate and relevant content respond well to this question. The clear and logical flow of the argument developed by this candidate is exemplary and is indicative of one who knows how to build and sustain an argument. The essay is well oruanized. the lancuace used is very good and the mechanics of writing. sound.
Example of a Great Essay
This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people's social and cultural lives.
DP English B: Paper 1 sample exam 1
Paper 1. Paper 1 sample exam 1. This sample exam paper is designed and written to reflect the specifications of the Paper 1 Writing from May 2020.Each question contains the following basic elements:a contextan audiencea general purposespecific content requirements3 optional text typesThis is the basic recipe.Let us now have a look at each of ...
My English B Writing Assignments
Introduction. In this blog post, I will share the writing assignments that I completed for the IB DP English B course, including regular summative assessments and homework assignments. The syllabus is the version for first assessment 2020. All assignments shared here include the stimulus, my answer, teacher's comment and grading, and sometimes a corresponding draft or outline, all in PDF format.
Extended Essay
Literary Choices for English B; 6.5 Short Stories; 6.7 The Giver; 6.8 Oscar Wilde Menu Toggle. 6.8.3 Oscar Wilde-The Picture of Dorian Gray; 8.0 Paper 2 Reading and Listening Menu Toggle. 8.1.1 Mistakes and Second Chances; ... Extended Essay. Interested in doing your EE in English B?
Theme for English B Poem Summary and Analysis
Learn More. "Theme for English B" was published the American poet Langston Hughes in 1951, toward the end of Hughes's career. The poem is a dramatic monologue written in the voice of a twenty-two-year-old black college student at Columbia University in New York City. His professor gives an apparently simple assignment: to write one page ...
PDF EXTENDED ESSAY English B: Category 2B
EXTENDED ESSAY English B: Category 2B. ... An example of this is when Fred, George, and Ron went to Dursley´s house for rescue Harry and take him to the Burrow, all this in the blue Ford Angelina of Mr. Weasley. Molly was outraged and angry with her sons, but when Arthur heard about it his reaction was
Csec English B
The CSEC examination, also known as CXC, is a Caribbean based assessment that includes a wide range of subjects, including English Language and Literature. The syllabus starts in grade 10 and ends in the third term of grade 11, with examinations across the Caribbean islands. The information that is seen below pertains to the 2018 - 2023 syllabus.
English B Extended Essay Topics and RQs
There you have it - a sneak peek into the diverse and dynamic world of English B. At Writing Metier, we're excited to help you explore these avenues in your Extended Essay, bringing fresh insights and perspectives to your writing. For those of you who were searching for some modern, fresh topics and research questions - here is the next ...
DP English B: Cat.2 clarified
Extended Essay 2018. Cat.2 clarified. The Coordinators Notes of September 2013 contained a clear statement defining what is, and what is not, acceptable as a 'cultural artifact' - the term which is the basis of Category 2 B for acceptable Extended Essays in Group 2. This clarification has now been adopted formally in the Extended Essay Guide ...
The Complete IB Extended Essay Guide: Examples, Topics, and Ideas
Conclusion. References and bibliography. Additionally, your research topic must fall into one of the six approved DP categories, or IB subject groups, which are as follows: Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature. Group 2: Language Acquisition. Group 3: Individuals and Societies. Group 4: Sciences.
Past Essays
IB Extended Essay: Past Essays. EE Home; Lessons Toggle Dropdown. Research Questions ; Past Essays ; Notes & Outlines ; Databases; Citation Toggle Dropdown. Works Cited Page ; ... English A & B EE Examples. English A EE Example English A EE Example English A EE Example English A EE Example English A EE Example 1 English A EE Example 2 ...
English B Short Story Sample Essay Question
English B Short Story Sample Essay Question. Ten (10) marks are also allocated for structure, development and competence. Setting plays a significant part in the development of the storyline in 'Berry' and 'Mom Luby and the Social Worker'. For EACH story: a. Describe the setting (8 marks) b.
DP English B: An excellent EE
Extended Essay 2018. An excellent EE. The Extended Essay that provides the basis for this page was awarded an A. This means that it pretty well fulfilled the expectations that the IB has for how to handle the EE task. It can, therefore be seen as some kind of model. Although ... let us be very careful about the idea of a 'model' : EEs can be ...
Essay
In your English class you have been talking about the fashion industry. Write an essay using all the notes and giving reasons for your point of view. Some people say the fashion industry has a bad effect on people's lives. Do you agree? Write about: 1. whether people's appearance is important. 2. the price of clothes. 3 ...
Order of Adjectives in English
Comma placement with adjectives. Comma placement when using adjectives depends on whether you are using coordinate adjectives or cumulative adjectives.. Coordinate adjectives are two or more adjectives from the same category that are used to describe a noun or pronoun. Coordinate adjectives can be listed using a comma or "and" between the adjectives.
NPR responds after editor says it has 'lost America's trust' : NPR
Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in ...