IB English A: Literature Paper 1 Strategies

IB English A Paper 1: Guided Literary Analysis

Paper 1 presents an unseen literary passage (HL: two passages; SL: one passage with a guiding question). You write a literary analysis in 1 hour 15 minutes (SL) or 2 hours 15 minutes (HL).

Assessment Criteria

• Criterion A (5 marks): Understanding and interpretation

• Criterion B (5 marks): Analysis and evaluation of language, structure and technique

• Criterion C (5 marks): Organisation and development

• Criterion D (5 marks): Language – clarity, register, precision

Reading Strategy (First 10 Minutes)

1. Read the whole passage once for overall understanding

2. Annotate literary devices, structure, and key images

3. Identify the speaker/narrator, context, and overall effect

4. Write a one-sentence thesis before you start writing