Preview
IB DP English A: Language and Literature | SL & HL | Assessment & Exam Skills | Paper 2: Comparative Essay
📋 What You Will Learn
- Identify the four criteria of Paper 2 (/30) and explain what each one specifically demands of a comparative essay
- Craft a comparative thesis statement that names both works, asserts a similarity and a difference, and answers the question directly
- Distinguish point-by-point from block-by-block structure and argue why integrated comparison earns higher marks under Criterion C
- Write comparative topic sentences that do both works simultaneously, using precise connective language of comparison and contrast
- Construct a full integrated comparative paragraph that analyses authorial choices and their effects in both texts — not just their themes
- Write an evaluative conclusion that judges, synthesises and does not simply summarise
🔍 Guiding Question If two essays on the same question contain identical knowledge of the same two works, what — precisely — makes one score in the 7–10 band and the other score in the 3–4 band? The answer lies entirely in the architecture of the comparative argument, not the content of what you know.
🌍 Why This Matters Paper 2 is a 1 hour 45 minute comparative essay worth /30 — 35% of your final grade at SL and 25% at HL. As the IB exam study guide states plainly, "Paper 2 is a comparative essay by definition," and the assessment rubric builds comparison into every criterion. You enter the exam knowing your works; the only unknown is the question. Your score, therefore, is determined almost entirely by how well you have prepared to construct a comparative argument on the spot — not just how much you remember about the texts.
1 · What Paper 2 Actually Demands
When you open the Paper 2 booklet, you will find four general essay questions . You choose one and write a comparative essay on two literary works you have studied — works that you have not used for your Individual Oral or, at HL, your HL Essay. Both SL and HL students face the same paper, the same four questions, and the same four criteria. The difference is not the task; it is the depth of study you have brought to the preparation.
📖 Definition — Paper 2 Assessment Criteria Paper 2 is marked out of 30 across four criteria:
- Criterion A — Knowledge, understanding and interpretation /10: accurate, detailed knowledge of both works and insightful interpretation in response to the question; sustained, relevant comparison of similarities and differences
- Criterion B — Analysis and