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IB English A: Language & Literature: Paper 2 · Comparative essay
Planning and writing the literary comparison. 4 subtopics, 15 key terms.
In this topic: 4.1 · 4.2 · 4.3 · 4.4
4.1Paper 2: format and criteria
Key terms
- Paper 2
- Comparative essay on two literary works studied in class, answering one of four general questions.
- Criterion A: Knowledge, understanding and interpretation
- Knowledge of both works and interpretation in relation to the question (5 marks).
- Criterion B1: Analysis and evaluation
- Analysis and evaluation of textual features and/or broader authorial choices (5).
- Criterion B2: Comparative analysis
- How well you compare and contrast the two works (5).
- Criterion C: Focus and organisation
- Balanced, coherent, focused essay (5).
- Criterion D: Language
- Clear, accurate, academic language (5).
Format: 1 h 45 min, 25 marks (since the May 2026 exams; previously 30), SL 35% / HL 25% of the grade. Closed book: you cannot take the texts in.
The full notes, worked example and check questions for this subtopic are in the app.
Exam tip: Memorise short, flexible quotations (3–8 words) that can serve several themes: they are easier to recall and embed.
4.2Paper 2: unpacking the question and choosing works
Key terms
- Command term
- The instruction word: compare, discuss, evaluate, to what extent.
- Key terms
- The concepts in the question that your thesis must address.
- Thesis
- A comparative argument that answers the question directly.
Underline the key terms; define or interpret them in your introduction (e.g. what does “power” mean in these works?).
The full notes, worked example and check questions for this subtopic are in the app.
Exam tip: “How” in a question means methods: discuss form, structure and language, not just plot.
4.3Paper 2: structuring the comparison
Key terms
- Integrated structure
- Each paragraph compares both works on one point.
- Block structure
- First half on work A, second half on work B (usually weaker).
- Balance
- Roughly equal attention to both works.
Introduction: introduce both works (title, author, form), interpret the key terms, state the thesis.
The full notes, worked example, interactive diagram and check questions for this subtopic are in the app.
Exam tip: If you run short of time, make sure the conclusion compares; an essay with no comparative conclusion loses Criterion C marks.
4.4Paper 2: analysis and evaluation in comparison
Key terms
- Authorial choice
- A deliberate decision by the writer: narrative voice, structure, imagery, dialogue, symbolism.
- Form
- The type of work: novel, play, poetry, graphic novel; each has specific tools.
- Evaluation
- Judging how effective a choice is, and comparing effectiveness.
Compare form: a play shows conflict through dialogue and stage directions; a novel through narration; poetry through imagery, sound and line breaks.
The full notes, worked example and check questions for this subtopic are in the app.
Exam tip: Use form-specific vocabulary (soliloquy, enjambment, narrator, panel): it signals precise knowledge for Criterion A and B.
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