ib english guys thesis statement paper 1

IB English Paper 1 Explained

Ace your IB English Paper 1 exam with the #1 IB English Resource for 2022 as Voted by IB Students & Teachers

IB English Paper 1 is one of those nerve-wracking experiences that everyone has to endure. It's especially scary because you have no idea what you'll end up writing for your final exam–and your grades depend on it!

The best preparation you can do is be acutely aware of the exam structure and proven strategies that have worked for past IB7 graduates.

If you want to fully wrap your head around the IB English Paper 1 guided analysis, then this quick guide is for you.

Meet your instructor Jackson Huang, Founder of LitLearn. His mission is to make IB English as pain-free as possible with fun, practical lessons. Jackson scored an IB45 and was accepted to Harvard, Amherst, Williams Colleges, and full scholarships to University of Melbourne & Queensland.

What is a Paper 1 exam?

In a Paper 1 exam, you are given two mysterious, unseen texts . Each text is between 1-2 pages in length.

For SL students, you're in luck! Your task is to write a guided analysis on just one of the two texts. Total marks: 20. You have 1 hour and 15 minutes.

For HL students, you're in less luck… Your task is to write two guided analysis essays–one on each of the texts. Total marks: 40. You have 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The mystery text types you'll get for Paper 1 depend on whether you're in IB English Language & Literature or IB English Literature.

For IB English Literature , Paper 1 text types belong to four neat categories (hooray!):

• Fictional prose (e.g. short stories, extracts from novels)
• Non-fiction prose (e.g. scientific articles, extracts)
• Dramatic plays

For IB English Language and Literature , your text types could be… really… anything. Be prepared to be surprised. Typically, at least one of the text types will include some visual element like an image, photo, or cartoon. Here's the (non-exhaustive) list of Lang Lit text types:

• Magazines, blogs, articles and editorials
• Speeches, interview scripts, radio transcripts
• Instruction manuals, brochures
• Comic strips, political cartoons
• … and the list goes on…

What do I write in a guided analysis?

For each Paper 1 text, the IB English Gods pose a short, open-ended question.

This question is called the guiding question , and your essay must focus on answering this guiding question using analysis (we'll explain “analysis” in a second).

Examples of guiding questions:

• How does the writer characterize the protagonist's state of mind?
• How and to what effect do textual and visual elements shape meaning?
• How is narrative perspective used to create meaning and effect?

Even though you're technically allowed to choose your own focus and ignore the default guiding question, it's highly recommended that you go along with what's given… unless you really don't know how to answer it, or you're super confident in your Paper 1 skills.

Now, what are we supposed to do with the guiding question?

Guiding questions always ask you to explain how and why certain language or visual choices are used to build one or more central ideas .

And so the vague instruction "Answer the guiding question" actually translates to something very specific:

Explain  how and why the writer uses specific language to build their central idea(s).

This sentence pretty much sums up not just IB English Paper 1, but the gist of analysis and IB English overall.

Writing Deep, Insightful Analysis

If you want to get a high score on Paper 1 (and every IB English assessment in general), you must know how to write deep, insightful analysis.

After helping numerous IB English students at LitLearn, we've found that weak analysis is the #1 reason students struggle in IB English.

Biggest Mistake

The main mistake you're likely making is that your analysis doesn't dig deep enough .

Students make the mistake of only touching the surface-level meaning of the texts. For example, common mistakes include:

• only recounting the plot
• mentioning techniques and ideas without digging into the how and why
• not identifying the most relevant techniques for analysis.

The diagram below shows the difference between surface-level meaning, deep analysis, and deeper analysis.

If you're unsure about how to write strong analysis for IB English, or you're not confident in what to look for in your texts, then you should watch this free 7-minute video lesson from Learn Analysis: Analysis Foundations.

Learn Analysis

No sign up or credit card required.

Essential Techniques you need to know

So how do we write strong analysis that scores highly on Criterion B?

First things first, we need to know how to analyze the major literary and visual techniques (visual for Lang Lit), so that we can quickly find and analyze them under exam stress.

If you're cramming for Paper 1, here are the 7 most important techniques and concepts that you should know for IB English Paper 1. They apply to all text types in Lang Lit as well as Literature:

• Tone, atmosphere and mood
• Diction and voice
• Metaphor, simile, and personification
• The 4 main types of imagery
• The 3 types of irony
• Juxtaposition and contrast
• Grammatical and structural techniques

There's a bunch more, but these 7 categories make a great starting point. The first step is to learn their names and definitions, and flashcards are an excellent way to do this.

Of course, memorizing isn't enough. We also need to know the common effects and purposes behind each of these core techniques, so that we can build a mental library of the most common ways to deeply analyze each technique. If you don't study each technique in detail, it's much harder to invent deep analysis on-the-spot during an exam.

We go deep into each of the techniques in Learn Analysis . Here are just a couple of them to get you started.

Level 1 Techniques

Your One Mission in Paper 1

Let's quickly recap what you need to do in a Paper 1.

• You need to discuss the characters, themes and plot of a chosen  literary text, OR the visual and stylistic elements (diagrams, headings, titles, images) for a non-literary text.
• You then need to explain how and why these aspects were achieved by the writer or artist.

These two points are helpful as a basis for understanding, but they won't help you get concrete words onto the exam page. What we need now is a practical guide to writing an actual essay:

• Deciding on a good  thesis
• Choosing the right  points
• Choosing the right structure

A Practical Guide to Writing a Paper 1 essay

An IB English Paper 1 essay boils down to 3 separate parts:

• An introduction paragraph : contains a thesis and an outline of your points
• A body (usually 3 paragraphs) : contains your points
• A conclusion : wraps up the essay

Choosing a thesis

The thesis or subject statement is a single sentence in the introduction of the guided analysis that states how the writer achieves their overall purpose.

This is also the main argument that you are trying to prove in your essay, and it's typically related to the guiding question . The examiner can usually judge the strength of your analytical skills JUST from your subject statement alone, so it needs to be well-written!

Choosing the right essay structure for IB English Paper 1

Every text works best with a specific paragraph structure. Finding this match isn't always easy, but it's also one of the most important things to get right in your Paper 1 guided analysis.

You can organise your essay by:

• ideas or themes
• sections (sequential, e.g. stanza by stanza for poems)
• the ‘Big 5'
• and probably a whole host of other acronyms that English teachers love to invent.

Criterion C for IB English Paper 1 is Organisation . It's worth a whole 5/20 marks, so it's definitely in your best interest to choose the most appropriate structure for your essay.

Pro Tip: I recommend students to stay away from the Big 5 . Sure, it's useful as a memory device to tell you what elements to look for in a text, but it's not a good essay structure for analysis.

Why? Because analysis is about examining the causal interplay between techniques, stylistic choices, audience, tone, and themes. The Big 5 and SPECSLIMS artificially silo these components in your discussion.  Heed my advice or pay the price! (notice that rhyme?)

So in my opinion, there are only two types of structure that are most  conducive (yep, another new vocab, omnomnom) to getting a 7. Ideas/themes  and Sections . Take this as a hot tip and run with it. If your teacher is forcing you to use other structures, then you'll need to know why this is recommended.

We go into much more depth and explain it all inside Learn Analysis.

Pro members only

Writing body paragraphs: Why and How

Once you've chosen the best structure for your essay and decided on a strong thesis as your central argument, the rest of the essay needs to revolve around proving  this argument.

How do you prove this subject statement? You do it by looking at individual points. These smaller points support smaller, more specific aspects of the overall thesis.

The idea is that each body paragraph, or point, aims to prove a separate, smaller aspect of the bigger thesis. It's like a jigsaw puzzle : You must piece together smaller, more manageable pieces to build the bigger argument (i.e. the thesis).

In reality, this translates into writing 2, 3 or 4 points, each of which fits snuggly it its own paragraph or multiple paragraphs (depending on the complexity of the point).

In each point, you must include:

• Quotes, references to images, titles, headings, or visual elements. This is the evidence.
• Analysis of language and literary techniques.  Use specific quotes from the text and explain how and why they are used by the writer to shape his/her message.

Obviously, this is a quick summary of how to write a high-quality body paragraph. We dive deeper into the specific details of how to structure a body paragraph in the guided analysis.

Planning ahead

Ironically, the most important part of IB English Paper 1 is not the analysis itself (well it is, but not really). The part you have to get right the first time is the plan. Most students do not know how to plan effectively, or get flustered in the exam and don't plan, or don't even try to plan because they think they're above it. Big mistake!

Before you even begin writing, you should plan out your essay in sufficient detail. You will lose track of time, thought and sanity if you do not have a clear road map of every part of your essay before you begin writing.

You can learn how to annotate and plan quickly & efficiently using the flowchart method, which we demonstrate inside Learn Analysis and Paper 1 .

In the Pro lesson below, we go into detail on exactly how to plan a Paper 1 essay effectively and efficiently under exam conditions.

How do I practice for Paper 1?

Most students think that doing a lot of practice papers is the best way to improve in Paper 1. However, there's a much more efficient, targeted method to study for Paper 1.

We work our way up from the smallest, most manageable chunks of analysis to the full Paper 1 exam. It's a good idea to reserve real IB English past papers for 2 months before your final exam so that you don't run out of past papers--they are the best preparation for the final exam. Also, if your analysis skills aren't already strong, doing real past papers is a waste of an excellent exam prep resource.

Questionbank

Quote analysis exercises with exemplar IB7 solutions

Short guided analysis exercises with exemplar IB7 solutions

1 hour practice exams with detailed markschemes or video solutions

IB past paper solutions: Exemplar essay plans and full essay responses

Question​bank

Paper 1 Practice Exams

Past Paper 1 Solutions

Paper 2 Guide

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IB English Guys

IB English Guys videos help IB English Language and Literature SL students master close reading and writing skills needed for Paper 1 and Paper 2 success. The easy-to-follow videos discuss key skills and assessment criteria while exploring sample student writing. For students looking for Individual Oral support, a range of videos and samples prepare students to speak persuasively with insight. Ultimately, the videos, tips, and tricks will boost scores and confidence regardless of the assessment.

Website - Full Response

Speech - Close Reading

Speech - Full Response

Letter - Close Reading

Letter - Full Response

Product Review - Close Reading

Product Review - Full Response

Comic - Close Reading

Comic - Full Response

Film Review - Close Reading

Film Review - Full Response

Brochure - Close Reading

Brochure - Full Response

Appeal (PSA) - Close Reading

Appeal (PSA) - Full Response

Travel Writing - Close Reading

Travel Writing - Full Response

Magazine Cover - Close Reading

Magazine Cover - Full Response

Advertisement - Close Reading

Advertisement - Full Response

Memoir (LIT) - Close Reading

Memoir (LIT) - Full Response

Diary (LIT) - Close Reading

Diary (LIT) - Full Response

Magazine Article - Full Response

Magazine Article - Close Reading

Speeches - Close Reading

Speeches - Full Response

Infographics - Close Reading and Full Response

Literary Forms

Details and Tips

Breaking Down the Question

Brainstorming and Mindmapping

Structuring the Response

Thesis Statements

Writing Body Paragraphs

Writing the Conclusion

Writing the Introduction 2.0

From Question to Thesis

Writing the Introduction

Writing Body Paragraphs 2.0

Sample Response

"Spitballing" Questions

Start to Finish - Nuts and Bolts

Start to Finish - Text 1

Start to Finish - Text 2

Start to Finish - Thesis and Outline

Start to Finish - Writing the Intro

Start to Finish - Body Paragraphs

Start to Finish - The Conclusion

Start to Finish - Full Response

Individual Oral

2024 Update - The Process at a Glance

2024 Update - From Topic to Global Issue

2024 Update - Global Issue Reboot

2024 Update - Annotating the Extract

2024 Update - Nail the Intro

IO Start to Finish - 1

IO Start to Finish - 2

IO Start to Finish - 3

IO Start to Finish - 4

IO Start to Finish - 5

Five Essential Ingredients

Essential Information

Unpacking the Criteria

What it is, What is isn't

Global Issue 1.0

Global Issue 2.0

Global Issue Workshop

Delivering the Intro

Discussing the Extract

Discussing the Work or BoW as a Whole

The Conclusion

Speaking with Confidence

Choosing the Right Extract

The Q and A

Transitions and Signposting

The Outline

Examiner's Reflection

Analysis and Interpretation Support

The Magic Sentence

The Model Paragraph

Thesis Workshop

Linking Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences

Criterion B: Reader Effect

Criterion B: Evaluation

Criterion A: Discussing Implications

Extending Analysis and Interpretation

Starting Strong - Introductions

Effective Transitions

Annotating the Right Way

Adding Voice to Analysis

Analyzing Figurative Language

Linking Introductions and Conclusions

Analyzing and Interpreting Photographs

Analyzing Photographs in a Body of Work

Analyzing and Interpreting Documentaries

Analyzing Camera Distance and Angle in Film

Deconstructing Political Cartoons

Deconstructing Advertisements

Examiner's Tips and Tricks

Paper 1 - Top Ten Tips

Paper 1 - Exam Checklist

Paper 1 - Pitfalls to Avoid

Paper 2 - Top Ten Tips

Paper 2 - Exam Checklist

IO - Mistakes to Avoid

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More IB English Language & Literature SL Resources

Questionbank.

Develop your analytical skills through in-depth study of a variety of texts. No pre-reading required!

Practice Exams

Choose your revision tool! Contains topic quizzes for focused study, Revision Village mock exams covering the whole syllabus, and the revision ladder to precisely target your learning.

Paper solutions, samples, and analytical skills explanations curated by the IB English guys to pump up your scores.

Past Papers

Full worked solutions to all past paper questions, taught by experienced IB instructors.

General Notes

Stages of an essay, paper 1 essay.

• It is possible to reword the guiding question into your thesis statement.
• Every single one of your points should be rooted in your guided question or in your identified thematic concerns.
• The tone of the text should be illustrated throughout your paragraphs in your analysis of language.
• Use short, specific, short quotes.
• Integrate them into your analysis
• Instructing
• Call to action
• Explanation
• identify the text type
• identify the temporal and spacial context
• identify the author and purpose
• Write three striking devices/conventions.
• identify predominant techniques and provide thesis statement (statement of intent)
• Primary & Secondary Audience
• Textual evidence
• Identify audience and purpose
• Provide examples and textual references
• Statement on the content of the text
• Context of interpretation
• How It was relevant contemporarily, and how it is relevant today
• Identify thematic concerns
• Context of composition
• Content and theme
• How is the message/theme reaching the audience?
• Differentiate theme from the content
• Structure of the text
• Also consider punctuation, sentence structure
• Seventh paragraph onwards
• Comment on images present, if any
• If the image plays a large role in anchoring the text, it should be analysed earlier in the essay.
• Comment on the overall effectiveness of the text
• Personal response - could include critiques

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   Paper 1 Home Free Access Weekend! P1 - Examination Questions P2 - Examination Questions Start Here Paper 2 Individual Oral HL Essay The Learner Portfolio Extended Essay Essential Knowledge Resources  

• Paper 1 - Frequently Asked Questions
• Paper 1 - Structuring a Guided Textual Analysis
• Paper 1 - Video Guide to Textual Analysis
• Paper 1 - Writing Guiding Questions
• Paper 1 - Student Examples: Comic Strip
• Paper 1 - More Samples
• Paper 1 - Dealing with Infographics
• Paper 1 - Examination Strategy
• Paper 1 - Sample texts and student work

The guided textual analysis is challenging enough, but it's clear that one of the texts will also be predominantly visual. Practising the analysis of infographics and, as here, comic strips, will help your preparation. Have a look at the text here and then assess the student samples. 

The Comic Strip

Take a look at the Paper 1 text here . What is the message, and how is it enhanced through the textual features of the comic strip. Make notes for yourself on the points you would make about the themes being explored, and which features of the comic you would be able to deconstruct.

Now read this student response, and take the assessment quiz at the end of the guided textual analysis:

Writers often use specific literary techniques throughout their work in order to relate and identify their characters with the reader, this allows for a more enjoyable and compelling read and makes the reader more invested with the narrative of the work. This can be further seen with reference to Calvin and Hobbes, a comic strip written and illustrated in 1989, by watterson. Meaning, in this comic strip, is achieved carefully through the combination of the text and image.

An example of this would be Wattersons use of colors. Colors such as red, blue and lime green are predominant used in the imagery of the comic strip, they are bold and clearly visible and create a sense of playfulness and innocence of which the world would be seen through the eyes of a child, in this case being Calvin. Hobbes’ color orange in the scene could be used to highlight the tiger in contrast to the harsh reality of the environment. It could be used to further symbolize that Hobbes (the walking talking tiger) isn't in fact real, and is an imaginary friend for calvin. 

The idea of imagination could further be seen through the dialogue choices by Watterson of the two main characters, Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin, the young boy, is very dominant in the story with his speech, he is simply openly expressing his ideas of the world to his friend Hobbes. Hobbes is completely silent and only is seen talking in the final two panels of the comic. This is used to emphasize the relationship between Calvin and hobbes. Hobbes is really simply a means by which Calvin can express his ideas about the world. He doesn't reply and form arguments against Calvin's ideas, and remains silent only to listen in an accepting way, like a father hearing rubbish from their child would. 

The author's use of text size in the panels, also creates meaning and emphasis on what's being said in the scene. Certain words such as “I” and “ME” are bold and capitalized to convey the key subjects of conversation, such as Calvin talking about himself. Others are written in Italics, for example “THAT!?!”, to highlight certain events that have unfolded, in this case Calvin falling into a puddle. The font and text size stays consistent throughout the first 2 thirds of the comic however, all until calvin falls over into a muddy puddle, and yells “HEYY!”. This text is enlarged and changes color from white, to a light pink. This change in pattern controls the rhythm of the story, it slows down the pace and creates a sudden stop in the flow of the dialogue, as something unexpected has happened. This creates a more enjoyable read and compelling story for the reader. The content of the story compliments this idea of changing pace too. The reader switches from focusing on the content of what Calvin is saying to the illustrations. 

Calvin explains in the previous panels that he doesn't believe in ethics anymore, he must do what is necessary to ensure success, and “let others argue about whether it was right or wrong”. The idea is then immediately practiced by Hobbes, by him shoving Calvin into the puddle, because Calvin is in his way. This shows Calvin the absurdity of his argument, and displays how he has become a victim to his own philosophy. The combination of the text, the content as well as imagery slows the story down and grounds the reader as well as Calvin back into the reality of the world. 

The balance between text and image is crucial in the narrative of the story. One may be at a point, dominant over the other, or not as noticeable. But collectively combine to create meaning and rhythm in the comic strip without being abundant and over done.

How would you mark this work?

Understanding & interpretation

This is a clear response to the guiding question, which mostly shows a good thematic understanding of the text and its message, and considers how it is presented with relation to the text type and its features, and what the impact of the text might be.

Analysis & evaluation

Some of the deconstruction is impressive. Evidence is well-chosen and connected to broader thematic insights into the text. The structure, form and features of the comic strip is addressed.

Focus & organisation

Structurally, it is solid but inconsistent. Topic sentences don't help to make it a truly focused analysis, and there is some erratic levels of detail in the responses to different aspects of the text. However, it is clear and organised.

The student has a fluent and easy use of language, but there is often a slip in appropriate register as well as basic punctuation errors, including capitalising proper nouns.

More Responses

Now let's try a different response. Read the following student example, and decide for yourself what marks and comments (as per the example above) you would add:

The Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, by Watterson, features two characters, a tiger, and a young boy. These two are seen to be jumping around the forest while talking. The boy, who speaks the majority of the time, is describing his controversial points of view. The colors and images chosen show the simplicity of the comic strip, targeted towards a younger audience. The type of caricatures that they have chosen assimilates those used for younger audiences, such as Winnie the Pooh, peanuts, and garfield. 

The young kid predominantly states throughout the comic how, “The ends justify the means”, a common phrase used by many, yet hypocritical, since as soon as those who enforce this get affected by someone with the same morals, they get irritated and enraged. It can be seen how moments later after the kid stated this phrase, his companion, the tiger, pushed him into a puddle of mudd, repeating after him “The ends justify the means”. This enrages the young kid, as he states “Why’d you do that”, and, “I didn't mean for everyone, you dolt just me!”, and the tiger calmly walks away. In these parts of the comic strip, the text changes, as certain words are being bolded. The bolded words give more connotation to the meaning of the text. If this was written in a book, the readers would tend to overlook the anger that this child is going through while being pushed into facing the same consequences that he views as ideal yet only for his own. When he states “Why’d you do that”, all words are being bolded, and the last in italics, this shows the shock that the young kid was facing when he was pushed. As the tiger explains “You were in my way. Now you are not. The ends justify the means”, the kid gets more enraged by stating that that moral went for everyone but him, bolding two words, everyone and me. Once again this shows the hypocrisy of the young child, as he expects that he can step over everyone, but as soon as people respond in the same manner he acts enraged by this. The bolding in these parts, show emotion that the kid is displaying, as it makes it clear to the readers and audience that he is infuriated by these actions. This can go back to a well known phrase that states, treat others the way you want to be treated. This phrase is common, and taught mainly to the youth, so that they learn at early stages of their life to take consciousness of their actions and think them through. 

Not only does Calvin and Hobbes use bolded letters to underline emotions and meanings, but they also utilize colors. There can be seen a clear change of color in the speech bubbles of the young kid, once he is pushed in the mud. In the 7th piece of comic strip there is the first change of color, from white to pink text. Colors like pink and red normally tend to be colors of anger, or possibly even symbolize blood. The pink that has been chosen is a light pink, representing that the severity of the consequences of their own actions are not as extreme as it could be in other cases. As the color gets darker it means how there are more possible consequences even worse, possibly symbolizing bloodshed. This could go back to a theme of war, hidden in the comic strip, that has to be deciphered by looking more into this. In a book, these types of analysis would not be able to be interpreted, as color would not be added, showing the importance of this being written as a comic strip. 

Although this piece was published in 1989, this cartoon is one of the few that can be described as timeless, as even though 33 years have passed since its publishing, people can still correctly interpret and understand the meaning. Many may take this as political, since throughout history many nations have shown no mercy to other countries and overstepped them, yet when these other nations respond in the same way they view this as an insult and enraged by this, they name it a possible act of war.  Even in today's world it can be seen how constantly countries step over the limit of other countries, expecting them to not react and defend themselves back, since they can only do these things, and if someone else does this, it is seen as inhumane.  

To conclude, through colors, images and bold text, the simple comic strip can be analyzed even deeper than what it might seem to be. At first glance it might seem like a childs comic strip, that only deserves to be read once, and then left, but once this is deeply analyzed, other meanings can be found within, relating to the world and issues that never seem to leave.

Compare your marks and comments to those of the examiner:

This is a good written response, that not only shows understanding and interpretative skill, but is also written with appropriate register and academic tone. Despite some clear understanding and ability to analyse and evaluate, the structure lets it down. Without a clear thesis nor analytical points in the topic sentences, at times it feels like a running commentary that can be descriptive rather than evaluative. Moreover, it is not always sharply focused around the guiding question even if it is generally responded to within the body of the analysis.

Model Response

The following response attempts to explain what is being attempted in each section of the response and why. It might also be helpful to use this page from ThinkIB to give you some pointers as to the features of comics:

For an introduction, I would always say less is more. Many students try to tell the examiner everything they know about the text, or everything they've worked out, in the introduction alone. This should be saved for the body of the analysis. The introduction should be simple and clear, preferably with some comment that identifies the key ideas of the text. Crucially, it should have a thesis statement that sets out the map of the analytical response:

One of the great truisms is that we, as people, tend to voice strong opinions about the world, only to act in the opposite way when it comes to our own lives. Psychologists call this cognitive dissonance, George Orwell called it ‘doublethink’, and many others merely say we are all capable of great hypocrisy. This is evident in the comic strip, Calvin & Hobbes, produced by Watterson in 1989. Through the characterisation of Calvin and Hobbes, the structure of the narrative and the illustrative shifts from panel to panel, and the synergy of text and image, Watterson presents a comic reflection on the flaws of this kind of human thinking.

It's going to be very important to ensure that the body paragraphs - and you'll probably only have time to write two in the examination - explore the thematic meaning of the text through the features of the text type, as well as directly addressing the guiding question. I would recommend that one of them makes the guiding question explicit in the topic sentence, too, to avoid the examiner missing its central focus. Therefore, for this response outlined in the thesis statement above, I would make the first body paragraph about the characterisation of Calvin and Hobbes and the illustrative shifts from panel to panel (all aimed at some kind of thematic effect, rather than just "to entertain the reader"):

Watterson employs a narrative structure conveyed through the journey of Calvin and Hobbes across the panels that builds up to the twist of the comic and Calvin’s literal fall from grace. Through the use of a splash panel for the title, and an important, zoomed-in close-up borderless panel where Calvin, in a borderless, jagged speech bubble, pontificates about his new philosophical learning about how the ends justify the means, we see the narrative build up to a climax and a resolution. Their characters are presented as Calvin as the leader (smaller though he is than his imaginary tiger friend), and he is the one who leads Hobbes both physically during the walk in the woods and symbolically through the fact that he is the main speaker in the dialogue. This is evident in the first two rows of the comic, as they examine the woods, look under rocks, and hop and skip across stones all up until the moment in panel five when Calvin, thus far the leader, stops and pumps his fist as he draws his conclusion about ‘Get[ting] what you can while the getting’s good,’ emphasising the importance of this moment of realisation, when he says, ‘That’s what I say!’ with the ‘I’ bolded and italicised to highlight the tone of this discovery and the climax of this journey through the panels.

It's important that the next paragraph doesn't just repeat the previous one or become a running commentary - i.e. I've described the first half of the text to you, and now let me describe the second half! As said before, it is also important that it addresses the guiding question directly. In this case, a look at the ending and the twist of the narrative - a conventional part of the comic and the way it contrives an amusing ending - all through the focus of the partnership between the text (the words) and the images should be successful:

Furthermore, the synergy of text and image particularly in the final section of the comic allows for a conventionally comedic ending and the light-hearted recognition of the hypocrisy of human nature. The second row and sixth panel ends with Calvin looking clear but determined by his new understanding of the world, and Hobbes alongside looking pensive. Unexpectedly, as the comic moves to the final row, Calvin is pushed by Hobbes and dramatically yelps with plewds flying from his face. While we don’t see Calvin’s fall - it happens in the gutter between panels - we see the consequence when he is buried in a mud swamp and appears to be crying like someone of his real age. The ‘Why’d you do that?!?’ is capitalised, bolded and exclaimed, and Hobbes is almost taunting him with his innocent repetition of Calvin’s maxim, ‘The ends justify the means,’ explaining (in the only speech he has in the entire text) that Calvin, in his leadership role, was physically and no doubt metaphorically ‘in [his] way’. The final panel, and the final twist in which the thematic message of the comic is expressed, is with Calvin revealing the hypocritical nature of us all when he says, ‘I didn’t mean for everyone… Just me!’ This speech, and Hobbes’ reply - a simple and possibly sincere, ‘Ahh…’ - is in pink, perhaps highlighting that this is the heart of the issue expressed, as is conventional in comics, in the final panel.

A simple conclusion in which you reiterate your findings according to the guiding question in light of the evidence provided, with something pithy and memorable connected to the message of the text, is a great way to end:

A great comic strip presents thought-provoking ideas with an element of humour, and usually presents a twist or punchline in the final panel. Calvin & Hobbes is famous for also presenting such philosophical views on the world through the eyes of a precocious child who, at key moments, reminds us of his youth and naivety. In this particular comic, Calvin effectively leads the journey of realisation both physically and verbally until, in Hobbes’ only speaking moment, he points out that Calvin’s belief in the end justifying the means is never as appealing when it is turned on oneself. As Groucho Marx famously said, paraphrasing an unknown US politician: ‘These are my principles. If you don’t like them, I have others.’

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English lang and lit Paper 1 How to structure

Hi, I have questions about text analysis in paper1 (Im actually taking Japaese lang and lit but advice on english lang and lit helps me as well). I really dont know how to structure. Do you guys have any solid structure? Do i have to do summary of the text? What should I write in the 2nd paragraph? Please help me! any tips will help me. Thank you.

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English A: Language and Literature Support Site

Keep things as they are.

Read the following stimulus text, guiding question and the student's response. Apply the P1 assessment criteria and discuss the marks that you would award the script before reading the examiner's marks and comments. How different were your marks and comments from the examiner's marks and comments? What improvements could be made to this student's response, in order to achieve better results?

The IB encourages all learners to develop thinking skills. Creative thinking, as defined by the IB, considers problems from new perspectives. How can you look at the stimulus texts from different perspectives? Imagine how this text would have been viewed in the context of the Occupy demonstrations around the world in 2011. The information at the top of the exams provides you with enough information to consider this perspective. Try to think outside the borders of the stimulus text to image its effects on various target audiences. 

This is a difficult exam. What can you say about one political cartoon with only a few words and a single panel? This model response shows you how you can say a lot about a little. Despite its brevity, this response digs deep into the meaning of every little symbol (a cigar!), the use of water colours and the characters' body language. This is where it helps to be an inquirer. 

Related pages

• Text types: Magazine covers
• Paper 1 skills: Mind mapping a thesis statement
• Paper 1 Example: VOTE

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

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

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

Paper 2 Exam Review Video Course

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

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

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

May 2024 Exam Prep

We know students are gearing up for exams, and we’re eager to help.  Check out our latest videos before exam day.  Also, be sure to head over to Revision Village for solutions to past papers.  Lots of help available!

Paper 2 From Start to Finish

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

Unpacking the Paper 2 Task

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

Breaking Down Text 1

Document: 1-Text Organizer   – TEXT 1

Breaking Down Text 2

Document: 1-Text Organizer   – TEXT 2

Comparing Texts 1 and 2

Document: Comparative Organizer

Writing the Outline and Thesis

Document: Getting ready to write

Writing the Introduction:

Document: Writing the Intro

Writing Body Paragraphs.

Document: Body Paragraphs

Writing the Conclusion

Document: Paper 2 Conclusions

Scoring the Sample Paper 2

Document: Examiner Scoring

Paper 2 - Breaking Down the Skills

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

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

Paper 2 Details and Tips

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

Document: Breaking Down the Question

Don’t forget to brainstorm and mind map!

Document: Brainstorming and mindmapping

The thesis is important…watch this video!

Document: Writing the Thesis

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

Document: Structuring the Response

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

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

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

Document: Writing Conclusions

Paper 2 - Refining Our Skills

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

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

Document: From Question to Thesis

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

Document: Introduction 2.0

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

Document: Comparative Body Paragraphs

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

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

Document: Paper Two - Student Sample

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

Document: Paper Two - Top Ten Tips

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

Document: Spitballing Paper 2

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

Document: Paper 2 Checklist

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