This is a guide on how to write the IB Paper 1 essay. Contains: | General information | Criteria | Tips | Roadmap for Paper 1 | Paper 1 essay structure | Terminology for every text type: images, magazine covers, advertisements, films, commercials, political cartoons, comics, graphic novels, street ...
Paper 1
How to write the essay
IB
General Information
• You’ll have 75 minutes for the test.
• You’ll get 1 unseen text and you’ll have to identify what type of text it is (advertisement, blog,
speech, etc.). You will have to use the correct connecting key features to that type of text to
analyse the text in one essay.
Criteria for the Paper 1 - Essay
I. Understanding and Interpretation: Have you understood the text?
II. Analysis and Evaluation: Have you used correct language, style, structure and analysing
skills?
III. Focus and Organisation: Have you organised your ideas in a focused way?
IV. Language: Is your language clear, accurate, varied and appropriate?
Tips
*Only talk about features of the text if they’re relevant.
*You do not need a title for your essay.
*Use words like “because” or “for this reason” to create a connection between the text and the
author’s purpose. “It is because of this direct style that [the author]’s opinion about [subject]
seems strong”.
*ONLY refer to the author with his/her full name here! In the rest of you essay, only use his/her last
name.
*Don’t use shortened forms (it’s vs it is).
*Keep your essay formal.
*Use advanced and varied vocabulary.
1
, Roadmap for Paper 1 Essay
Steps Information Tips
1 - Identify what type of text it Choose from: *When you get both an image and
is Image, Magazine Cover, a text containing words, you have
Advertisement, Film, Commercial, to comment on both.
Political Cartoon, Comic, Graphic
Novel, Street Art, Speech, News
Article, Blog, Poem.
2 - List the correct terminology Make a list of all the terms you
that links to your text type (5 studied that link to your text type.
min)
3 - Analyse and process it into In it, you’ll address:
a scheme (10 min) -Text type.
-All terminology linking to the
text.
-Date of publication, name of
author, where the article was
written.
-What the text is about.
-What you’ll write about in each
body paragraph of your essay
(think of the terms from step 2).
-Your thesis statement.
-The author’s purpose.
-Style of text.
-Structure of text.
-Targeted audience.
-Tense of text.
-Tone: formal, informal, somber?
-Diction: simple of complex?
4 - Write your essay (50 min) See “Essay Structure”. *Give examples of what you’re
writing about using quotations.
The author’s apology is
emphasised in the last paragraph,
where she states:
‘[quotation]’ (line 34-36)
*Do not only give examples, also
explain what the e ect is of what
you’re writing about.
5 - Check your essay (10 min) -Check the content: does it make
sense?
-Check the vocabulary: is it
formal, varied and complex?
Have you NOT used shortened
forms (it’s/we’re/don’t/etc)?
-Check the grammar:
are the verb tenses correct?
-Check the structure: does it
match the Paper 1 structure
table?
-Check the criteria:
I. Understanding & Interpretation
II. Analysis & Evaluation
III. Focus & Organisation
IV. Language
2
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