IB English: Paper 2 (exam notes)

You'll be judged on five criteria, each with five markband descriptors. The highest mark you can get is 25. The criteria and the requirements to achieve five marks in each are listed below. Criterion A: Understanding of the Text 5 : Excellent understanding of the text # perceptive understanding of the thought and feeling expressed in the text as well as some of the subtleties of the text # detailed and persuasive references to the text. Criterion B: Interpretation of the Text 5 : Excellent interpretation of the text # the candidates ideas are convincing and include an appropriate and considered personal response # the analysis is consistently detailed and persuasively illustrated by carefully chosen examples. Criterion C: Appreciation of Literary Features 5 : Excellent appreciation of the literary features of the text # detailed and persuasive appreciation of the effects of the literary features of the text # the analysis is detailed and illustrated by carefully chosen examples. Criterion D: Presentation i.e. STRUCTURE 5 : A clearly focused, well-developed and persuasive argument # purposeful and effective structure to the commentary # supporting examples are well integrated into the body of the commentary. Criterion E: Formal Use of Language 5 : The language is clear, varied, precise and concise # clear, varied, precise and concise use of language # no significant lapses in grammar, spelling and sentence construction # precise use of wide vocabulary and varied idiom and style # effective choice of register.

Examiners Reports:
Understanding of the Texts: re-read the texts as many times as possible. clearly support your answer with detailed references to the texts remember that plays are meant to be staged and performed so bear in mind the theatrical effect of what is written down on the page when you are analysing the texts Response to the Question: answer the question you are set, make sure that you know the texts well and develop your own point of view or interpretation of your texts as this will enable you to respond personally and creatively to the question that you have actually been asked avoid simply re-telling the examiner what happens in the story

choose a question that can be sensibly applied to the texts that you are going to write about spend time exploring which texts were more powerful or effective, but remember to justify your claims define key terms early on in your essay to give you a clear sense of direction e.g. change of status

Appreciation of Literary Features: analyse how a variety of literary features have been used by the author of a text to evoke meaning and create a gradually unfolding series of ideas. In addition, you must remember to: bear in mind that any given literary feature, for example the motif of light in Streetcar, does not always do the same job throughout the text. explore specific examples of each feature, e.g. Stanleys coloured lights, rather than just talking about light in general use quotations or specific references to the text to support every point you make repeatedly use the authors name and talk about the effect that Miller or Williams creates so that you can demonstrate to the examiner your awareness that the text is constructed by the authors in order to have a particular effect

Presentation: PLAN, Think carefully about what is relevant to the question you have been asked and spend time grouping these ideas together into a coherent whole Write a comparative essay where you switch back and forth between the texts that you are comparing rather than writing half an essay about text 1 followed by half an essay about text 2 Language: Avoid writing in an overly verbose style: succinctness and concision invariably scores over verbosity

Essay Structure
a. Block Structure use this if your main points from one of the Part 3 works are different than your main points from the other Part 3 work youre going to discuss in your essay. b. Point-by-point Structure use this if your main points can all be illustrated by both of the Part 3 works youre going to discuss in your essay. i. Intr ii. Block 1: all about Part 3 work (a) 1. Main point 1 illustrated by Part 3 work (a) 2. Main point 2 illustrated by Part 3 work (a) 3. Etc iii. Block 2: all about Part 3 work (b) 1. Main point 3 illustrated by Part 3 work (b) 2. Main point 4 illustrated by Part 3 work (b) 3. Etc iv. Conclusion i. Intro ii. Main point 1 1. Main point 1 illustrated by Part 3 work (a) 2. Main point 1 illustrated by Part 3 work (b) 3. Any comments you want to mention about a Part 2 work of the same genre iii. Main point 2 1. Main point 2 illustrated by Part 3 work (a) 2. Main point 2 illustrated by Part 3 work (b) 3. Any comments you want to mention about a Part 2 work of the same genre etc etc iv. Conclusion

IB HL Paper 2: Drama Questions (mostly from 2005 2006)

(a) Some plays are either serious or light-hearted; others include both elements. Consider some of the ways in which either or both sorts of element are presented in two or three plays that you have studied and discuss their importance for the understanding of the plays as a whole. (b) Some dramatists make more significant use of physical elements such as stage scenery than do others. Discuss the extent of the use of such features and their impact on meaning in two or three plays that you have studied. (a) In plays, no one arrives on or leaves from the stage without contributing in some way to the complexity of the play. Considering two or three plays you have studied, compare the impact on meaning of some arrivals and departures from the stage. (b) What dramatic techniques have playwrights used to convey ideas and/or beliefs in two or three plays you have studied, and how effective have they been? (a) In dramatic construction there must be variation of pace and rhythm, monotony of any kind being certain to induce boredom. Comparing at least two plays you have studied in the light of this statement, show how variations of pace and rhythm have been used to attract or heighten the interest of the audience. (b) To what extent can the plays you have studied be seen to have, directly or indirectly, a social or political purpose? Refer to two or three plays, exploring how they achieve their purposes. (a) On the stage character must be created solely through action, behaviour and speech. Compare the skill with which dramatists create our impression of the characters in two or three plays you have studied. (b) All plays pose questions about the world, yet some questions are easier to ignore than others. In the light of this statement, evaluate the questions raised in two or three plays and show how and to what degree these issues are explored. 1. Compare and contrast the role of symbolism in two or three plays you have studied. 2. Long after the words are forgotten, the spectacle of the drama is remembered. Compare two or three plays you have studied in light of this question. 3. Visual action can be as important on the stage as speech. How far do you agree with this claim? In your answer you should refer to two or three plays you have studied. 4. Compare the dramatic effectiveness of the relationship between setting and plot in two or three plays you have studied.