Analysing Literary Extracts & Bodies of Work (DP IB English A: Language and Literature: HL): Revision Note

Analysing literary extracts and bodies of work enables you to explore how creators construct meaning and present global issues through specific authorial choices. This section will help you to develop your analytical skills and show you how to connect your extract to your wider text or body of work. It consists of:

• Analysing your extracts

• Linking your extracts to your wider texts or bodies of work

• Understanding how your teacher can support you

Analysing your extracts

It is important to remember that your extracts must both feature your global issue and also be rich in authorial choices. If your chosen extracts present the global issue but lack strong authorial choices, you will struggle to analyse how meaning is constructed. Similarly, if your extract has strong authorial choices but does not link clearly to your global issue, then your analysis will lose focus and relevance. 

• Your extracts are meant to help you focus your response:

  • They remove the need to learn quotations and enable you to explore more precise issues

  • For example, style, specific devices and other distinct techniques used by authors to present the global issue

• Your choice of extracts should show your understanding of the relevance of the part to the whole:

  • They should enable coverage of larger and smaller choices made by the writers to shape their perspectives on the global issue

Exploring authorial choices

A strong understanding of authorial choices is essential when preparing for the IO. The strongest presentations move beyond identifying techniques and instead explain how and why those choices shape meaning. 

Criterion B in the mark scheme specifically assesses the extent to which you analyse and evaluate how the creator’s use of language, technique, style and broader authorial choices shapes meaning. Your analysis must demonstrate that these choices are deliberate and significant and show how they link to your global issue.

Let’s explore some key authorial choices and how they can be used effectively in your presentation.

You should aim to highlight 3–4 points within your extract to focus on. These should be the most significant aspects of the extract which offer the strongest opportunities for you to analyse. 

Linking your extracts to your wider texts or bodies of work

Once you have explored one of your extracts, you need to also demonstrate how the GI is explored across the wider text or body of work.

Here are some examples of how you might link your GI to both extracts while also connecting them to the larger work or body of work.  

Understanding how your teacher can support you

Your teacher plays an important role in guiding you through the preparation process and ensuring that you meet the assessment criteria.

Your teacher can help to:

• Check that your work follows academic guidelines

• Monitor your progress regularly:

  • They can provide you with regular feedback and ensure your focus is relevant

• Guide you in shaping a global issue:

  • They can help you refine your global issue and ensure it is relevant and not broad or narrow

• Support your understanding of how to analyse your chosen texts

• Structure your outline effectively:

  • They can support you in identifying how the texts create meaning in relation to the global issue

• Clarify the assessment criteria