Comparative Essay Model Answers (DP IB English A: Language and Literature: HL): Revision Note

Criterion A

Knowledge, understanding and interpretation

5 marks

Criterion B 

Analysis and evaluation:

• B1: Analysis and evaluation of textual features and/or authorial choices (5 marks)

• B2 Comparative analysis (5 marks)

10 marks

Criterion C 

Focus and organisation

5 marks

Criterion D

Language 

5 marks 

Total

25 marks

Marks

Descriptor

5

• There is perceptive knowledge and understanding of the works and a persuasive interpretation of their implications in relation to the question

Common mistakes to avoid

Using pre-prepared essays

• Avoid relying on memorised or pre-written responses:

  • Your argument must be shaped by the specific wording of the question 

Making general comments without evidence

• Avoid vague or unsupported points:

  • Always support your ideas with specific references or examples from your texts

Focusing on knowledge instead of interpretation

• Avoid simply showing that you know the text:

  • Interpretation means explaining what the evidence suggests and why it matters

Overusing quotations

• Avoid long or excessive quotations:

  • Use short, precise references and focus on explaining their significance

Marks

Descriptor

10

• The essay demonstrates a consistently insightful and convincing analysis of textual features and/or broader authorial choices

• There is a very good evaluation of how such features and/or choices contribute to meaning

• There is a very good analysis of the similarities and/or differences between the two works selected

Common mistakes to avoid

Identifying techniques without analysing them

• Avoid simply spotting features:

  • Always explain how the technique works and what it reveals

  • Explain why the writer uses it and what effect it has on the reader

Ignoring broader authorial choices

• Avoid focusing only on language features:

  • You will be rewarded for comments on aspects such as structure, form, genre, narrative voice, perspective

Not including evaluation 

• Avoid only giving an analysis:

  • Evaluating is key to this criterion and this means considering the significance of the writers’ choices

Failing to compare authorial choices

• Criterion B expects comparison of how different writers construct meaning:

  • Directly compare: methods, effects and purposes

Marks

Descriptor

5

• The essay maintains a clear and sustained focus on the task; treatment of the works is well-balanced

• The development of ideas is logical and convincing; ideas are connected in a cogent manner

Common mistakes to avoid

Losing focus on the question

• Avoid drifting away from the task:

  • Ensure each paragraph connects to the key focus of the question

Lack of a clear argument

• Avoid writing a response which does not have a clear line of reasoning:

  • Your essay should build a clear argument

  • Use connective phrases to establish links between each of your points

Over-reliance on memorised formats

• Avoid using a rigid essay structure:

  • Always adapt your essay to the demands of the question 

Imbalanced analysis of texts

• Avoid focusing heavily on one text:

  • Ensure a balanced coverage and depth for each text 

Marks

Descriptor

5

• Language is very clear, effective, carefully chosen and precise, with a high degree of accuracy in grammar, vocabulary and sentence construction; register and style are effective and appropriate to the task

Common mistakes to avoid

Using informal or inappropriate register 

• Avoid casual language:

  • Aim for a formal but natural academic style

  • Register refers to elements such as vocabulary, tone, sentence structure and terminology 

Unclear or awkward expression

• Avoid using overcomplicated phrasing:

  • Prioritise clarity and accuracy over complexity

Frequent grammar and syntax errors

• Avoid errors that affect readability:

  • Aim for accuracy, even if your language is simple

Lack of sentence variety

• Avoid using the same sentence structure repeatedly:

  • Vary your sentence structure to improve fluency  

Exam question

Discuss how the writers of two works you have studied depict social tensions. 

Both The Great Gatsby and A Doll’s House depict social tensions arising from rigid class and gender expectations, yet they differ in the extent to which individuals can challenge these restraints. In A Doll’s House, Ibsen exposes the tension within bourgeois domestic life through realist dialogue and a confined domestic setting, where Nora’s identity is shaped by societal expectations of femininity and obedience. The repetition of diminutives such as “little skylark” emphasises Torvald’s patronising use of language and Ibsen uses this to portray the power imbalance within their marriage. In contrast, Fitzgerald presents social tensions through the 

divide between old and new money, which shapes Daisy’s choices and limits her freedom. This effectively confines her within a world of wealth and spectacle, which is evident through Nick’s retrospective narration. Daisy’s identity, described as “full of money”, is symbolically used to align her with materialism. This perhaps suggests that her entrapment is inseparable from the social class she inhabits. While both writers critique patriarchal structures, Ibsen constructs Nora’s awakening through dialogue and the climactic stage direction of “The sound of a door shutting is heard from below”. This conveys her departure as an assertion of her autonomy. In contrast, Fitzgerald presents Daisy’s compliance as cyclical and inescapable, further symbolising the moral emptiness of the American Dream. Consequently, although both texts expose the constraints placed upon women within socially constructed systems, they differ in their depiction of whether individuals can challenge these social tensions and achieve real freedom.

Exam question

Discuss how the writers of two works you have studied portray female resistance within oppressive or authoritarian systems.

Both Satrapi and Atwood portray female resistance within authoritarian regimes which seek to control female identity, however the type of resistance in each text demonstrates their differing degrees of autonomy. In Persepolis, Marjane’s rebellion is frequently overt, whether through political argument, defiance or public confrontation. Satrapi’s graphic form visually underscores this defiance, as bold, simplified imagery illustrates specific aspects of resistance making them very immediate for the reader. This form enables Satrapi to juxtapose Marjane’s personal rebellion against wider societal oppression. In contrast, Offred’s resistance in The Handmaid’s Tale is largely internal. Atwood’s use of first-person narration confines the reader to Offred’s restricted perspective, where memory and subtle acts of non-compliance become her form of survival. This type of resistance illustrates the pervasive aspect of surveillance and fear within Gilead and suggests that rebellion could have fatal consequences. This contrast suggests that while Satrapi presents rebellion as an expression of a developing autonomy, Atwood portrays resistance tempered by a necessary caution within a regime sustained by surveillance and fear. Consequently both texts critique patriarchal control yet they differ in their portrayal of how resistance can be enacted.