Individual Oral Model Answer (DP IB English A: Literature: HL): Revision Note

Marks

Descriptor

9–10

• There is excellent knowledge and understanding of the extracts and of the wider works and a persuasive interpretation of their implications in relation to the global issue

• References to the extracts and to the works are well-chosen and effectively support the candidate’s ideas

Common mistakes to avoid

Focusing too much on the whole texts

• Do not spend too long speaking about the whole texts:

  • Your main focus should always be the extracts

  • You must refer to the whole texts, though only to extend your extract analysis

Including irrelevant ideas

• Avoid including general ideas about themes, critical theories or philosophical ideas:

  • If they are not relevant to your analysis, they will not be awarded any marks

Paraphrasing instead of analysing

• Avoid explaining what the extracts and texts are about:

  • Instead, provide an analysis of each one 

Irrelevant context

• Avoid including background information about the authors or time period:

  • Only include context if it directly supports your analysis

Using too many quotations

• Do not include long sections from the texts as this will take up valuable time:

  • Use short, precise references 

Not covering enough of the extracts

• Avoid focusing on just one small section:

  • Try to explore a range of ideas from across the extracts

Key question

• How well does the candidate use their knowledge and understanding of each of the extracts and their associated work to analyse and evaluate the ways in which authorial choices present the global issue? 

Marks

Descriptor

9–10

• Analysis and evaluation of the extracts and their works are relevant and insightful

• There is a thorough and nuanced understanding of how authorial choices are used to present the global issue

Common mistakes to avoid

Identifying techniques without analysing them

• Do not simply spot literary techniques:

  • You must analyse how a literary feature works and what the effect might be 

Using overly technical terminology

• Avoid using highly complex terms which you do not understand:

  • Only use terminology if you understand it and can explain its effect 

Treating characters as real

• Characters are constructed by the writer:

  • Focus on how the creators present them and why

Confusing themes with topics and motifs

• Avoid confusing themes (big ideas) with topics (e.g. war) or motifs (recurring images or ideas)

Showing little understanding of genre

• Different text types have different features:

  • Show awareness of what the form enables the creators to do (conventions) and any limitations

Marks

Descriptor

9–10

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

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

Common mistakes to avoid

Weak or unclear introductions

• Avoid introductions that do not include a clear argument (thesis):

  • Your introduction should state the main focus of your presentation 

  • It should also be concise

Not clearly situating the extract

• Always explain where the extracts come from within the whole texts

Lack of clear structure 

• Avoid listing points with no clear coherent link:

  • Organise your ideas into linked paragraphs with clear topic sentences

  • Use transitions and linking phrases to guide your teacher

Poor time management

• Avoid finishing too early or running out of time:

  • Plan your time so you can fully develop your ideas 

Weak or missing conclusions

• Do not end your presentation abruptly:

  • Use your conclusion to summarise your argument 

Marks

Descriptor

9–10

• The language is clear, accurate and varied; occasional errors do not hinder communication. Vocabulary and syntax are varied and create effects. Elements of style (for example, register, tone and rhetorical devices) are appropriate to the task and enhance the oral. 

Common mistakes to avoid

Unclear delivery

• Avoid mumbling, hesitating or using fillers (e.g. “um”, “like”):

  • Aim to speak fluently and confidently

Limited or repetitive vocabulary

• Avoid using the same words or phrases:

  • Try to use a range of vocabulary to convey your ideas

Using slang and colloquialisms

• Avoid using informal language:

  • Your language should be formal and academic in tone

Global issue: The representation and control of female identity under systems of power.

This extract from The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Margaret Atwood, explores how women’s identities are controlled and reconstructed within a totalitarian patriarchal society. In this extract, Offred reflects on her restricted existence under the regime of Gilead, where her individuality has been systematically removed. This relates to the global issue of how systems of power can define and limit female identity through ideology and language. Atwood uses a first-person narrative to convey Offred’s fragmented identity and her internal monologue reveals the contrast between memory and reality. The controlled and restricted tone of her narration illustrates the suppression of female autonomy, as Offred is unable to express herself within the society where she lives. This conveys an identity which is imposed externally by systems of power and authority. 

Similarly, Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero depicts how systems of power define and constrain female identity, this time within a patriarchal Egyptian society. The novel is structured as Firdaus’s first-person testimony from a prison cell on the night before her execution, which allows El Saadawi to give voice to a woman who has been silenced and erased throughout her life. Firdaus’s act of speaking becomes a form of resistance to the systems that have controlled her body and identity. El Saadawi’s spare, declarative prose strips away embellishment so that Firdaus’s voice carries the weight of every word, and the framing of the narrative as a confession given to a female psychiatrist reinforces the idea that female identity is recovered only through the act of being heard. This conveys an identity that is reclaimed from within, in direct opposition to systems of power that have sought to define and control it on a wider societal level.