The conventions regarding setting in novels and short stories have, like all conventions, evolved over time. In The Art of Fiction, David Lodge states that a "sense of place was a fairly late development in the history of prose fiction" and after comparing a description of London from Tom Jones (1749) with a far more vivid, sensory portrait from Oliver Twist (1839) he goes on to claim that:...

Below you can find easily viewable assessment criteria for each examined component. These might be useful to project in class when you are engaged in marking an exemplar response, but also as a means to discuss the meaning of the terms used and what might be required to move from one band of criteria up to the next.

Note that not all the information is included in the tables - please refer to the subject guide for a complete account

The Internal Assessment individual oral is clearly a challenging task. Students are asked to fulfil a number of objectives that bring together different ways of thinking about, as well as responding to, literary works.

The notes below provide more specific guidance in relation to key elements; they are designed to remind teachers of the nature of the task, the key procedural requirements, as well as suggest approaches to teaching and learning that students will hopefully find beneficial.

Paper 1 responses to prose fiction

For many Literature students, prose fiction is their path into literature and remains their preferred genre for independent reading. However, while fictional prose is often the genre students feel most comfortable with reading, it does not necessarily follow that they find it easier to analyse and critically interpret such texts. In many ways fictional prose works against such an approach as authors seek to immerse us in a world where we are asked to believe in the characters and events as if they are real - we lose ourselves in novels and stories and are perhaps less conscious of the craft behind what we're reading.

Sample paper 1 responses

Linked from this page are a range of paper 1 responses with teacher marks and comments. It is important for teachers and students to look at a range of examples so that you become familiar with the expectations of Paper 1 and how student work is assessed using the criteria. While many of these samples could be described as exemplary, they do vary in approach, style and quality; it is important for students to see that there is not one set way of responding to this examination, and it is also useful to look at examples in terms of what they get wrong or could do better, as well as those that do a lot of things right.

Paper 1, the first of two external examination papers, is now called Guided Literary Analysis for both HL and SL students. In this examination students will be given two unseen passages, each from a different literary form and each with an accompanying guiding question. The passages can now be taken from any of the four literary forms listed on the PRL: drama, poetry, prose:fiction and prose:non-fiction. SL and HL students will get the same examination paper with the same texts but there are some important differences in terms of what is required for each level.

A page and download for HL students...

The notes below are designed to give you some guidance with preparing and writing the coursework essay. There are also some links in the text to other areas of this site, which provide further help and support. Do check them out!

Questions for guided literary analysis

For paper 1, guided literary analysis, students are given two unseen literary passages which can come from any of the four literary forms on the Prescribed Reading List: drama, poetry, prose fiction and prose nonfiction. Students then write in response to the extract(s) (one for SL, both for HL) and an accompanying guiding question "on a central technical or formal element that may provide an interesting point of entry into the text." As such, it is important students have the opportunity to practice responding to a variety of texts from all four forms, and the types of guiding questions they might face in the examination.

On this page you will find four samples of Individual Orals undertaken by students as practice for 'the real thing'. They have not been marked officially by the IB and the first three do not have the mandatory teacher questions. Each does explore a Global Issue in relation to two texts, however, and as such can be scored against the criteria. You might want to listen to them and with your students, discuss and then award marks that you think appropriate. Compare then with marks that we would have given. It might also be worth discussing whether or not the Global Issues they identify, and the ways in which they have been phrased, are appropriate.

HL Essay: Exemplar 3 ('Art')

The following response, based on the play 'Art' by French playwright Yasmina Reza, is an excellent example of a HL essay. It is the result of a student choosing a text that engaged them and using their learner profile and the essay writing process to interrogate the play's construction and their interpretation of its meaning. Even with a well-focused question like this, the word count is a challenge and there are areas that feel a little undeveloped. However, to get full marks an essay does not have to be 'perfect' (whatever that means) and, while the awarding of full mark could be disputed in a couple of criteria, this essay certainly does enough to be worthy of the highest grade overall.