IB English Lit HL key terms

A problem of broad, transnational significance explored through two works in the individual oral; it must be genuinely present in both texts, not merely a topic or theme such as love or death.

An internally assessed recorded presentation in which the candidate discusses how a global issue is presented in one literary and one non-literary work, using extracts as a starting point.

A short passage chosen by the candidate from a studied work that anchors discussion in specific language; in the oral it must be accompanied by a wider reference to the whole text.

A focused question the candidate formulates to frame the oral, directing attention to how the global issue is constructed rather than simply what the works are about.

Sustained, detailed attention to the language, structure and stylistic choices of a short passage in order to show how meaning is produced, not merely what it states.

The Paper 1 task of writing an analytical response to an unseen text, guided by a prompt question that directs attention to a particular feature or aspect of the extract.

A passage the candidate has not studied before, encountered for the first time under examination conditions and analysed without external resources or prior preparation.

The Paper 2 task requiring a sustained argument that compares two studied works in the light of a given question, balancing both texts rather than treating them separately.

A central claim in a comparative essay that asserts a meaningful relationship between two works, going beyond the observation that both address the same theme.

A specific basis on which two texts are set side by side, such as treatment of a theme, narrative technique, structure or use of a recurring image.

The HL Essay: an independently researched critical essay of 1,200 to 1,500 words on a focused line of inquiry concerning one studied work or body of work.

A precise, arguable question that drives independent critical writing, narrow enough to be answered within the word limit and specific to the chosen text.

Critical or scholarly material consulted to inform and contextualise an argument; it should support original thinking rather than substitute for the candidate's own analysis.

Quoted or closely referenced material from a literary work used to support an interpretive claim, ideally brief, precisely located and followed by analysis of its wording.

A deliberate technique used by a writer to shape meaning or effect, such as metaphor, juxtaposition, repetition or shifting narrative perspective.

The genre and structural shape of a work, such as novel, sonnet, drama or graphic narrative, together with the conventions that shape how it communicates.

A recognised category of writing with shared conventions, such as tragedy, detective fiction, memoir or travel writing, which shapes reader expectations.

An established practice or expectation associated with a genre or medium, which a writer may follow, adapt or deliberately disrupt for effect.

The distinctive manner of expression in a text, produced by choices in diction, syntax, rhythm, imagery and tone that together create a recognisable voice.

A writer's choice of words, including register, connotation and level of formality, which strongly influences tone and the reader's response.

The degree of formality or specialised language appropriate to a situation, which a writer may vary within a text to signal character, setting or attitude.

The attitude conveyed by a text or speaker towards its subject or audience, inferred from word choice, rhythm and phrasing rather than stated directly.

The associations and emotional colouring a word carries beyond its literal meaning, which writers exploit to create layers of implication.

A gap between what is stated and what is meant, or between expectation and outcome, often used to create critical distance or humour.

The quality of admitting more than one plausible interpretation, whether deliberately cultivated by a writer or arising from complex language and situation.

The position from which a story is told, including first or third person, omniscience or limited knowledge, and how much the narrator reveals.

A narrator whose account the reader has reason to doubt, because of limited knowledge, bias or deliberate distortion, inviting active interpretation.

The historical, social, cultural and biographical circumstances surrounding a text's production or reception, which can inform but should not determine interpretation.

The position of a text within a particular period, shaped by the events, values and debates of its time, which may illuminate its concerns and assumptions.

The ways in which audiences and critics have understood, valued or contested a text over time, showing that meaning can shift across eras and cultures.

The relationship between texts, whereby one work echoes, reworks, quotes or answers another, so that meaning is shaped by awareness of the earlier text.

An indirect reference to another text, event or cultural work that relies on the reader's knowledge to produce its full meaning.

A reworking of an existing text into a new form or medium, such as a film from a novel, which reshapes meaning for a new audience.

The body of works widely regarded as culturally significant and worth studying, a selection that reflects particular historical and institutional values.

What a writer is thought to have meant or aimed to achieve; a contested idea in criticism, since interpretation may exceed or resist the author's stated purpose.

An approach treating meaning as produced in the interaction between text and reader, so that interpretation varies with the audience's knowledge and expectations.

A concise, arguable claim that organises an essay's argument and indicates the direction the analysis will take.

A collection of texts by one writer or from one medium, such as a series of poems or a set of advertisements, treated as a coherent unit of study.