Educerie · IB Diploma · English A: Language and Literature
Paper 2 — Comparative essay: how to write it
The paper. It has four general questions. You answer one, comparing two literary works you studied in class. You won't have the books with you. SL and HL sit the same paper: 1 hour 45 minutes, 25 marks, marked with the criteria first used in May 2026.
Before the exam: prepare pairs, not single books
- Choose two or three pairs of works that compare well: a shared theme (power, identity, family, conflict) told through different forms or contexts.
- Learn 8 to 10 short quotations per work, each one useful for several themes.
- Know each work's key choices: narrator or speaker, structure, setting and its context, and the main symbols.
- Practise on past-style questions. They are general ("how do works present an outsider?"), so a well-prepared pair fits most of them.
The 105 minutes
- 10 minutes: pick the question your pair answers best, and plan a thesis plus three comparative points.
- 85 minutes: write.
- 10 minutes: check that each paragraph compares, and fix your language.
Structure: compare inside every paragraph
Don't write half the essay on one book and half on the other. Each body paragraph should:
- Make a comparative point that answers the question (both works…, but where X…, Y…).
- Give evidence from both works: a quotation, or a precise reference to a scene.
- Analyse the authors' choices: how form, voice, structure or imagery create that meaning in each.
- Weigh the comparison: say why the difference matters, such as context, purpose or effect on the reader.
Your introduction names both works and their authors, defines the question's key term, and gives a thesis that already compares. Your conclusion answers the question directly.
What the criteria reward (25 marks, from May 2026)
| Criterion | Marks | What gets you the top band | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Knowledge, understanding and interpretation | 5 | Sure knowledge of both works, used to answer this question |
| B1 | Analysis and evaluation of the works | 5 | You explain how each author's choices create meaning |
| B2 | Comparison | 5 | The similarities and differences are argued throughout, not bolted on at the end |
| C | Focus and organisation | 5 | A clear comparative argument, paragraph by paragraph |
| D | Language | 5 | Precise, accurate, formal writing |
B1 and B2 together are 10 of the 25 marks, so analysis and comparison decide most of your grade. The full level descriptors are in the IB's 2026 Paper 2 criteria, which your teacher has from My IB.
Common mistakes
- Retelling the plot. A marker who knows the books learns nothing from a summary.
- Comparing only at the end, in one paragraph.
- Ignoring the question's key word and writing a prepared essay instead.
- Misquoting. A precise paraphrase is safer than a wrong quotation.
Checklist before you hand in
- My thesis answers the question and compares both works
- Every body paragraph uses both works
- I analysed authors' choices (form, voice, structure), not only content
- My conclusion answers the question directly
Educerie · written from the IB Language A: language and literature guide (first assessment 2021) and the Paper 2 criteria in use from May 2026. Original text. Last reviewed 19 October 2026.