Practice Flashcards
How long is the HL essay?
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All Flashcards in Topic 5.1
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5.1.110 cards
How long is the HL essay?
1,200–1,500 words.
How many works?
One — a literary work or a non-literary body of work (not a comparison).
Who sets the question?
You — it's your own line of inquiry.
What is it worth / marked out of?
20% of the HL grade; marked out of 20 (criteria A–D).
Is it exam or coursework?
Written coursework — you have time to think and redraft.
What must it develop?
A focused, arguable line of inquiry — a developed argument.
What is it NOT?
Not a summary, a book review, or a comparison.
What supports the argument?
Close analysis of the writer's choices, with evidence.
Register?
Formal, academic prose.
The HL essay in one line?
1,200–1,500 words, formal, ONE work, your own line of inquiry, /20.
Topic 5.1 study notes
Full notes & explanations for Understanding the HL essay
English A Lang & Lit exam skills
Paper structures, command terms & tips
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