What 'human rights' covers: Human rights is part of the theme Sharing the planet. You need vocabulary for rights and freedoms, fairness and discrimination, and the ways people stand up for a cause.
How to use this list
- These are common English B words. Treat the list as a glossary.
- Learn each term with its meaning and a synonym.
- Reuse the terms in the reading and writing sections.
- human rights
- the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person
- freedom
- the right to act, speak or think as you want, within the law
- equality
- the state of everyone having the same rights and chances
- discrimination
- treating a person or group unfairly because of who they are
- dignity
- the right to be treated with respect, as a person of worth
- justice
- fair treatment; getting what is right and deserved
- to defend / to stand up for
- to support and protect a person, right or cause
- a cause
- an aim or principle that people support and work for
- a petition
- a signed request asking those in power to do something
- a protest / a peaceful protest
- a public act to show you disagree with something, without violence
- a charity / an association
- an organisation that helps people or works for a cause
- to raise awareness
- to help more people learn about and care about an issue
- fair — unfair
- treating everyone equally and reasonably — the opposite
| Useful expression | What it means |
|---|---|
| I want to stand up for this cause. | I want to support and defend it publicly. |
| Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. | Every person has the right to respect. |
| We should fight against discrimination. | We should act to stop unfair treatment. |
| I signed a petition for the right to education. | I added my name to a request supporting that right. |
| The event raised awareness of the issue. | It made more people learn about and care about it. |
Why this matters: This vocabulary turns up in every skill — a reading text about a campaign, a listening clip about a school club, a Paper 1 blog about a cause, or your oral. Reusing precise topic words is how you score Criterion A (Language).
Free preview
Reading it is one thing — hearing it is another
You're reading the free notes. Aimnova Pro unlocks the full study experience — and you can try it with your first topic free to keep:
- Audio on every wordTap any vocabulary word or example to hear it read aloud in natural English.
- FlashcardsLock in vocabulary and key terms with spaced repetition.
- Practice questionsAnswer exam-style questions and get instant AI marking.
- Mock exams & past-paper vaultSit full mocks and see exactly how examiners award marks.
- Personalised study planA daily plan built around your exam date and weak areas.
Start Studying Free Full access to Aimnova Pro · cancel anytime
Have something to say: Examiners reward developed ideas, not just vocabulary. Around human rights, the common debates are: how young people can make a difference, whether one person's actions matter, and how to defend a cause peacefully. Take a position and back it up.
Opinion phrases (use these to introduce a view)
- In my opinion… / From my point of view… — to introduce what you think
- It seems to me that… / I believe that… — a slightly softer way to give a view
- The most important thing is… — to highlight your main point
- On the one hand… on the other hand… — to weigh up two sides
- I (completely) agree that… / I'm not convinced that… — to react to an idea
Why some people stay silent
- They feel one person can't change anything.
- They're afraid of standing out or being judged.
- They think it isn't their problem to solve.
Why it's worth speaking up
- Change begins little by little, with small actions.
- Raising awareness reaches people who didn't know.
- Defending others' rights protects everyone's rights.
Rights in daily life
- Privacy: cameras that recognise faces
- Education and the right to play
- Being treated with dignity
Children's rights
- The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Children who work instead of going to school
- Children in refugee camps
Speaking up
- A petition that changed a decision
- Standing up for a classmate
- Campaigns against discrimination
- a fundamental right
- a basic right every person has, protected by law
- discrimination
- treating someone unfairly because of who they are
- child labour
- work that stops children going to school or harms them
- a treaty / a convention
- a formal agreement between countries
- to campaign (for / against)
- to work in an organised way to change something
- dignity
- being treated as a person who deserves respect
Link your ideas: Connectors lift your answer from a list into an argument: moreover (to add), however (to contrast), therefore (to conclude), although (to concede). Use at least two or three in any written answer.
Practice with exam-style questions
Answer exam-style questions and get AI feedback that shows you exactly what examiners want to see in a full-marks response.
Try Practice FreeYour first topic is free to keep • No credit card required
Read like Paper 2: Here is a short blog post — the kind of text Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. Read it once just for the general idea; don't worry about every word. Then we'll work through one exam question together.
Six people and a petition (1 of 3): Last month I organised a peaceful event for human rights at my school. I wanted my classmates to learn about every child's right to education.
Six people and a petition (2 of 3)
I made posters, invited a local charity and booked the playground for the Friday. However, only six people came, and at first I felt very disappointed. Even so, those six people listened carefully, asked questions and signed a petition. I realised that change begins little by little, not with a crowd.
Six people and a petition (3 of 3)
I didn't manage to fill the playground, but I learned that standing up for a just cause is always worth it. Today I feel proud of having tried.
- a peaceful event
- a gathering held without any violence
- a petition
- a signed request asking those in power to do something
- disappointed
- sad because something was not as good as you hoped
- a just cause
- an aim that is fair and right to support
- to be worth it
- to be valuable or useful enough to do, despite the effort
IB-style task — one Paper 2 question
One question, step by step
- The question — "According to the text, what did the six people who came do?"
- Find it in the text. Look for what "those six people" did: "those six people listened carefully, asked questions and signed a petition."
- The answer — They listened carefully, asked questions and signed a petition. The words are right there in the text, so no outside knowledge is needed.
Reading technique: For an "according to the text" question, find the exact line that proves your answer — don't rely on memory or general knowledge.
The task: Your school is running a human-rights week. Write an article for the school magazine: describe a cause that matters to you and explain how students can defend it peacefully.
Write 450–600 words.
Article structure — 4 steps
1
Headline and standfirst
A headline, then one line that sums up the article. "Every child deserves a classroom"
2
Introduction
Set the scene and present the topic. "Around the world, millions of children still cannot go to school."
3
Body
Develop your ideas with examples, in paragraphs. "Last month I organised a small event…"
4
Conclusion
Sum up and leave the reader with a final thought. "So stand up for what's right!"
Headline → Introduction → Body → Conclusion
Model: the 4 steps in ~100 words
The article, step by step
- Every child deserves a classroom. One student explains why education is a right worth defending.
- Around the world, millions of children still cannot go to school. For me, that is the cause that matters most.
- Last month I organised a small event about it. Only a few people came, but they asked great questions and signed a petition. That taught me that change begins little by little. Inform yourself before you speak, listen to other points of view with respect, and take one small action.
- So stand up for what's right! Start with one small step this week — you'll be glad you did.
Why it works: A strong article does this for each of the three Paper 1 criteria:
A — Language /12
- Range of tenses: present "cannot go", past "I organised", future "you'll be glad"
- Connectors: "but", "so", "before"
- Topic vocabulary: human rights, petition, cause
B — Message /12
- Task fully done: describes the cause AND peaceful ways to defend it
- A personal example supports the advice
C — Conceptual /6
- Article conventions: headline + standfirst
- Introduction, body and a conclusion that calls readers to act
- Semi-formal tone for magazine readers
Join 2,000+ IB students
Ready to ace Human rights?
You've seen the preview. Here's what you'll unlock:
Bite-Sized Study Notes
Full syllabus broken into chunks that stick
Exam Practice
See exactly how to score full marks
AI Feedback
Know exactly what examiners want
Smart Study Plan
Know exactly what to study next
Your first topic is free to keepNo credit card requiredFree to keep