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HL Essay - Structure and Focus

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25 views1 page

HL Essay - Structure and Focus

Uploaded by

vardanbajaj
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Y12 Language and Literature 2020-21

HL Essay - Structure and Focus Checklist

Introduction
Opening statement is general yet related in some way to the primary text and/or to the Line of Inquiry.
Title of work (or description of body of work), author/creator, and publication date(s) are mentioned in the first
few sentences.
Synopsis of work, or description of general purpose of body of work, is included.
Form of work (film, memoir, play, graphic novel, collection of photographs, essays) is stated clearly.
Thesis statement appears near the end of the introductory paragraph. The thesis statement should be a
comprehensive response to your Line of Inquiry and should include one of the seven key concepts.

Body
Each body paragraph has a clear topic sentence that signals the content of the paragraph.
Content should clearly connect back to the thesis statement expressed in the introduction.
Body paragraphs should be ordered logically either by chronology (order of events or episodes as they occur
in the work) or by key ideas.
Analysis of textual evidence should be introduced with essential contextual information and then follow a
point-evidence-explain approach.
Transitions from point to point and from paragraph to paragraph should be present; aim for a variety of
transition strategies rather than depending exclusively on transition words such as “therefore”.
Quotations from the primary text (and from secondary sources, if used) should be cited correctly and citation
style (APA, MLA, or Chicago) should be consistent throughout the essay.
Concluding sentences of each paragraph should be in your own words; avoid ending a paragraph with quoted
text that is not followed by an explanation or remark.
Determine the number of body paragraphs required (4-6 is recommended) by considering the number of key
ideas or key episodes you will analyze. For photograph and essay collections, allow for the possibility that you
may need to dedicate two body paragraphs to one essay or photograph.

Conclusion
Restate your thesis (NOT word for word) and comment on the implications of your exploration at a conceptual
level.
Comment on the implications of the form / text type.
Include a personal opinion or response to the exploration if you feel it’s appropriate.
The conclusion may be brief; 3-4 sentences will usually suffice.

When revising ask yourself the following questions:


● Have I reviewed all criteria on the HL Essay rubric? Have I carefully reviewed feedback from my mock
HL Essay?
● Have I selected the most telling quotations to support my claims?
● Does my analysis demonstrate an authentic engagement with textual features and how they convey
meaning? Do I consistently comment on features unique to a particular form, e.g. features of film,
memoir, or drama?
● Do my observations show an excellent knowledge and understanding of the work–the kind of
understanding that results from ​multiple readings​ and ​deep, considered thought​?
● Do I maintain a focus on the main argument as stated in the thesis? Does the argument unfold logically?
● Are my supporting examples integrated seamlessly into my writing? Is quoted text introduced with a
reminder of the context in which the words were spoken / narrated / image was created?
● Is my tone objective? Is my writing concise and precise?
● Are all of my citations in order? Is my Works Cited page complete? Do I have a title for the essay?

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