What is the IB English HLE?
The IB English HLE is a 1200-1500 word formal essay that explores a specific aspect of a literary, or non-literary text studied in your course. Your goal is to develop a clear line of inquiry, provide strong evidence, and present a focused, well-structured analysis.
How are you assessed?
There are four criteria (A to D), and each is worth 5 marks (Total = 20 marks):
- 📚 A: Knowledge, understanding and interpretation – Do you show a strong understanding of the text and its deeper meanings?
- 🤔 B: Analysis and evaluation – How well do you analyse the techniques used by the author and their effect?
- 🔎 C: Focus, organisation and development – Is your argument clear, logical, and well-structured?
- 📕 D: Language – do you use appropriate academic language and maintain clarity throughout?
Getting Started 1 – How do I choose my HLE text?
Your HLE text choice is crucial – use the following as a guide to help you choose:
- Personal interest: You will spend a lot of time with this text so the more you are interested and intrigued by it the more willing you will be to work on your HLE!
- Analytical depth: Your text should have layers of meaning and techniques to explore. If choosing a non-literary text (like I did!), ensure you have multiple examples that offer sufficient analytical content.
- Availability of evidence: Check if you have enough resources – teachers, past essays, scholarly discussions on you text to support your analysis etc.
Getting Started 2 – How do I choose my HLE Topic?
A great HLE starts with a strong, focused line of inquiry – the foundation of your analysis. There are a couple steps in developing this foundation:
- Themes: Identify a theme that resonates with you, and has strong textual relevance (e.g. power and structures, gender hierarchy, love and betrayal).
- Ensure complexity: A strong question goes beyond surface-level observations. See the two examples below:
- ❌ Weak: How is love shown in Macbeth? Too broad, lacks analysis
- ✅ Strong: How does Shakespeare use blood imagery to depict the transformation of Macbeth’s moral compass? Specific, analytical, and allows for textual exploration.
- Finding the Right Balance: You want an inquiry that allows for depth of analyse, but isn’t so niche that research becomes difficult. Consider whether you can write 1200-1500 words on your topic, and whether there is enough evidence.
- Check with your Teacher: Ultimately, teachers (in general) are great points of call for decision-making, and whether you have the right balance, and complexity in your line of inquiry.
Structuring Your HLE (Criterion C)
You need a well-balanced HLE, and hence, having a defined structure to develop your essay from is super helpful! I suggest the following structure.
Introduction:
- Hook your audience – typically with a thought-provoking question or bold statement.
- Briefly introduce your text, and the author. Usually one or two sentences to give a basic background.
- Set up your argument and present a clear thesis statement.
Body Paragraphs (3-4 recommended):
- Topic sentence, introducing the main idea of the paragraph, connecting to your thesis statement.
- Present well-integrated evidence (quotes, advertisements etc)
- Critically analyse the evidence, showing how it supports your argument.
- Rinse and repeat! o End with a mini-conclusion, linking back to your main argument.
Conclusion:
- Summarise your key points (without repeating them word for word).
- Reinforce the significance of your argument.
- Offer a final insight or connection to a broader societal theme.
Choosing Evidence (Criterion A)
In general, quality over quantity is a good principle – a few strong examples with deep analysis are better than many weak ones. For a good quality selection of evidence:
- Relevance: The evidence has to support your inquiry.
- Analyse, don’t summarise: Use this structure – 1. Introduce context, 2. Embed the evidence, 3. Analyse techniques and effect.
- Variety: Use quotes, structure, motifs, patterns and more to show a variety of evidence.
- Link to your Thesis: Do this so your evidence supports your argument.
Refining Your Writing (Criterion D)
Once your draft is complete, refine your essay with the following things in mind:
- Formal academic language: Avoid contractions, casual phrasing, or vague statements.
- Vary sentence structure: Mix short and long sentences for more flow.
- Embed quotations: Smoothly transitioning into and out of evidence improves flow and ease of reading.
- Word count: Typically, 1380-1420 words is a sweet spot where you aren’t pushing the upper edge of the word count, but you still have enough substance to achieve a high grade.
- Proofread rigorously: Fix spelling, grammar, or general phrasing mistakes.
Tips to Success in your HLE
- ⏰ Start early: The more time you have on this task, the better it will be!
- 📝 Check out the rubric (below): Know specifically what you are marked on.
- 🙋♀️ Ask for feedback! Teachers and tutors are good for all-round help, but family members can be really good for Criterion C & D.
Manoj Arachige
FAQs
What makes a good HL essay thesis statement?
A strong thesis is clear, debatable, and specific. It should make an argument rather than simply stating a fact about the text.
Can I write my HLE on a non-literary text?
Absolutely! You can analyse non-literary texts such as advertisements, speeches, or movies as long as they are studied in class. I did mine on Dior advertisements, and I was super interested in it, so you can absolutely do it!
How many quotes should I include in my essay?
There is no fixed number for how many quotes, as it all depends on your analysis and structure. As a general guide, aim for 2-3 well-analysed quotes per paragraph to support your argument effectively.
Want personalised study guidance to help drastically improve your marks? A private tutor can make the biggest difference!
This article was written by KIS Academics Tutor Johnny Turner. Johnny is studying a Bachelor of Music (Jazz Performance) (Advanced) at the University of Adelaide, and looks to study biochemistry or biomedicine in the future. He tutors various SACE and IB subjects, including biology, English, Spanish, and music. You can view Johnny’s profile here and request him as a tutor.
