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IB English A Past Papers & Drilling (Paper 1): Guided Textual Analysis with Sample Answers
TUTORZONE ORIGINAL DRILLING MOCK · IB ENGLISH A: LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE PAPER 1
Written to the IB English A: Language and Literature course: Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) SL 1 h 15 min, one non-literary text, 20 marks, 35% (Criterion A 10 + Criterion B 10); HL is 2 h 15 min, two texts, 40 marks, 35%. This is a Paper 1 drilling mock with sample analysis and techniques.
What is in IB English A Paper 1?
Direct answer: Language and Literature guided textual analysis – SL 1 h 15 min, one non-literary text, 20 marks, 35%; HL 2 h 15 min, two texts, 40 marks, 35%.
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) | SL one text/20 marks; HL two/40 | SL 35%／HL 35% | SL 1 h 15 min / HL 2 h 15 min |
| Paper 2 (comparative essay) | one essay (30 marks) comparing two studied works | SL 35%／HL 25% | 1 h 45 min |
IB English A Paper 1 drilling technique: read the text type first (ad, speech, blog, cartoon) – conventions shape meaning; every paragraph moves technique -> effect -> purpose, never a list of devices; the guiding question runs through the whole answer (framed in the intro, answered in the body, returned to in the conclusion); quote briefly and precisely, to analyse rather than display.
How this paper was built
This is a TutorZone original drilling mock: the sample text and analysis are our own, not IB past papers, marking references or IB publications; the sample text exists for teaching only.
Pacing
| Section | Marks | Suggested time | What to do first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) | SL 35%／HL 35% | SL: 4 min intro, 55 min body, 6 min conclusion | non-literary text + technique and effect |
| Paper 2 (comparative essay) | SL 35%／HL 25% | about 50 min per work | integrated comparison + argument |
How do I use the guiding question?
Direct answer: it is the spine of your thesis – framed in the intro, answered in every paragraph, returned to in the conclusion. It is not an afterthought.
Paper 1: one non-literary text plus guiding question (20 marks)
Every paragraph moves technique -> effect -> purpose; the guiding question runs throughout.
Question 1 (Guiding question)
Guiding question: “How does the text use language and visual design to persuade its audience to support an environmental campaign?”
Question 2 (Criterion B: 10 marks)
Sample analysis (excerpt): show one paragraph that moves technique -> effect -> purpose.
Question 3 (Criterion B: technique bank)
Which techniques are commonly useful for analysing non-literary texts?
Question 4 (Criterion A: 10 marks)
Sample structure: how should the introduction, body and conclusion be allocated?
Question 5 (Criterion C: 5 marks)
Sample focus: how do you avoid a low-scoring “sentence-by-sentence paraphrase”?
How should each paragraph be built?
Direct answer: in three steps – technique (what the writer uses), effect (what it does to the reader), purpose (how it serves the text’s overall intent).
Paper 1 sample analysis and marks
Question 1
The guiding question is the spine of your thesis, not an afterthought. Answer it in every paragraph: state the technique the writer uses, the effect it creates, then link it to the purpose of persuading.
Question 2
Sample: “The text addresses the reader in the second person (‘you’), paired with a photograph of a polar bear on melting ice (technique); the combination turns abstract climate data into a personal responsibility the reader cannot avoid (effect); the campaign thereby frames donating as a moral obligation (purpose).”
Question 3
Textual: diction, register, metaphor, repetition, rhetorical questions, tone. Visual: composition, colour, typography, layout, gaze. Genre conventions: an ad’s appeals, a speech’s rhetorical structure, a blog’s conversational tone. Always pair each technique with its effect – never just list.
Question 4
Introduction (~4 min): one framing sentence plus a thesis answering the guiding question. Body (~55 min): 3-4 paragraphs, each built on a technique cluster, each moving technique -> effect -> purpose. Conclusion (~6 min): sum up how the text fulfils its purpose, returning to the guiding question. Never narrate the content.
Question 5
Give every body paragraph a clear topic sentence and quote only the shortest, most representative words (quotation serves analysis, not display); end each paragraph by returning to the guiding question and the writer’s purpose, so the whole answer reads as one argument rather than a list of observations.
Which topics does this paper drill?
Direct answer: non-literary textual analysis, identifying textual and visual techniques, using the guiding question, and the Criterion A/B mark structure.
Where these marks are usually lost
| Mistake | What it looks like | What it costs | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listing devices without effect | Name ten techniques | Each technique needs its effect and purpose | technique -> effect -> purpose |
| Paraphrasing content | Sentence-by-sentence translation | Quote only the shortest, most telling words | analyse, not narrate |
| Ignoring the guiding question | Free-form commentary | The guiding question is the thesis spine | answer the guiding question |
| Ignoring the text type | Ad and speech treated alike | Identify the type, then its conventions | read the type first |
How to use this paper
First drill: the full 1 h 15 min (4 min intro, 55 min body, 6 min conclusion) with no notes.
Mark it: check every paragraph moves technique -> effect -> purpose and answers the guiding question.
Second drill: redo three to seven days later with a fresh text, aiming to finish inside an hour.
What should I do after drilling this paper?
Direct answer: log paragraphs that only listed devices or paraphrased content; drill a fresh unseen text; and move on to the Paper 2 comparative essay.
FAQ
Is this an IB past paper?
No. The sample text and analysis are TutorZone originals, not IB past papers, marking references or IB publications.
What is in IB English A Paper 1?
Language and Literature: analysis of unseen non-literary text(s) with a guiding question. SL 1 h 15 min, one text, 20 marks, 35%; HL 2 h 15 min, two texts, 40 marks, 35%.
How do I reach the top band?
Move technique -> effect -> purpose in every paragraph, answer the guiding question throughout, quote briefly and precisely, and return to the writer’s purpose in the conclusion.
Official references
| Resource | What to check |
|---|---|
| IB Language and Literature subject page (IBO) | Confirm the Paper 1/2 marks and times |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ib-geography-paper-1-mock-2027/ | IB Geography Paper 1 drilling mock |
Related: practice area · IB Global Politics mock · IB Chinese A: Literature Paper 1 mock
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