Paper 2
Assessment Overview
 25
total points
 Comparative essay on two of four part 3
works
 Choose one of three questions for your
genre




Questions 1-3: drama (that’s you)
4-6: poetry
7-9: prose novel and short story
10-12: prose other than fiction
PREVIOUS INFORMATION
from assessment overview at the beginning of the
year
OVERVIEW
Exam date: 5 May 2015
 2 hours
 Comparison of two works studied
 Addresses literary conventions of a genre
 Good plan of attack

30 minute plan
 80 minute write
 10 minute reread/fix


These types of questions will also be used for
seminar.
P2

RUBRIC
“adequate”—not pejorative
indicates reasonable fulfillment of the criterion in
meeting the expectations of the task
 shows study and preparation, but not necessarily
personal insight or engagement with the text

CRITERION A

Knowledge


Understanding


best revealed by the use of detailed textual evidence
to support analysis and opinions
shown in the extent to which the candidate makes
some sort of proposal based on supporting
examples
“Perceptive”

show independent and/or incisive thinking in
answering the question
CRITERION B
Genuine comparison vs. side-by-side comparison
 Evaluation (levels 4 and 5)



an attempt to suggest which writer works more
effectively with the designated convention
“Subtleties of the question”—candidate will
either
probe in depth the aspects of the convention under
discussion, or
 challenge a proposition such as “a play should make
you laugh or make you cry”

CRITERION C

“literary conventions of a genre”


Sense of the genre as obviously that genre
“in relation to the question and the works used”

How conventions contribute to meaning
CRITERION D
Not evaluation of textual comparison (Criterion
B) or of appropriateness or accuracy of examples
(Criterion A)
 Effective, logical structuring
 Support well-integrated
 Smooth transitions between and among ideas
 Level 3: five-paragraph essays or three-point (or
four-point, etc.) thesis statements
 Level 5: “persuasively”


Organization must in some way contribute to
strength of argument
CRITERION E
“It is possible to score well here even if
candidates have scored in the lower levels in the
other criteria, and vice versa.”
 Meaning/impact divide
 persistent errors in register, diction, grammar,
syntax, spelling or punctuation do not generally
score in the 3 band

Questions you’ve seen so
far
(modified for seminars on one author or authors of
different genres)
Ondaatje seminar
 (2014a)
Discuss the techniques with which
[Ondaatje] establish[s] a clear picture of
unfamiliar settings and/or experiences in
[his] work?
 Original non-fiction question: Discuss the
techniques with which the authors of at
least two works you have studied
establish a clear picture of unfamiliar
settings and/or experiences in their
works?
more Ondaatje seminar

(2013b) [How has Ondaatje] made use of anecdotes
and/or analogies to achieve [his] purposes[?]

(2013a) While fiction is sometimes thought of as the work
of an individual imagination, non-fiction often relies on
the experiences of others and can thus be seen as the
result of a group or communal effort. How far and to
what effect have you found evidence of this
“communal effort”?

(IBO sample) Discuss the way [Ondaatje has] structured
[his] work to make [his] material clear and interesting to
[his] audience.
Adichie/Ondaatje seminar

A writer once said that the reader should be able to return to
the first pages of a novel or short story and find resonances of
the entire work. Consider the importance of the beginning to
the work as a whole.

A writer in the genre of novel and short story has many tools at
hand for developing character. In the characterization of two
minor but important characters, show how two conventions
you consider important have been used to make the
characters memorable in spite of being minor. [in seminar, stick
to developing a few characters]

[Discuss] the means by which writers establish mood and
atmosphere.

Writers often import or adapt historical material in writing their
works. Explore what or how this material contributes to the
work.
Whitman seminar

(2013a) Explore the means by which [Whitman]
create[s] a distinctive voice or voices in [his] work.

(2013b) A poet’s use of imagery may involve any of
the senses, not just the visual. Discuss the use and
effects of non-visual imagery [in Whitman’s poetry].

(2013b) How do[es Whitman] make use of detail to
present a realistic or unrealistic representation of the
world?

(2014a) Poets address a vast range of subject matter.
Discuss the means and techniques by which
[Whitman has] distilled something focused and
personal from a broad and/or impersonal topic, such
as love, knowledge, work, nature and so on.
Breaking down questions
Breaking down questions

Read the WHOLE question to find your focus

Certain words are going to appear over and
over again BUT it is important to know that there
are two elements to these questions:
A central or recurring element such as the one
described
 A particular angle for this exam, one that
includes the recurring element but asks for
something specific to that element

For example


A writer in the genre of novel and short story has
many tools at hand for developing character. In
the characterization of two minor but important
characters in two works you have studied, show
how two conventions you consider important
have been used to make the characters
memorable in spite of being minor.
A major convention used by novel and short story
writers in developing their characterizations is a
moment of revelation or epiphany. In the works of
two writers you have studied, examine closely
such a moment and the effect it has on the
creation of the character.
What about character am I
being asked to discuss?


A writer in the genre of novel and short story has
many tools at hand for developing character. In
the characterization of two minor but important
characters in two works you have studied, show
how two conventions you consider important have
been used to make the characters memorable in
spite of being minor.
A major convention used by novel and short story
writers in developing their characterizations is a
moment of revelation or epiphany. In the works of
two writers you have studied, examine closely
such a moment and the effect it has on the
creation of the character.
Strategy 1
 Make
a list of all the elements included in
each question.
 Identify both the center of each question
(the recurring element) and the particular
angle for this exam
 Finally, make a list where you prioritize the
elements of each question. What is
central? What is secondary?
Strategy 2
 Re-write
the question in other words.
Practice
 Setting
can often
reflect the
underlying ideas in
a play. In the light
of this statement
consider the
importance and
use of setting in
two or three plays
you have studied.
 Strategy



List all elements
Identify center (the
recurring element)
and particular angle
list priority of
elements: central,
secondary
 Strategy

1 (5m)
2 (5m)
rewrite the question
More practice



In what ways and to what extent does
characterisation in the works you have studied
depend on the use of dialogue? Compare and
contrast at least two works in your answer.
Symbols and/or motifs are essential conventions of
many novels and short stories. Compare the ways
either or both of these devices have been used
and, in your opinion, how successfully, in at least
two of the works you have studied?
Explore how visual imagery contributes to
meaning in poems you have studied. You must
compare the work of at least two poets in your
answer.
Your part 3
DRAMA
Prompt 1
 “Drama
is created by placing ordinary
people in situations of crisis.” Explore some
of the methods used to create drama in
this way in at least two of the plays you
have studied.
 Break down the question.
 Brainstorm.
 Read sample essay.
 Score.
Prompt 1 marking notes

An adequate to good answer will



A very good to excellent answer may


identify and compare moments of drama which
are created by ordinary characters placed in
situations of crisis
make a reasonable case for the “ordinariness” of
the character and the critical nature of the
situation in a considered discussion of relevant
examples
clearly identify and thoughtfully compare judiciously
chosen examples evaluating their dramatic effect in the
chosen works
Revisit score.
Prompt 1 subject area report



Some responses became a re-telling of the plot of
the plays without close attention to the idea that
drama is created because the character is
ordinary and because this ordinary character has
a crisis. A re-telling of the story often only gave an
implied response to the question.
At the same time, many candidates wrote well
about plays such as Death of a Salesman, Master
Harold and the Boys, and A Streetcar Named
Desire.
Some candidates made interesting cases for the
ordinariness of characters such as Hamlet and
handled the question well.
Prompt 1 sample: score
 A:


4
good understanding here, shown through a
strong discussion of major issues in the works
supported by pertinent details
an understanding of the main tensions in
the plays as well as some key dramatic
moments
Prompt 1 sample: score

B: 3



starts off well in relation to the question but
quickly veers into other methods of creating
drama
at times, discussion of elements such as new
characters and setting are not clearly relevant
to the question
response is adequate, though, in that the
implication often remains that these elements
are effective because they are tied to the
ordinariness of these “heroes”
Prompt 1 sample: score
 C:

3
some key conventions are discussed, but
not a very strong sense of the works as
drama
 tends
to focus on what happens rather than
on dramatic presentation and particular
conventions

e.g. description of the setting is evocative but
not clearly the description of what might be a
“set”.
Prompt 1 sample: score
 D:


 E:


4
argument feels somewhat underdeveloped
in the end, but
a strong focus and a clear progression to
the discussion
4
language clear throughout
some of the words used to describe the
play and the characters lack precision
Prompt 2
 “Playwrights
often employ stereotypes in
their creation of characters, but most
often their techniques are directed to the
presentation of individuals?” Discuss how
far such a ‘rule’ is demonstrated or not in
plays you have studied.
 Break it down.
 Brainstorm.
 Sample and score.
Prompt 2 sample: score
 A:


5
candidate has selected material from the
plays that indicates a high level of
perception about the larger works
and the characters' function and
development within them
familiarity with relevant detail enabled the
candidate to provide considerable depth
of exploration in relation to the question
Prompt 2 sample: score

B: 4




provides a description of the stereotypical aspects of
Blanche and Joe
goes on to show how other characters support the
self-images of these two characters and how the
images come into conflict with the reality of their
individual weaknesses, producing, finally a tragic
effect
remains focused on the question throughout and
makes frequent points of comparison
very little sense of evaluation of the two works in their
treatment of this topic so a mark is lost
Prompt 2 sample: score
 C:


4
use of stereotypes permeates the essay as
its central convention
awareness of the use of stage directions,
entrances and exits, dialogue and
metaphor all contribute to a sense that the
candidate is seeing the playwright at
work to create meaning and impact
Prompt 2 sample: score

D: 5





opens with a clear angle on the question, going
on to specify the two characters that will serve as
examples of the argument
image conveyed by Blanche Dubois and Joe
Keller is first point of comparison, followed by an
examination of what lies behind these images,
which serves to create conflict and interest
ideas well-developed with good evidence and
incorporation of relevant detail
amply developed
concludes with a suitable closing paragraph
Prompt 2 sample: score
 E:




5
a few slips
clear and correct manner of expression
varies vocabulary and expresses ideas
precisely and fluently
appropriate register and terminology of
literary criticism
Prompt 3
 Dramatists
often utilise entrances and exits
in different ways and with differing effects.
Compare or contrast the entrances and
exits of characters in at least two plays
you have studied and consider what
dramatic use is made of these devices.
 Break it down.
 Brainstorm.
 Sample with annotations and score.
Conventions chart
 It’s
useful. Keep up with it. Be as specific
as possible. Trust me.