English A: Language & Literature SL
Comparative essay skills — Paper 2
- 1.
You have studied the novel 'The Salt Road', in which a family is displaced by a rising sea level, and the play 'Harbour Lights', in which a fishing community resists the closure of its port. Both works explore how communities respond to loss of place. (a) Write a single comparative thesis statement that could open an essay on this shared theme, naming both works. (b) State one specific piece of textual evidence (a technique, character choice, or structural feature) from each work that your essay could use to support this thesis.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 2.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “You have studied the novel 'The Salt Road', in which a family is displaced by a rising sea level, and the play 'Harbour Lights', in which a fishing community resists the closure of its port. Both works explore how communities respond to loss of place. (a) Write a single comparative thesis statement that could open an essay on this shared theme, naming both works. (b) State one specific piece of textual evidence (a technique, character choice, or structural feature) from each work that your essay could use to support this thesis.” Their response addresses only this point: “Writes a clear thesis statement that explicitly names both works.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 3.
A student's draft comparative paragraph reads: 'In The Salt Road, the author uses flashback. In Harbour Lights, the author also uses flashback. Both writers use flashback in their work.' (a) Identify the main weakness of this paragraph as a piece of comparative analysis. (b) Rewrite the paragraph's central point (in one to two sentences) so that it compares the effect of the shared technique rather than simply noting that it is present in both works.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 4.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A student's draft comparative paragraph reads: 'In The Salt Road, the author uses flashback. In Harbour Lights, the author also uses flashback. Both writers use flashback in their work.' (a) Identify the main weakness of this paragraph as a piece of comparative analysis. (b) Rewrite the paragraph's central point (in one to two sentences) so that it compares the effect of the shared technique rather than simply noting that it is present in both works.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies that the paragraph merely notes a shared feature without analysing its effect or comparing how it functions differently in each work.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 5.
You are planning a comparative essay on how 'The Salt Road' and 'Harbour Lights' each use a central symbol connected to water. (a) Suggest a plausible central water-related symbol for each work. (b) Outline a three-part essay structure (introduction aside) that would let you compare, rather than simply describe, how each symbol is used. (c) Explain why organising the essay this way is more effective than discussing one whole work and then the other.
[5 marks] · no calculator - 6.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “You are planning a comparative essay on how 'The Salt Road' and 'Harbour Lights' each use a central symbol connected to water. (a) Suggest a plausible central water-related symbol for each work. (b) Outline a three-part essay structure (introduction aside) that would let you compare, rather than simply describe, how each symbol is used. (c) Explain why organising the essay this way is more effective than discussing one whole work and then the other.” Their response addresses only this point: “Suggests a plausible water-related symbol for 'The Salt Road', such as the rising sea itself or a family heirloom lost to flooding.” Evaluate the response against the complete 5-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[5 marks] · no calculator - 7.
A student's topic sentence reads: 'Both The Salt Road and Harbour Lights are about a community facing a big change.' (a) Identify why this topic sentence is too vague to guide a strong body paragraph. (b) Rewrite the topic sentence so that it makes a specific, arguable comparative claim about how each work treats change differently.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 8.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A student's topic sentence reads: 'Both The Salt Road and Harbour Lights are about a community facing a big change.' (a) Identify why this topic sentence is too vague to guide a strong body paragraph. (b) Rewrite the topic sentence so that it makes a specific, arguable comparative claim about how each work treats change differently.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies that the sentence merely states a shared subject matter without making any specific, arguable claim about how each work treats it, giving the paragraph no clear direction.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 9.
A student's body paragraph reads: 'In The Salt Road, the family first lives in their village. Then the water rises and they have to leave. They travel to the city and find a new home. Finally they settle there.' (a) Identify the main weakness of this paragraph as literary analysis. (b) Rewrite the paragraph's opening sentence so that it makes an analytical point about the effect of this sequence of events, rather than simply summarising it.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 10.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A student's body paragraph reads: 'In The Salt Road, the family first lives in their village. Then the water rises and they have to leave. They travel to the city and find a new home. Finally they settle there.' (a) Identify the main weakness of this paragraph as literary analysis. (b) Rewrite the paragraph's opening sentence so that it makes an analytical point about the effect of this sequence of events, rather than simply summarising it.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies that the paragraph is plot summary/retelling rather than analysis: it lists what happens without discussing technique, effect, or meaning.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 11.
You are comparing symbolism in 'The Salt Road' and 'Harbour Lights'. (a) Suggest one specific way a central symbol's meaning could change or develop across each work, rather than remaining fixed from the first mention to the last. (b) Explain why tracking this development, rather than simply defining the symbol once, produces stronger literary analysis.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 12.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “You are comparing symbolism in 'The Salt Road' and 'Harbour Lights'. (a) Suggest one specific way a central symbol's meaning could change or develop across each work, rather than remaining fixed from the first mention to the last. (b) Explain why tracking this development, rather than simply defining the symbol once, produces stronger literary analysis.” Their response addresses only this point: “Suggests a plausible way a symbol's meaning could shift, such as the rising sea beginning as a symbol of threat and gradually becoming a symbol of an inescapable new reality the family must accept.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 13.
'The Salt Road' tells its events in strict chronological order, while 'Harbour Lights' opens after the port closure and uses flashbacks to reveal how the community reached that point. (a) Identify the narrative structure used in each work. (b) Explain one interpretive effect of 'Harbour Lights' choosing to reveal the port's closure before explaining its causes.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 14.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “'The Salt Road' tells its events in strict chronological order, while 'Harbour Lights' opens after the port closure and uses flashbacks to reveal how the community reached that point. (a) Identify the narrative structure used in each work. (b) Explain one interpretive effect of 'Harbour Lights' choosing to reveal the port's closure before explaining its causes.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies 'The Salt Road' as using a linear (chronological) structure and 'Harbour Lights' as using a non-linear structure with flashbacks.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 15.
In 'The Salt Road', the mother character is described directly by the narrator as 'a woman who had already decided grief was a luxury she could not afford.' In 'Harbour Lights', the fisherman character's determination is instead revealed only through his actions: he is the last to leave the dock each evening and the first to arrive each morning. (a) Identify the characterisation technique used for each character. (b) Explain one advantage the indirect technique used for the fisherman has over the direct technique used for the mother.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 16.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “In 'The Salt Road', the mother character is described directly by the narrator as 'a woman who had already decided grief was a luxury she could not afford.' In 'Harbour Lights', the fisherman character's determination is instead revealed only through his actions: he is the last to leave the dock each evening and the first to arrive each morning. (a) Identify the characterisation technique used for each character. (b) Explain one advantage the indirect technique used for the fisherman has over the direct technique used for the mother.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies direct characterisation for the mother (the narrator explicitly states her trait) and indirect characterisation for the fisherman (his trait is inferred from his actions).” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 17.
A student's essay introduction reads only: 'This essay will talk about The Salt Road and Harbour Lights.' (a) Identify two elements missing from this introduction that a strong comparative essay introduction should include. (b) Write a short (two to three sentence) improved introduction on the theme of community response to loss of place, including the missing elements you identified.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 18.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A student's essay introduction reads only: 'This essay will talk about The Salt Road and Harbour Lights.' (a) Identify two elements missing from this introduction that a strong comparative essay introduction should include. (b) Write a short (two to three sentence) improved introduction on the theme of community response to loss of place, including the missing elements you identified.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies a clear thesis/arguable claim as missing.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 19.
The IB English A syllabus asks students to study works in relation to 'global issues' — broad fields of inquiry such as culture/identity/community, beliefs/values/education, politics/power/justice, art/creativity/imagination, and science/technology/environment. (a) Suggest which global issue field 'The Salt Road' (a family displaced by rising sea levels) could most naturally be studied under. (b) Justify your choice with reference to the work's central concern.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 20.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “The IB English A syllabus asks students to study works in relation to 'global issues' — broad fields of inquiry such as culture/identity/community, beliefs/values/education, politics/power/justice, art/creativity/imagination, and science/technology/environment. (a) Suggest which global issue field 'The Salt Road' (a family displaced by rising sea levels) could most naturally be studied under. (b) Justify your choice with reference to the work's central concern.” Their response addresses only this point: “Suggests a valid global issue field, most plausibly 'science, technology and the environment' (given the climate-driven displacement) or 'culture, identity and community' (given the focus on a displaced community).” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 21.
'The Salt Road' treats the family's displacement with a tone of quiet, resigned sorrow throughout, while 'Harbour Lights' treats the port's closure with a tone of defiant, sometimes angry, resistance. (a) State one piece of textual evidence that could support each work's tone. (b) Explain why identifying a difference in tone, rather than just a difference in plot events, produces a more sophisticated comparative point.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 22.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “'The Salt Road' treats the family's displacement with a tone of quiet, resigned sorrow throughout, while 'Harbour Lights' treats the port's closure with a tone of defiant, sometimes angry, resistance. (a) State one piece of textual evidence that could support each work's tone. (b) Explain why identifying a difference in tone, rather than just a difference in plot events, produces a more sophisticated comparative point.” Their response addresses only this point: “States plausible textual evidence for the quiet, resigned tone in 'The Salt Road', and plausible evidence for the defiant tone in 'Harbour Lights'.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 23.
A student writes: 'The author uses a metaphor when the harbour lights are described as a symbol of hope.' (a) Identify the error in this sentence's use of literary terminology. (b) Rewrite the sentence so that the terms 'metaphor' and 'symbol' are each used correctly and distinctly.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 24.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A student writes: 'The author uses a metaphor when the harbour lights are described as a symbol of hope.' (a) Identify the error in this sentence's use of literary terminology. (b) Rewrite the sentence so that the terms 'metaphor' and 'symbol' are each used correctly and distinctly.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies that the sentence confuses or conflates the terms 'metaphor' and 'symbol', using one where the other is meant, or using them as if interchangeable.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 25.
A student's paragraph includes a five-line block quotation from 'The Salt Road', followed immediately by the next sentence: 'This shows the mother's feelings.' (a) Identify two weaknesses in how this quotation has been used. (b) Rewrite the point using a short, embedded quotation (no more than one sentence) integrated directly into an analytical sentence.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 26.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A student's paragraph includes a five-line block quotation from 'The Salt Road', followed immediately by the next sentence: 'This shows the mother's feelings.' (a) Identify two weaknesses in how this quotation has been used. (b) Rewrite the point using a short, embedded quotation (no more than one sentence) integrated directly into an analytical sentence.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies that the quotation is excessively long for the point being made, likely including irrelevant material alongside anything genuinely useful.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 27.
'The Salt Road' ends with the family planting a single tree in their new city garden, while 'Harbour Lights' ends with the fishing boats leaving the harbour for the final time, watched in silence by the whole community. (a) Suggest what each ending implies about the possibility of recovery after loss. (b) Explain why the ending of a work is often especially significant when constructing a comparative argument about its overall message.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 28.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “'The Salt Road' ends with the family planting a single tree in their new city garden, while 'Harbour Lights' ends with the fishing boats leaving the harbour for the final time, watched in silence by the whole community. (a) Suggest what each ending implies about the possibility of recovery after loss. (b) Explain why the ending of a work is often especially significant when constructing a comparative argument about its overall message.” Their response addresses only this point: “Suggests that 'The Salt Road' ending with planting a tree implies cautious hope and the possibility of new growth/roots despite loss, while 'Harbour Lights' ending with a silent, final departure implies a more complete and unresolved sense of loss without a clear replacement.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 29.
Facing the essay question 'Compare how two works you have studied present a community's response to crisis', a student has brainstormed six possible points of comparison but only has time to develop two or three well in the exam. (a) Suggest one criterion the student could use to decide which points to keep. (b) Explain why attempting to include all six points briefly would likely produce a weaker essay than developing two or three points thoroughly.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 30.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Facing the essay question 'Compare how two works you have studied present a community's response to crisis', a student has brainstormed six possible points of comparison but only has time to develop two or three well in the exam. (a) Suggest one criterion the student could use to decide which points to keep. (b) Explain why attempting to include all six points briefly would likely produce a weaker essay than developing two or three points thoroughly.” Their response addresses only this point: “Suggests a valid criterion, such as choosing the points with the strongest, most specific textual evidence available, or the points that most directly and interestingly address the exact wording of the question.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator