IB English Extended Essay

The criteria on this page are the ones for exams from May 2027, when the Extended Essay is marked out of 30. See what changed. If you sit your exams in November 2026, the older 34-mark criteria are summarised after them.

An IB English Extended Essay is an extended piece of literary criticism: a 4,000-word argument about how a clearly defined text, or a small group of texts, works. That framing matters, because the most common way to lose marks in this subject is to write something else instead: a plot summary with quotations, a biography of the author, or a general essay about a theme. The guide allows a study of a single literary or language text originally written in English, a comparative study of more than one text, or a comparison of a literary and a language text; in a comparison at least one primary text must be originally in English, and the others may be in translation. The text cannot be one you studied in your Language A course, though another work by an author you studied is allowed. Most students choose literary analysis of works written in English, and that is the focus of this guide: how the five EE criteria play out in English, which research questions work, and how to keep 4,000 words analytical from the first page to the last.

What an English EE actually is

Unlike a classroom essay, the English EE is built around a research question you design yourself, and it is assessed against the same five generic EE criteria as every other subject, not against the Language A paper markbands you are used to. It also carries a reflection component, the RPF from May 2027 (the RPPF before that), which is marked under Criterion E. The practical consequence: a reading that would earn praise in class as "sensitive" is not enough here. The essay must pose a genuine question about the text, sustain an answer to it for 4,000 words, and show the analytical method (which passages you examined, through what lens, and why) that makes the answer more than an impression.

Choosing a research question for an English EE

A strong English EE research question has four characteristics:

Anchored in technique: it names a formal feature, such as narration, structure, imagery or stage directions, not just a theme.
Arguable: A thoughtful reader could plausibly answer it differently, so your essay has to persuade, not describe.
Answerable from the text: The evidence is on the page, in passages you can quote and analyse closely.
Proportionate: enough text to sustain 4,000 words of close analysis and no more. For novels or plays that usually means one or two; for short stories or poems the guide notes that three or four can be right.

Examples of strong English EE research questions

How does Kazuo Ishiguro use unreliable narration in The Remains of the Day to reveal what Stevens cannot admit to himself? Why it works: one text, one technique, and an interpretive claim that must be argued from close reading of specific passages.
To what extent does the epistolary structure of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein direct the reader's sympathy between Victor and the creature? Why it works: it targets form rather than theme, and "to what extent" builds evaluation into the answer.
How does Tennessee Williams use stage directions in A Streetcar Named Desire to dramatise the gap between Blanche's illusions and her circumstances? Why it works: it focuses on a concrete, often-ignored formal feature and ties it to a specific interpretive problem.

Weak research questions, and why they fail

What is the theme of love in Romeo and Juliet? Why it fails: "what is the theme" is a description request, not an argument. The essay it produces is a catalogue of scenes: plot summary wearing academic clothes.
Why is George Orwell's 1984 still relevant today? Why it fails: this is not a literary question. It invites social commentary and personal opinion instead of analysis of Orwell's choices, so almost nothing in the answer can be evidenced from the text.

How the five EE criteria play out in English

From May 2027, every Extended Essay is marked out of 30 on five criteria. In English they translate like this:

Criterion A: Framework for the essay (6 marks). A precise, literary research question, a visible analytical approach (which text or texts, which passages, which critical lens, and why those choices can answer the question) and a structure that keeps the essay on that question. Drifting into general appreciation costs marks here.
Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding (6 marks). Understanding of the work and, where relevant, its context, shown through accurate and purposeful use of literary terminology. Terms must do analytical work; decorating a paragraph with "juxtaposition" earns nothing by itself.
Criterion C: Analysis and line of argument (6 marks). Sustained interpretation built from close reading: quotations analysed for their effect, in an argument that develops rather than repeats. This is the criterion plot summary destroys.
Criterion D: Discussion and evaluation (8 marks). The highest-weighted criterion. It rewards a balanced discussion of what your reading shows, with alternative readings weighed and supported by the text, and an evaluation of the essay itself: what your chosen passages and lens can and cannot support.
Criterion E: Reflection (4 marks). Marked on the reflective statement in your RPF. Strong reflection evaluates, with specific examples, how the research changed you as a reader, such as an interpretation you abandoned and what that taught you about using evidence.

If you sit your exams in November 2026, the essay is marked out of 34 instead: Focus and method (6), Knowledge and understanding (6), Critical thinking (12), Presentation (4) and Engagement (6, marked on the three RPPF reflections). The advice above carries over, because research, analysis, and discussion and evaluation together make up Critical thinking.

Method: close reading, not plot summary

The method examiners expect in English is close reading of the primary text. In practice that means your paragraphs run on a small loop: a claim about how the text works, a short quotation as evidence, then analysis of the effect of specific choices (diction, syntax, imagery, form), and a link back to the research question. Long block quotes and long stretches of retold story both break the loop. A useful test for every paragraph: could someone who had only read a synopsis of the book have written it? If yes, it is summary, and it should be cut or converted into analysis.

Secondary criticism is required: the guide asks you to integrate a review of existing criticism on your topic into the essay. It must sharpen your argument rather than replace it. Use critics to position your reading, to show what you are agreeing with, refining or pushing against, and then return to the primary text for the evidence. An essay stitched together from critics' opinions fails Criteria C and D for the same reason plot summary does: the analytical work is not yours. Be especially wary of revision websites and study guides; their generalised readings are exactly the received wisdom a top-band essay is supposed to move beyond.

Common mark-losing mistakes in English EEs

Plot summary: retelling the story between quotations, one of the most common reasons English EEs fall out of the top bands.
Device-spotting: naming techniques ("Shakespeare uses metaphor") without analysing their effect on meaning. Identification is not analysis.
The biography detour: explaining the text through the author's life and times instead of through the text itself. Context should serve the reading, not substitute for it.
Too many long works: three or four novels or plays surveyed thinly in 4,000 words, when depth on one or two would carry the argument. Short stories and poems are different: the guide notes that three or four can be the right body of work.
Study-guide voice: reproducing standard readings from revision sites rather than building an interpretation from your own close reading.
Ignoring form: writing only about themes and characters while saying nothing about narration, structure or style, which are what make it a literary essay.

Frequently asked questions

How many texts should an English EE analyse?

The guide sets no precise number. With novels or plays, one or two usually leave room for close analysis in 4,000 words; with short stories or poems, it suggests three or four can give enough material. Choose the body of work that lets you analyse in depth rather than survey.

Can I use secondary criticism in an English EE?

Yes, and you must: the guide requires a review of existing criticism on your topic. Critics should support or sharpen your own argument, not replace it. Quote critics to position your reading, then return to the primary text for evidence.

How is the English EE different from a class literature essay?

Scale and independence. The EE is a 4,000-word argument built around your own research question, assessed against five criteria, with a reflection component (the RPF from May 2027, the RPPF before that). It demands a sharper question and more sustained analysis than classroom essays.

Grade your English EE before you submit

IBLens analyses Extended Essays against the published criteria for your exam session and shows you where marks are leaking, including whether your paragraphs are analysing or quietly summarising. Paste a draft into the Extended Essay grader, where the first preview is free, to see where your English EE stands, and read the complete IB Extended Essay guide for the full process from choosing a text to the final reflection.

An AI check is outside help on your EE, so ask your supervisor before you use IBLens or any other tool, and tell them if you do.

Grade your English EE with IBLens