Step-by-Step Guide: How to Structure a High-Scoring IB English IO
Dig deep and think:
If you don’t have a clear structure, even great ideas can get lost. The IO isn’t just about what you say, it’s about how you present it. A solid step-by-step plan helps you:
Keep your argument on track so you don’t wander off-topic
Balance both texts instead of over-analysing one and rushing the other
Show off your analysis clearly, not in a messy info-dump
Build a logical flow, which makes your points easier to follow
Tick the boxes for organisation and development, which directly boosts your marks
Basically, structure makes your thinking look smart, and that’s half the game.
Step 1: Understand the Task
You are preparing a 10-minute oral focused on a global issue that is evident in two of your literary works. The prompt is fixed: Examine the ways in which the global issue of your choice is presented through the content and form of two of the works that you have studied.
The two works are not interchangeable. One must be a work originally written in the language A you are studying, and the other must be a work studied in translation. Two original-language works, or two works in translation, do not meet the requirement. You build the oral from two extracts, each no more than 40 lines, one from each work.
The 10-minute delivery is followed by 5 minutes of questions from your teacher, 15 minutes in total. You may bring a written outline with a maximum of 10 bullet points to structure the oral; individual bullets must not be excessively long.
You will be assessed on how well you analyze, organise your ideas, use language, and engage with the global issue.
Tip
Always refer to the official assessment criteria.
Your goal is to demonstrate deep understanding of both extracts and whole texts, while maintaining a strong, sustained focus on the global issue.
IO Assessment Criteria
There are four assessment criteria, each worth 10 marks, for a total of 40. Each criterion below is reproduced from the official guide: first the question or questions it asks, then the level descriptors band by band.
Criterion A: Knowledge, understanding and interpretation
How well does the candidate demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the extracts, and of the works from which they were taken?
To what extent does the candidate make use of knowledge and understanding of the extracts and the works to draw conclusions in relation to the global issue?
How well are ideas supported by references to the extracts, and to the works?
Mark
Level descriptor
0
The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1-2
There is little knowledge and understanding of the extracts and the works in relation to the global issue.
References to the extracts and to the works are infrequent or are rarely appropriate.
3-4
There is some knowledge and understanding of the extracts and the works in relation to the global issue.
References to the extracts and to the works are at times appropriate.
5-6
There is satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the extracts and the works and an interpretation of their implications in relation to the global issue.
References to the extracts and to the works are generally relevant and mostly support the candidate's ideas.
7-8
There is good knowledge and understanding of the extracts and the works and a sustained interpretation of their implications in relation to the global issue.
References to the extracts and to the works are relevant and support the candidate's ideas.
9-10
There is excellent knowledge and understanding of the extracts and of the works and a persuasive interpretation of their implications in relation to the global issue.
References to the extracts and to the works are well chosen and effectively support the candidate's ideas.
Criterion B: Analysis and evaluation
How well does the candidate use their knowledge and understanding of each of the extracts and their associated works to analyse and evaluate the ways in which authorial choices present the global issue?
Mark
Level descriptor
0
The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1-2
The oral is descriptive or contains no relevant analysis.
Authorial choices are seldom identified and, if so, are poorly understood in relation to the presentation of the global issue.
3-4
The oral contains some relevant analysis, but it is reliant on description.
Authorial choices are identified, but are vaguely treated and/or only partially understood in relation to the presentation of the global issue.
5-6
The oral is analytical in nature, and evaluation of the extracts and their works is mostly relevant.
Authorial choices are identified and reasonably understood in relation to the presentation of the global issue.
7-8
Analysis and evaluation of the extracts and their works are relevant and at times insightful.
There is a good understanding of how authorial choices are used to present the global issue.
9-10
Analysis and evaluation of the extracts and their works are relevant and insightful.
There is a thorough and nuanced understanding of how authorial choices are used to present the global issue.
Criterion C: Focus and organization
How well does the candidate deliver a structured, well-balanced and focused oral?
How well does the candidate connect ideas in a cohesive manner?
Mark
Level descriptor
0
The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1-2
The oral rarely focuses on the task. There are few connections between ideas.
3-4
The oral only sometimes focuses on the task, and treatment of the extracts, and of the works may be unbalanced.
There are some connections between ideas, but these are not always coherent.
5-6
The oral maintains a focus on the task, despite some lapses; treatment of the extracts and works is mostly balanced.
The development of ideas is mostly logical; ideas are generally connected in a cohesive manner.
7-8
The oral maintains a mostly clear and sustained focus on the task; treatment of the extracts and works is balanced.
The development of ideas is logical; ideas are cohesively connected in an effective manner.
9-10
The oral maintains a clear and sustained focus on the task; treatment of the extracts and works is well balanced.
The development of ideas is logical and convincing; ideas are connected in a cogent manner.
Criterion D: Language
How clear, accurate and effective is the language?
Mark
Level descriptor
0
The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1-2
The language is rarely clear or accurate; errors often hinder communication. Vocabulary and syntax are imprecise and frequently inaccurate.
Elements of style (for example, register, tone and rhetorical devices) are inappropriate to the task and detract from the oral.
3-4
The language is generally clear; errors sometimes hinder communication. Vocabulary and syntax are often imprecise with inaccuracies.
Elements of style (for example, register, tone and rhetorical devices) are often inappropriate to the task and detract from the oral.
5-6
The language is clear; errors do not hinder communication. Vocabulary and syntax are appropriate to the task but simple and repetitive.
Elements of style (for example, register, tone and rhetorical devices) are appropriate to the task and neither enhance nor detract from the oral.
7-8
The language is clear and accurate; occasional errors do not hinder communication. Vocabulary and syntax are appropriate and varied.
Elements of style (for example, register, tone and rhetorical devices) are appropriate to the task and somewhat enhance the oral.
9-10
The language is clear, accurate and varied; occasional errors do not hinder communication. Vocabulary and syntax are varied and create effect.
Elements of style (for example, register, tone and rhetorical devices) are appropriate to the task and enhance the oral.
Step 2: Choose a Strong Global Issue
Be globally relevant (seen across cultures/contexts).
Have a significant social or personal impact.
Be clearly traceable in both of your works.
Example
“The silencing of women’s voices in patriarchal societies” could work well for A Thousand Splendid Sunsand A Doll’s House.
Tip
Make the issue specific but flexible enough to allow a range of techniques and ideas to be explored across both texts.
Try forming it as a “tension” or “struggle” (e.g. between truth and illusion, or freedom and conformity).
Step 3: Select and Annotate Your Extracts
Pick one extract from each work (max. 40 lines or equivalent), ensuring:
It directly connects to the global issue.
It contains rich literary or stylistic techniques for close analysis.
It’s positioned at a significant turning point, moment of tension, or character revelation.
Example
For 1984, you might use the scene where Winston writes “Freedom is the freedom to say two plus two make four”.
For A Streetcar Named Desire, consider Blanche’s monologue about her past.
Tip
Annotate with technique-effect-purpose in mind.
Think beyond just what happens: How does the author shape meaning through choices?
Step 4: Identify Key Ideas for Wide Analysis
Your wide analysis looks at how the global issue is developed across the entire text. This includes:
Character arcs, structural developments, themes, or recurring motifs.
Authorial critiques of society, power, gender, justice, etc.
Example
In Persepolis, Satrapi uses visual symbols (e.g. the veil, fragmented panels) throughout to explore repression.
In The Crucible, Miller uses groupthink and hysteria as recurring motifs to show how fear overrides ethics.
Tip
Choose one or two key ideas for each work.
You don’t need to summarize the whole text, just zoom in on what best supports your global issue.
Step 5: Choose a Structure
Choose between two effective options:
Structure 1: Blocked
Intro
Text 1: Close → Wide
Close
Point 1
Point 2
Wide
Point 1
Point 2
Text 2: Close → Wide
Close
Point 1
Point 2
Wide
Point 1
Point 2
Conclusion
You might also notice an issue like this in a magazine cover, an advert, or a political cartoon. Those are useful places to spot a global issue surfacing in everyday life, but in your IO the two works you analyse are both literary.
Example
Intro
Text 1:A Doll's House
Close:
Point 1: Nora called a “little skylark”
Point 2: Symbolic language reduces her to a pet; identity shaped by male gaze
Wide:
Point 1: Social context of 19th-century gender roles
Point 2: Marriage portrayed as economic and symbolic transaction
Text 2:A Thousand Splendid Suns
Close:
Point 1: Mariam's silence under Rasheed's threats and beatings
Point 2: Diction of submission (shrinking, lowered voice, withheld speech) shows how fear shapes what a woman can say
Wide:
Point 1: The political and social pressure on Afghan women across the novel restricts speech as well as movement
Point 2: Hosseini frames silencing as a structural failure, not a private misfortune
Conclusion
Tip
Use when the two texts have distinct approaches or when your ideas are better developed separately.
Structure 2: Integrated
Intro
Thematic Point A: Text 1 (Close + Wide), Text 2 (Close + Wide)
Thematic Point B: Text 1 (Close + Wide), Text 2 (Close + Wide)
Conclusion
The same global issue can show up beyond the page too. A famous television advert can dramatise surveillance and conformity in 60 seconds. That is useful background for thinking about how widely an issue circulates, but in your IO the two works you analyse are both literary.
Example
Intro
Thematic Point A: Surveillance suppresses thought and autonomy
Text 1 (Close + Wide): 1984
Close: Telescreens force constant self-censorship
Wide: Orwell presents a totalitarian system where independent thought is criminalised
Text 2 (Close + Wide): The Handmaid's Tale
Close: The Eyes watch everywhere, and Aunt Lydia's rhetoric polices what handmaids may say or think
Wide: Atwood presents a regime that controls voice and narrative as completely as it controls bodies
Thematic Point B: Rebellion as an act of reclaiming identity
Text 1 (Close + Wide): 1984
Close: Winston's diary as a form of inner rebellion
Wide: Suggests that even private resistance is a political act against oppressive regimes
Text 2 (Close + Wide): The Handmaid's Tale
Close: Offred's inner monologue, and the Latin phrase “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” as symbolic resistance
Wide: Resistance is shown as fragmentary and ambiguous, yet still a reclaiming of self
Conclusion
Note
Use when the texts mirror or contrast each other closely, and you want a more flowing, interconnected style.
Tip
Stick to one structure and practise it repeatedly.
Avoid switching halfway.
Ensure time is split fairly evenly between the two texts (50-50 or 60-40 max).
Step 6: Write a Clear Introduction
In 60-90 seconds, you should:
State your global issue clearly and precisely.
Introduce the two works and authors.
Briefly describe the extracts and how they connect to the global issue.
End with a concise thesis or guiding statement.
Example
“This IO explores the global issue of female oppression through silencing, as depicted in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. The extracts...”
Step 7: Plan Your Body Paragraphs (Close and Wide Analysis)
Close Analysis
Focus on the specific extract.
Analyze literary/stylistic techniques: metaphor, tone, dialogue, visual symbolism, etc.
Link every point back to the global issue.
Example
“The repetition of ‘I must’ in Nora’s final speech emphasises her growing agency as she defies gender roles...”
Wide Analysis
Discuss how the global issue is developed across the full text.
No need to quote line-by-line, focus on patterns, themes, or arcs.
Tip
Always connect wide points back to the author’s intention.
Ask: What are they revealing or criticising about society or human nature?
Step 8: Conclude with Purpose
Your conclusion should:
Reinforce your thesis (don’t introduce new arguments).
Show how both authors illuminate the global issue.
Reflect briefly on the wider implications of what you’ve explored.
Example
"Both Ibsen and Hosseini present female silencing not just as personal tragedy, but as a societal failure that sustains inequality.”
Tip
Think of the conclusion as your opportunity to leave the examiner with a final insight.
Be confident and reflective.
Step 9: Your Structured IO Plan
Example
Sample Structured IO Plan
Global Issue:
The marginalisation of women’s voices in patriarchal societies
Texts and Extracts:
A Doll’s House (Henrik Ibsen), Nora’s confrontation scene (Act 3)
The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood), Inner monologue from Chapter 23
Introduction
Define the global issue
Introduce both texts and contexts
State thesis: Both authors present women’s marginalisation, but Ibsen focuses on rebellion within a traditional society, while Atwood explores internalised oppression in a dystopian regime.
Body Paragraph 1: Loss of Identity Through Control
Ibsen (Close): Nora’s infantilisation through pet names (“little squirrel”)
Ibsen (Wide): Structural contrast between the dollhouse metaphor and her awakening
Atwood (Close): Offred’s fragmented speech and passive tone in the extract
Atwood (Wide): Use of the Eyes, Aunt Lydia’s rhetoric reveals total control of voice and narrative
Link to global issue: Women's identity and voice controlled by male-dominated systems
Body Paragraph 2: Language as a Weapon
Ibsen (Close): Formal vs. emotional tone shifts in Nora’s speech
Ibsen (Wide): Krogstad and Torvald as legal gatekeepers to women’s freedom
Atwood (Close): Repetition of “we were the people who…” ironic tone
Atwood (Wide): Latin phrase “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” as symbolic resistance
Link to global issue: Language either erases or reclaims women’s voice
Body Paragraph 3: Resistance and Its Limitations
Ibsen (Close): Nora’s line “I must stand quite alone…” assertion of self
Ibsen (Wide): Ending of the play as hopeful rupture
Atwood (Close): Offred’s internal voice as her only form of defiance
Atwood (Wide): Ambiguous ending undermines full liberation
Link to global issue: Resistance is portrayed with different consequences; Nora escapes; Offred remains trapped in ambiguity
Conclusion
Reaffirm thesis
Recap how each author uses literary technique to explore the issue
Final reflection: While both works highlight the silencing of women, they differ in tone, Ibsen hopeful, Atwood cautionary, yet both ultimately urge awareness of how systems erase or distort women’s voices.
Step 10: Rehearse with a Timer
Practise out loud multiple times.
Aim for 9:45-10:00 minutes.
Use cue cards, not a script.
Practice transitions between points and texts.
Record yourself and listen for clarity, pacing, and coherence.
Tip
Practise with a friend or teacher.
If you’re stumbling, it likely means a point needs rephrasing or simplifying.
Step 11: Prepare for the Teacher's Questions
After your 10-minute presentation, your teacher will ask 5 minutes of follow-up questions.
They may ask you to:
Clarify your argument or global issue.
Comment on another moment in the text.
Justify an authorial choice.
Compare the authors’ messages more explicitly.
Tip
Know your texts beyond your extract.
Be ready to talk about character arcs, themes, or historical context.
Confidence here boosts your Criterion A (Knowledge, Understanding and Interpretation) and Criterion B marks (Analysis and Evaluation).
