You Must Break Down the Question Before You Start Writing
- Don't start writing your essay until you've broken down the prescribed title.
- Every strong TOK essay starts by breaking the question open: identifying its hidden assumptions, its key concepts, and the knowledge issue it’s really asking about.
If you skip this step, you risk writing an essay that misses the point entirely.
Identify Command Terms
- TOK essay titles rarely say “analyse” or “evaluate,” but the task is always implied. Look at the wording carefully.
- It signals how you’re expected to respond.
- “To what extent…” → requires weighing both sides, not a simple yes/no.
- “Discuss…” → requires exploring perspectives before forming a judgment.
Unpack Key Concepts
- Key concepts are the central ideas in the prescribed title.
- You need to define these concepts clearly and consider their implications.
- For example if the title mentions "certainty," consider:
- Is certainty always positive?
- Is it emotional confidence, or logical proof?
- Does it look different in maths vs. history?
