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If you want higher marks in IB English Paper 1, the fastest improvement often comes from how you plan.

Here is the 10-minute plan:

Minute 0–1: Read the question carefully. Underline the key focus.

Minute 1–3: Identify the central meaning and tone.

Minute 3–6: Choose three method clusters.

Minute 6–7: Build your thesis using Tone, Method, and Effect.

Minute 7–10: Plan three clear paragraphs.

Follow this structure, and your essay becomes clearer, calmer, and more controlled.

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Many students think planning wastes valuable time.

But the opposite is true.

Without a clear plan, Paper 1 quickly becomes descriptive, unfocused, and difficult to control. Students often rush into writing, only to spend the rest of the commentary trying to work out what they actually want to say.

A strong plan changes everything.

In this video, IB English tutor, examiner, and Workshop Leader Dexter Haywood explains a simple 10-minute planning method that helps students identify central meaning, build a clear thesis, and map their paragraphs before they begin writing.

🎯 In this video, you'll learn:

• Why Paper 1 feels difficult and how planning solves it

• The exact 10-minute routine to use in the exam

• How to identify central meaning and tone quickly and accurately

• How to choose three strong method clusters instead of listing random techniques

• How to build a clear T.M.E. thesis (Tone, Method, Effect)

• How to map your paragraphs before you start writing

🎥 Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/CiHyOdM1hEw

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https://tutorsplus.com/book-a-tutor/

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How to Write IB English Language and Literature Paper 1:

https://tutorsplus.com/how-to-write-ib-english-language-and-literature-paper-1/

Let’s apply T.M.E. to a literary extract.

Step 1: Identify the Tone
The tone is lightly cynical and amused, yet aware of something emptier beneath the humour.

Step 2: Identify the Key Method
Two choices stand out: hyperbole in the product names and ironic narrative distance in describing the shoppers’ behaviour.

Step 3: Identify the Effect
The reader recognises the absurdity of the wellness aisle and begins to question how seriously shoppers treat empty marketing promises.

Putting T.M.E. Together into a Thesis
The text adopts a lightly cynical tone, using hyperbolic product descriptions and ironic narrative distance to encourage readers to recognise the emptiness beneath commercial wellness culture.

If your thesis can guide your paragraphs, then it is working.

🚀 READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR IB ENGLISH?

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The biggest mistake students make in Paper 1?

A weak thesis.

Many students summarise the text. Others list techniques. Some even make broad claims like the writer is “criticising society.”

But a good thesis doesn’t tell the examiner everything.

It tells the examiner the angle you’re taking, how you’re interpreting the text, and the approach your analysis will follow.

Because in Paper 1, you cannot talk about absolutely everything in the text.

You need a clear line of argument.

The rubric rewards insightful analysis and evaluation of how the writer uses stylistic and structural features to shape meaning.

That starts with the thesis.

🚀 READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR IB ENGLISH?

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If your thesis is vague, your entire Paper 1 commentary becomes harder to control.

Many students summarise the text, list techniques, or write broad arguments that never really guide the analysis.

A strong thesis should explain both what the text is doing and how meaning is being constructed.

In this video, IB English tutor, examiner, and Workshop Leader Dexter Haywood explains a simple method called T.M.E. (Tone, Method, Effect) to help you move from vague summaries to precise, analytical thesis statements that actually drive your commentary.

🎯 In this video, you'll learn:

• What a Paper 1 thesis is really meant to do

• Why students struggle with weak or vague theses

• How to use Tone, Method, and Effect to build a strong argument

• The difference between listing techniques and identifying methods

• How to turn interpretation into a clear one-sentence thesis

• Step-by-step examples for both literary and visual texts

🎥 Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/SHXMTMVdg5A

🚀 READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR IB ENGLISH?

Book a FREE trial:
https://tutorsplus.com/book-a-tutor/

Welcome to TutorsPlus!

For over 20 years, TutorsPlus has helped thousands of students improve academically, get ahead, and get back on track. Many parents say TutorsPlus helped them keep their sanity, too!

FOLLOW US:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tutorsplus

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tutorsplus/

READ MORE:

How to Write IB English Language and Literature Paper 1:

https://tutorsplus.com/how-to-write-ib-english-language-and-literature-paper-1/