IB English (HL) Paper 1 (CTA) example/template/sample
Hey guys! Heres the example of the paper 1 that I promised. I got a 7 (20/20, meaning that I got a 5 out of 5 in criterion A [understanding and interpretation] a 5 out of 5 in criterion B [appreciation of the writers choices ], a 5 again in criterion C [organization and development], and a 5 in criterion D [language]. Feel free to use this paper as a template/sample or do whatever you want with it. I was (unfortunately) not able to find the actual texts that Im talking about in this paper. However, this is kind of the only paper 1 that Ive typed up so yeah enjoy!!! I hope this helps.
Text type, audience, purpose – paragraph 1
Text 1 and text 2 both throughout the text indicate the same topic; the influence of the Internet on print media. Text 1 is an editorial (text type) from “networkworld” titled “is the internet killing the news media?” written by Scott Bradner, and published in 2009 (information on text). It is evident that this text is an editorial because of the fact that it contains the writers opinions and because the writer employs more colloquial language. This editorial explores the effect of the internet on print media from a negatively biased point of view and sheds light on the negative consequences that the internet has had on print media by providing statistics from a document titled “pew project for excellence in journalism report” (brief summary of text). Text 2, however, is a newspaper article (text type) from “the guardian” titled “who says print is dead?” written by Mark Hooper and published in 2012 (information). This article explores the reality of both the Internet and print media coexisting and states how the print media should change in order to continue to be in business (brief summary of text). Both these texts target relatively the same audience. Text 1 targets the general public (audience) and specifically those who are interested in how print media is being affected by different factors such as the Internet. Although age is not a significant factor to be able to read this text as the language is colloquial, it is probably aimed towards adults as they are the ones who tend to consume print media the most and towards those who want to pursue a career in journalism, as it summarized the latest “pew project for excellence in journalism report”. Text 2 also targets the general public and those interested in the future of print media (audience). Albeit the fact that both texts focus on the same topic, they clearly differ because their purposes are unalike. Text 1 (negatively) intends to shed light on the probable dissolution of print media on the future due to the increase of people using the Internet as a primary news resource (purpose). Text 2, however, gives a more hopeful output of the topic it addresses and intends to emphasize how print media is not “dead” but will continue to coexist in coalition with the Internet (purpose).
Content and theme – paragraph 2
Even though text 1 and text 2 both revolve around the same topic, the influence of the Internet on print media, they do so in different ways (theme). Text 1 is an editorial, and therefore focuses on conveying the authors opinion on the recent “pew project for excellence in journalism report”. After reading the article it is clear to se that the author has a negative bias towards the topic; he does not believe that print media will survive in the following years and believes that if the print media does not “completely rethink its business model”, the internet will continue to gain influence and will obliterate the need for print media. This is clear not only because he provides the reader with negatively biased statistics, e.g. “twenty percent of the journalists who whored in newspapers have lost their jobs in the last two years”, but also when he states how “the bottom line is that the business (journalism) is toast unless you are in the internet side”, and when he specifically highlights how “power is shifting from institutions to individuals” after the increase of news on demand. It is also clear that the author’s message (message), in this case, is that unless print media changes its strategies, it will probably cease to exist at some point in the future. The author does believe, however, that by changing strategies it might be possible that print media will not completely go out of business (CONTENT). Text 2, however, is quite different from text 1a in regards of content and of how the topic is presented. This objective piece of writing deals with how even though it is believed that “print is dead” and that the internet is negatively affecting the print media business, this might not necessarily be true as the propagation of the internet might actually be encouraging the development of print media. Because of this it is clear to see the slightly positively biased point of view of the author and the people quoted in the article. The fact that print media is permanent unlike articles and webpages on the Internet is also mentioned as a factor that benefits the print media business. Moreover the fact that print media and the Internet can coexist and should support each other is stressed specifically when Gerald Richards is quoted; “it is not an either/or situation. It works in tandem. One is a resource for the other”. Taken the pervious statements into consideration, it is clear that the authors message (message) in this text is that print media is not dying off, despite reports of the “death print” have stated, and that it is and should continue to coexist with the internet but also suggests that print media should separate itself from the internet in order to succeed (CONTENT). There are some similarities between the texts, however, because as text 1 mentioned, this text (2) states how “they (print media and the internet) need to do different things.” It goes on to mention how “To survive, the newspaper and the physical book, needs to set itself apart from the web”.
Tone and mood – paragraph 3
It is evident that the tone and mood in text 1 and text 2 are different, because of the diction used by both authors. On one hand, text 1 utilizes words and phrases such as sobering, the business is toast, depressing, shifting, bleak, unlikely, go out of business, and fewer, (diction) as to be able to create a certain tone. The tone created is negative, bleak, and hopeless, and contributes to the readers mood therefore enforcing the authors purpose (tone), as it makes the reader feel negatively towards the effect that the internet has on print media and makes one feel hopeless about the future of print media. By creating a disheartened and pessimistic mood (mood) it therefore achieves the author’s goals because it keeps the audience engaged. Text 2, however, uses different diction to establish its tone. It uses words such as greatly exaggerated, savior, opinions, permanent, using traditional media to refresh, immortalized in print, exciting, permanence of print, power, physical, own, co-exist, support, resource, valuable, reward, and luxury (diction), to establish an informative, positive, and hopeful tone (tone). This tone affects the reader’s mood, as it makes these feel hopeful towards the future of print media and creates an optimistic mood (mood), achieving the authors goals to emphasize how print media is not “dead” and will continue to coexist in coalition with the internet.
Form and structure – paragraph 4
The form and structure of text 1 and 2 are somehow different. Text 1, as I previously mentioned, is an editorial (form). Due to the fact that it is an opinionated piece of writing and mixes facts with emotions it tends to use fairly simple language. Moreover, most of the paragraphs are short and consist of 2 to 3 sentences, and the editorial even contains bullet points. The bullet points and first paragraph are crucial parts of the editorial: they summarize the event that the author will be assessing. The following paragraphs contain the author’s opinion and the last three paragraphs contain a conclusion and the author’s personal advice (structure). Text 2, however, is a newspaper article (form). It is therefore structured differently as it uses longer paragraphs and its sentences are more complex. It also contains statistical information and quotations, unlike text 1. The article starts by giving statistical information and background information about the topic. The author then goes on to include opinions and quotations of other individuals such as webpage managers and magazine editors. After this he concludes the article by quoting Sara Cremer, MD at costumer communications agency redwood, who summarizes the purpose of the article and highlights the benefits and importance of print media and the internet as well (structure).
The type of language utilized by each author also differs. Since text 1 is an editorial and is mostly focused on the authors opinion about a recent report on print media and journalism, and it therefore uses more colloquial and less formal language; language that is almost conversational. The language that it utilizes also reveals the authors clear negative bias towards the effects of the Internet on print media. This can be seen as soon as one scans the headline, which reads, “is the internet killing the news media?”. Here, the author is using emotive language by using the word killing, which has an extreme and negative connotation in order to achieve his aim: to persuade the reader to agree with his opinion. Bias can be seen again when the author utilizes the following euphemism, “the bottom line is that the business is toast” in order to try and soften the blow instead of stating the simple fact that that journalism, especially in print media, is in his opinion, dead. Bias by omission and selection of detail can also be detected at the start of the article when he summarizes the points that he believes are more important in bullet points. The author also at some points uses vague language, e.g. “most newspapers”, and contains no direct testimonies. Overall, text 1 contains figurative language that aims to create an effect or feeling on the reader. Text 2, however, is different from text 1 as it is a newspaper article. It therefore revolves more around fact than emotions and opinions, hence why the author includes so many quotations and testimonies. This author also uses more formal language as it is more objective and contains more factual information. Moreover, the language used is more unbiased, except for some exceptions. One of these contains the headline, which poses a rhetorical question to the reader; “is print really dead?” This, to an extent, shows bias and persuades the reader to see the effect of the Internet on print media in a more hopeful way. Another exception is presented in the first sentence of the article, when the author says, “Despite what you may have heard”. He is here using vague language, as he is not making a direct reference to the sources that have stated that print is dead. This could have been done to avoid honest reporting, therefore creating a bias.
Even though both texts are similar in a way, because these both make reference to the impact that the Internet has on print media, they approach this theme differently. Moreover, their purposes are different; this can immediately be recognized as text 1 is an editorial containing more opinion than fact and text 2 is a newspaper article. The purpose of text 1 is to diffuse the authors opinion on the probably dissolution of print media due to the growth of the Internet. The purpose of text 2, however, is to provide the reader with factual information that shows how the Internet has impacted print media and whether or not these can coexist. There is also a clear difference between the tone and mood created in text 1 and text 2. Text 1 uses words with a more negative connotation therefore creating a bleak and hopeless tone whilst text 2 uses diction that creates a hopeful and more neutral tone. Although there are minor differences in the structure and form of text 1 and 2, as mentioned previously, a jarring difference between the two can be seen in the language that they utilize. Text 1 uses colloquial and conversational language, euphemisms, and vague language, and is overall more biased, whilst text 2 uses formal language, includes direct testimonies, and contains less bias. In conclusion and in my opinion, it is clear to see that text 2 is much more valuable and useful than text 1 as it contains less bias, is more objective, and provides the reader with factual information such as statistics and direct testimonies, whilst text 1 is an opinion on a report and does not provide the reader with any useful information.
