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Paper 1 tips


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  • 1 month later...

Thanks for the guide, it's really helpful :)

Just putting it out there, though, that for Problem D I think it might be different for some languages. I'm taking HL Japanese B, and on all of the practice tests I've taken it always says "you cannot copy/quote directly from the text" in the instructions. :X

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Thanks for the guide, it's really helpful :)

Just putting it out there, though, that for Problem D I think it might be different for some languages. I'm taking HL Japanese B, and on all of the practice tests I've taken it always says "you cannot copy/quote directly from the text" in the instructions. :X

If I remember correctly (too lazy to check), mine says do not copy long excerpts from the text... I'm doing French B SL... although our teacher told us to do the HL exams for practise, so that the actual thing will be a breeze. Hopefully.

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For Section B (Text D), you don't have to (maybe shouldn't?) quote the text, you are sort of supposed to rephrases all of the points from the text that help you answer the task, but I almost always write my support verbatim. Usually, IB has a list of 6-8 points of support that you should include,each of which merits 1 point. The other 2-4 points are reserved for tone/register and the correct format. For example, if you have to write an email you have to have "To," "From," "Subject," maybe the date, or else they will dock you points. The most important part is getting in those points from the text, but making sure you remember you have a convincing tone and the correct elements of the task are crucial to earning top marks.

By the way, I try to use this trick where if I think I wrote too much on a short answer or true/false justification, I slap some parentheses around the part that I think may be unnecessary. Not sure if this works with the real IB test, but hopefully it will work out if I have to do it :D. That part seems quite luck based since the examiner can't tell if you put too much because you have no clue and are guessing, or because you think the whole phrase supports your answer.

Edited by adletaY
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Does it matter how complex your grammar is or how many idioms you use... etc?

No! :)

The greatest thing on Section B on Paper 1 is that grammar and other language stuff is NOT assessed.

So, as long as your language doesn't prevent the examiner from understanding what you are trying to say, mistakes in this area will not cost you.

This task really just assesses how well you understood the text and how well you incorporate the elements of the task (letter, diary, poster, article, etc.) and how convincing your tone/register is.

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Does it matter how complex your grammar is or how many idioms you use... etc?

No! :)

The greatest thing on Section B on Paper 1 is that grammar and other language stuff is NOT assessed.

So, as long as your language doesn't prevent the examiner from understanding what you are trying to say, mistakes in this area will not cost you.

This task really just assesses how well you understood the text and how well you incorporate the elements of the task (letter, diary, poster, article, etc.) and how convincing your tone/register is.

This is true, grammar doesn't matter. Some questions can literally be answered with one word and sometimes even ask for only one word. I've seen a few markschemes and even though the line looks like they want a full sentence chances are they want as little as a 2-3 word phrase XD

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Does it matter how complex your grammar is or how many idioms you use... etc?

No! :)

The greatest thing on Section B on Paper 1 is that grammar and other language stuff is NOT assessed.

So, as long as your language doesn't prevent the examiner from understanding what you are trying to say, mistakes in this area will not cost you.

This task really just assesses how well you understood the text and how well you incorporate the elements of the task (letter, diary, poster, article, etc.) and how convincing your tone/register is.

Oh really! Yay! I was worried about section B... on the practice exams I wasted so much time trying to squeeze in every tense and idiom and pronoun I could think of... haha :)

Do that for paper2 :)

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  • 7 months later...

So.... someone earlier mentioned letters, and that is what my teacher is making us do. (its due tomorrow, so i doubt anyone will be able to help in time, but for future reference) what is the format the IB is looking for in letters? Or is my teacher just overly picky?

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So.... someone earlier mentioned letters, and that is what my teacher is making us do. (its due tomorrow, so i doubt anyone will be able to help in time, but for future reference) what is the format the IB is looking for in letters? Or is my teacher just overly picky?

It depends on what the task is and whether the tone is formal or informal. If it's a formal tone like to a person in a company or person you wouldn't know personally make it look like a business letter with block formatting and formal language. If it's a letter to a friend/family member you can just pretend you're writing a letter to a friend and be informal. Just make it look like the one you need.

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  • 4 months later...

i cannot express how much i love you right now!

my language b exam (French standard level) is the class i'm absolutely the least prepared for. however, it's my last exam and it's tomorrow, so i'm hoping it goes decently well. i honestly think it will be harder, for me, than HL maths. i just want it to be over!!

thanks again!

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  • 2 months later...

Hey guys, I'm a sophomore going into the IBDP this coming year. I'm half swiss but I'm not fluent in French cause I never lived there.

I started learning French from scratch 2 and a half year ago. I'm taking HL French B next year and I'd like to know if its difficult for someone who's been learning French for 2 years?

I really love languages, and I'm good at it. I've been learning english for 2 years as well. However, I got a 6/7 in French in 10th grade, Pre-IB.

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  • 3 months later...
Guest HayashiEsme

Out of curiosity: How much leeway do they give Language B answers in essays and such? I haven't begun my IB yet, but surely they can give us more leniency than a Language A subject?

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Thanks for the Paper 1 tips, paper 1 is probably the hardest part of my diploma! I can get 9 in the individual oral, 21 in paper 2... but paper 1 its a struggle to get 50%. However, and especially to anybody doing Japanese/Chinese who will understand, it's because we are taught virtually none of the characters that appear in the texts!! At least with other languages you can sound them and see similarities etc, whereas staring at a kanji you don't know just leaves you feeling blank and confused! Isn't there supposed to be a list or something, even if its like 500 kanji, that need to be known as only they can appear in paper 1? Because at this point, it feels absolutely ridiculous and unreasonable that I need to be getting nearly 35/40 on a paper where 20/40 is most realistic in order to get a 7. >:(

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