IO Exemplar: Global Issue and Text Selection
An exemplar IO planning stage showing how to frame a global issue (power imbalances in marriage) and justify pairing an English-language text with a work in translation.
Before a single line of analysis is written, every strong IO stands or falls on two decisions made at the planning stage: what global issue will anchor the whole presentation, and which two literary works will illuminate it from different angles. This exemplar plan pairs Othello by William Shakespeare (originally written in English) with A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen (a work in translation, originally written in Norwegian) to explore the global issue of the damaging impact of power imbalances in marriage on women.
Notice immediately what makes this a global issue rather than a plot summary of two plays. "Power imbalances in marriage harm women" is not tied to a single century, country, or culture — it speaks to patriarchal structures, domestic abuse, and gendered control that remain internationally relevant today. The IO rewards candidates who can show a text illuminates something bigger than itself.
The IB requires the IO to explore a global issue through two literary works studied in the course, and at least one of the two must be a work in translation. There is no non-literary text component in this IO — both works are literary. Choosing A Doll's House (translated from Norwegian) alongside Othello (originally in English) satisfies this requirement while giving the student two genuinely different cultural and dramatic contexts to compare.
The pairing rationale matters as much as the issue itself. A weak IO simply states two texts share a "theme"; a strong IO, like this exemplar, articulates a thesis of contrast that will structure the whole 10 minutes:
Both texts depict patriarchal marriage as a space where women's voices are silenced and their identities suppressed. While Shakespeare explores the violent consequences of male dominance, Ibsen critiques the emotional damage caused by control and infantilization.
This single sentence does three jobs at once: it names the shared global issue, it commits to close textual engagement with both works, and it previews a genuine point of difference (violence vs. emotional erosion) that will give the presentation an argument rather than a list of parallel observations. Examiners under Criterion A (Knowledge and Interpretation) are listening for exactly this kind of interpretive framing from the first minute.
| Requirement | How this pairing satisfies it |
|---|---|
| Global issue, not a theme label | Framed as impact — "the damaging impact of power imbalances in marriage on women" — not just "marriage" or "power" |
| Two literary works studied | Othello (drama, tragedy) and A Doll's House (drama, realist problem play) |
| At least one work in translation | A Doll's House, translated from Ibsen's original Norwegian |
| No non-literary text | Both chosen texts are literary — the IO in this course never pairs a literary work with a visual/non-literary text |
| Distinct angles on the same issue | Othello = physical/fatal consequences; A Doll's House = emotional/psychological consequences |
Do not choose two texts just because you know quotes from both. Choose two texts because they let you say something about the global issue that neither text says alone. In this exemplar, the contrast between Othello's violence and Torvald's infantilization is what generates analytical depth — it lets the student argue that patriarchal control takes multiple forms, which is a far stronger claim than "both texts show men mistreating women."
A common mistake is to select a global issue so broad ('love', 'power', 'society') that it cannot be explored with precision, or so narrow that only surface-level plot points connect to it. Another common error is treating the work in translation superficially — mentioning its translated status once and never returning to how that context (e.g. 19th-century Norwegian bourgeois society for Ibsen) shapes the way the issue is represented.
- IO explores a global issue through TWO literary works studied in class — never a non-literary text.
- At least one of the two works must be a work in translation (here, A Doll's House, translated from Norwegian).
- State the global issue as an impact or effect, not a vague theme label (e.g. 'the damaging impact of power imbalances in marriage on women', not just 'marriage').
- A strong thesis names both the shared issue AND a point of contrast between how the two texts treat it.
- Text choice should be justified by what the pairing reveals together, not by convenience or memorized quotes.
IO Exemplar: Structuring the Introduction
A model IO introduction shows how to open with a global issue, introduce two literary works (including a translated text), and state a two-part comparative thesis that will organise the whole presentation.
The introduction of your Individual Oral does more work than any other minute of the presentation. In roughly 60–90 seconds, you must name the global issue, introduce both literary works precisely, and state a thesis that predicts the shape of your entire argument. Examiners forming their first impression of your Criterion C (Focus and Organization) and Criterion A (Knowledge and Interpretation) marks are listening hardest right here — a vague or list-like opening makes the rest of the talk feel directionless, even if the analysis later on is strong.
This exemplar explores the global issue of the damaging impact of power imbalances in marriage on women, using Shakespeare's Othello (literary, originally written in English) alongside Ibsen's A Doll's House (literary, a work in translation, originally in Norwegian). Notice that the plan requires the student to explicitly flag the translated status of the second text — this is a formal IO requirement, not just a nicety.
Read the model script's opening closely to see the three moves in action:
"Throughout history, marriages have often contained a power imbalance in which men hold an unequal amount of power when compared to their wives... The global issue I will be exploring today is how power imbalances in marriages can have a damaging impact on women, a theme that remains globally relevant in discussions around gender roles, domestic abuse, and female autonomy."
"To explore this issue, I will be examining Othello by William Shakespeare and A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen. While the texts differ in context and form, both authors portray patriarchal marriages where women are emotionally or physically dominated by their husbands. In Othello, Shakespeare highlights how jealousy and control manifest in verbal and ultimately fatal violence. Meanwhile, Ibsen focuses on the subtle but equally destructive emotional toll of constant infantilisation and suppression."
Notice the thesis is two-part and comparative, not two separate summaries bolted together. Part one states what the texts share (patriarchal marriage silences and suppresses women); part two states how they differ (violent consequences vs emotional damage). This single sentence structure — shared claim + point of contrast — is the engine that will let the student move fluidly between texts for the rest of the talk without losing the thread.
- State the global issue in general human terms before naming your texts — this shows the examiner you understand it as a real-world concern, not just a label for your talk.
- Name both texts and authors precisely, including form (literary) and translation status where relevant — this is required, assessed information, not filler.
- Give one sentence per text previewing HOW each text approaches the issue (e.g. 'Shakespeare highlights...', 'Ibsen focuses on...') — this previews your structure for the listener.
- State a two-part thesis: a shared claim across both texts, followed by a clear point of contrast or distinction between how each text treats the issue.
- Ensure every noun phrase in the thesis (e.g. 'violent consequences', 'emotional damage') will reappear as a signpost later in the talk, so the examiner can track your argument.
Common mistake: stating the global issue as a bare topic word ("marriage" or "power") rather than a debatable claim about impact ("power imbalances in marriage can have a damaging impact on women"). A topic is not a thesis — it gives the examiner nothing to test your analysis against. Similarly, avoid introducing the texts with only title and author with no framing sentence; examiners need to hear why you paired these two works before you dive into analysis.
Exam tip: rehearse your introduction until the thesis sentence is fixed in exact wording. Because the rest of your 10 minutes should keep returning to the same key terms (here: silenced, suppressed, violent, emotional damage), a wandering or improvised thesis in the first minute makes it much harder to demonstrate the sustained focus Criterion C rewards.
- Introduction should take roughly 1–1.5 minutes of the 10-minute presentation.
- Three required moves, in order: state the global issue as a claim, introduce both texts (with translation status if relevant), state a two-part thesis.
- Thesis = shared claim across both texts + a clear point of contrast between them.
- Name the works precisely: literary text, author, and 'work in translation' status must be stated for the IO.
- Key thesis terms should reappear as signposts throughout the talk to sustain Criterion C focus.