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The Perfect Structure for your TOK Essay

Alright, you have chosen your prompt, you have planned out what you want to say and you are ready to write! Putting the first words on the page is the hardest part of writing the TOK essay. I will show you the perfect structure that helps you get your ideas down, clearly and coherently, so that you get a perfect 10/10 on your TOK essay.

I prefer to have a list of questions that I answer as I go through and write so that is how I will introduce this structure to you.

Introduction (150-200 words)

You want to make a good first impression with your examiner. This means you need to show that right away, you know what you are talking about. Use those TOK terms to show that you get TOK!

The questions you should aim to answer should include:

  1. What is your prescribed title and why did you choose it? What made you interested in this title in particular? This is your chance to be personal from the get go.

  2. What do you think the prescribed title means? Interpret the prescribed title in your own words, and define the key concepts introduced in the title.

  3. If you need to choose one or two AOKs for the title, what AOKs did you choose and why?

  4. What do you think of the prompt? Do you agree or disagree with the prescribed title? State your stance here.

Body paragraphs (around 300 words each)

You should aim to have 4 body paragraphs, with 2 for each AOK. This should give you room to have 1 paragraph where you explain why your stance is correct (the claim) and 1 paragraph where you challenge why it might not be correct (the counterclaim) for each of your AOKs. In each body paragraph, you should include 1 example that can support the point you are making.

You can arrange your claim and counterclaim paragraphs however you like. I personally prefer having a claim paragraph, followed by a counterclaim, then another claim for the other AOK and then a counterclaim.

Let's break down what a claim and counterclaim paragraph looks like.

Claim Paragraphs

Your paragraph should start with a clear claim. Essentially, a one sentence answer to the prescribed title for that AOK.

Immediately after that, introduce your example you have chosen. Two to three sentences to briefly explain the example and specifically how it is relevant to TOK.

Once you have done that, you can use the example to bring out your point and explain the claim that you introduced at the beginning. Extrapolate what you found and explained with your example to your AOK. What does the example tell you about knowledge in that AOK overall?

At the end, answer the prescribed title (and say how you agree with the prompt). How did this example change or further strengthen your stance?

After a claim paragraph, the TOK examiner should be more convinced that your stance is right, because you have backed it up with your examples and extrapolated it out to the AOK in general.

Counterclaim paragraphs

This is where you challenge your own stance and poke holes in your own arguments. Counterclaims can make or break a TOK essay. You show your awareness and critical thinking on the prescribed title and understand the various ways that people can interpret it.

To begin a good counterclaim, you can either point out flaws in a previous claim you made, or introduce a different idea that challenges your stance. You should state this clearly as the first sentence of your paragraph, like a thesis statement. It should read something like "However, my stance is challenged by .... in this AOK".

Again, following a similar structure to a Claim paragraph, introduce your example, use that example to explain and extrapolate to the wider AOK context.

At the end though, spend 2-3 sentences discussing the implications of this counterclaim. You found out that perhaps you were wrong on your stance and explained why with your examples. Knowing this, are you sticking to your position or are you changing it? Showing growth in your perspective of the prescribed title is one of the best ways to show the examiner you are writing an accomplished essay. You should have a mini debate with yourself, and discuss why you are or are not changing your stance.

Conclusion (150-200 words)

At the end of the essay, you should wrap up and tie all your claims and counterclaims altogether. You should answer the questions:

  1. What is your stance on the prescribed title now? How has it changed throughout the essay? What claims and counterclaims made you change or not change? Outline your final answer to the prescribed title, supported by your claims and counterclaims.

  2. What have you come to realise about the AOKs? Highlight some differences or similarities you noticed when answering the prompt and comparing between the AOKs you choose.

  3. What implications does your answer to the prescribed title have? How do you see knowledge, and learning in the world, differently now that you have done the TOK essay?

One final thing

Don't forget to reference! If your examples are not personal, or involved some googling, you must reference it! You won't be specifically marked down if you don't within the criteria, but not referencing examples constitute academic misconduct and may get you pinged for plagiarism. Additionally, referencing adds credibility to your arguments, so that your examiners think you know what you are talking about.

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