Is your TOK Essay due tomorrow, or worse yet, in the next hour? It may seem that it is too late to make drastic changes to your TOK Essay, and you are doomed to get a mediocre TOK mark. But here are some quick and easy things for you to do in your essay that can boost your grade on the TOK essay by at least a mark. I've presented them in dot point form so you can check them off as you go through the essay.
The Criteria
First of all, if you haven't already, check out the criteria for the Essay just before you submit. This will help you to keep focused on what really matters in your essay as you fix it up in the hours leading up to submitting.
Presentation
Write the prescribed title in full as the title of your essay, or included as a header on your essay
If using images, make sure they are referenced and captioned
Reference everything including quotations
Add page numbers for ease of reading
Size 12 font in a readable type
1.5 - 2 line spacing
Introduction
Check that you have included the following in your introduction:
Paraphrased the prescribed title in your own words so it is clear what prompt you have chosen
Defined the key terms within the prescribed title, and your interpretation of the title
Stated your initial stance/opinion and preliminary answer to the prescribed title
Clearly show what two AOKs you have chosen and why in reference to the knowledge framework (or if they are prescribed, state them)
Body paragraphs
Start each body paragraph with your claim or counterclaim.
Second sentence of the body paragraph should be a brief introduction to the example you have chosen to support your claim or counterclaim.
Interweave your explanation of the example with what it means to your AOK.
Answer the prescribed title by tweaking your claim to fit within the language of the prescribed title
For the end of discussion for an AOK, you may decide to further have a small concluding sentence summarising the debate between your claim and counterclaim and your ultimate judgement for the AOK.
Aim to have 1 claim and 1 counterclaim for each AOK, so 4 body paragraphs.
Conclusion
Restate your thesis, and sum up the different arguments (claims and counterclaims) you made for each AOK.
Provide possible alternative perspectives that another person may have when reading your essay. What other conclusion might they draw from your writing?
Address anything you left unresolved, or questions you may still have after writing this essay
Answer the prescribed title clearly using the words provided in the prompt. Your essay should feel 'finished' by this sentence and I should be able to tell that you have come to a definitive answer based on your arguments presented.
Discuss the implication this answer may have. Various ways to approach this could include: why is your answer important to you (or to someone else acquiring or producing knowledge), what has it made you realise, or what change has it inspired in you?
Other General Fixes
Make sure you try and use TOK terminology. Refer to the terms in the knowledge framework and the 12 TOK concepts in the syllabus as appropriate
Make sure the essay makes sense. It may seem like a dumb comment, but if there are any convoluted sentences, rewrite them until they make logical sense.
Try to avoid flowery language. Use simple, clear and effective words that communicate your ideas.
Reference everything and anything, from your examples, to pictures, to facts and definitions.
Keep your writing between 1400-1600 words.
Good luck!
Alright, if you have done everything that I've mentioned above, then you should have a pretty good TOK essay! Go ahead, give it one last proofreading for clarity and spelling mistakes, and then submit it. Your TOK journey is done!
If you are still not feeling very confident, you might like to check out my 10/10 TOK essay series where I look at what a 10/10 Essay looks like from the Introduction, Body Paragraphs to the Conclusion. I'm sure you have a 10/10 essay on your hands though!
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