The #1 reason IB Extended Essays drop from an A to a B is too much description and not enough analysis. This is so common that IB examiners have a phrase for it in their markschemes: "merely descriptive." Understanding the distinction and applying it consistently is the difference between an A and a B.
Description vs Analysis: The Core Distinction
Description states what happened. Analysis evaluates why it happened, what it means, and where the expected outcome diverged from reality. A descriptive sentence could appear in a textbook about your topic; an analytical sentence could only appear in your essay, because it makes an argument connected to your specific research question.
The "So What?" Test
Take any paragraph and classify every sentence as describing a fact or evaluating it. Establish the facts briefly, then spend most of the paragraph on what those facts mean for your argument.
If you can follow a sentence with "so what?" and the answer makes the essay stronger, that sentence needed more analysis. Every descriptive fact should be followed by its analytical consequence.
The Evaluative Vocabulary
The language you use signals to examiners whether you're analysing or describing. Analytical phrases include:
- 1"This suggests / implies / indicates that..."
- 2"The significance of this finding lies in..."
- 3"This challenges the assumption that..."
- 4"The disparity between X and Y reveals..."
- 5"This supports / contradicts the theory that..."
- 6"The weight of evidence suggests that..."
- 7"This outcome can be attributed to..."
Go deeper
Want the full set of analytical moves with worked before-and-after examples for your subject? It's inside the writing and analysis modules.
Key Takeaways
- "Merely descriptive" is the most common reason IB EEs lose marks
- Every fact you state should be followed by what that fact means for your argument
- Weight each body paragraph toward analysis, not description
- The evaluative vocabulary signals to examiners that you're thinking at the right level