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
"Japan's central bank implemented quantitative easing in 2013. The programme involved purchasing large quantities of government bonds. Interest rates were kept close to zero throughout this period."
"Japan's 2013 quantitative easing programme, characterised by unprecedented bond purchases and near-zero interest rates, was designed to break the deflationary expectations embedded in consumer and investor behaviour since the 1990s. However, the transmission mechanism from monetary expansion to inflation proved slower than predicted, suggesting that structural factors — including Japan's ageing population and corporate deleveraging preferences — constrained the programme's effectiveness beyond what monetary models anticipated."
The analytical paragraph doesn't just state what happened — it evaluates WHY it happened, what it means, and where the expected outcome diverged from reality.
The Description-to-Analysis Test
Take any paragraph from your essay and classify every sentence as D (describes a fact) or A (evaluates, interprets, or draws a conclusion). A strong paragraph has roughly a 30/70 split: 30% description to establish the facts, 70% analysis to evaluate them.
Tip
If you can replace a sentence with "so what?" and it makes the essay sound better, that sentence needed more analysis. Every descriptive fact should be followed by its analytical consequence.
Five Analytical Moves
Compare and Contrast
Place two things side by side and draw conclusions from the differences. "ZARA's inventory turnover of 5.12 falls significantly below H&M's 7.8, suggesting that ZARA's competitive advantage derives from factors other than production speed."
Identify Cause and Effect
Don't just state that something happened — explain why it happened and what it caused. "The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 accelerated German reunification by removing the geopolitical obstacle that had sustained the division as a buffer state."
Challenge the Assumption
Find the conventional narrative and interrogate it. "While ZARA is widely characterised as successful because of its fast fashion model, the data suggests that its inventory turnover actually underperforms the industry average."
Evaluate the Evidence
Assess the quality and limitations of your sources. "This finding is based on self-reported survey data, which may overstate the correlation due to social desirability bias."
Synthesise Across Sources
Connect findings from multiple sources to reach a conclusion neither source reaches alone. "Taken together, Smith's quantitative findings and Jones's qualitative analysis suggest that social media influence on voting behaviour operates primarily through reinforcement rather than persuasion."
Turning Description Into Analysis: Examples
| Descriptive Version | Analytical Version |
|---|---|
| "ZARA uses a fast supply chain." | "ZARA's two-week design-to-shelf cycle creates artificial scarcity — a marketing strategy that drives urgency without the advertising spend its competitors require." |
| "The Marshall Plan gave money to European countries." | "The Marshall Plan's $13 billion in aid served a dual purpose: rebuilding European economies to create export markets for US goods while simultaneously creating a buffer of economically stable states against Soviet expansion." |
| "Cortisol levels increase during stress." | "Elevated cortisol during acute stress impairs hippocampal function, reducing the consolidation of explicit memories — which explains why trauma survivors often report fragmented rather than continuous recollections." |
The Evaluative Vocabulary
The language you use signals to examiners whether you're analysing or describing. Analytical verbs and phrases:
- 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..."
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
- Use the 5 analytical moves: compare, cause/effect, challenge, evaluate, synthesise
- Aim for 30% description, 70% analysis in every body paragraph
- The evaluative vocabulary signals to examiners that you're thinking at the right level