High-scoring TOK essays use specific examples because specificity gives you something to analyse, not just something to mention.
Why High-Scoring TOK Essays Use Specific Examples
Specific Examples Create Analysis
High-scoring TOK essays do not use specific examples because specific examples sound impressive. They use them because specificity gives the writer something to analyse. A vague example can only support a vague claim. A specific example lets you test method, evidence, interpretation, limitation, and context.
Vague Examples Stay Descriptive
Compare these two versions. Vague: 'Science changes when new discoveries are made.' Specific: 'The shift in medical advice around hormone replacement therapy after large-scale clinical trial evidence challenged earlier observational assumptions shows how methods affect certainty in medical knowledge.' The second version is not just more detailed. It gives you something to discuss: method, sample size, uncertainty, expert confidence, and change over time.