what does commentary mean in a essay

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From Summary to Insight: A Guide to Writing Commentary Essays with Depth

Writing an essay can be daunting, let alone if you’re also providing commentary on it. But the reward of a job well done is worth the effort when you’re finished!

It has been noted that essays with thoughtful commentaries have a higher chance of being accepted for publication. So I’m here to help make it clear that essay writers need to understand the power of commentary and how to incorporate it into their work.

In this article, I’ll share my experience as a writer and provide insight on how to make your voice heard in an essay by using effective commentary. By following my advice, you’ll be able to craft a piece that stands out from the crowd and makes your thoughts shine through!

What Is Commentary In An Essay?

Over the course of your writing, you may have heard of the term ‘commentary’ in relation to essay writing. But what does it mean?

Simply put, commentary is analysis. It’s when you take a text and try to identify the deeper implications at play. In literary texts this could be symbolism, metaphors or dual meanings; with non-fiction texts it could include examining how an author makes use of evidence and arguments to support their position.

Writing a commentary essay requires close reading skills and the ability to interpret a wide range of information. It also requires you to think critically about how ideas are connected and draw conclusions about why certain elements are included in the text.

Commentary is an essential part of any essay because it allows your reader – who may not be as familiar with the text as you – to understand why you have drawn certain conclusions based on your interpretation.

It’s like giving them a guided tour through your thoughts and ideas so they can explore what makes your argument unique and interesting. Commentary also enables you to make connections between different aspects of the text that might not be obvious on first glance, helping bring out its significance even further.

By using commentary effectively, you can write an engaging essay that really gets your point across clearly.

The Significance Of Commentary In Essay Writing

Writing commentary in an essay can be a powerful tool for communicating ideas and arguments. It is essential to engage in critical thinking, interpretation, and analysis when writing commentary. Writing effective commentary requires the ability to construct a well-developed argument that supports the main point of the essay.

Here are 4 key elements of effective commentary:

A clear thesis statement
Relevant evidence that supports the argument
Interpretation and analysis of the evidence
A conclusion that summarizes the argument

Commentaries should be written with an engaging style that encourages readers to think critically about the topic at hand. Good literary commentary should be accessible, yet thought-provoking; it should both inform and entertain the audience. Additionally, it should challenge preconceived notions about a subject and provide an insightful perspective on why something matters or how it affects our lives.

In order to write effectively, one must first understand their audience and what they hope to communicate through their words. With this knowledge in mind, one can craft a compelling commentary that offers fresh insight into any given topic.

Transitioning seamlessly into the next section…

Key Elements Of Effective Commentary

Like the rising sun that signals a new day, effective commentary can offer a fresh perspective to an essay. With the right words and emphasis, it can engage readers in an entirely new way and bring them closer to understanding your argument.

Like a shimmering beacon of light, it has the power to grab their attention and draw them into your ideas.

Commentary does more than just summarize facts or provide background information – it also evaluates, interprets, and analyses information.

It’s an opportunity for you to delve into the heart of what you’re writing about, offering insight into its significance and exploring potential implications. By taking this approach, you can evaluate the importance of each point and develop your thesis with greater clarity.

Through thoughtful commentary, you can make connections between ideas that your readers may not have previously considered and help them reach their own conclusions about your argument.

Strategies For Writing Potent Commentary In Essays

Writing potent commentary in essays is essential to making a successful argument and gaining the reader’s interest. Here are four strategies that can help you write a good essay commentary:

Develop a strong thesis statement

A thesis statement serves as the core of your essay, and it should be explicit, engaging and supportable by evidence. It should also be concise so that readers can understand your main message immediately.

Understand the topic better

Spend some time researching the topic before you start writing to ensure you have a thorough understanding of it. This will give your commentary more depth and clarity.

Body And Paragraphs Organized

Make sure your body paragraphs are organized logically and clearly explain how your points relate to the overall theme or argument of your essay.

Each paragraph should have a single purpose, and make sure that all sentences within each paragraph work together to support that purpose.

Use literary analysis

When writing your commentary you can draw on elements like tone, imagery, diction, and syntax to make your argument more persuasive and compelling for readers. This will also help them better understand what you’re trying to communicate in your essay.

By incorporating these strategies into your essay writing process, you can create powerful commentary that effectively supports your argument and engages readers with meaningful insight into the text or topic at hand. With these tips in mind, let’s look at how to use quotations and examples in commentary to further enrich our arguments!

The Use Of Quotations And Examples In Commentary

Now that we’ve discussed strategies for writing powerful commentary in essays, let’s explore the use of quotations and examples when constructing these sentences.

Quotations and examples are essential for making strong commentary sentences that support an argument or analysis. When used correctly, they can be a great way to illustrate a point and add interest and texture to your argument.

When including a quotation in your commentary, it is important to make sure it is properly attributed. You should include both the author’s name and the source from which the quote was taken. This not only strengthens your argument by adding credibility, but it also shows you have done your research.

Examples are also effective for proving a point or introducing a new concept. They help to break up longer paragraphs, explain difficult concepts in more detail, and provide evidence or substantiation for an idea or opinion. When using examples in commentary sentences, it is important that they are relevant to the topic at hand and accurately represent what you are attempting to say in your essay.

With this information in mind, let’s move on to examining types of commentary in essays; comprehending the contrasts.

Types Of Commentary In Essays: Comprehending The Contrasts

As a student writing a commentary essay, it is important to understand the differences between analyzing, summarizing, and evaluating. To help comprehend these contrasts, let’s take a look at four main points:

1. Analyzing – Looking closely at something and breaking it down into smaller parts to better understand it.

2. Summarizing – Taking the information from a larger group of data and boiling it down into its key elements.

3. Relating – Exploring how two or more ideas are connected and how they affect each other.

4. Evaluating – Examining different aspects of an issue or argument and determining its worth or value by expressing an opinion about it.

Using these four points as a framework for writing your commentary essays can help you to be more effective in your analysis, summary and evaluation of any given topic.

Furthermore, this knowledge will also serve you well when crafting strategies for writing literary essays that contain thoughtful commentary elements.

With this in mind, let us now turn our attention to creating such strategies…

Strategies For Writing Commentary In Literary Essays

Having discussed the differences between types of commentary, let’s now turn to strategies for writing effective commentary in literary essays.

When it comes to providing commentary, it is important to understand that you are making a statement about something; whether it be an interpretation or opinion, you need to make a clear statement.

You should also comment on any phrases or passages that have stood out and explain why they are significant.

It is also important to identify the underlying message of the text. This means going beyond surface-level analysis and delving into the deeper meaning of the work.

To do this, think about what is not being said as much as what is being said.

Make sure your comments add depth to your analysis and provide new insights for your readers.

Finally, take care when constructing your sentences so that your points come across clearly and convincingly.

Writing Commentary For Convincing Essays

I’m sure you’re excited to finally get started on writing your commentary for a convincing essay! It can be intimidating to write about something without knowing what type of essay you’re working on. But if you take the time to read through the assignment and passage, you’ll have a much better idea of what you need to write.

When it comes to writing your commentary, try not to worry too much about “sounding smart” or “having all the right answers.” Instead, focus on writing like yourself—in your own voice, with your own ideas. The more authentic and engaging your writing is, the more persuasive it will be to readers.

So don’t be afraid to express yourself—you may just surprise yourself with how creative and interesting your thoughts can be! With that said, let’s move on to creating commentary that supports your thesis statement.

Creating Commentary That Supports Your Thesis Statement

As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. Looking back now, it’s clear that writing an effective commentary for a convincing essay requires some finesse and insight.

When starting to write, it’s important to have a good understanding of the topic you are discussing and to provide enough context for your audience to understand what you are discussing. Additionally, it helps to have an understanding of opposing viewpoints before you start writing so that you can avoid falling into common traps.

To create commentary that supports your thesis statement effectively, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:

1. Make sure your argument is sound and won’t be easily refuted by an opposing point of view.

2. Avoid introducing new evidence or topics in your commentary; instead focus on the evidence already presented in the essay body.

3. Take the time to help explain why certain evidence matters and why readers should care about it.

The goal of commentary is not just to express an opinion but also provide meaningful analysis that will help prove or disprove a point of view. By being mindful of these considerations when writing, it is possible to create effective commentary that will help readers better understand your argument and its implications.

Common Mistakes To Avoid In Commentary Writing

I think one of the biggest mistakes I can make when writing a commentary essay is to overgeneralize my points. It’s important to provide specific examples and evidence to back up my opinion and avoid making sweeping conclusions.

Additionally, when writing a commentary essay, it’s also easy to forget to include evidence to support my argument. Making sure to include evidence will make my piece of writing much more convincing and credible.

Avoiding Overgeneralization

When writing a commentary essay, it’s important to avoid overgeneralizing your topic.

Sure, it may be tempting to make sweeping statements about the issue at hand, but this won’t do justice to your argument.

Instead, try to focus on concrete evidence and facts that back up your opinion.

For example, include statistics or subjective accounts from experts in the field.

This will ensure that you don’t come off as too biased or uninformed in your commentary.

By avoiding overgeneralization and being specific in your evidence, you can present a much more convincing argument and captivate readers with innovation.

Remember: always strive for accuracy when building an argument!

Lack Of Evidence

When it comes to commentary writing, one of the biggest mistakes people make is not having enough evidence to back up their argument. Without any supporting evidence, your argument can easily be dismissed as biased and uninformed.

This is especially true when discussing contentious topics like politics or religion. It’s important to remember that you’re usually assigned a commentary essay for a reason—so make sure you have enough facts and figures to give your readers an informed opinion. Otherwise, you may struggle to convince them of your point of view.

To make sure your argument stands out from the crowd, research extensively and use concrete evidence whenever possible. This will show that you’ve put in the effort and will help ensure a more innovative outcome for your audience.

Tips For Revising And Editing Commentary

Revising and editing your commentary is an important step in writing an essay. It helps to ensure that you are conveying the most accurate and persuasive message.

To do this, it’s important to read through your writing again and summarize any points that you noticed while reading. This will allow you to make sure that each point is clear and concise. As students need to be able to write effectively, it is also important to pay close attention to the language used throughout the essay.

Looking for words that could be replaced with more precise ones or focusing on certain aspects of literature can help bring life to a paper.

It is also essential to check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other errors before submitting the essay. Making sure all of these elements are correct can help enhance the paper’s overall quality.

Additionally, as you review your work, look for any areas where clarification may be necessary. Taking a second look at what you wrote will help ensure that the reader fully understands all of your points and implications.

By following these tips when revising and editing commentary in an essay, readers can gain a clearer understanding of the author’s intended message.

Examples Of Strong And Poor Commentary In Essays

A necessary part of writing an essay is the commentary. It’s the all-important part that allows for a deeper understanding of what is being written and allows the reader to get a fuller picture of the writer’s thoughts.

Unfortunately, not everyone understands the need to understand commentary. Many writers think they can simply paraphrase their sources without paying attention to how they are using irony or antithesis, missing out on valuable opportunities to add depth and complexity to their work.

Commentary should be used to engage readers in a way that speaks directly to their subconscious desire for innovation. It should be written in a personal tone of voice with contractions and an engaging style that will grab readers’ attention and make them want more.

If done correctly, it can bring new life and insight into an essay, allowing it to stand out from the rest.

Paragraph Construction With Commentary

In this section, I’m going to be talking about paragraph construction with commentary. As part of writing an essay, it is important to think about how you are going to use literary elements and techniques to convey your main idea or argument. I was always taught by my instructor that the way you structure your paragraphs can really make a difference in how effective your message is.

So, let’s take a look at some tips for constructing well-crafted paragraphs that provide an engaging commentary.

First of all, try not to write too long of a sentence as this can lead to confusion for the reader.

Secondly, make sure that each paragraph has one clear point that ties back into the main argument or idea you are trying to convey in your essay.

Finally, use transition words and phrases as needed throughout the essay so that readers can easily follow along with your discussion.

All these steps help ensure that readers understand and appreciate what you have written in your essay. With these tips in mind, let’s move on to discussing transition words and phrases for commentary.

Transition Words And Phrases For Commentary

In the world of higher education, commentary is a powerful tool that can bring literature to life in a way that no other piece can. It’s almost magical how one can take an otherwise mundane poem and turn it into something extraordinary with just a few words. Commentary has the ability to transform isolation into coherence in ways that are simply astounding!

Here is a 4-point list for successful commentary:

1. Read the text multiple times before writing any comments.

2. Take notes on what stands out most to you.

3. Use concrete examples from the text to better illustrate your points.

4. Be sure to engage with your audience in a way that encourages them to think more deeply about the subject matter at hand.

Commentary is an invaluable skill for anyone looking to make their mark on a piece of literature, so use it wisely and always strive for excellence! With this knowledge, we can now move on to exploring how to write a conclusion with commentary – do’s and don’ts included!

Writing A Conclusion With Commentary: Do’s And Don’ts

Now that you know the transition words and phrases for commentary, it’s time to learn how to write a conclusion with commentary. It can seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be.

One of the most important things to remember is not to rely too heavily on your homework. Spending too much time memorizing facts and figures won’t help you in the long run when it comes to showcasing your opinion. Therefore, try to focus on critical thinking skills instead of wasting time studying for hours on end.

While two sentences are usually enough for a conclusion, make sure that each one packs a punch and is full of insight and analysis. Hone your skills by getting feedback from others so you can refine your writing and develop a style that resonates with any reader.

This can help ensure that your concluding remarks leave an impactful impression on those who read them.

Overall, effective commentary is essential for producing a successful essay.

Writing commentary allows you to demonstrate your understanding and personal thoughts on the topic and can really amplify your argument.

By incorporating examples, quotations, and other evidence into your commentary, you are able to bring life to your writing in a manner that will make it stand out from the crowd.

As an age-old proverb says, “A picture paints a thousand words”; similarly, strong commentary paints an even grander picture of your argument.

With these tips in mind, I look forward to seeing you all write some truly standout essays!

Commentary Essay Guide

If you are a high school, college, or university student, you might have to write a commentary essay sooner or later. And whatever the subject may be, it’s better to be sure to provide substantial content and analyze the written discourse thoroughly. A commentary is quite good for completing that task.

There are several ways of writing a commentary, and we will examine all of the major ones. Depending on the subject and the requirements, you might write your commentary in the form of a separate paper with its own characteristics (usually assigned and explained by your tutor), a literary analysis, and data commentary.

Plus, a commentary can be part of any complete essay. If you are assigned a specific type, you are free to jump to it directly. If not, make sure to read the whole article and learn more about every kind of commentary essay.

Essay definition – read our general article to learn more about essays.

What Is a Commentary Essay? (As a Separate Paper)

A commentary essay is a written piece that provides an opinion on a particular subject. This type of essay is usually written in response to another piece , such as a blog post, article, or book passage. In a commentary essay, the writer will typically offer their own take on the situation, using evidence and examples to support their claims.

A commentary essay as a separate assignment is widely used among academic institutions. Such a paper aims to make students enable and use their critical thinking, analyze a subject, and provide an individual commentary essay.

For instance, the Purdue University Fort Wayne course ENG W131 relies on a commentary essay as a distinct type because it simply helps the reader understand the topic more in-depth and provides a strong stance regarding the given subject. It would be reasonable to point out the most notable attributes of this commentary essay and what professors of the Purdue University course require to pass the program.

The list of assignmend handouts by PFW with commentary essay highlighted

The commentary essay’s primary goal is to help the audience understand the topic better. Many subjects may be quite unclear to an ordinary reader—meaning many points can be misunderstood. Students write commentary essays to evaluate various concepts and analyze the subject in a broader scope.

Audience and Genre

The writer’s primary audience should be interested in the issue and have some connections with it. In other words, if you are to discuss innovations in the business sector, your audience may comprise business owners.

A commentary essay speaks for itself. The genre is a commentary—however, an official one.

Language and Style

Almost every paper has to be written according to academic rules, i.e., by following formal language and avoiding slang and personal pronouns. A commentary essay, however, allows you to include the first-person pronoun “I” to present your point of view.

Make your work coherent by providing effective transitions between the essay’s paragraphs and minding the word choice .

Like any academic paper, a commentary essay must contain an introduction with a thesis statement , a body part, and a conclusion. A word count might vary, but it is usually four to six pages long, double-spaced, typed with Times New Roman, with a title page and scholarly sources formatted in APA style.

Note: To learn more about essay format and structure, read our dedicated guide – How to Format an Essay .

Make sure to add one academic article or any other authoritative source per page. If your commentary essay has three pages, you need to find three up-to-date scholarly or any other competent materials. Such shreds of evidence support your arguments and thus make your work more trustworthy.

The following are some brief tips to help you succeed in writing a commentary essay:

Create a strong and clear thesis that will outline your paper’s main points.
Make sure to give your audience food for thought or something that will urge them to act or try making sense of the topic.
Treat the readers as co-thinkers and demonstrate your position with reason, regardless of whether your perspective on the subject and theirs coincide.
Don’t be too objective or neutral but try to show your viewpoint, whatever it is.

Literary Commentary Writing and Analysis

Many students might think that commentary and analysis are two different things. They ask what the difference is since teachers can talk about commentary and analysis and use these terms interchangeably. The truth is, these are basically the same words in the context of essay writing. In simple terms, a commentary requires a person to analyze a certain block of text and explain their understanding to the audience.

As we already know, a commentary essay can be written in various ways. A commentary essay can examine different subjects and areas, which is hard to say about literary analysis. Literary commentary writing focuses on literature and sometimes news. Moreover, it follows the two most used methods: “This shows that” and “LET.”

“This Shows That” Approach

To be brief but precise, this method makes students read between the lines and provide a complete understanding of the given text. However, although this method is relatively simple (but very effective), students tend to make mistakes when using it. Instead of going into the content, they remain about water. As a result, students don’t analyze the chosen section but simply paraphrase it. Let’s take a look at two examples:

A weak approach: In Essay On Criticism by Alexander Pope , the author states that “Those RULES of old discover’d, not devis’d; Are Nature still, but Nature Methodiz’d. Nature, like Liberty, is but restrain’d By the same Laws which first herself ordain’d.” The author says that only Nature sets the rules of our universe and can alter them.

A stronger approach: In Essay On Criticism by Alexander Pope , the author states that “Those RULES of old discover’d, not devis’d; Are Nature still, but Nature Methodiz’d. Nature, like Liberty, is but restrain’d By the same Laws which first herself ordain’d.” This shows that Nature dictates its own rules that no one can alter but her. Moreover, such rules are tightly connected with criticism during Classicism. The author wanted to emphasize that often such criticism was hostile to poetry, which was then called “criticism for the sake of criticism.”

“LET” Approach

This approach stands for “Literary Elements and Techniques,” which helps determine components used within the section and explains how such techniques correlate with the thesis statement. As a matter of fact, these elements are point of view, conflict, plot, character, style, and setting .

Analyzed quote : “It is much easier to make good men wise, than to make bad men good.”

Thesis statement : Henry Fielding used digressions and extensive descriptions to show how a single event can be depicted, extended, and mocked.

Commentary : In this example, the narrator uses digressions to change the topic and provide something completely different, which, however, as the author states, is very important to know beforehand. By men , the author demonstrates the entire humanity and its development, false values, and shallow life. The quote works to show that every piece of text can mock every life aspect, and it wholly relates to the thesis statement.

Note: To learn more about academic analytical writing, check our comprehensive article – How to Write an Analytical Essay .

What Are Commentaries in an Essay?

Commentaries in an essay can be written in different ways. Depending on an essay’s type you have to analyze, you can use several kinds of commentaries to interpret the body paragraphs’ evidence . These comments ultimately allow you to build a full-fledged paper and are essential in most essays.

Each body paragraph in essays usually has a set structure, which looks something like this:

Topic sentence (with your claim or argument)
Supporting evidence, examples, quotes, etc.
Your commentaries analyzing the previous part
Concluding sentence with a transition to the next part

There are five different ways of writing a commentary (analysis) in an essay. Each of them requires thorough analysis to identify which type is the most pertinent to use. Comments can be composed in the form of:

Opinion: When you analyze a piece and provide your take about it.
Interpretation: When you explain a concept that is hard to understand.
Character and Subject’s Feelings: When you depict the person’s emotional state.
Personal Reaction: When you present your personal stance on the topic.
Evaluation: When you evaluate a section and provide your critical judgment.

Now, each type is unique and has to be used within the relevant context. Suffice to say, you can’t use a character’s and subject’s feelings when analyzing statistics or a biology essay. How to identify which type is the most pertinent to the essay? Let’s find out.

Opinion Type

This one simply means to walk through the piece, comprehend it, and give the audience a short thought on the subject. The “what and why” method is the best way to provide sound analysis. Topics may be different, but argumentative essays with pieces of evidence are the prevalent paper type.

An exemplary statement might be: Considering a slow increase in vaccinated people, it will take over 70 years to vaccinate all the globe’s population.

When sticking to the “what and why” method, you want to show what your opinion is and why it is important.

So, the answer might follow this way: The statement demonstrated very slow progress in vaccinating people. If we want to get back to the pre-covid times sooner than 70 years from now, we have to speed up the vaccination process to grant people safety and hope.

Interpretation Type

This type would suit argumentative essays with evidence-based statistics and numbers. Likewise, the “what and why” strategy would be the best for this and succeeding types.

The example of the body paragraph’s main thought can be: Researchers empirically identified that of 100,000 participants, 80,000 started feeling better after strenuous workouts.

Your commentary: The research indicates that the vast majority of participants made use of intense exercises. However beneficial it may be, there are still a substantial number of people who didn’t feel any improvement, and some even started feeling worse.

Character’s or Subject’s Feelings

This type is applicable when providing commentaries on different descriptive or narrative essays.

For instance, the subject matter may well be related to some biographies and reflections, such as Sylvia Evans, observing her poor mental state, had to give up higher education and merge with solitude for the rest of her life.

Then, your commentary can be: Sylvia faces disastrous feelings at a young age, resulting in her university expulsion. Consequently, she has to leave everything and become alone, which can be even more perilous for her and people who share similar feelings.

Personal Reaction

Here, you can touch on topics that can somehow relate to you. Issues you cover might be various and relate to the expository , narrative , or descriptive essays . An excellent example can be the topic of ethnic discrimination.

For instance: People don’t accept individuals of various backgrounds, sticking to the ideas of a polygamous nation and excluding others from their group.

The following may be your response: It is unacceptable to observe such pseudo-notions and see how people from different countries are perceived. Such an attitude spawns hatred, isolation, and even violence from both groups.

Assessment

This type relies on authoritative papers, credible statements, law, and other widely known rules.

For example, Owners whose private property is trespassed can use firearms and fend off the intruders.

Your evaluation can be as follows: Although this might be unnecessary, people are prone to defending their territory in any possible way. In fact, they are protected by the law and constitution that allow them to use firearms to protect their possessions.

Data Commentary

Last but not least, the data commentary. Data commentary analyzes and discusses various data. In many fields, especially in engineering, it is critical to be able to make a point or develop an argument based on data.

The data can be presented as a table, graph, chart, or diagram; it can be your own data (e.g., gathered via a survey) or data from other sources, such as research papers and third-party surveys.

In data commentaries, one of the essential points is showing your position. And one of the main mistakes is to simply describe the data without providing your own point of view or any interpretation. However, here’s where another danger often arises. When drawing a conclusion based on data, make sure that conclusion is well-supported and that your claim is reasonable.

You can regulate the strength of your claim by using different verbs based on the strength of your stance. For example, if your stance is strong, you can say “caused,” indicating that one thing is definitely the reason something else happened. But if you want to make it less asserting, you can word it like “might have contributed to.”

All in all, here are the elements your data commentary can consist of:

Summary : You need to write a study’s synopsis and provide critical pieces of information the reader should know about.
Graph or Chart : To help the reader understand the numbers better and be able to compare them easily, you can include diagrams, charts, or other visual representations of data.
Conclusion : When writing a conclusion, not only do you help the reader remember key points, but you also provide your viewpoint.
Bibliography : You might need to create a reference page listing the sources you used when composing the data commentary.

Data Commentary Example (image)

Here’s an example of a data commentary with a good explanation, transitions, and a strong conclusion.

a data commentary excerpt about online misbehavior

Key Takeaways and Tips

With the abundance of types a commentary essay has, it comes as no surprise that students often get overwhelmed when professors assign them to write this paper. Still, the assignment is manageable, especially if you are aware that a commentary essay can be written in the form of:

Separate essay
Literary analysis
Data commentary
Evidence interpretation

Each of them is unique and has characteristics that students need to be familiar with before writing.

Once you define which type of commentary essay you need, you might find the following tips useful:

Commentary is analysis, but not every analysis is commentary.
Try color-coding when writing an essay to highlight its parts with different colors to see if your paper is balanced and well-structured. Read more about essay elements in our guide on how to write a standard essay .
Always remember that in a commentary, your opinion and interpretation matter the most.
In a literary commentary, avoid using first-person pronouns (I, me, my, we, us, our).
Don’t simply summarize the quote, data, or evidence but draw logical conclusions and present your perspective.

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How to Write a Commentary Essay: Example, Tips, and Techniques for Success

Crafting a compelling commentary essay can seem daunting, but with the right approach, anyone can master it. A commentary essay goes beyond summarizing a text; it delves into analysis, interpretation, and personal insights, making it a powerful tool for expressing nuanced perspectives.

Understanding the structure and purpose of a commentary essay is crucial. It allows writers to effectively convey their thoughts while engaging the reader. This article will explore a prime example of a commentary essay, breaking down its components to illustrate how each part contributes to a cohesive and persuasive argument.

Understanding Commentary Essays

Commentary essays dig deeper than mere summarization. They analyze, interpret, and provide personal insights into a text, elucidating its deeper meaning.

What Is a Commentary Essay?

A commentary essay offers more than a summary; it involves analysis and personal insights. Core aspects include identifying key themes, interpreting underlying meanings, and connecting these insights to broader contexts.

Analytical Depth : Commentary essays analyze texts critically, exploring themes, symbols, and motifs.
Personal Insight : Writers provide individual perspectives, offering unique interpretations and reflections.
Textual Evidence : These essays include quotes and references to bolster arguments.
Clear Structure : Effective commentary essays follow an organized structure, typically an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Purposeful Writing : The goal is to engage readers in a thoughtful discussion about the text.

Crafting a Successful Commentary Essay

A successful commentary essay requires a deep understanding of the text and the ability to provide insightful analysis. It combines critical thinking with a structured approach to present compelling arguments.

Selecting the Right Topic

Choosing the right topic is crucial for a successful commentary essay. Select a text that offers rich material for analysis. Opt for works with complex themes, diverse characters, or intricate plots. Avoid overly simplistic or unclear texts, as they might not provide enough content for insightful commentary. Consider topics that resonate with contemporary issues to enhance relevance and reader engagement.

Structuring Your Essay

A well-structured essay enhances readability and ensures that arguments are cohesive. Follow a clear framework:

Introduction : Introduce the text and its author. Provide a brief overview of the key themes or issues. Present the thesis statement, outlining the main argument or perspective.
Body Paragraphs : Divide the body into multiple paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the text. Begin with a topic sentence, offer analysis and interpretation, and back up claims with textual evidence. For example, one paragraph might analyze character development, while another could explore thematic elements.
Conclusion : Summarize the main points discussed. Restate the thesis in light of the analysis provided. Offer final insights or reflections on the text’s broader implications.

By selecting an engaging topic and structuring the essay effectively, writers can craft compelling commentary essays that engage and inform readers.

Analyzing Commentary Essay Examples

Examining commentary essay examples can provide critical insights into successful writing techniques. By dissecting examples, one can understand the techniques and styles used, as well as the development of arguments.

Example Analysis: Technique and Style

Technique and style significantly impact the effectiveness of a commentary essay. Authors often use vivid language, varied sentence structures, and precise vocabulary to engage readers. For instance, in a commentary essay analyzing “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the writer might use descriptive language and dynamic sentences to highlight the emotional intensity of key scenes. Additionally, maintaining a formal yet accessible tone ensures clarity and reader engagement. Use of literary devices, such as metaphor and symbolism, often enrich the analysis. These techniques allow authors to deepen their examination of the text’s themes and convey nuanced interpretations.

Example Analysis: Argument Development

Developing coherent arguments is essential in commentary essays. Successful examples often begin with a strong thesis statement that encapsulates the main argument. In analyzing “1984”, an effective commentary essay might center around the thesis that the novel portrays dystopian society’s dehumanizing effects. Subsequent paragraphs should break down this thesis into sub-arguments, each supported by specific evidence from the text. For instance, references to specific passages can illustrate how Orwell’s depiction of surveillance supports the argument. Logical progression and clear connections between points help reinforce the overall argument, making the essay more persuasive and impactful.

By studying these aspects in commentary essay examples, writers can enhance their own analytical skills and improve their essay quality.

Writing Tips for Commentary Essays

Writing a compelling commentary essay involves several key elements. Implementing these strategies ensures a well-structured, insightful piece.

Developing a Strong Thesis

A thesis statement serves as the backbone of a commentary essay. Start with a clear, concise thesis that encapsulates the essay’s main argument. Ensure the thesis addresses the essay prompt directly, offering a unique perspective. For example, in an essay on “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a strong thesis might assert that Harper Lee’s portrayal of social justice remains relevant today. Structure subsequent paragraphs to provide evidence supporting this central claim.

Incorporating Effective Evidence

Support arguments with robust evidence to enhance credibility. Use a mix of direct quotes, paraphrasing, and summarizing to present data clearly. Choose sources like books, academic journals, and reputable websites. For example, citing a passage from “1984” where Orwell describes the oppressive regime strengthens arguments about totalitarianism. Integrate evidence smoothly into paragraphs, ensuring relevance to the thesis. Explicitly explain how each piece of evidence bolsters the main argument for maximum impact.

Mastering the art of writing commentary essays requires dedication to understanding the subject matter and presenting well-structured arguments. By selecting complex themes and maintaining a clear structure, writers can offer richer analysis. Examining examples helps in honing writing techniques and styles. Developing a strong thesis and incorporating credible evidence through quotes and paraphrasing are essential for crafting compelling essays. These strategies ensure a confident and insightful commentary that resonates with readers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a commentary essay.

A commentary essay involves providing personal opinions and insights on a specific topic. It emphasizes deep understanding, analysis, and structured arguments to convey a comprehensive perspective.

How do I choose a topic for a commentary essay?

Select a complex theme that allows for richer analysis. It should be something you are passionate about and can explore in-depth with a unique perspective.

What is the importance of a thesis statement in a commentary essay?

A strong thesis statement is crucial as it directly addresses the essay prompt and guides the essay’s direction. It serves as the foundation for developing coherent arguments.

How should I structure my commentary essay?

A commentary essay should have a clear structure: an introduction with a strong thesis, body paragraphs with supporting evidence, and a conclusion that reinforces your main points.

What techniques can I use to enhance my commentary essay?

Use vivid language, varied sentence structures, and ensure coherent argument development. Incorporating direct quotes, paraphrasing, and summarizing from reputable sources can also strengthen your arguments.

Why is it beneficial to examine commentary essay examples?

Examining commentary essay examples can help you understand different writing techniques, styles, and how to develop arguments effectively. It’s a practical way to learn and improve your writing skills.

How can I incorporate evidence effectively in my essay?

Use a mix of direct quotes, paraphrasing, and summarizing from reputable sources. This mix enhances credibility and supports your arguments more convincingly.

What should I include in the conclusion of my commentary essay?

Your conclusion should reinforce your main points, restate your thesis in light of the evidence presented, and provide a final insight or call to action to leave a lasting impression on the reader.

How to Write a Commentary

Last Updated: May 19, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Richard Perkins . Richard Perkins is a Writing Coach, Academic English Coordinator, and the Founder of PLC Learning Center. With over 24 years of education experience, he gives teachers tools to teach writing to students and works with elementary to university level students to become proficient, confident writers. Richard is a fellow at the National Writing Project. As a teacher leader and consultant at California State University Long Beach's Global Education Project, Mr. Perkins creates and presents teacher workshops that integrate the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the K-12 curriculum. He holds a BA in Communications and TV from The University of Southern California and an MEd from California State University Dominguez Hills. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 683,941 times.

At some point in your life, you'll probably have to write a commentary. Whether you're a teacher, editor, student, or amateur critic, knowing how to constructively analyze someone's work is a useful skill. There isn't a magical formula for writing a commentary. The commentary you write depends upon what you're reviewing, why you're giving feedback, and what you think about the work. No matter what you’re working on, having a clear goal and strong writing will help make your commentary successful.

Writing a Literary Commentary

Your thesis is your argument or your point of view. This is where you take a stance, and spend the rest of the essay supporting your thesis.
Maybe you are writing a commentary on Great Expectations . Your thesis could be, “Not only is Dickens’ tale engaging, it is also an insightful commentary on the differences between social classes in industrial Britain.”

You might write at the top of your outline, “Important Themes in Great Expectations”. You could then make bullet points such as “Setting”, “Ambition”, “Class”, etc.

You might start by saying, “ Great Expectations is full of imagery that makes the reader feel as if they are in 19th century England with Pip. Dickens’ novel about class, ambition, and love sheds important light on the social divides of the time.”
You could then list the themes that you will discuss in the body of your commentary.

Step 4 Use specific examples to support your thesis.

An excellent specific example to illustrate this theme is pointing out that the character remains in her wedding dress, despite being jilted decades before.

Step 5 Connect your examples back to the theme.

You might write something like, “Miss Havisham is an example of the theme that love can sometimes go terribly wrong. This is also an important theme when examining the relationship between Pip and Estella.”
Make sure to use smooth transitions. When you move to a new example, use a good transition word or phrase. Some examples are “similarly”, “conversely”, and “again”.

In your commentary on Great Expectations , you would want to make sure that you emphasize your summary again: this is a good example of class divisions and how ambition is not always the best quality.
You might also choose to compare it to another book from the same period to illustrate why the work by Dickens is significant. However, you generally shouldn’t introduce new information in your conclusion.

Creating Data Commentary

You might also be asked by your boss or teacher to write a data commentary. Make sure to ask about their expectations, such as length.

For example, if the research is about the graduation rate in the Chicago Public Schools, you need to explain the numbers and illustrate why the results are important.

You might say something like, “As shown in Figure 1.2, the costs of healthcare have risen at a steady rate since 2000.”

As in the rest of your data commentary, your conclusion should refer to specific pieces of data.

You should include a specific section for resources at the end of your data commentary.
Any time you cite numbers or a quote, make sure to provide a reference.

Commentary Outlines

Expert Q&A

If you are writing a commentary for a class, make sure to carefully follow the instructions. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Make sure to carefully edit and polish your writing. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

↑ https://www.bucks.edu/media/bcccmedialibrary/pdf/HOWTOWRITEALITERARYANALYSISESSAY_10.15.07_001.pdf
↑ Richard Perkins. Writing Coach & Academic English Coordinator. Expert Interview. 1 September 2021.
↑ http://www.udc.edu/docs/asc/Outline_Structure_for_Literary_Analysis_Essay_HATMAT.pdf
↑ https://www.germanna.edu/wp-content/uploads/tutoring/handouts/Literary-Analysis.pdf
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/writing-data-commentary/
↑ https://ebooks.hslu.ch/academicwriting/chapter/4-5-results/
↑ https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/modernlanguages/intranet/undergraduate/skills/commesswriting/commentarywriting/
↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4789530/

About This Article

To write a commentary, write about your observations and analysis of the text you read. You should craft a clear and specific thesis statement about the novel, poem, or play you are evaluating. Your thesis statement should explain your stance or argument about the text. Use this thesis statement to build a brief outline of your commentary and then choose specific details from the text to support your argument. Then, add an introduction to give your reader some context for the themes you will discuss. For tips from our Education reviewer on how to write a data commentary, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Five Ways to Target Commentary for Essay Writing

The commentary part of any essay is always the most difficult. It is the part of the essay in which the writer analyzes evidence, and this analysis speaks to the writer’s own unique voice. While we have standard, formulaic ways to teach other parts of the essay such as thesis statements, blending quotes, topics sentences, etc., commentary is different. There really isn’t a formula for teaching our students how to have unique thoughts. However, there are definitely strategies we can use with our students to help them practice writing commentary as well as take it to a deeper level. This is a topic that I have spent quite a bit of time on simply because it is the one skill that my students struggle with the most. You can find more posts from me on this topic here and here .

Here are FIVE ways to target commentary in essay writing:

Is it commentary or analysis? Clarifying Terminology

Well, it’s both! One of the most basic confusions for our students about commentary is the fact that different teachers call it different things. For example, I call it commentary while another teacher may call it analysis and still other teachers may refer to it as explanation or elaboration. One of the first lessons in teaching commentary should be to dispel any confusion over the terminology so that students can all be on “the same page” while working on this writing skill. In brief, the commentary part of the essay is the part where the writer explains how the evidence proves the thesis. It is the part of the essay in which the writer comments upon the evidence and points out what the evidence shows. But we can’t just stop there. Students need ample practice with this writing skill so that they avoid writing obvious summaries in place of analysis. But crafting commentary begins with clarifying terminology first and foremost.

Ratiocination or Essay Coding

This is one of the very first lessons I have my students do with sample essays before they even begin the writing process. Color-coding, or ratiocination, is the process of highlighting different parts of the essay according to a key. For example, students might highlight the thesis statement and topic sentences in yellow, the textual evidence in blue, and the commentary in green. By color coding the essay, they can begin to draw connections throughout the essay. The thesis and topic sentences are all connected by the same argument, so by highlighting all of these items in the same color, students can visually “see” this connection. The same goes for highlighting textual evidence. Students can begin to “see” the role that evidence plays in the essay, and they can very quickly determine if there is enough evidence to prove the thesis. Commentary should be highlighted the most because most of the essay should be commentary/ analysis. There should be twice as much commentary in an essay as evidence. If this is not the case, students haven’t taken their commentary to a deep level, and they need to go back and add more commentary where it is needed. I have created a FREE “Ratiocination Guide” for you to download from the TeachWriting Freebie Library, which is accessible when you subscribe. This guide will take your students through the color-coding process and help them begin to draw connections to how the different parts of the essay interact with each other.

The “This Shows That” Method

This is also another very basic method for targeting commentary, but it WORKS! In this method, students begin a sentence after textual evidence with the words, “This shows that…”. Be beginning with these words, students are forced to explain what the quotation shows rather than what it says. These are two different concepts.

Example of What the Quote Says

In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the witches begin the play by saying, “Fair is foul and foul is fair.” The witches in the play say that what is good may actually be bad and what is bad may actually be good.

Example of What the Quote Shows

In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the witches begin the play by saying, “Fair is foul and foul is fair.” This shows that the witches are able to see into the future and that they are anticipating foul play. Since they introduce this concept before we meet any other characters, it creates dramatic irony that rouses suspicion of every character.

So, the difference between what the quote says versus what it shows comes down to this: one is obvious and the other is not; one is a paraphrase and the other reads “between the lines.” Now, don’t get me wrong—having students first paraphrase the quotation before analyzing it is an effective stepping stone to analysis. If students do not understand what the quote actually says, then they won’t be able to analyze it in the context of the thesis argument. However, the point here is that students cannot stop at the paraphrase level. They must go beyond this literal level to the abstract level of analysis.

The “LET” Method

Crafting Commentary Bundle by Bespoke ELA1.jpg

So, how do we get students to go beyond the obvious? How do we teach them to analyze evidence? That’s a great question and one of the main reasons why I invented the “LET” Method. You can find more information about this method as well as an entire commentary bundle by Bespoke ELA by clicking here . This method stands for “Literary Elements and Techniques.” Seems pretty basic, right? It is! The essence of this method is to have students first identify the literary elements and techniques within a quotation and then explain how those elements or techniques prove the topic sentence and thereby the thesis statement.

To clarify, literary elements are the fundamental elements that are found in every story or piece of literature. These include: setting, point of view, style, conflict, character, and plot. Literary techniques delve more into the element of style with figurative language, and these techniques are not found in every piece of literature. Techniques include metaphor, simile, irony, personification, diction, allusion, apostrophe, and others.

Here is an example of the “LET Method” in action:

Blended Quotation : In George Eliot’s Middlemarch, the narrator states, “Her hand and her wrist were so finely formed that she could wear sleeves not less bare of style than those in which the Blessed Virgin appeared to Italian painters; and her profile as well as her stature and bearing seemed to gain the more dignity from her plain garments, which by the side of provincial fashion gave her the impressiveness of a fine quotation from the Bible,— or from one of our elder poets,— in a paragraph of today’s newspaper.”

Thesis Statement : George Eliot uses imagery and allusions to show that beauty comes in all forms and is something to be captured through art.

Devices Included in this Quotation : imagery, allusion, alliteration, analogy

Commentary : In this instance, the narrator uses imagery to describe the delicate beauty of the female figure. This beauty is emphasized by several allusions to the “Blessed Virgin,” “Italian painters,” the “Bible,” “our elder poets,” and “today’s newspaper.” These illusions work to show that her beauty is impressive and something of the sort that would appear in fine publications.

Using the “LET Method” gives students something concrete to explain about a quotation—as long as they can identify the devices being used. Thus, it is imperative to spend time identifying devices so that students can begin to pick up on these devices when crafting commentary.

The Commentary Four-Square

The commentary four-square is an activity in which students take a piece of paper and divide it into four squares. The top-left square contains the topic sentence. The top-right square contains the blended quotation. The bottom squares contain a sentence of commentary each. You can find more about this concept along with a free download of the template by clicking here . The idea of having students “map out” a “chunk” of analysis helps them to see each distinct portion as well as how it all fits together. I like to have students complete these in groups and then have groups share them using the ELMO device. It can be quite an eye-opening experience for students if you have them all analyze the exact same quotation and topic sentence because it will punctuate the limitless bounds of writing commentary. Students will be amazed at how much can be said about a single quotation. They can also record some of these ideas to use in an essay. The Commentary Four-Square helps students practice the previous methods in a new context.

You might also like:

Teaching Students How to Write Commentary for the Literary Analysis Essay

Commentary for Literary Analysis: Four Square Strategy for Success

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About the Author

Meredith is the founder and creator of TeachWriting.org and Bespoke ELA . She has taught high school English for 10+ years in Dallas, Chicago, and New York City and holds a M.A. in Literature from Northwestern University. She has always had a connection to the written word-- through songwriting, screenplay writing, and essay writing-- and she enjoys the process of teaching students how to express their ideas. An avid tea drinker and anglophile, Meredith enjoys life with her husband, daughter, and sweet pups.

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Elements of an Essay: Writing Commentary

For several weeks now, we have been identifying the essential elements of essays and learning how to incorporate these effectively and successfully. We have discussed that the thesis statement is the glue that holds the entire paper together, the body paragraphs are the meat where the majority of your argument will be found, and last week we looked at how the details are the key to unlocking your argument . Today we are going to take a look at the other extremely important factor in writing a well-thought out essay. It is needed for every single detail that you write. It is the commentary.

Commentary Definition

When you write commentary, you are explaining to your reader how the details relate to the thesis statement. Commentary does not contain facts. Instead, they help explain why the details are relevant to the topic.

Writing Commentary

You are going to need at least two sentences of commentary for every detail sentence. A good rule of thumb is that your commentary should be twice as long as your details. Otherwise, your paper is just full of facts. We want to know how YOU think these facts prove your point and what YOU think they mean.

Here are a few different methods for writing commentary:

1) Opinion: this is where you write your belief, subjective judgment or way of thinking about a detail .

2) Interpretation: your explanation of something that is not clear.

3) Character and Subject’s Feelings: when you describe what the character or subject of the detail is feeling (ideal for literary analysis papers)

4) Personal Reaction: your personal emotions about the detail.

5) Evaluations: your objective judgment of a detail.

Commentary is the Treasure

Your commentary is the treasure that makes your paper shine. It should always strengthen and extend the details. This is your chance to show us what you’ve got. It is where you can impress us with your analysis and interpretation skills.

“What and Why” Method

You may be thinking, “Analysis and interpretation skills? What if I don’t possess those skills?” Well breathe easy, because interpretation is really just a fancy word for “what,” while analysis simply means “why”.

So if you are struggling to write your commentary try using the “what and why” method. First, tell the reader WHAT your detail is talking about by defining or explaining. Next, let your reader know WHY this detail is relevant to your thesis statement.

Starting Commentary Sentences

If you are struggling to start your commentary, consider beginning your commentary in one of the following ways:

“This shows that…”

“This is important because…”

Obviously, you cannot start every sentence you write like that since this would be redundant. However, even if you do not write these phrases at the beginning of all of your sentences, it is helpful even just to think these phrases in order to guide your commentary in the right direction.

Applying Commentary Techniques

Now that we have discussed the different options for writing commentary, and the method for doing so, let’s put them together and see what is looks like.

Commentary Type: Opinion using the “what and why” method

Topic: education

Detail: According to the 2013 National Assessment of Education Progress Reading test, 80% of students score below grade level in reading.

Commentary: Your commentary for this detail will answer the following questions: (1) “WHAT is my opinion?” and (2) “WHY is my opinion relevant to my thesis statement?”

(1) A statistic like this shows the poor state of the education. (2) If we are to help students become successful adults, we need to change the way we are educating our children.

Commentary Type: Interpretation using the “what and why” method

Topic: benefits of college

Detail: First of all, of 2,350,000 college students enrolling per year, only 1,750,000 will graduate.

Commentary: Your commentary for this detail will answer the following questions: (1) “WHAT is my interpretation?” and (2) “WHY is my interpretation relevant to my thesis statement?”

(1) This shows that the high demand placed on students during their college years is too much stress for many. (2) However rigorous it may be though, the pressure and expectations are reflective of a future career and help prepare young adults for these challenges.

Commentary Type: Character or Subject Feelings using the “what and why” method

Topic: cost of higher education

Detail: For example, Benjamin Davis, a recent college graduate with a degree in Business, struggled for many years to find a job because of the recent unemployment struggles in America

Commentary: Your commentary for this detail will answer the following questions: (1) “WHAT is the subject’s feelings?” and (2) “WHY is subjects feelings relevant to my thesis statement?”

(1) He, like most, experiences extreme frustration at spending a great deal of time and money obtaining his degree, but feeling like he has very little advantage over others without a degree when finding a job. (2) As a result, many who find themselves in a similar situation are left wondering if higher education is worth the high cost.

Commentary Type: Personal Reaction using the “what and why” method

Topic: bullying

Detail: Also, a bully might speak cruelly in order to intimidate, steal a student’s belongings, or intentionally exclude one from a group .

Commentary: Your commentary for this detail will answer the following questions: (1) “WHAT is my personal reaction?” and (2) “WHY is my personal reaction relevant to my thesis statement?”

(1) It is extremely upsetting to know that most children undergo this type of treatment at school. (2) It is hurtful, isolating, and can have long-lasting psychological damage on those students who experience bullying often.

Commentary Type: Evaluation using the “what and why” method

Topic: bears

Detail: Naturally, a bear, when threatened, will rise up from the ground, growl loudly, and begin charging at a speed of up to 35 mph.

Commentary: Your commentary for this detail will answer the following questions: (1) “WHAT is my evaluation?” and (2) “WHY is my evaluation relevant to my thesis statement?”

(1) Although this is a frightening experience, it is not entirely the bear’s fault. (2) In fact, most of the time when a bear attacks a person, it is the result of a person not understanding that when going out into the woods, he or she is entering a bear’s environment; forgetting to be respectful and cautious can cause the bear to react thusly.

When To Use Commentary Types

Depending on your assignment, choose the types of commentary that best fits your argument. Use of a variety of different types of commentary to write a well-argued paper.

Go back and look at step two of writing details from last week’s blog. Look at the commentary you wrote and update it to fit into the “what and why” method using some of the above types of commentary. If you did not do that step last week, go ahead and use the worksheet found here.

We hope this helped you when writing commentary. If you still need help, call Oxford Tutoring for support or to schedule a writing tutoring session.

Author: oxfordtutoringblog

Oxford Tutoring specializes in K-12 tutoring in English, mathematics, science and test preparation. We provide skill building and homework help in private, one-on-one sessions coordinated with our student’s classroom programs, but focused on the way in which each student learns. Working to better each student’s academic success, Oxford Tutoring personalizes our tutoring approach to best meet the education needs of our students. View All Posts

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Full How-to Guide for an Exceptional Commentary Essay

If you’ve arrived on this page, you probably have a commentary essay due. It can seem like a daunting task, but fear not, as it’s not as complicated as it might seem. We’re used to providing commentary in our day-to-day life, be it about a piece of news or gossip you’ve just heard, a sports event, or even an update from a family member, so your task is only to take that habit and put it into a more formal form of commentary in writing. So, whether you are struggling to pick the right topic or just need some tips on how to go about developing your writing skills, our informative guide will help you with any and all of the points!

What is a Commentary in Writing: Unlocking the Mystery

Let’s get the most important definition out of the way, that is what does commentary mean in writing.

It’s a genre of writing that analyzes and interprets ideas, trends, and events to find different meanings and patterns in them. When writing commentary, you shouldn’t simply do a general overview, but find a way for your reader to make sense of the topic you are covering. You should also try to find a unique viewpoint on things, so your reader can discover the causes and consequences of a specific issue you are covering and in turn make their own judgments about them.

What is a Commentary Essay in a Nutshell

A simple commentary essay definition is that it’s a paper where you provide your opinion on a specific subject. It can be done as a response to another piece of writing like a book, article, or blog post, or you can choose an issue you want to cover and do a commentary essay about it. It goes without saying that you will need to do your research, no matter the topic of your paper, and provide your own take on the situation, using solid evidence and example to support your point. That is exactly why professors love to assign this task to their students, as commentary writing is a great way to show your critical thinking skills, as well as your ability to analyze a subject and provide a unique take on it.

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Commentary Essay Format: Covering the Basics

The commentary essay structure follows the standard formula of the introduction that includes your thesis statement, main body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. Depending on your word count, you might have more than one body paragraph, plus you’ll need to decide how big they are and how deep you can delve into the subject. Another pretty standard rule is that you need to have at least one respectable source for each page of your commentary essay. With the basics out of the way, here are some tips to get you started on your commentary in an essay writing:

Dedicate some time to come up with your thesis statement, so it’s catchy and clear at the same time, while also covering all of the arguments you’ll be making in the main body paragraphs.
Delve deep into your subject and offer your reader some food for thought, so that after reading your paper they still want to think about your points and maybe even act on some of them.
Try to engage your reader in a conversation and demonstrate your point of view in a way that they can be open to it, even if their opinion on the subject differs from yours.
Don’t be shy and state your opinion clearly without trying to be too neutral or objective about the subject.

Commentary Essay Outline and How to Fill it Out

Now that you have a general idea of what your commentary essay should be about and look like, let’s delve into more specific steps of filling out your commentary paper outline:

Title. It should be as short as possible, catchy, and relevant to your topic.
Introduction .
Hook sentence. Make sure to grab your reader’s attention right away.
Author, title, main characters, summary. That’s in case you are doing a commentary essay based on a text. If you are covering an issue, a brief summary of its history and significant points should be there as well.
Thesis statement. Help your reader to understand the direction of your essay.
Main body paragraph(s).
Topic sentence. It should illustrate how you are going to support your thesis.
A quote. Depending on the material you are covering it should be from the text you are covering or a reliable source related to the topic you will be discussing.
Analysis from the quote. Show how it supports your thesis.
Closing sentence. It should wrap up the paragraph nicely, and for the first and second body paragraphs, provide a transition to the next one.
Concluding paragraph. Here you should summarize your main paragraphs, tie that to your thesis statement, possibly extend your argument and reiterate why the topic of your essay is important.

How to Write a Commentary Essay: Tips for Perfection

We’ve covered what a standard commentary essay should look like, but what about how to write a good commentary? Well, we’ve got your back even there!

There is one piece of advice that merits be mentioned outside of the list below. It’s that the driving point of the commentary essay is your unique take on the text or the issue you are covering. Your ideas make the backbone of your paper, so take extra care to formulate them clearly. When conveying your ideas, concentrate on the main thing you want to get across to your reader. Don’t expect them to understand your take from hints, be clear and concise in what you want to say. Now let’s check those steps you’ll need to take for a perfect commentary essay!

Make sure that you understand the prompt. You have to thoroughly get the question or topic of your essay. If you are not sure what’s being asked of you, ask your professor.
Do some brainstorming. Try to come up with different topics for your essay and different angles you can explore in the main body paragraphs. Make sure to jot down any idea you have, no matter how small or fragmented it is. When you’ve picked the main topic or angle, start fleshing it out with examples.
Come up with a thesis statement. It will guide your essay from the introduction to the conclusion, so make sure it’s solid. A clear and specific thesis statement is especially important in a commentary essay, as it will tell your reader what kind of take to expect from your paper.
Get to the research. Even if you are familiar with your subject, you still need reliable sources to help you support the points you’ll argue in your essay. Plus, it’s always better to delve into the subject even deeper to better understand it, so you can produce a coherent and well-informed paper.
Flesh out your outline. Once you have a good idea of the direction you want your essay to go in, start adding to the outline template mentioned above.
Edit, proofread, and ask for feedback. When you finish your final draft, let it sit for a day, if possible, and then reread it to eliminate any mistakes you might have made. Alternatively, ask your friends to read the essay for you and give you feedback on it.

40 Engaging Commentary Topics to Choose From

Choosing the right topic is detrimental to the quality of your commentary essay. Not only it will influence how productive your research and writing process will be, but it will also provide a level of engagement your professor will definitely pick up on when reading your paper. Look through the list of commentary paper topics our writers have put together and see if you find the one you’ve been looking for!

Accuracy of understanding other people’s feelings.
Novel approaches to public administration in developing countries.
The role a leader exerts on a crowd.
Factors that contribute to interpersonal attraction.
The role of image in compensating for possible physical unattractiveness.
Factors that influence successful socialization.
Social stereotypes based on ethnicity or age.
The role of the modern family as an institution.
The concept of personal influence and its significance.
The main sources of social conflict in modern society.
The role of socialization in different genders.
The main factors of social inequality today.
The effectiveness of social conflict management and resolution.
How to organize social processes for optimal outcomes.
The role of moral and ethical standards in modern public office.
Sociology of modern youth.
The social role of college students in modern society.
Understanding suicide as a form of deviant behavior.
Subcultures as a means of interpersonal and intercultural communication.
The relationship and impact of TV in modern society.
The position of the US in the global community.
Major areas of innovation in real estate management and development.
Unemployment: causes, forms, and regulation methods.
Government role in supporting innovation.
Innovative governance: objectives, functions, and principles.
Perception of significance when selecting people who matter.
Competitiveness as a measure of business performance.
Classifying cryptocurrency enterprises in modern times.
Novel organizational models for innovative enterprises.
Methods for generating new business ideas.
Process of developing an effective business plan.
Methods for evaluating the efficiency of innovations.
Discounting as a method of evaluating business efficiency.
Financial support for cryptocurrency projects.
Creating an effective business plan structure.
The intellectual property market and its operation.
Comparing venture business in the USA and EU.
Innovation marketing: key considerations.
The significance of the intellectual property in modern entrepreneurship.
Managing the creation and utilization of new cryptocurrency.

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Commentary Essay: Student Guidelines & Examples

Icon Calendar 7 September 2024
Icon Page 7343 words
Icon Clock 33 min read

When people need to express their thoughts or ideas about something, they need guidelines on how to write a commentary essay. Basically, this article begins by defining what is a commentary essay, its meaning, and outlining its basic format and structure. Then, some insights students can learn are that introductions should have hooks, background information, and thesis statements. In writing, body paragraphs of this type of essay should have topic sentences; evidence, mainly quotes; comments after the evidence; and transitions. Finally, a conclusion part should restate a central thesis and summarize main ideas. This writing guideline also gives an outline, template, possible topics, and a practical example of a commentary essay. Lastly, a presented article teaches students 10 dos and 10 don’ts as 20 tips for writing a high-standard commentary essay, as well as what to include in such compositions and what to avoid.

General Aspects

Reading is an academic exercise that develops a person’s mental faculties of intellect, memory, reason, intuition, perception, and imagination. In principle, these faculties develop when people utilize what they have acquired through reading to write different types of essays , including reports and research papers. Therefore, reading and writing are related because they both induce intellectual development. As such, this guideline on how to make a correct commentary in an essay teaches students and anyone passionate about writing how to create a good argumentative position that meets quality standards for intellectual discourse and publication. A provided guideline also offers vital insights, including a simple definition of what is a commentary essay, its basic format and structure, different types, possible essay topics, 10 dos and 10 don’ts, 20 tips, what to include and what to avoid for producing a high-standard essay. Therefore, reading this guideline is beneficial to students and others who may, from time to time, write a commentary in an essay to communicate ideas to specific audiences.

What Is a Commentary Essay and Its Purpose

According to its definition, a commentary essay is a form and type of academic writing where an author provides a detailed analysis and interpretation of a particular subject, such as a text, event, or issue. For example, the main purpose of writing a commentary essay is to analyze and critique a subject matter while providing a personal perspective, helping readers to understand deeper meanings or implications (Rogers, 2024). Unlike a summary, which simply recounts information, a commentary essay engages with a specific material, exploring how and why certain aspects are significant. Further on, students may examine different themes, underlying messages, or societal impacts, offering their viewpoints to spark discussion or further thought (Hackett, 2021). In writing, such papers include evidence to support interpretations, such as quotes, data, or real-life examples, ensuring an entire argument is well-grounded. Moreover, through this reflective process, this writing type of composition encourages readers to question, interpret, and explore different perspectives, fostering a more comprehensive engagement with a topic at hand (Lauritzen, 2021). In terms of pages and words, the length of a commentary essay depends on academic levels, assignment requirements, and subjects under analysis, while general writing guidelines are:

High School

Length: 2-4 pages
Word Count: 500- 1,000 words

College (Undergraduate)

Length: 4-6 pages
Word Count: 1,000-1,500 words

University (Advanced Undergraduate)

Length: 6-10 pages
Word Count: 1,500-2,500 words

Master’s

Length: 10-20 pages
Word Count: 2,500-5,000 words
Length: 20-30 pages
Word Count: 5,000 to 7,500+ words

What Is a Commentary in an Essay | Writing Guide & Examples

Section	Content
Title	Develop a concise, descriptive title that reflects a subject or main focus of a commentary essay.
Introduction	Briefly introduce a chosen topic, event, or text being commented on.
	Provide background information or context.
	State a central thesis or main argument for writing your commentary in an essay.
Summary	Write a brief summary of a text, event, or issue if necessary for context.
Analysis	Present your interpretation or analysis of specific elements (themes, arguments, messages, etc.).
	Discuss why these elements are significant and how they contribute to an overall meaning.
	Use evidence, examples, or quotes to support your interpretation.
Personal Reflection	Explain your personal viewpoint and connection to a given subject.
Personal Reflection	Highlight how this subject resonates with you or your perspective on broader societal issues.
Evaluation	Critique some strengths or weaknesses of a subject.
Evaluation	Offer suggestions or insights on how it could be improved or expanded.
Conclusion	Summarize your main points and restate a thesis in an essay.
Conclusion	Emphasize broader implications of your analysis.
List of References	Include a list of sources cited and use a required citation format, such as APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago/Turabian.

Note: Some writing sections of a commentary essay can be added, deleted, or combined with each other, depending on academic purposes and instructor’s requirements. For example, a standard commentary essay format involves an introduction that presents a specific topic and thesis, followed by body paragraphs that offer analysis, personal interpretation, and evidence, and concludes with a summary of insights and final thoughts (Rogers, 2024). Basically, commentary writing involves providing an individual’s analysis, interpretation, or personal insight on a specific topic, text, or event, often supported by evidence and critical reflection. Further on, in literature, a commentary is a specific act of providing an explanation, analysis, or personal perspective on a topic, text, or event, often focusing on its deeper meaning, significance, or implications (Lauritzen, 2021). A commentary example might be a person analyzing a specific novel by discussing some themes of identity and self-discovery, explaining how a protagonist’s journey reflects broader societal issues, and using quotes from a text to support various interpretations. Moreover, in an argumentative text, commentary refers to a person’s explanation of how the evidence supports a central claim, providing analysis, interpretation, and insight to strengthen a main idea (Hackett, 2021). In turn, to start a commentary essay, people introduce a unique topic, provide necessary context, and present a clear thesis that outlines their interpretation or argument regarding a specific subject.

Defining Features

From a simple definition, a commentary is a descriptive account of an event, an expression of opinions about a political, economic, social, or cultural issue, or elucidating a point or topic of public interest. From this perspective, a commentary essay is a document that students write to express opinions about an issue or topic through a descriptive expression and explanation of ideas (Hackett, 2021). In writing, a commentary essay differs from other types of texts, including an argumentative, personal narrative, cause and effect, compare and contrast, or problem and solution compositions, as well as a report and a research paper, because it means expressing an individual’s perspective concerning an issue or topic. For example, commentaries are products of a critical analysis of societal problems across political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions (Iskander et al., 2018). When writing a commentary essay, students should analyze and interpret a specific source under discussion, such as a text, film, article, video, advertisement, event, object, subject, book, poem, speech, presentation, literary work, novel, sculpture, or image, among others, using a basic sandwich rule: giving a commentary after each quote or citation.

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Basic Structure

Like other texts, a commentary paper has a basic essay structure that dictates how students should organize their content. For example, this writing structure has 3 components: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion (Rogers, 2024). Firstly, an introduction section is where people introduce their assigned topics using a hook, context, and an argumentative thesis statement. Although this type of essay is not a persuasive paper, an argumentative thesis indicates a person’s perspective on a chosen issue, which can be contentious in the eyes of readers. Then, a body section of a commentary essay is where authors construct a defense of their perspectives through writing body paragraphs; each body paragraph should have a topic sentence that establishes a claim; supporting evidence, like quotes, data, or examples; a commentary that analyzes and explains information cited in an essay; and a concluding sentence with a transition to create a logical connection to a next paragraph (Lauritzen, 2021). Finally, a conclusion section restates a central thesis and makes a final remark of writing. In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning a commentary essay are:

In today’s world, a subject of [topic] presents numerous challenges and questions that demand deeper examination, particularly when considering its impact on [societal issue, group, or theme].
An entire work of [author, event, or text] provides a fascinating exploration of [theme or idea], revealing complex layers of meaning that prompt readers to reflect on broader societal, cultural, or personal implications.
At a heart of [related topics], a hot discussion surrounding [subject] becomes more than a surface-level debate, offering valuable and challenging insights into the ways in which [issue] shapes people’s understanding of [related field or societal impact].
In an analysis of [topic or text], it becomes clear that there is a deeper, often overlooked element at play, one that forces people to reconsider their assumptions about [theme, issue, or perspective] and its relevance to contemporary discourse.
A narrative presented in [text or event] brings to light significant themes, such as [name some themes], which not only shape an entire story but also offer commentary on broader implications of [issue or topic] in modern society.
While at first glance, [topic or text] may appear straightforward, a more thorough investigation reveals underlying complexities related to [specific issue], encouraging readers to engage with a material on a more critical level.
By examining intricate details of [topic], this essay will analyze different arguments and themes that contribute to a deeper understanding of [related field or idea], ultimately highlighting its relevance in today’s world.
A controversial discussion surrounding [text or issue] often centers on [popular interpretation], yet a closer look reveals subtleties that challenge this conventional view, offering a more nuanced perspective on [key theme or argument].
Through a careful analysis of [event, text, or subject], one can observe how [specific aspect] acts as a microcosm for larger societal or cultural dynamics, providing deeper insight into [related theme or issue].
An exploration of [subject] in this essay seeks to explain a significant impact it has on [broader topic or field], not only offering critical insights but also questioning prevailing narratives that dominate discussions on [related issue].

5 Main Types

Because a commentary in an essay expresses a person’s perspective about an issue, idea, or topic, it is evident in a body section of such a paper, where people describe their perspectives every time they provide evidence. For example, there are different writing types of commentary people may use for organizing their papers (Rogers, 2024). A first type is an opinion essay where authors analyze evidence, such as a quote, text, or image, and state their stands with their critics. A second type of commentary essay is an interpretation, where students explain a complex concept to enhance a reader’s understanding. A third type is character or subject’s feelings, where learners depict an emotional state of a person they have described in a commentary sentence. A fourth type of commentary essay is a personal reaction, where people communicate their stances on an issue, while A fifth type is an evaluation, where students evaluate a section and give a critical judgment.

Alternative Forms and Examples

Besides the common types presented above, students may write alternative commentaries when their essay is part of a bigger writing project, such as a systematic exposition of an idea, theme, or topic. For example, students must know unique features of each type, including when to use it, what to focus on, and how to organize a commentary essay’s content in writing (Hackett, 2021). As such, alternative forms and examples are:

1️⃣ Close, Direct Analysis of Passages

An example of an alternative commentary in an essay is a close, direct analysis of robust passages from a specific source, such as an article, film, poem, literary work, book, or novel. Basically, they are standard in bigger writing projects, like expositions or being part of a critic’s work (Rogers, 2024). In principle, students adopt this type of commentary when they have to read a passage in a text or pick a speech in a movie and write a film analysis essay that expresses a person’s perspective on central issues, ideas, or concepts. As a result, a following writing example of a commentary essay demonstrates a close, direct examination of a first stanza of a famous poem “Night Wind” by Christopher Dewdney:

Tonight the wind blows through all the worlds I have known and through all the lives I have led. The wind blows in the trees, deeper into each. The wind blows forever, strains like something endlessly departing. Restless, impatient, it races without burden.

Example of a Commentary on Celebration of Nature in the First Stanza of Christopher Dewdney’s Poem “Night Wind”

Christopher Dewdney’s 1984 poem “Night Wind” celebrates nature by depicting the night wind as a permanent, free expression of nature. The poet describes the wind on a particular night in the first stanza. By using a first-person perspective in the first three lines, Dewdney depicts himself as an observer. This writing style expresses a personal dialogue in which the poet directly relates his senses, experiences, and impressions. Dewdney opens the poem with the words: “Tonight the wind blows through / all the worlds I have known and / through all the lives I have led.” In this passage, the author expresses to the reader how the unity of the wind in whatever time or place leaves a lasting impression on him. Ideally, he views the wind as an omnipresent force but also regards it as very transient and fleeting. The words “endlessly departing” indicate to the reader the sense that the wind encompasses the entire continuum of the poet’s existence. Nonetheless, it is always in a rush to be at another location. The reader gets the impression that wind is a celebration of nature when Dewdney mentions its interactions with nature: “The wind blows in the trees, deeper into each.” This statement induces an imagination of trees fighting against a pervasive wind. The poet ends the stanza by personifying the wind, and he assigns it human qualities of restlessness, impatience, and playfulness. In this respect, the first stanza uses the wind as a reason to celebrate nature.

2️⃣ Commentary Annotations

Annotations are another writing type of alternative commentary in an essay where students use a short claim on a source, like a text, film, or image. For example, this kind of commentary essay also looks like an annotated bibliography (Hackett, 2021). Typically, people adopt annotations when they need to explain complex words, phrases, or concepts to readers; give a historical or cultural context of a topic; support or challenge author’s arguments in an essay; expose literary devices, like contrast, irony, or sarcasm, or rhetorical devices, like ethos, pathos, and logos; provide a personal interpretation of a text under analysis. Therefore, annotations aim to enhance a reader’s understanding of a short passage from a source (Berterö, 2016). Below are three writing examples of annotations of complex content in writing a commentary essay for Christopher Dewdney’s Poem “Night Wind.”

3 Examples of a Commentary With Annotations

➖ “The night wind is an empire / in exodus, a deliverance / beside the dark shape of trees.”

This statement is in lines 13-15 of Dewdney’s poem, where the poet alludes to a biblical concept, exodus, to express the wind’s freedom. By stating that the wind is “… in exodus, a deliverance…,” Dewdney makes the reader compare the wind to the incident in the book of Exodus in the Bible where Moses leads the children of Israel, God’s chosen people, to Canaan, the promised land, after freeing a life of bondage in Egypt. In this respect, lines 13-15 confirm that the wind is free and expresses nature’s freedom.

➖ “The wind takes / me in its giddy rush and / gathers me into a storm of longing, / rising on wings of darkness.”

In this statement in lines 18-21, the phrase “wings of darkness” emphasizes the wind’s freedom and mystery. The poet contextualizes the wind as an unpredictable force that can take a person anywhere .

➖ “Along oceans and rivers, / the gale’s mysterious, unspoken imperative / is a joyous delirium with / nothing at its end.”

This passage in lines 36-39 expresses Dewdney’s excitement in not knowing where the wind may take him. It suggests that it does not matter where the wind takes him because he is truly free. In essence, the statement makes the reader imagine the wind as a mystery because it can take one anywhere, emphasizing the theme of freedom.

3️⃣ Data Commentary

Data commentary is another writing type of alternative commentary in an essay where students summarize a study by analyzing critical information that helps readers to have a sneak peek of a project. Basically, main features students should incorporate in a commentary essay include visual illustrations, like charts, diagrams, graphs, and tables, to capture statistical data, allowing readers to compare them easily (Lewis et al., 2021). In writing, data commentary reflects the results section of a research paper because that is where scholars use visual illustrations to report statistical data. For example, to write a commentary in a synthesis essay, people explain how the evidence from different academic sources supports their thesis, analyze some connections between these articles, and provide their interpretation or insights on their combined significance (Lauritzen, 2021). Further on, another feature is a conclusion summarizing a commentary essay by reiterating key points and expressing a person’s final remark, meaning a main perspective on a given topic. Lastly, people must provide a reference page listing credible sources they consulted to write data commentaries, such as reports and research articles. Below is a writing example of data commentary.

Example of Data Commentary

Table 3 shows respondents’ responses to statements about the barriers to exercise prescription for people with mental illness. Those who agreed that patients’ mental health denies them the opportunity to exercise was 58%, while those who agreed that obtaining an injury during exercise is a concern was 45%. There was an overwhelming response by 87% of the respondents who agreed that exercise is beneficial and were interested in prescribing it for patients with mental health problems. However, only 13% agreed that prescribing exercise falls outside their job description. Nonetheless, 16% stated that they did not know how to prescribe exercise for the population. Overall, 71% approved that exercise professionals are best suited to prescribe exercise for people in the population.

Possible Uses of Block Quotations

When writing a commentary essay, students can use block quotations to organize comments. However, this feature is suitable mainly for extensive passages. For example, in a simple definition, a block quote is a text that captures direct quotations longer than 40 words, which a person offsets from a main text and does not include quotation marks (Pears & Shields, 2022). In writing, such a text appears on a new line with a 0.5 inches indentation or 5 to 7 spaces. Moreover, using single space for a block quote is standard, even in an essay requiring double spacing. Hence, students must know how to format block quotes in APA, MLA, Harvard, and Chicago/Turabian referencing styles when writing a commentary essay.

📕 APA Format

There are two ways in which students can use block quotes in APA style when writing their commentary essays.

I. A first block captures an author’s name before a quote:

In their tabulation of results, Vancampfort et al. (2019) showed:

Almost 75% of the respondents indicated that they would “definitely” attend further training for exercise prescriptions for people with mental illness, in particular, related to how to assess patients and how to motivate them towards an active lifestyle. More than seventy percent of the participants also reported that exercise to people with mental illness is actually best delivered by an exercise professional, although only one respondent referred patients to such an exercise professional (p. 2178).

“[Your comments on a block quote starts here]”

II. Alternatively, a block quote can have an author’s surname at the end:

According to the findings:

📕 MLA Format

Similarly, MLA style has two ways of formatting a block quote when writing commentary essays.

I. Having a surname of an author preceding a block quote in an essay:

The results by Vancampfort et al. indicate:

II. Having an author’s surname at the end of a quote:

📕 Harvard Format

Harvard style also has two ways of formatting a block quote when writing commentary essays.

I. Indicating an author’s surname before a block quote in an essay:

In their findings, Vancampfort et al. (2019) established that:

II. Citing an author’s surname at the end of a block quote:

📕 Chicago/Turabian Format

Chicago/Turabian style also has two ways of formatting a block quote when writing commentary essays.

I. Mentioning an author’s surname before a block quote in an essay:

According to Vancampfort et al.:

II. Showing an author’s surname in a footnote:

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Key Features of Formatting Block Quotes

Looking at the examples of writing a commentary in an essay above, there are some similarities and differences in formatting block quotes. APA and Harvard are similar because they show a research article’s publication year and a page number of the information people cite in their commentary essays (Pears & Shields, 2022). Basically, the main difference is a specific arrangement of these details, including a place for putting comas. On the other hand, MLA and Chicago/Turabian styles are similar in that they do not show a research article’s publication year (Pears & Shields, 2022). In writing, the main difference is that the Chicago/Turabian style uses footnotes to show the author(s) and all the bibliography details at a commentary essay’s end. Moroever, MLA style shows only an author’s surname and a page number in a text. In turn, people begin writing their commentaries in the following line after a block quote as a standard paragraph in all the formats.

Examples of Commentary Essay Topics

Students should choose easy essay topics when writing a commentary essay to avoid complicating their tasks. For example, a specific topic should indicate a particular source document one is commenting on, such as a text, film, or image (Rogers, 2024). Basically, a standard practice is that instructors define commentary essay topics students should write about. However, people can choose other themes they are comfortable with if such instructions do not exist for writing a commentary essay. In writing, the best approach to choosing an easy topic is to engage with course content and read widely to generate and incubate ideas (Lauritzen, 2021). When the time comes to write an entire essay, one finds it easy to construct arguments that fit an entire task. As such, the following are possible commentary essay topics because they suggest analyzing and examining a source from a person’s perspective.

In Memory of Amelia Earhart: Sky’s Fearless Lady
Digital Privacy: A Fundamental Right or a Trade-Off for Security
Analyzing Bias in Mainstream News Media
Cultural Factors Influencing Eating Disorders
Central Themes in Harper Lee’s Novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”
“The Great Gatsby” Through Contemporary Lens
A Rhetorical Stance in Jessica Grose’s “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier”
A Key Message in Robert Frost’s Poem “The Road Not Taken”
Maya Angelou’s Magic in “And Still I Rise”
Demystifying Mental Disorders Through the Film “Black Swan (2010)”
An Actual Essence of Margaret Atwood’s “Negotiating With the Dead: A Writer on Writing”

Outline and Template

Title : Unique Topic

Title of a commentary essay must be precise to an assigned topic.
Title must be short, clear, and easily understandable.
Title must be interesting, catchy, and with relevant keywords.

I. Introduction

Essay introduction must have a hook that interests readers enough to grab their attention and stir a curiosity to continue reading.
Introduction must refer to a specific source (text, film, or image) and its author(s).
Introduction must summarize an assigned source that includes the main characters (if any), themes, or concepts.
Introduction must have a clear thesis statement that states a person’s claim.

Body paragraphs (at least three):

Each body paragraph of a commentary essay must have a topic sentence that emphasizes a single idea central to a main claim in a thesis statement that a person will defend in a paragraph.
Each body paragraph must include evidence from a source under analysis, such as a quote, indicating a character responsible and a context.
Each body paragraph must give a commentary about the evidence through relevant analysis, linking the information to a single idea at the beginning of a paragraph and a central claim in a thesis.
Each body paragraph must end with a closing statement and a bridge sentence to facilitate a logical flow to a next paragraph or section of an essay.

III. Conclusion

Sum up a commentary essay by:

Restating a thesis.
Emphasizing main ideas of a commentary essay.
Giving a final remark that confirms an actual importance of a discussed topic.

List of References

Cite a central source under analysis in an essay, including other academic articles, credible websites, or books, and follow specific citation rules, such as APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago/Turabian referencing formats.

Commentary Essay Example

Title: A Rhetorical Stance in Jessica Grose’s “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier”

Introduction

A woman never rests, not with society constantly demanding her value at every turn. This idea is a central message in Jessica Grose’s famous article, “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier.” The author argues that cleaning remains a feature of women’s value in society, despite men’s growing involvement in childcare and cooking. The article also opens with personal accounts and convincing facts, suggesting its credibility as a source of information about the dynamics confronting American women. In her article, Grose communicates her message effectively by adopting a rhetorical stance characterized by emotional appeals.

Body Paragraphs

A. Commentary on a Main Idea of an Article

Grose opens the article with a personal story of her and her husband cleaning their house after Hurricane Sandy forced them indoors. For example, Grose (2013) uses an uneven distribution of a cleaning task in her marriage to point out a larger feminist issue of who between a husband and wife should do a job. The article gives three reasons why men shy away from the cleaning task, including the fact that it is women who receive praise for a clean house, the media focuses on men’s growing involvement in childcare and cooking, and it is not fun. Even the distribution of a cleaning task can happen by creating a task chart that shows who does what on a basis of skill and ability and adopting cleaning gadgets to make cleaning more fun.

Throughout the article, Grose uses sources to appeal to a reader’s ethos and build her argument. For example, Grose (2013) uses some of the sources to achieve these goals, and they include a study by sociologists Judith Treas and Tsui-o Tai and an article by Matthew Krehbiel, North America Fabric Care Brand Manager for P&G. Citing these sources helps the author to build her credibility in the eyes of readers.

Regarding appeals to logos, Grose mentions statistics and interesting facts that help to enhance the logical progression of ideas central to her argument. For example, temphasize the uneven distribution of the cleaning task, Grose (2013) says, “My husband and I both work…I do the dishes nine times out of ten, and he barely knows how the washer and dryer work.” Such facts confirm and support the idea that women do more household chores than men. Grose (2013) also cites statistics, showing “55 percent of mothers working full-time in America do some housework daily compared to 18 percent of fathers.” In this respect, the article is factual about an uneven distribution of household chores that disadvantages women. As a result, personal details and statistics from credible sources help the author to impress upon a reader how society uses a modern domestic environment to subjugate women.

The article appeals to a reader’s pathos in the beginning and middle sections, where Grose uses emotionally charged words and phrases to induce the audience’s sympathy. For example, Grose (2013) laments that, while she “was eight months pregnant,” her husband experienced the complexity of fighting “a massively pregnant person.” These words evoke an image in a reader’s mind that portrays women as vulnerable in a current domestic space because of natural factors, like high emotions and pregnancy. Indeed, readers may feel sympathetic to Grose and the women who generally live in this social context. Moreover, using words and phrases, like ‘argued,’ ‘sucks,’ ‘be shunned,’ ‘be judged,’ and ‘headachey,’ evokes readers’ negative feelings about cleaning. As such, they are more drawn to sympathize with men and view men as selfish.

Grose takes a rhetorical stand throughout the article to persuade her audience of an unfair distribution of cleaning labor in a modern domestic space. By referencing credible sources, citing statistics and interesting facts, and portraying women as adversely disadvantaged, Grose effectively appeals to a reader’s ethos, logos, and pathos. This rhetorical stand is critical in communicating how society remains unfair to women in ta current domestic space despite men’s growing involvement in some household chores, like childcare and cooking.

Grose, J. (2013, March 19). Cleaning: The final feminist frontier . The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/112693/112693

How to Write a Commentary Essay

Writing a commentary essay is a technical process that requires students to grasp essential details. For example, to write a commentary essay, people analyze a subject matter critically, present their interpretation or argument, support a main claim with evidence, and connect their insights to broader themes or implications while maintaining a clear structure and focus throughout (Rogers, 2024). In principle, these details reflect 4 writing steps: preparation, stage setup, writing a first draft, and wrap-up. Typically, each step’s details of writing a commentary essay reflect a unqiue wisdom students should exhibit when creating any scholarly text.

Step 1: Preparation

Preparation is a first step in writing a commentary essay. For example, it is when students take time to create a favorable environment to write their papers (Lauritzen, 2021). In principle, a first task is identifying a single subject, where people should select good sources they can analyze easily, including poems, novels, or films. Moreover, a second task is to create a topic, where students must write short topics that communicate a precise message of a commentary essay.

Step 2: Stage Setup

Setting a stage is a second step of writing a commentary essay. For example, a first task is to read, watch, or examine an assigned source to identify key themes and ideas (Hackett, 2021). Then, a second activity is to research reliable sources that help to generate ideas that align with these themes and concepts to write about. Further on, a next task is to create a clear essay outline emphasizing an introduction, body, and conclusion with all the essential writing details (Lauritzen, 2021). As a result, to start a commentary in an essay, people introduce a subject or text, provide a relevant context, and present a clear thesis or central argument to guide their analysis.

Step 3: Writing a First Draft of a Commentary Essay

Writing a first draft is a third step in creating a commentary essay, and a central focus is generating a paper that can be used for further editing and improvement. For example, a standard format of writing a commentary involves presenting a clear thesis, supporting analysis with evidence, providing interpretation or personal insights, and concluding with a summary of an argument or reflection on its broader significance (Rogers, 2024). As such, students should organize their ideas into text, emphasizing a central claim in a thesis statement, ideas in topic sentences, evidence (quotes), and transitions in body paragraphs. In writing, they should also ensure their conclusions restate a thesis, summarize main ideas of a commentary essay, and give a final remark about their commentaries, focusing on an assigned source and topic.

Step 4: Wrap-Up

A final wrap-up is a last step in writing a commentary essay. For example, a main focus is transforming a first draft into a final text by eliminating all mistakes and flaws (Lauritzen, 2021). Typically, students should revise all sections that do not make sense to a central claim or those that affect a paper’s logical progression and its writing. Moreover, they should edit a commentary essay by adding or deleting words and phrases and eliminating grammatical mistakes, missing punctuation, formatting or writing errors, and incorrect citations.

Looking at the information in the preceding sections, writing a great commentary essay is a complex task that requires students to demonstrate knowledge of what it takes to create a quality paper. Some of the tips for writing a commentary essay include identifying a single source, which can be a text, film, or image; noting a source’s basic information, like an author, title, and publication date; identifying central themes in a given subject; writing an introduction that emphasizes a source’s basic information; creating a thesis that communicates a claim about an assigned source; adopting a unique structure as above; beginning paragraphs with a topic sentence; incorporating quotes from a source into body paragraphs; commenting on some quotes and their significance; and concluding a commentary essay with a summary that makes a final remark about a single source and topic.

10 things to do include:

identifying a source for writing a commentary essay;
reading, watching, or analyzing an assigned source carefully and closely;
outlining critical details, like themes, ideas, and literary devices;
writing an introduction with a hook and an argumentative thesis statement;
providing body paragraphs with topic sentences, concluding sentences, quotes, commentary, and transitions;
maintaining a formal tone in a commentary essay;
using the applicable format (APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago/Turabian) correctly;
presenting an introduction that summarizes a commentary essay;
avoiding grammatical and writing mistakes;
proofreading a final version of a commentary essay.

10 things not to do include:

failing to document source’s essential details, like an author’s name and surname;
concentrating on an introduction more than a body;
not incorporating quotes in body paragraphs;
focusing on too many ideas in writing a commentary essay;
not defending a central claim in a thesis;
ignoring a unique outline of a commentary essay;
writing with too many grammatical mistakes;
using different formatting styles (APA, MLA, Harvard, and Chicago/Turabian);
not implementing transitions in body paragraphs;
creating a commentary essay without a logical flow of ideas and thoughts in writing.

What to Include

Element	Description
Subject Matter	A main topic or text that is being commented on, which could be a book, article, film, poem, event, issue, etc.
Main Argument	A central viewpoint or thesis regarding a subject being analyzed.
Key Themes	Major ideas or topics within a chosen subject that are important for understanding its meaning or impact.
Evidence	Supportive data, examples, or quotes from credible sources to back up an entire analysis and claim.
Interpretation	A person’s explanation of a deeper meaning or implications of a presented subject.
Critical Analysis	A detailed examination of specific aspects to evaluate their significance or relevance.
Personal Insight	An author’s individual perspective and reflection on a given subject.
Comparative Analysis	Comparing a subject with other works, issues, or perspectives to enhance understanding.
Broader Impact	Exploration of how a discussed subject relates to wider societal, cultural, or historical contexts.
Final Insights	Final thoughts on some implications or importance of an analysis conducted.

Common Mistakes

Summarizing Instead of Analyzing: Providing a mere summary of a text, event, or issue without offering personal interpretation or critical insight.
Lack of a Clear Thesis: Failing to present a focused thesis that guides a commentary essay’s purpose and main argument.
Not Supporting Claims With Evidence: Making assertions without backing them up with quotes, examples, or data, weakening an overall analysis.
Overloading With a Personal Opinion: Giving too much subjective opinion without balancing writing with analysis and evidence from a source material.
Ignoring Opposing Viewpoints: Neglecting to consider alternative interpretations or counterarguments, making a whole analysis one-dimensional.
Focusing on Irrelevant Details: Including unnecessary information that does not contribute to a main argument or writing.
Poor Organization: Failing to structure a commentary essay logically, leading to a confusing or disjointed flow of ideas and writing.
Overuse of Quotes: Relying too heavily on direct quotations instead of interpreting and explaining their significance in an entire analysis.
Weak Conclusion: Ending a commentary essay abruptly without effectively summarizing main points or reinforcing a thesis in writing.
Inconsistent Tone or Style: Switching between formal and informal language or inconsistent use of academic tone throughout a paper.

A commentary essay is a piece of writing where an author analyzes and interprets a specific topic, often a text or event, providing personal insights. Basically, such a paper follows a structured writing format, typically with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. An example of commentary is a written analysis of a novel where a person discusses key themes, an author’s intent, and how an entire story relates to current societal issues, providing personal insight and interpretation. Further on, the main parts of a commentary essay include an introduction with a thesis, body paragraphs that analyze a specific subject with evidence and personal insights, and a conclusion that summarizes key points and restates an actual significance of an entire analysis. In writing, an introduction presents a specific topic and thesis, while a body explores key themes with evidence. Finally, a conclusion restates a main argument. Moreover, different types of commentary essays include opinion, interpretation, and evaluation. As a result, people should balance personal viewpoints with evidence to engage critically with a chosen subject. In turn, key takeaways to remember are:

Choose a single source that is simple to analyze.
Create a clear thesis that emphasizes a central focus of a commentary essay, such as a claim.
Identify passages or themes in an assigned source that help to build an argumentative claim.
Use an introduction paragraph for its purpose: to introduce a specific topic. As such, writing should be short and precise.
Use a body section for its purpose: to analyze a particular source and defend a central claim comprehensively. Therefore, it should be long and have quotes as evidence.
Use a conclusion part to summarize a commentary essay, and writing should be concise. More importantly, a final sentence should leave readers with a lasting impression of a defined source and topic.

Berterö, C. (2016). Guidelines for writing a commentary. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being , 11 (1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v11.31390

Hackett, U. (2021). Brilliant essays . Red Globe Press.

Iskander, J. K., Wolicki, S. B., Leeb, R. T., & Siegel, P. Z. (2018). Successful scientific writing and publishing: A step-by-step approach. Preventing Chronic Disease , 15 , 1–6. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd15.180085

Lauritzen, J. (2021). Read, write, and cite . Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Lewis, K. B., Graham, I. D., Boland, L., & Stacey, D. (2021). Writing a compelling integrated discussion: A guide for integrated discussions in article-based theses and dissertations. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship , 18 (1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2020-0057

Pears, R., & Shields, G. J. (2022). Cite them right: The essential referencing guide (12th ed.). A&C Black.

Rogers, D. (2024). Writing better essays: A rhetorical guide to writing and revision . Equinox Publishing Ltd.

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How to Write a Commentary That Engages and Persuades [GUIDE]

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Crafting a compelling commentary isn't just about offering an opinion. It's about weaving your insights into a narrative that engages and persuades your audience. Whether you're dissecting a piece of literature, analyzing a political event, or exploring societal trends, the key to writing effective commentary lies in not only what you say but how you say it.

You'll need to balance fact with personal perspective, all while maintaining clarity and depth. This might sound daunting, but don’t worry—once you grasp the basic structure and essential components of good commentary writing, you’ll find it both rewarding and impactful. Let’s dive into how you can master this artful form of expression, ensuring your voice is heard loud and clear.

Understanding the Basics of a Commentary

Understanding the basics of a commentary involves grasping its definition and recognizing the different types it can take. This foundation aids in crafting insightful narratives that effectively communicate your perspectives.

What Is a Commentary?

A commentary is an analytical or interpretive piece of writing where you express your thoughts on a subject. It combines objective facts with subjective analysis to provide deeper insights into the topic at hand. This form of writing often reviews or critiques events, literature, or policies and extends beyond mere description to influence or engage readers.

Types of Commentary

There are several distinct types of commentary, each serving unique purposes:

Literary Commentary: Focuses on analyzing texts such as books, poems, films, and other artworks. Literary commentaries discuss themes, characters, and plot developments.
Social Commentary: Examines societal issues like politics, culture, economics, and human rights. Writers use this format to critique social norms and advocate for changes.
Historical Commentary: Explores historical events or periods providing context and interpretation that help understand past occurrences' relevance today.

By identifying which type suits your needs best; you set the stage for engaging with your audience more effectively.

Preparing to Write a Commentary

Transitioning from understanding the different types of commentary, focus now shifts towards effectively preparing to write one. This stage is crucial for aligning your thoughts and research with the commentary’s objectives.

Choosing a Subject

Identify a subject that resonates both personally and intellectually. Ensure it offers enough depth for analysis and fits within one of the discussed categories: literary, social, or historical. For instance, selecting a novel for literary commentary allows exploration of themes, character development, and author's intent. Opt for subjects that not only interest you but also have substantial information available.

Analyzing the Material

Begin by thoroughly reading or examining your chosen material. Take detailed notes on aspects that stand out as significant or intriguing—these will form the backbone of your commentary. Look for patterns or contradictions in data (texts, behaviors, historical accounts) that could enrich your interpretation. This step involves critical thinking to distill complex information into coherent insights.

Researching Your Topic

Conduct extensive research to support your views and provide credibility to your narrative. Utilize credible sources such as academic journals, books by respected authors, and trusted online resources. Gather diverse perspectives on the topic to ensure a well-rounded argument. Document all sources accurately; this not only aids in maintaining ethical standards but also strengthens your commentary’s reliability.

Structuring Your Commentary

After selecting your topic and gathering the necessary information, structure becomes crucial in crafting an effective commentary. This stage allows you to organize thoughts cohesively, ensuring your argument flows logically from one point to another.

Crafting a Thesis Statement

Begin by formulating a strong thesis statement. This single sentence serves as the foundation of your commentary, summarizing your central argument or perspective. Ensure it is clear and assertive. A well-crafted thesis statement sets the tone for the entire piece, guiding readers through your thoughts on the chosen subject matter.

For example, if writing about climate change's impact on urban planning, an effective thesis might be: "Urban planners must integrate sustainable practices to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change."

Outline the Main Points

Next, outline all major points that will support your thesis statement throughout the commentary. Each main point should directly relate back to reinforcing or debating aspects of your thesis based on evidence collected during research.

By outlining these points methodically, you ensure comprehensive coverage of arguments while maintaining reader interest from start to finish—essential for persuasive communication within any type of commentary whether literary, social, or historical analysis.

Writing the Commentary

Crafting a commentary involves articulating your insights on a subject while engaging readers with persuasive and coherent arguments. This section builds directly upon the foundation of selecting topics and structuring preliminary outlines.

Writing an Introduction

Begin your commentary with an introduction that captivates attention and presents your thesis statement. Establish the context briefly, setting up the premise for deeper exploration in subsequent sections. The introduction should:

Hook readers with a compelling fact or question that relates to the core topic.
Present the thesis statement clearly; this acts as your central argument.
Outline what will be discussed, providing a roadmap of your commentary’s structure.

Developing Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs are where you delve into detailed analysis supported by evidence. Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea that supports the thesis, structured as follows:

Introduce each point with a topic sentence that links back to your thesis.
Provide examples, statistics (if applicable), or quotes from credible sources to substantiate your points.
Explain how these details connect to your overall argument.

Ensure transitions between paragraphs are smooth, maintaining flow and reinforcing the logical progression of ideas.

Providing Context and Analysis

Amplify your commentary by integrating thorough context and in-depth analysis:

Discuss contrasting viewpoints if they help clarify or deepen understanding of your perspective.

Analyze implications or potential outcomes stemming from the issues at hand.

This depth not only enriches comprehension but also showcases your analytical acumen.

Concluding Your Commentary

End with a strong conclusion that reiterates your thesis and underscores key points discussed:

Reflect on broader implications or suggest further areas for research or discussion based on what was presented.

Leave readers contemplating critical aspects of the commentary which may influence their perspectives on the topic.

This structured approach ensures each part contributes effectively towards delivering persuasive, insightful commentary that resonates with audiences across contexts like literary criticism, social commentaries, or historical analyses.

Enhancing Your Commentary

To elevate your commentary, focus on the strategic use of evidence and incorporation of personal insights. This approach ensures your piece not only informs but also resonates with your audience.

Using Evidence Effectively

Optimal use of evidence transforms good commentary into a compelling argument. Begin by selecting evidence that directly supports your thesis statement. Examples include statistical data, quotes from recognized experts, and historical events relevant to your topic. Align each piece of evidence clearly with your main points; this will enhance the credibility and persuasive power of your commentary.

Select Reputable Sources : Choose sources recognized for their authority in the field. For instance, academic journals, authoritative news outlets, and books by respected authors offer reliable information.
Cite Specific Examples : When discussing complex issues like social changes or economic policies, cite specific instances where similar situations have occurred.
Explain Evidence Context : Don't just present facts; explain why they are relevant to your argument. This interpretation helps readers understand the significance within the broader discussion.

Incorporating Personal Insights

Personal insights give voice to your commentary, making it unique and engaging. Reflect on how the topic impacts you personally or how it relates to experiences you've observed. These personal reflections should connect back to the larger narrative or argument you're constructing.

Relate To Broader Themes : Connect your personal story or observation to wider societal implications if applicable.
Showcase Unique Perspectives : Share viewpoints that might not be widely discussed but are informed by personal experience or niche expertise.
Maintain Professional Tone : While sharing personal insights, balance them with a professional tone to maintain credibility and respectfulness towards differing views.

By integrating substantial evidence with genuine personal insights, you ensure that your commentary is both authoritative and distinctly yours. This combination engages readers effectively while supporting robust discourse on the subject matter at hand.

Revising and Editing Your Commentary

Once your initial draft is complete, revising and editing become critical steps to refine your commentary into a polished piece. This phase allows you to enhance clarity, coherence, and the overall impact of your writing.

Self-Review Techniques

Start the self-review process by re-reading your commentary aloud. This strategy helps identify awkward phrasing or unclear ideas that might not be as obvious when reading silently. Focus on ensuring that each paragraph transitions smoothly into the next, maintaining a logical flow that supports your thesis statement effectively.

Create a checklist based on key elements such as:

Thesis consistency: Verify if all sections support or reflect back on your thesis.
Evidence relevance: Check whether the evidence presented effectively backs up your points.
Personal insight integration: Ensure personal reflections contribute meaningfully to the discussion.

Utilize tools like grammar checkers or readability software to detect any grammatical errors and assess sentence structure complexity. Aim for clear, concise sentences that convey information efficiently.

Seeking Feedback

After conducting a thorough self-review, seek feedback from peers or mentors who understand the topic well. Provide them with specific questions about aspects you feel uncertain about to guide their review towards providing constructive insights:

Examples of targeted questions include:

Does my argument come across clearly and persuasively?
Are there any points where my bias may appear unbalanced?
How effective are my introductions and conclusions in each section?

Encourage honest feedback focusing on both strengths and areas for improvement. Analyze received critiques carefully; implementing changes based on this feedback can dramatically enhance the quality of your final submission.

By following these detailed steps under Revising and Editing Your Commentary, you ensure every aspect of your work holds up under scrutiny while presenting a compelling narrative enriched with factual precision and personal authenticity.

Writing a Commentary with ChatGPT

ChatGPT can assist you in crafting a compelling commentary by providing guidance on structure, evidence integration, and personal insight articulation.

Help me write a commentary on [specific subject or event]. I need to develop a strong thesis statement that encapsulates my main argument. The commentary should include an engaging introduction, detailed body paragraphs that support the thesis with credible evidence and personal insights, and a conclusion that synthesizes key points and suggests further research or actions. Ensure the tone is [formal/informal] and the commentary is both persuasive and informative.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Transitioning from the earlier focus on revision techniques and clarity enhancement, this section tackles some common hurdles you might face when crafting a commentary. Overcome these challenges to maintain the quality and effectiveness of your work.

Addressing Writer's Block

Encounter writer’s block often manifests as a frustrating barrier to progress in your writing journey. Break through this impediment by engaging in structured brainstorming sessions, where you outline disparate ideas without judging their viability. Set aside time for free writing exercises daily; spend 15 minutes writing about anything that comes to mind, related or not to your topic. This practice stimulates creativity and can unearth new insights or angles for your commentary.

Utilize mind mapping tools which visually organize thoughts and connections between them. Starting with a central idea—your proposed thesis—branch out into main points and supporting evidence, allowing a visual flow of ideas that could break the blockage.

If practicality permits, step away from your workspace for short periods. Physical activities such as walking or yoga refresh the mind, making it easier to return with a renewed perspective.

Handling Overwhelming Evidence

When confronted with an abundance of evidence, streamline the integration process by prioritizing relevance over quantity. Start by identifying three to five key pieces of evidence that most strongly support your thesis statement. Create an evidence hierarchy; categorize each piece by its impact level on advancing your argument.

Construct concise summaries for each chosen item of evidence. These summaries should encapsulate why each piece is relevant and how it supports your viewpoint compellingly yet succinctly.

Implement color-coding in your notes or digital documents: one color for critical evidence, another for supplementary details, and another for general background information. This method aids in quickly distinguishing between what is essential for inclusion and what can serve merely as additional context if needed.

By addressing these common issues directly, you enhance both the efficiency of your writing process and the coherence of your final commentary output.

Craft a compelling closure by synthesizing insights and emphasizing key takeaways. Ensure your commentary leaves an impact by reiterating the core messages and demonstrating their relevance in a broader context. Summarize major points succinctly, linking back to the facts and personal views discussed earlier.

Restate the Thesis: Revisit your thesis statement and reflect on how the supporting arguments have solidified this central idea.
Highlight Major Insights: Outline critical insights gained through your analysis; for example, shifts in public opinion or implications for future research.
Suggest Further Research or Action: Recommend areas for further exploration or steps readers could take to engage with the topic more deeply.

This structured approach ensures that your final words resonate well, providing a clear, authoritative conclusion to your commentary.

Additional Resources

Crafting an impactful commentary isn't just about putting words on paper—it's about making those words work hard to engage and persuade. You've learned how to blend factual analysis with personal insight effectively and now understand the importance of revising your piece to enhance its clarity and impact. With these tools at your disposal you're well-equipped to tackle any topic that sparks your interest or ignites your passion.

Remember writing is a journey: each commentary piece offers a unique opportunity to refine your voice and argue your perspective. Don’t hesitate to experiment with different approaches or seek feedback as you hone your skills. The more you write the better you’ll become at delivering compelling arguments that not only inform but also resonate with readers.

Embrace the challenge ahead—your next commentary could be the one that truly makes a difference!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key elements of effective commentary writing.

Effective commentary writing involves blending factual information with personal perspectives, crafting a strong thesis, structuring arguments logically, and integrating context and analysis. It also includes revising for consistency and clarity, utilizing feedback, and employing various techniques to overcome common issues like writer's block.

How should one select topics for commentary writing?

Choosing topics for commentary should be based on areas that are not only of interest to you but also relevant to your audience. It’s important to select subjects where you can provide unique insights or perspectives that contribute meaningfully to existing discussions.

What strategies help in overcoming writer's block during commentary writing?

Overcoming writer's block can be managed through structured brainstorming sessions and free-writing exercises. These methods encourage the flow of ideas without self-censorship, helping writers break through creative barriers.

How can editing tools improve the quality of my commentary?

Editing tools such as grammar checkers help ensure language accuracy. Additionally, seeking feedback from peers or mentors and using targeted questions can significantly enhance clarity and coherence in your work by providing external perspectives on logical flow and argument strength.

What is an effective way to conclude a piece of commentary?

An effective conclusion synthesizes the main insights discussed, restates the thesis in light of these insights, highlights significant points made throughout the text, and suggests further research or actions. This approach ensures a clear closure that reinforces your arguments while leaving a lasting impact on readers.

How to Write a Good Essay: Stop Summarizing, Start Commentating

Chances are your professor has given you an assignment to write an essay that reflects on a piece of literature, or another body of work like a film or play. Do you know how to write a good essay? One basic way to elevate the quality of your next essay is to stop summarizing and start commentating.

And it’s easier than you may think.

In this post, I’ll explain the difference between summary and commentary. Then, I’ll show you how to put commentary to good use to make your next essay assignment awesome.

How to Write a Good Essay Part 1: Learn the Difference between Commentary and Summary

You need to understand the difference between commentary and summary. While both writing styles can be used to discuss another piece of work (like a play, book, movie, or poem), this is about the sum total of their similarities.

Here are the three main differences between summary and commentary:

Summary is a brief account giving the main points of something.
Commentary is a series of explanations and interpretations.
Summary is surface.
Commentary is deep.
Summary is regurgitation.
Commentary is original.

There is only one way to provide a summary : You read or view a work, and then write down a recap of what the work is all about.

However, there are many ways to provide commentary , including:

How to Write an Essay: Types of Commentary

Here are some real life examples of summary and commentary:

A summary is something you’d read in a movie description or on the back of a book, like this summary of The Godfather: Part II from IMDb :

Commentary is what you’d read in a film or book review, like this one from Rotten Tomatoes :

As you can see, the main difference between these two write-ups of The Godfather, Part II is the IMDb summary includes no opinion or evaluation, while the Rotten Tomatoes review includes the opinion “strong performances” and the evaluation “set(s) new standards for sequels that have yet to be matched or broken.”

How to Write a Good Essay Part 2: Sample Essay

I know you’re supposed to be writing an essay right now, so don’t procrastinate by watching this awesome, comedic zombie movie. But, as soon as you turn this essay in, if you haven’t seen it already, watch it! Seriously, it’s so good.

In the meantime, for our lesson, watch this YouTube clip of one of my favorite scenes from the film. It will serve as the body of work that I’m going to commentate on.

First, let me show you how I would write a summary of this scene:

In this scene from the 2004 movie Shaun of the Dead , Shaun (played by Simon Pegg) wakes up with a hangover and walks to the convenience store to buy a soda and an ice cream. In his hungover condition, he does not notice anything that is going on around him. On his way to the store, he walks by what appears to be zombies roaming the street. There is mayhem all around him. A car window is smashed and the alarm is blaring, a person is running for his life away from zombies, there are bloody handprints on the cooler, and the convenience store clerk is missing. On his way home, Shaun passes even more zombies, including one who he mistakes for a homeless person. When the zombie approaches him, Shaun says, “No, I don’t have any change. I didn’t even have enough for the shop.” He makes it home safely and turns on the TV, ignoring the news reports about the zombie invasion.

While this may be a perfectly good summary of this scene, it doesn’t offer any additional insight into the film. My summary simply regurgitates what happened, play-by-play. There’s really no point in reading this summary; instead, you could just watch the scene and learn everything I just discussed, and you’ll have more fun doing it.

When your professor asks you to provide thoughtful commentary on a piece of work, you can be sure that he or she does not want you to just give a detailed recap of the events. This does not show that you’ve put forth any effort. In fact, writing that summary took me under a minute, with little thought.

how to write a good essay don't rely on summary

The one thing a summary can provide is background for your commentary. You want to give your reader some context on the piece of work, while also providing your insightful and opinionated commentary. Let’s start working on this now.

How to Write a Good Essay: Offer an Opinion

First, I’m going to insert an opinion into my summary. To make it easier for you to follow, I’ll highlight my opinion in green .

In this clever and satirical scene from the 2004 movie Shaun of the Dead , Shaun (played by Simon Pegg) wakes up with a hangover and walks to the convenience store to buy a soda and an ice cream.

How to Write a Good Essay: Offer an Interpretation

Next, I’ll insert an interpretation .

In his hungover condition, he does not notice anything that is going on around him. This provides insight on how Shaun, like many of us, lives his day-to-day life, almost as a zombie himself, just going through the motions without noticing the world in which he lives.

How to Write a Good Essay: Offer some Insight

Next, I’ll insert some insight .

On his way to the store, he walks by what appears to be zombies roaming the street. There is mayhem all around him, but this mayhem isn’t a far cry from Shaun’s daily reality . A car window is smashed and the alarm is blaring. Today it is from a zombie, but on a normal day, a regular thief could have smashed it . A person is running for his life away from zombies, but on a normal day, it could be a person running to catch the bus .

How to Write a Good Essay: Offer Your Personal Reaction

Next, I’ll insert my personal reaction :

There are bloody handprints on the cooler, and the convenience store clerk is missing, which, along with the creepy music soundtrack, gives a sense of impending doom as the viewer watches Shaun obliviously bumble along.

how to write a good essay personal reaction

How to Write a Good Essay: Offer an Evaluation

Finally, I’ll insert my evaluation and a little more opinion and insight .

On his way home, Shaun passes even more zombies, including one who he mistakes for a homeless person. When the zombie approaches him, Shaun says, “No, I don’t have any change. I didn’t even have enough for the shop.” Incidents like these make this film the perfect satirical comedy about what it means to be alive in the 21 st century . This is emphasized again when Shaun makes it home safely and turns on the TV, ignoring the news reports about the zombies. This brilliant satire points to the sad fact that a typical person’s life is already so horrible that a zombie apocalypse wouldn’t even mark a change for the worse.

So, how does my final Shaun of the Dead commentary look as a whole? Check it out:

In this clever and satirical scene from the 2004 movie Shaun of the Dead , Shaun (played by Simon Pegg) wakes up with a hangover and walks to the convenience store to buy a soda and an ice cream. In his hungover condition, he does not notice anything that is going on around him. This provides insight on how Shaun, like many of us, lives his day-to-day life, almost as a zombie himself, just going through the motions without noticing the world in which he lives. On his way to the store, he walks by what appears to be zombies roaming the street. There is mayhem all around him, but this mayhem isn’t a far cry from Shaun’s daily reality . A car window is smashed and the alarm is blaring. Today it is from a zombie, but on a normal day, a regular thief could have smashed it . A person is running for his life away from zombies, but on a normal day, it could be a person running to catch the bus. There are bloody handprints on the cooler, and the convenience store clerk is missing, which, along with the creepy music soundtrack, gives a sense of impending doom as the viewer watches Shaun obliviously bumble along. On his way home, Shaun passes even more zombies, including one who he mistakes for a homeless person. When the zombie approaches him, Shaun says, “No, I don’t have any change. I didn’t even have enough for the shop.” Incidents like these make this film the perfect satirical comedy about what it means to be alive in the 21 st century . This is emphasized again when Shaun makes it home safely and turns on the TV, ignoring the news reports about the zombies. This brilliant satire points to the sad fact that a typical person’s life is already so horrible that a zombie apocalypse wouldn’t even mark a change for the worse .

How to Write a Good Essay Part 3: Final Rules to Consider

Now that you’ve seen commentary in action, I want to point out a couple more important rules that will help you write a good essay.

Rule One: Avoid Subjective Phrases

Even when giving commentary in the form of an opinion, avoid using subjective phrases like “I hope,” “I believe,” and “I think.” These are just throwaway phrases. As I discussed in my previous post about writing a cover letter, these phrases are redundant (you wrote the essay, so it’s obvious you think, believe, or hope what is written) and they reduce your credibility.

Rule Two: Maintain a 2:1 Ratio of Commentary to Summary

In general, you should provide approximately two points of commentary for every specific detail you offer. While summary is still important for giving your reader context, commentary is critical to writing a good essay.

Rule Three: Follow Your Instructor’s Rules

Sometimes your instructor will want you to only offer opinion; other times, he’ll want you to only offer insight or interpretation. Other times, you’ll have more freedom as to what type of commentary you include in your essay. The important thing to remember is to follow your instructor’s rules for the assignment.

If you need more help learning about how to write a better essay, I recommend reading this post about how one teacher used movie reviews to help students improve writing , and check out this cool slideshow about commentary . And of course, don’t forget the final step for writing a good essay: editing! Have your essay edited by a Kibin editor , a peer, or a parent.

How about you? Have you struggled with using too much summary in your essays? Or, do you find writing commentary to be fun? Let us know in the comments.

Psst... 98% of Kibin users report better grades! Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays .

About the Author

Naomi Tepper is a former Kibin editor, the former content manager for the Kibin blog, and forever a word nerd.

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How to Write a Commentary Essay

What is a literary commentary, steps to prepare for a commentary, steps to write the commentary, it takes a broad thinking and analysis, it should be critical yet with a respectful tone, prepare before writing, outline the main points.

Useful information: Check research paper outline example and learn how to write it.

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Identifying the basic information

Mention about the theme, subject, and audience, observe the structure and genre of the content, identify how the text is presented, understand the tone, look for the literary devices that deepen the meaning, take the quotes included in the text, wrapping up your commentary with a summary, make your commentary presentable, ask for the feedback.

Read also: Reliable “ write research paper for me ” service will assist you with any writing task.

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Commentary Essay Example With Explication and Writing Tips

By: Tasha Kolesnikova

The essay commentary aims to analyze the text read. You can write a comment on how the plot of the novel reveals the social situation of the era, or how the author's life is evidenced in the text. The commentary can be based on one element of a literary work or analyze general features. The choice will depend on the author of the essay.

Commentary Essay Example (On Poem "When You Are Old" By Yates)

Literary commentary and data commentary, commentary essay writing algorithm, remember when writing a commentary essay, conclusions.

Below you can get acquainted with the genre of commentary essay.

William Butler Yates' poem When You're Old (1895) is about love. This is evidenced by the language and literary images used. These two elements combine to create a work that represents the nostalgia and depression generated by lost love.

At the beginning of the poem, "old, gray and sleepy" woman allows herself to plunge into the past. Holding a Yates book, she recalls the days when she was young and beautiful.

This scene takes place by the fireplace and gives the poem a special tone. And this is a very strong image because the atmosphere of old age, lost love, and memories will prevail throughout the work.

To enhance the emotionality of the text, Yates uses a number of characters. One such symbol is the hearth.

It is a symbol of the ephemeral being. Yes, the fire burns beautifully and brightly, but sooner or later, it will burn out, and only ashes will remain. Nothing lasts forever. The heroine of the poem, like fire, will one day simply disappear.

Fire can have another meaning. It can mean a passion that has passed. After all, a woman once had love, but she lost it. And sitting by the fireplace, she can dream and imagine how this former passion comes to life.

There are other symbols in the work. There are stars in the sky and high mountains. They symbolize inaccessibility—the things that a woman can no longer bring back into her life. And the only thing that reminds her of her past life and what she felt then is Yates' book.

The author's choice of language is significant in the poem. He wrote the poem in the first person; it gives it intimacy, empathy, and sadness. It seems that the narrator knows about the consequences of this woman's actions and tries to avert them.

The poem clearly shows the connection between Yates and the old lady, as evidenced by the use of imperative verbs ("Take down this book and slowly read it, and dream of a soft look in your eyes").

Yates's poem is a good example of how to convey strong emotions to readers through language and integrated images. The use of symbols instead of direct messages adds a work of pleasant mystery.

What Is A Commentary?

Unlike the average reader, the commentator "translates" the text into his own language. The author of the commentary essay interprets the text in his own way, expressing his impressions. He logically argues his judgments.

In our opinion, the general definition of a commentary essay is:

It is a detailed analysis of a passage of the work or the work itself, which does not require the expression of thesis statements or a more general discussion of the whole book (as in literary analysis). In such an essay, the author does not simply summarize what he has read but expresses his own thoughts and analyzes the key points in the work.

It should be noted that there are two types of commentary essays: literary and data. Literary commentary is an in-depth analysis of a passage of a literary work or text. Whereas, data commentary is a piece of writing that comments on a visual display. Its main purpose is to interpret a research paper.

Build-up. You have to be ready to write a comment. To do this, you need to be an expert in the text you are analyzing. So read it from cover to cover. When you have done this, read it aloud again. If you do not understand any words or expressions, be sure to find out their meaning.

The printed version will greatly facilitate the work on the text. So you can work with the work, using a marker to emphasize the main points or something that needs separate processing. You can also use ready-made sample essays and templates to understand in which direction to move. If you have no opinion at all about the commentary essay, look for the write my essay button in the writing service.

Sketch the outline of your essay. Make sure it has an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusions.

Writing Commentary

Foundations. Your entry should include the following key elements: the title of the work you are commenting on; the name of the author of the work; genre of the work. In the introductory part, you can also express your main point of view and what affected you the most.

"I was recently impressed by Dewdney's "The Night Wind." He personalizes the wind, giving it his own life. With this image, the author leads the reader on an interesting journey through the universe. Its main theme is an escape from the problems of existence."

Ponderisms. What, in your opinion, is the purpose of the work? What is its intention? Discuss everything that interests you. In the body of the essay, you need to interpret the analyzed piece of literature and show your vision of the work. Use commentary sentences to the main points in the text.

"It should be noted that in the work there are no rhymes, meters, schemes. Dewdney demonstrates carefreeness using free verse. In this way, he expresses the idea of freedom."

Examples. Always back up your thoughts with vivid examples. Don't forget to use quotes.

"The author emphasizes the theme of freedom with bright sentences: "The wind blows forever." There are phrases that inspire the reader to think about the vastness of the universe: "Above me the Milky Way."

Strong conclusion. Consolidate your position in the conclusions. Paraphrase your main idea to finish the comment nicely.

"The "Night wind" is a symbol of escape from the burdens of everyday life. The free, somewhat whimsical structure of the text gives the reader a feeling of lightness and serenity. Reading such a poem, the reader plunges into the incredible world of freedom."

Editing. One of the most important steps in working on a commentary essay is its polishing. Make sure there are no grammatical, stylistic, or other inaccuracies in the text. If you are not a pro at this, it would be better to contact the writing service for essay editing .

The "This shows that" device. Write a topic sentence with evidence. And start the next sentence with the words "this shows that". This method really works because it makes the student explain the quote from the text. For example, in the poem "Night Wind" Dewdney portrays a guy holding a wire. But a strong gust of windbreaks this wire. This shows that the author breaks free from the captivity of problems, and runs away from everything.
Use the LET method. The name of this method stands for Literary Elements and Techniques. And it speaks for itself. You need to identify the literary techniques that the author used in the text. It's about style, character, plot, point of view, language, setting, and conflict. Pay attention to the following methods: metaphors, diction, personification, irony, and others. When you find these elements, explain the topic sentences with them. For example, in the text "Night Wind" the author often uses dark images. The main action takes place at night. Throughout the poem, there is a reference to the stars. The image of the "wings of darkness" emphasizes the mystery of the wind and its freedom.
The concept of four cells. You can use one of the interesting methods of text analysis. This method involves dividing a sheet of paper into four equal parts. Place a topic sentence and a quote in the top two cells. And in the lower squares, write comments to them. This will help you analyze each piece of text and combine the comments into a single whole.

We hope that after our article, you will easily write your commentary essay. We also hope that our sample will help you navigate this topic. If your teacher has given you the assignment to write a commentary essay, you can turn to professional writers who will give you homework help .

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Writing a literary commentary: guidelines, what is a commentary.

First and foremost, a literary commentary is NOT an essay. The passage in front of you is not, therefore, an invitation to write a general essay about the work from which it has been taken.
A commentary is an analysis of the given passage, its function and its characteristics. It should examine the key themes and stylistic devices of the passage, showing how the language works to convey (or at times undermine) its content.
A commentary should relate the passage to the rest of the work (novel, collection of poems, etc.), but remain focused in the main on the details of the passage itself.
Make sure that your commentary covers the whole passage. For instance, if you are given a poem with five stanzas, you should try to say something about each stanza.
Use line numbers (in both poetry and prose) in your commentary, rather than wasting time by quoting at length.
When you do quote, make sure that your comments don't simply repeat what the quotation already says: 'In the line "Il pleut dehors", the poet tells us that it is raining outside ...'
Avoid verbosity or inaccurate terminology. Clarity and precision are top priorities, and polysyllabic words do not improve a commentary.
Don't use words like 'effective', 'atmospheric', or 'beautiful' unless you are also explaining what the effect, atmosphere or beauty of the passage are, and how they are achieved.

How should I write my commentary?

There are no fixed rules for writing a commentary, but a general structure will be suggested. You should always PLAN your commentary before you start writing it, following these guidelines where appropriate.

1 Introduction

Put the passage into context , and summarise its arguments briefly (in a few sentences): do not spend too much time discussing matters outside of the passage.
You should assume that your reader has read the work from which the passage has been taken.
You may want to point out the passage's most important thematic and structural aspects in your introduction.
Introduce the main themes and structural aspects of the passage.
What kind of passage is it (description/dialogue/free indirect speech), and what is its function (in the rest of the work)?
What is its overall structure (repetitious/circuIar/leitmotifs/develops to a climax)?
What is the narrative point of view (first-person/third-person/omniscient or not)?
What are the register (high/low) and tone (comic/surreal) of the passage?

3 Detailed Analysis

This is the most substantial part of the commentary. It should not be simple description or paraphrase, but an analysis of how the language of the passage functions. The following are aspects of the text that you should look for:

Sentence structure
Tense usage
Word order (balance or lack thereof, harmony, repetition, parallels)
Figurative language (imagery, metaphors, similes, symbolism, allegory, personification, myth, antithesis, irony, paradox)
Characterisation (or lack thereof)
Narrative technique/point of view (first/third person, limited point of view, stream of consciousness)
Punctuation
Alliteration, assonance, rhyme (poetry and prose)

Remember that no text is likely to have instances of all of these elements, and that it is best to concentrate on those that are most relevant to the passage in question. Also, you should avoid simply commenting on the appearance of a particular technique: make sure you say why this is worth noticing. Ideally, your comments should cohere to explain how the various linguistic devices combine to produce the overall effect intended by the author.

4 Conclusion

Summarise your findings, drawing together the different aspects of the text that you have discussed in your commentary.
Assess briefly the achievements and significance of the passage, both in itself and in relation to the work from which it is taken.

Some useful aids to commentary-writing

Nurse, P. (ed.), The Art of Criticism: Essays in French Literary Analysis (Edinburgh, 1969) (sample commentaries of French literary texts)
Biard, J. D., Lexique pour I 'explication de texte (Exeter, 1980)
Benac, H., Vocabulaire de la dissertation (Paris, 1949)

(Binac and Biard provide lists of technical terms used in close analysis of a literary text in French, and give explanations and examples of usage)

Teaching Students How to Write Commentary for the Literary Analysis Essay

Writing commentary is undoubtedly the most difficult part of writing any essay. All other parts of the essay are more formulaic in nature. There are standard rules for how to write a thesis statement, a topic sentence, a blended quotation, etc. But when it comes to commenting on evidence, there isn’t one set way to do it. In fact, there are many, many comments one can make about a piece of evidence, and no two people will explain the same piece of evidence in the exact same way. Likewise, the exact same piece of evidence can be used to prove two disparate arguments. Nothing shows this is true more than the literary analysis essay.

If you were to give your students the exact same thesis statements and quotations to use for an essay, you would be amazed at how different the essays would actually turn out! How can this be? This occurs because the writer’s voice comes through the commentary. It is within the commentary that students share their original thoughts and unique insights about a piece of literature. This presents a challenge for students who are often left asking what to write, and it can be tricky to teach students how to write commentary without putting words in their mouths.

As an English teacher, I have focused on teaching my students how to craft their writing into powerful essays. And I have worked to develop strategies for enabling students to avoid plot summary while taking their commentary to a deeper, more meaningful level. I have developed two key strategies for enabling students to expand their commentary and explain their textual evidence in a way that will help them write with more confidence.

One of these methods is more commonly known. It is called the “This Shows That” Method in which students begin their commentary sentences with the words “this shows that,” which forces them to explain what a quotation shows while simultaneously helping them to avoid the trap of writing plot summary. Students often think they’ve written commentary when, in fact, they’ve only written a plot summary. How does this happen? In my mini-lesson, I give examples of how and where students can go wrong. A paragraph with textual evidence can still be merely plot summary, and it’s important to show students examples of this trap so that they can avoid it in their writing.

While the “This Shows That” Method for writing commentary is an excellent tool for avoiding plot summary, it still relies upon students knowing how to explain the evidence. In this way, the “This Shows That” Method is limited, so I have developed a secondary method called the “LET” Method for writing commentary. This method helps guide students by giving them options for what to write about in their commentary sentences. Essentially, “LET” stands for “Literary Elements and Techniques,” and the mini-lesson takes students step-by-step through writing commentary based upon literary devices. When students are able to recognize that every single quotation contains hidden messages about theme and that those messages come through literary devices, they are able to find the pathway to writing effective commentary.

To find out more about the LET Method for crafting literary analysis, check out the Crafting Commentary Product by Bespoke ELA.

Students need to understand that the entire purpose for identifying literary devices in pieces of literature is essentially to identify evidence for literary interpretation. Therefore, literary elements and techniques should not be taught in isolation; they should be connected to writing because these are the tools a writer uses to communicate a message. It is the job of an author to construct a message by using literary devices and the job of the essayist to deconstruct the parts to discover that message. When students learn to identify devices for the purpose of literary analysis, crafting commentary becomes easier.

What methods have you tried for teaching students how to write commentary? What has worked? What hasn’t worked? Do you find that students struggle the most with the commentary part of the literary analysis essay? Leave us a comment!

About the Author

Meredith is the founder and creator of TeachWriting.org and Bespoke ELA. She has taught high school English for 10+ years in Dallas, Chicago, and New York City and holds a M.A. in Literature from Northwestern University. She has always had a connection to the written word-- through songwriting, screenplay writing, and essay writing-- and she enjoys the process of teaching students how to express their ideas. Meredith enjoys life with her husband, daughter, and sweet pups.

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5.1 Developing commentary throughout paragraphs

2 min read • june 18, 2024

Hayley Potter

What is commentary?

Commentary is your own interpretation of a passage. What ideas does this passage put in your mind? What does it remind you of? What did you find interesting? This is all commentary.

Commentary proves how the evidence in your essay proves your amazing thesis . Evidence is super duper important, but what is critical to your RA essay is commentary. Without commentary your essay lacks personality and lacks your line of reasoning (check out guide 5.0). Evidence answers the what? And commentary answers the how and why. All critical to your RA essay.

Commentary depends on the rhetorical situation . The rhetorical situation: the writer or speaker , the audience, the context, the exigence (unit 4), the purpose , and the argument . You need the rhetorical situation because this is what your commentary is on.

Awesome RA verbs for your essay:

**Make your claim on the rhetorical choice the author is making, then add your own commentary. **

Awesome commentary words:

Suggests Commentary is best when you know the right questions to ask. This is where those amazing analyzing skills come out to play. Use them well and be a detective to figure out what the questions are. This will help you create commentary about the rhetoric you are analyzing.

Some Commentary Starters!

Author The author reveals/shows/presents/emphasizes/suggests... The author wants the reader to understand...

Character/Conflict The character makes this decision/says this quote because... At this point in the story, the character is realizing... When the character makes this choice we see that... In making this choice the story changes in this way...

The point of this conversation is... This passage/quote is effective beause This event in the novel shows/proves/explains… Because of this… This quote/passage adds to the reader’s appreciation of the story/poem because...

Analysis This reveals... This shows... This demonstrates...

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Ever been trapped in the reader’s equivalent of Groundhog Day , stuck reading the same paragraph over and over? Some research papers can tie up the reader for unnecessary periods of time. Synoptic sources, such as Evidence-Based Nursing , reduce the effort needed to be well-informed by selecting high quality studies from a wide range of journals, abstracting the studies, and adding value with an expert commentary. A commentary is an extended note that sets forth an expert’s take on the meaning of a study. At issue is whether the evidence from the study or review is sufficient to inform practice. Any study or review offers only a provisional truth, and a commentary is always based on imperfect knowledge. While caution may be justified, practitioners still need to integrate the new knowledge. An expert commentary is an opportunity to help readers with the integration process. This Notebook aims to provide some useful pointers on writing commentaries for Evidence-Based Nursing .

ON BEGINNING

Commenting on an abstracted study may appear, at first glance, to be a relatively simple task. Evidence-Based Nursing commentaries are short, and experienced nurses are likely to have views on many subjects within their fields. But talking among a group of colleagues and writing are quite different activities.

The role of an EBN commentator …

Read the full text or download the PDF:

Metacommentary: Definition and Examples

Viktoriya Sus (MA)

Viktoriya Sus is an academic writer specializing mainly in economics and business from Ukraine. She holds a Master’s degree in International Business from Lviv National University and has more than 6 years of experience writing for different clients. Viktoriya is passionate about researching the latest trends in economics and business. However, she also loves to explore different topics such as psychology, philosophy, and more.

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Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

Metacommentary is a type of metacommunication that provides insightful feedback on the language, syntax, and other components in an existing text. Essentially, it is self-analyzing – taking a closer look at a text’s own composition to get to the heart of meaning.

Metacommentary is a type of self-reflection in which the author or speaker examines and comments on their own language and the language and structure of others.

Examples of metacommentary include direct statements about the text, rhetorical questions about the text, and comparisons between texts.

For example, a direct statement might be:

“This sentence is confusing because of the syntax” or
“This sentence could have been better structured”

A rhetorical question might be:

“Are these two ideas connected?” or
“Is this sentence necessary?”

And a comparison might be:

“This is similar to the way X author structures their sentences” or
“This sentence is similar to the way Y author structures their sentences.”

Metacommentary is an indispensable guide for readers to better comprehend the sources and evidence presented.

Metacommentary Definition

Metacommentary is a type of discourse that reflects on an existing text’s language, structure, and message to generate insight , clarity, and deeper understanding.

It is a form of self-reflection that allows the audience to draw connections between different texts and conclude based on the available evidence.

According to Copland and colleagues (2016), metacommentary is “comments about language” (p. 201).

Hurley (2019) believes that:

“…metacommentary presses pause on the reasoning as a way to explain the claims more patiently and clearly” (p. 77).

Metacommentary not only offers communicators a way to provide transparency but also allows audiences to recognize the speaker’s sincerity.

By utilizing metacommentary, they can openly disclose their purpose as they communicate with others.

Besides, Dolby (2010) writes that, in simple terms, metacommentary is a “commentary about commentary” (p. 51).

Graf and Birkenstein (2018) suggest that the metacommentary’s purpose is similar to a Greek Chorus – it takes an outside viewpoint of the action, elucidating its progress for the audience so they don’t become lost in their journey.

So, a metacommentary is an essential tool for communicators that provides insight and guidance to their readers. It helps the audience understand and interpret texts, both in the academic world and in day-to-day life.

Metacommentary Examples

Direct Statements : “By this point in the essay, I have established five evidence facts.” Through such direct statement, readers gain insights into the writer’s organizational approach and mental journey.
Rhetorical Questions : “Does this sentence make sense in the context of the argument?” By posing thought-provoking questions, authors can prompt readers to evaluate and analyze the text more deeply.
Comparisons : “This sentence contains similar syntax to an earlier statement I made.” Through the clever use of metacommentary, communicators can distinctly highlight the parallels and distinctions between their assertions.
Clarifications : “To clarify, I am suggesting that…” By offering clarifications, authors can help their audience become more aware of the intended gist behind an argument. If a statement is confounding, metacommentary may be used to make it understandable for readers.
Analyses : “This sentence has a particular rhetorical effect on the audience.” This type of metacommentary helps readers think about the implications of an argument and how different people may interpret it. So, it allows the author to provide further insight into their idea.
Justifications : “I believe this sentence is necessary for the structure of my argument.” By writing with justification, communicators can support their decisions and provide evidence to support their claims.
Critique : “This sentence could have been better worded.” Such metacommentary helps readers recognize the weaknesses of an argument and allows them to think critically about its structure.
Summaries : “To summarize, I have established three points.” With such a summary, communicators can remind their readers of the critical points in an argument.
Reflections : “This sentence reflects my opinion on the issue.” By reflecting on their own arguments, communicators can make it easier for readers to identify the author’s point of view.
Refutations : “I disagree with this statement and have provided evidence to the contrary.” By incorporating metacommentary into their discourse, authors can demonstrate to their readers that they have thoughtfully considered alternate perspectives and provided sound evidence in rebuttal .

Origins of Metacommentary

Fredric Jameson, an American cultural critic, first offered the concept of metacommentary when comparing alternative interpretive methodologies.

He postulates that the metacommentary exemplifies a model analogous to Sigmund Freud’s notion of the nexus between symptom and hidden concept (except for his libido theory) (Jameson, 1971).

In specific contexts, lived experience is manipulated and censored to be included in a text. Consequently, thoughts and ideas deemed inappropriate are often distorted to fit the context of the narrative—or else they must be omitted altogether.

So, according to Freud’s hypothesis on dream interpretation, dreams are chaotic and symbolic representations of our unconscious feelings developed to bypass suppression (Jameson, 1971).

Consequently, comprehending a text necessitates grasping the censorship process articulated by Jameson.

Readers must reconstitute its initial context to further understand why the text had to be distorted in such an approach. Explaining this is necessary for a complete comprehension of what’s been written (Jameson, 1971).

The iconic Hays Code had a tremendous impact on Hollywood, requiring filmmakers to get creative when depicting sex.

A classic example of this is the infamous smoking-in-bed scene that followed the first kiss; it became a universally recognized symbol for sex—even though no explicit act was actually shown!

As Jameson’s oeuvre progressed, he began using the term dialectical criticism to characterize his analytic methods rather than metacommentary. It does not merely look at the text itself but also contemplates its context and implications (Tally et al., 2014).

In essence, metacommentary is one way to understand the implications of a text by exploring its context. Communicators who use metacommentary can make their arguments understandable and accessible to readers.

Related: Metacognitive Theory

Metacommentary vs. Commentary

A metacommentary and commentary diverge in their purviews on the most fundamental level. While both of these forms of criticism investigate a text’s content, metacommentary generally delves deeper into its context and any implications it may have.

Commentary dives deep into the text, seeking to understand meaning from within. On the other hand, metacommentary takes a step back and reflects on what implications can be derived from an external perspective.

By looking at these two as separate practices, people gain insight into understanding the context of literature more holistically (Graff & Birkenstein, 2018).

Metacommentary isn’t just about the words on a page – it’s about exploring why those words were chosen and how they will impact readers. It’s a big-picture perspective that can offer meaningful insight into any discussed issue.

Commentary typically analyzes an argument’s structure and quality, while metacommentary evaluates a text’s implications.

Additionally, metacommentary is often more personal than commentary, as it usually incorporates the author’s reflections and opinions (Graff & Birkenstein, 2018).

Importantly, metacommentary does not replace commentary but instead serves to enhance it. By incorporating both forms of critique, communicators can provide readers with a more comprehensive and persuasive argument.

Importance of Metacommentary

While some may perceive metacommentary as a superfluous endeavor, i t enables communicators to explore the broader implications of a text and its censorship to represent their messages more accurately.

Here are a few of the significant benefits associated with metacommentary:

1. It Helps Develop Any Point Further

Metacommentary offers an opportunity to explain ideas more comprehensively. It’s an effective tool for expanding on a point and offering additional insight into any argument.

For example, by incorporating metacommentary, an author can effectively make a case for their argument more convincing (Copland et al., 2016).

By writing, “This example of censorship is indicative of a much larger issue,” the author can explain why this issue matters and how it affects individuals beyond the text itself.

2. It Increases the Persuasiveness of Any Argument

By looking at a text’s implications, the metacommentary hones in on why a particular issue is essential to readers. It provides an opportunity to explain why a point matters and how it connects to readers’ lives.

By utilizing metacommentary, communicators can bolster their arguments and ensure readers comprehend why a particular issue is important.

3. It Enhances Reader Engagement

Metacommentary can also create an engaging experience for readers. For example, authors can share personal reflections to make their points more meaningful and relatable.

So, writing “This problem is personal to me, as I have experienced it firsthand” can make a text more resonant for readers and encourage them to be more invested in the argument.

4. It Builds Credibility

Incorporating reflections and opinions into an argument or discussion adds to the credibility of communicators.

In addition, it demonstrates that authors have done the necessary research and are willing to share their personal perspectives on an issue with readers (Graff & Birkenstein, 2018).

For instance, when an author has firsthand experience on the issue they’re discussing, they can leverage this to their advantage by sharing it and emphasizing how it fortifies their argument.

With such personal accounts involved in a topic of discussion, readers will find themselves more persuaded and thus build trust with the communicator.

Composition Writing Studio

Argumentative essay/commentary.

From the University of Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/05/):

The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic, collect, generate, and evaluate evidence, and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner.

Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or previously published material. Argumentative assignments may also require empirical research where the student collects data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments. Detailed research allows the student to learn about the topic and to understand different points of view regarding the topic so that s/he may choose a position and support it with the evidence collected during research. Regardless of the amount or type of research involved, argumentative essays must establish a clear thesis and follow sound reasoning.

Argument Essays: Getting Started
Developing Paragraphs
Finding Academic Journals
Logical Fallacies
Research Writing

General Resources:

Argument : UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center's online handout in argument.
Types of Argument
Writing Arguments: An Overview : Comprehensive guide from Colorado State University's Writing Studio
Sample Argument Essays
Prompts for Argument Essays : 301 ideas from the New York Times
Argument : Main page for several argument sources from Oregon State University
Using Rhetorical Strategies for Persuasion

Rhetorical Appeals (Logos, Pathos, Ethos)

Examples of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos : Numerous examples of each appeal from YourDictionary
The Rhetorical Situation : Purdue OWL's discussion of Aristotle's three appeals and use of telos and kairos
Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Advertising : YouTube video
Ethos, Pathos, Logos: YouTube video

Toulmin Argument

Toulmin Method : An extensive online guide from Colorado State University on using the Toulmin method of argumentation
Toulmin Method of Analyzing Arguments : PowerPoint that defines and offers examples for Toulmin method
Definition of the Toulmin Method : Adaptation of a chapter on Toulmin's approach to argument
Toulmin Argument (Aims of Argument) : YouTube video

Rogerian Argument

Rogerian Argument : Information on definition and format of argument
Rogerian Argument Example : YouTube Video
Rogerian Argument : YouTube Video

Counter Arguments/Perspectives

Counter Argument : Overview provided by Harvard College
Writing Counter Argument Paragraphs : YouTube video
Rhetorical Fallacies

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Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being

Guidelines for writing a commentary

A commentary is a comment on a newly published article. A commentary may be invited by the chief editor or spontaneously submitted. Commentaries in International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being are peer reviewed. We now welcome commentaries!

What is a commentary?

The goal of publishing commentaries is to advance the research field by providing a forum for varying perspectives on a certain topic under consideration in the journal. The author of a commentary probably has in-depth knowledge of the topic and is eager to present a new and/or unique viewpoint on existing problems, fundamental concepts, or prevalent notions, or wants to discuss the implications of a newly implemented innovation. A commentary may also draw attention to current advances and speculate on future directions of a certain topic, and may include original data as well as state a personal opinion. While a commentary may be critical of an article published in the journal, it is important to maintain a respectful tone that is critical of ideas or conclusions but not of authors.

In summary, a commentary may be:

A critical challenge to one or more aspects of the focal article, arguing for a position other than that taken in the focal article.
An elaboration or extension of the position taken in the focal article, basically sympathetic to the position taken in the focal article but pushing the argument further.
An application of a theoretical or methodological perspective that sheds light on the issues addressed in the focal article.
A reflection on the writer's experiences in applying the issues addressed in the focal article, in particular health and well-being settings.
A comment on the applicability of the issues raised in the focal article to other settings, or to other cultures.

How to write a commentary

Commentaries in International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being should not exceed 10 manuscript pages. A tightly argued four- to six-page commentary is likely to be better received than a meandering 10-page ditto. Use these simple guidelines:

Do not summarize the focal article; just give the reference. Assume the reader has just read it. Move directly to identifying the key issues you want to raise.
Do not include general praise for the focal article.
Use only essential citations. For commentary purposes, cite only works absolutely essential to support your point.
Use a short title that emphasizes your key message. (It should be clear in context that all commentaries are a reaction to a particular paper).
Do not include an abstract.
Make clear your take-home message.
Make sure there is full author information (name, affiliation, address, phone, email) for all authors. Authors must be individuals.

Review process

Commentaries will be peer reviewed and most likely accepted if they are in line with the definitions and guidelines outlined. A small set of reviewers will read and evaluate all commentaries as they need to compare commentaries for issues of redundancy and to make evaluations of relative merit.

Queries for the editor

Authors should feel free to correspond with the chief editor prior to submitting a commentary if there are questions about any aspect of the evaluation and publication process. Authors may prepare a brief outline of the key points they desire to present in the commentary and send it to the chief editor.

Does it cost anything to submit a commentary?

Spontaneously submitted commentaries incur a cost of €65 per typeset page. The author will be invoiced once the commentary has been accepted for publication.

We hope you will send us a commentary whenever you think there is a need to broaden the perspectives on health and well-being presented in our journal.

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Definition of commentary

play-by-play

Examples of commentary in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commentary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

see comment entry 1

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Dictionary Entries Near commentary

commentariat

Cite this Entry

“Commentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commentary. Accessed 14 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of commentary, more from merriam-webster on commentary.

Nglish: Translation of commentary for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of commentary for Arabic Speakers

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[ kom - uh n-ter-ee ]

a commentary on the Bible; news followed by a commentary.

a commentary on a play; Blackstone's commentaries on law.

The dropout rate is a sad commentary on our school system.

Commentaries written by Roman lawyers give us information on how their courts functioned.

/ ˌkɒmənˈtɛərɪəl; -trɪ; ˈkɒməntərɪ /

an explanatory series of notes or comments
a spoken accompaniment to a broadcast, film, etc, esp of a sporting event
an explanatory essay or treatise on a text

the commentaries of Caesar

Derived Forms

commentarial , adjective

Other Words From

com·men·tar·i·al [ kom-, uh, n-, tair, -ee-, uh, l ] , adjective
super·commen·tary noun plural supercommentaries

Word History and Origins

Origin of commentary 1

Example Sentences

After all, they’ve already been critiquing and reshaping Harry Potter into a better version of itself for decades, through fanfiction and other fan commentary.

Though there was a small percentage of negative commentary, Da Brat says they both felt tremendous love, and “most of my close-knit family and friends knew already.”

As people struggled to process the horror in the immediate aftermath, Michael Bang Petersen, a Danish political scientist at Aarhus University, weighed in on Twitter with some counter-intuitive commentary.

Throughout, she packs her commentary on feminism and race with ample references to pop culture.

While you might be tempted to tag the person, or screenshot the image and put some commentary on your Instagram to get that addictive stream of likes, don’t.

In the ten pages of commentary, if anyone felt differently they were in the clear minority.

The CIA Publication Review Board has required that the following statement be included with this commentary.

It is a joy to watch Shafer seamlessly work incisive commentary on contemporary life into a fast-paced spine-chiller.

Its reporting and commentary on politics, society, and arts and letters have nurtured a broad liberal spirit in our national life.

She says she uses rap as a way to start a conversations about art, identity, and social commentary.

Considering the uncertainty in which we are left by both text and commentary, the best we can do is to adore without disputing.

He likens the walls to the page of a book, in which the glose, or commentary, was often written in the margin.

The commentary is not very helpful, and discusses collateral questions rather than the dream itself.

We should like to see a Biblical Commentary from his pen; it, would be immortal on account of its straightforwardnsss and oddity.

Yet he was a guide of no mean order, who made up for the poverty of what he had to show by a copious, imaginative commentary.

Related Words

description
explanation
observation

IMAGES

Teaching Students How to Write Commentary for the Literary Analysis
Five Ways to Target Commentary for Essay Writing
Commentary Essay ⇒ Writing Guide with Analysis Examples
Five Ways to Target Commentary for Essay Writing
How To Write Commentary In An Essay
Five Ways to Target Commentary for Essay Writing

VIDEO

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Was ist eigentlich ein COMMENTARY ??? Kommentatoren und ihre Definitionen

COMMENTS

From Summary to Insight: A Guide to Writing Commentary Essays with Depth
As a student writing a commentary essay, it is important to understand the differences between analyzing, summarizing, and evaluating. To help comprehend these contrasts, let's take a look at four main points: 1. Analyzing - Looking closely at something and breaking it down into smaller parts to better understand it.
Commentary Essay ⇒ Writing Guide with Analysis Examples
A commentary essay is a written piece that provides an opinion on a particular subject. This type of essay is usually written in response to another piece, such as a blog post, article, or book passage. In a commentary essay, the writer will typically offer their own take on the situation, using evidence and examples to support their claims.
How to Write a Commentary Essay: Example, Tips, and ...
Choosing the right topic is crucial for a successful commentary essay. Select a text that offers rich material for analysis. Opt for works with complex themes, diverse characters, or intricate plots. Avoid overly simplistic or unclear texts, as they might not provide enough content for insightful commentary. Consider topics that resonate with ...
Unlocking Insight: What Commentary in an Essay Really Means
Conclusion. In conclusion, commentary is an essential element of effective essay writing that enriches the reader's experience and understanding. By clarifying, analyzing, connecting, and engaging, commentary transforms mere evidence into a powerful tool for persuasion and insight. Writers who master the art of commentary can significantly ...
3 Ways to Write a Commentary
Make sure to use smooth transitions. When you move to a new example, use a good transition word or phrase. Some examples are "similarly", "conversely", and "again". 6. Write a strong conclusion. Your conclusion is the piece that will tie the rest of your commentary together. Make sure to include a summary of your argument.
Five Ways to Target Commentary for Essay Writing
The commentary part of any essay is always the most difficult. It is the part of the essay in which the writer analyzes evidence, and this analysis speaks to the writer's own unique voice. While we have standard, formulaic ways to teach other parts of the essay such as thesis statements, blending quotes, topics sentences, etc., commentary is ...
Elements of an Essay: Writing Commentary
Commentary does not contain facts. Instead, they help explain why the details are relevant to the topic. Writing Commentary. You are going to need at least two sentences of commentary for every detail sentence. A good rule of thumb is that your commentary should be twice as long as your details. Otherwise, your paper is just full of facts.
Tips, Tricks, and Step-by-Step Guide for Commentary Essay
Now that you have a general idea of what your commentary essay should be about and look like, let's delve into more specific steps of filling out your commentary paper outline: Title. It should be as short as possible, catchy, and relevant to your topic. Introduction. Hook sentence. Make sure to grab your reader's attention right away.
What Is a Commentary in an Essay
An example of an alternative commentary in an essay is a close, direct analysis of robust passages from a specific source, such as an article, film, poem, literary work, book, or novel. Basically, they are standard in bigger writing projects, like expositions or being part of a critic's work (Rogers, 2024).
How to Write a Commentary That Engages and Persuades [GUIDE]
Incorporating Personal Insights. Personal insights give voice to your commentary, making it unique and engaging. Reflect on how the topic impacts you personally or how it relates to experiences you've observed. These personal reflections should connect back to the larger narrative or argument you're constructing.
Commentary
Textual Evidence: Textual evidence refers to specific quotes or examples from a literary work that support your arguments. It serves as the foundation for commentary by providing concrete proof for your claims. Analysis: Analysis involves breaking down complex elements of a literary work to examine their significance or deeper meaning. In an essay, commentary relies heavily on analysis to ...
How to Write a Good Essay: Stop Summarizing, Start Commentating
Commentary is a series of explanations and interpretations. Summary is surface. Commentary is deep. Summary is regurgitation. Commentary is original. There is only one way to provide a summary: You read or view a work, and then write down a recap of what the work is all about. However, there are many ways to provide commentary, including:
How to Write a Commentary Essay
Outline the main points. Once you have read the text several times and highlighted the words, you can create an outline of your commentary. This is a general way to prepare a commentary, unlike an essay which requires a thesis statement. Analyse the structure of the article and its content and prepare an outline accordingly.
Guidelines for Writing a Perfect Commentary Essay
Similarly, a commentary essay has two ends that secure the entire content. One is the introduction that diverges and helps the reader to get familiar with the idea. The other is a conclusion, which converges and wraps up your essay. Here you cannot state any new ideas. If you have forgotten to include a certain point, then adjust that in the ...
Commentary Essay Example, Writing Guide, and Tips
It should be noted that there are two types of commentary essays: literary and data. Literary commentary is an in-depth analysis of a passage of a literary work or text. Whereas data commentary is a piece of writing that comments on a visual display. Its main purpose is the interpretation of a research paper. Commentary Essay Writing Algorithm ...
Writing a Literary Commentary: Guidelines
First and foremost, a literary commentary is NOT an essay. The passage in front of you is not, therefore, an invitation to write a general essay about the work from which it has been taken. A commentary is an analysis of the given passage, its function and its characteristics. It should examine the key themes and stylistic devices of the ...
Teaching Students How to Write Commentary for the Literary Analysis Essay
Writing commentary is undoubtedly the most difficult part of writing any essay. All other parts of the essay are more formulaic in nature. There are standard rules for how to write a thesis statement, a topic sentence, a blended quotation, etc. But when it comes to commenting on evidence, there isn't one set way to do it.
5.1 Developing commentary throughout paragraphs
Key Terms to Review (8) Argument: An argument is a logical and persuasive presentation of ideas or claims supported by evidence. It involves presenting a claim and providing reasons and evidence to convince the audience. Commentary: Commentary refers to a written or spoken explanation or interpretation of an event, situation, or piece of work.
How to write a commentary—an editor's perspective
Begin at the beginning, the middle, or the conclusion of your commentary. Just start writing. Put sentences with meaningful links alongside each other. If you have an overall view of the study that you can describe in a single sentence, you may have the conclusion of your commentary at hand.
Metacommentary: Definition and Examples
Metacommentary is a type of metacommunication that provides insightful feedback on the language, syntax, and other components in an existing text. Essentially, it is self-analyzing - taking a closer look at a text's own composition to get to the heart of meaning. Metacommentary is a type of self-reflection in which the author or speaker ...
Argumentative Essay/Commentary
The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic, collect, generate, and evaluate evidence, and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner. Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or previously published material.
Guidelines for writing a commentary
For commentary purposes, cite only works absolutely essential to support your point. Use a short title that emphasizes your key message. (It should be clear in context that all commentaries are a reaction to a particular paper). Do not include an abstract. Make clear your take-home message.
Commentary Definition & Meaning
The meaning of COMMENTARY is an explanatory treatise —usually used in plural. How to use commentary in a sentence. an explanatory treatise —usually used in plural; a record of events usually written by a participant —usually used in plural… See the full definition Games & Quizzes ...
COMMENTARY Definition & Meaning
Commentary definition: a series of comments, explanations, or annotations. See examples of COMMENTARY used in a sentence.

From Summary to Insight: A Guide to Writing Commentary Essays with Depth

What Is Commentary In An Essay?

The Significance Of Commentary In Essay Writing

Key Elements Of Effective Commentary

Strategies For Writing Potent Commentary In Essays

Develop a strong thesis statement

Understand the topic better

Body And Paragraphs Organized

Use literary analysis

The Use Of Quotations And Examples In Commentary

Types Of Commentary In Essays: Comprehending The Contrasts

Strategies For Writing Commentary In Literary Essays

Writing Commentary For Convincing Essays

Creating Commentary That Supports Your Thesis Statement

Common Mistakes To Avoid In Commentary Writing

Avoiding Overgeneralization

Lack Of Evidence

Tips For Revising And Editing Commentary

Examples Of Strong And Poor Commentary In Essays

Paragraph Construction With Commentary

Transition Words And Phrases For Commentary

Writing A Conclusion With Commentary: Do’s And Don’ts

Recommended Reading...

Commentary Essay Guide

What Is a Commentary Essay? (As a Separate Paper)

Audience and Genre

Language and Style

Literary Commentary Writing and Analysis

“This Shows That” Approach

“LET” Approach

What Are Commentaries in an Essay?

Opinion Type

Interpretation Type

Character’s or Subject’s Feelings

Personal Reaction

Assessment

Data Commentary

Data Commentary Example (image)

Key Takeaways and Tips

Was this article helpful?

How to Write a Commentary Essay: Example, Tips, and Techniques for Success

Understanding Commentary Essays

What Is a Commentary Essay?

Crafting a Successful Commentary Essay

Selecting the Right Topic

Structuring Your Essay

Analyzing Commentary Essay Examples

Example Analysis: Technique and Style

Example Analysis: Argument Development

Writing Tips for Commentary Essays

Developing a Strong Thesis

Incorporating Effective Evidence

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose a topic for a commentary essay?

What is the importance of a thesis statement in a commentary essay?

How should I structure my commentary essay?

What techniques can I use to enhance my commentary essay?

Why is it beneficial to examine commentary essay examples?

How can I incorporate evidence effectively in my essay?

What should I include in the conclusion of my commentary essay?

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How to Write a Commentary

Writing a Literary Commentary

Creating Data Commentary

Commentary Outlines

Expert Q&A

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