What is commentary?
An overview through an
Approaches to Learning Lens
Writing commentary

What does it mean?
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Giving an opinion
Interpretation
Insight
Analysis
Explication
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Personal reaction
Feelings
Evaluation
Reflection
Writing commentary

How much is needed?

Two or more points of commentary (CM)
for every one point of concrete detail (CD)
in a body paragraph.

The ratio is:
CD : CM
1:2
Challenges

Essays are not reports
Essays require thinking
Commentary demands extra effort
 A student said, “Thinking is hard work
Why can’t we do matching and
fill-in-the-blanks instead?”
 Thinking gets easier with practice

Writing commentary
There are no “right” answers
 There are logical responses
 You must think of your own opinion
 You must explain and support your opinion

Literature commentary

Literature commentary is different from
personal commentary

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Students may not use:
I, me, my, us, would, should, could, may, or
might
These words encourage the write to leave the
story and become “preachy”
Literature commentary

Example from Of Mice and Men

“I hope I have a friend like George
some day.”
or
 “They should have gone on their way to
another ranch.”
These types of commentary do not
strengthen your writing
Literature commentary

“This shows that…”

If you get stuck, start your commentary
sentences with “This shows that…”

Example:
In Of Mice and Men, George Milton looks
out for Lennie’s welfare. For example, he tells
Lennie not to say anything to Curley in the
ranchhouse. This shows that he understands
how easily Lennie gets into trouble without
realizing it. This shows that he wants to keep
Lennie out of harm’s way by shielding him
from contact with strangers.
Personal commentary

Working Example:
My bedroom is the place where I like to
relax and let go of the day’s worries. For
example, I can play any music I want, from my
mother’s old Beatles’ tapes to my own Boyz II
Men compact discs. This shows that in my room
I don’t have to be concerned about the sound
bothering other family members. This shows
that being able to listen to my songs in the
privacy of my own room helps me unwind and
take my mind away from daily problems.
Literature commentary

“This shows that…”

Use this tool in when shaping your essay and
writing your first draft, but you must
eliminate the phrase in your final draft.

Example:
In Of Mice and Men, George Milton looks out for
Lennie’s welfare. For example, he tells Lennie not to
say anything to Curley in the ranchhouse. He
understands how easily Lennie gets into trouble
without realizing it. He wants to keep Lennie out of
harm’s way by shielding him from contact with
strangers.
Personal commentary

Final Draft Example:
My bedroom is the place where I like to
relax and let go of the day’s worries. For
example, I can play any music I want, from my
mother’s old Beatles’ tapes to my own Boyz II
Men compact discs. In my room I don’t have to
be concerned about the sound bothering other
family members. Being able to listen to my
songs in the privacy of my own room helps me
unwind and take my mind away from daily
problems.