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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 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.

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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When You Write

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!

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Commentary Essay Example, Writing Guide, and Tips

Introduction

Welcome to The Knowledge Nest, your go-to resource for all things related to commentary essay writing. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of crafting an impactful commentary essay, providing useful examples and valuable tips to help you enhance your writing skills.

What is a Commentary Essay?

A commentary essay is a type of academic writing that aims to analyze and provide an in-depth interpretation of a particular text or topic. It offers a critical examination and evaluation of the subject matter, exploring various perspectives and providing evidence-based arguments to support the author's viewpoint.

Why Write a Commentary Essay?

Writing a commentary essay allows you to develop critical thinking skills, enhance your analytical abilities, and strengthen your written communication. It provides a platform to express your ideas and opinions, engage with different viewpoints, and present a well-rounded analysis of the chosen subject matter.

Key Components of a Commentary Essay

1. Introduction: Begin your essay with a captivating introduction that presents the topic and provides context for the reader.

2. Thesis Statement: Craft a clear and concise thesis statement that outlines your main argument or perspective.

3. Body Paragraphs: Develop your analysis in well-structured body paragraphs, each focusing on a specific point or theme. Use relevant evidence, examples, and expert opinions to support your claims.

4. Counterarguments: Address potential counterarguments or alternative viewpoints and offer thoughtful rebuttals to strengthen your position.

5. Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your essay and reiterate your thesis statement, leaving the reader with a lasting impression.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Commentary Essay

Step 1: choose a relevant topic.

Select a topic that aligns with your interests and falls within the scope of your assignment or academic requirements. Consider the relevance and significance of the subject matter to engage your readers.

Step 2: Conduct Extensive Research

Gather information from credible sources such as academic journals, books, reputable websites, and scholarly articles. Engage with different perspectives and take diligent notes to support your analysis.

Step 3: Outline Your Essay

Create a clear and well-structured outline that outlines the main points, arguments, and supporting evidence you will present in your essay. A well-organized outline ensures a cohesive and logical flow of ideas.

Step 4: Craft an Engaging Introduction

In your introduction, provide a brief overview of the topic and its significance. Hook the reader's attention with an intriguing opening sentence or a thought-provoking question.

Step 5: Develop Your Arguments in the Body Paragraphs

Divide your essay into distinct body paragraphs, each focusing on a specific point or theme. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that establishes the main idea, and support it with relevant evidence, examples, and analysis.

Step 6: Address Counterarguments

Acknowledge alternative viewpoints and counterarguments to demonstrate your awareness of different perspectives. Articulate thoughtful rebuttals that strengthen your arguments and distinguish your viewpoint.

Step 7: Conclude with Impact

In your conclusion, summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis statement. Leave the reader with a compelling closing thought or call-to-action that invites further reflection or discussion on the topic.

Commentary Essay Example

To provide you with a better understanding, let's consider an example of a commentary essay on the topic of climate change:

Introduction:

Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing global issues of our time. This commentary essay aims to analyze the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to address this environmental crisis.

Body Paragraph 1: The Causes of Climate Change

The first body paragraph delves into the primary causes of climate change, such as greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and industrialization. It explores how human activities have contributed to the accelerated pace of global warming.

Body Paragraph 2: The Impacts of Climate Change

In the second body paragraph, we examine the far-reaching impacts of climate change on ecosystems, weather patterns, and human livelihoods. We explore the devastating consequences of rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and the loss of biodiversity.

Body Paragraph 3: Potential Solutions to Climate Change

The third body paragraph focuses on potential solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. It explores renewable energy sources, sustainable agricultural practices, and international collaboration as key strategies to combat this global crisis.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the commentary essay emphasizes the urgent need for collective action to address climate change. By understanding its causes, impacts, and potential solutions, we can work towards a sustainable future for generations to come.

Writing a commentary essay enables you to dive deep into a specific topic, critically analyze it, and articulate your thoughts effectively. By following our comprehensive guide and utilizing the provided tips, you will be well-equipped to create impactful commentary essays and improve your writing skills.

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How to Write a Perspective Essay?

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

• Icon Calendar 18 May 2024

When people need to express their thoughts or ideas about something, they need guidelines on how to write a commentary essay. This article begins by defining what is a commentary essay, its meaning, and outlining its basic structure. Some insights students can learn are that introductions should have hooks, background information, and thesis statements. Body paragraphs of a commentary essay should have topic sentences; evidence, mainly quotes; comments after the evidence; and transitions. The conclusion part should restate the thesis and summarize the main ideas. This guideline also gives a sample outline template, possible topics, and a practical example of a commentary essay. Lastly, the article teaches students 10 dos and 10 don’ts and 20 tips for writing a high-standard commentary essay.

How to Write an Outstanding Commentary Essay & Examples

Reading is an academic exercise that develops a person’s mental faculties of intellect, memory, reason, intuition, perception, and imagination. 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. This guideline on how to write a commentary in an essay teaches students and anyone passionate about writing how to create a good argumentative position that meets the quality standards for intellectual discourse and publication. The guideline also offers vital insights, including the definition of what is a commentary essay, its basic essay structure, different types, possible essay topics, 10 dos and 10 don’ts, and 20 tips 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.

Definition of What Is a Commentary in an Essay and Its Meaning

From a 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. In this respect, a commentary essay differs from other types of papers, including an argumentative essay, a personal narrative, a cause and effect essay, compare and contrast essay, or a problem and solution essay, as well as a report and a research paper, because it means expressing the writer’s perspective concerning an issue or topic. Commentaries are products of a critical analysis of societal problems across political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions. When writing a commentary essay, students should analyze and interpret the 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 of a Commentary Essay

Like other texts, a commentary paper has a basic essay structure that dictates how writers should organize their content. This structure has three components: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction is where writers introduce their assigned topics using a hook, context, and an argumentative thesis statement. Although this type of commentary essay is not an argumentative essay, an argumentative thesis indicates the writer’s perspective on the issue, which can be contentious in the eyes of readers. The body of a commentary essay is where authors construct a defense of their perspective through 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 the next paragraph. In turn, the conclusion restates the thesis and makes a final remark.

5 Main Types of Commentary

Because a commentary in an essay expresses the writer’s perspective about an issue, idea, or topic, it is evident in the body section of a commentary essay, where people describe their perspectives every time they provide evidence. In this respect, there are different types of commentary. The first one is an opinion essay where writers analyze evidence, such as a quote, text, or image, and state their stands with their critics. The second type of a commentary essay is an interpretation, where authors explain a complex concept to enhance the reader’s understanding. The third type is character or subject’s feelings, where students depict the emotional state of the person they have described in a commentary sentence. The fourth type of commentary essay is a personal reaction, where people communicate their stances on an issue, while the fifth type is an evaluation, where writers evaluate a section and gives a critical judgment.

Alternative Commentary Types and Examples

Besides the types of commentary above, students may write alternative commentary types when their essay is part of a bigger writing project, such as a systematic exposition of an idea, theme, or topic. Students must know the unique features of each type, including when to use it, what to focus on, and how to organize a commentary essay’s content.

1️⃣ Close, Direct Analysis of Passages

An example of an alternative commentary is a close, direct analysis of robust passages from the source, such as an article, film, poem, literary work, book, or novel. In this respect, they are standard in bigger writing projects, like expositions or being part of a critic’s work. 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 the writer’s perspective on the central issues, ideas, or concepts. The following example of a commentary essay demonstrates a close, direct examination of the first stanza of the 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 type of alternative commentary where writers use a short claim on a source, like a text, film, or image. This kind of commentary essay also looks like an annotated bibliography. Typically, writers adopt annotations when they need to explain complex words, phrases, or concepts to readers; give a historical or cultural context of the topic; support or challenge the 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 the text under analysis. Therefore, annotations aim to enhance the reader’s understanding of a short passage from a source. Below are three 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 type of alternative essay commentary where writers summarize a study by analyzing critical information that helps readers have a sneak peek of the project. The 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. In this respect, data commentary reflects the results section of a research paper because that is where scholars use visual illustrations to report statistical data. Another feature is a conclusion summarizing a commentary essay by reiterating the key points and expressing the writer’s final remark, meaning the main perspective on the 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 an 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 for Writing a Good Commentary Essay

When writing a commentary essay, students can use block quotations to organize comments. However, this feature is suitable mainly for extensive passages. In a simple definition, a block quote is a text that captures direct quotations longer than 40 words, which the writer offsets from the main text and does not include quotation marks. The text appears on a new line with a 0.5 inches indentation or five to seven spaces. 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 write block quotes in the APA style when organizing their commentary essays.

I. The first block captures the author’s name before the 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 the author’s surname at the end:

According to the findings:

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 (Vancampfort et al., 2019, p. 2178).

📕 MLA Format

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

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

The results by Vancampfort et al. indicate:

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 (2178).

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

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 (Vancampfort et al. 2178).

📕 Harvard Format

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

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

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

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

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 (Vancampfort et al. 2019, p. 2178).

📕 Chicago/Turabian Format

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

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

According to Vancampfort et al.:

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 (this passage must be formatted as a footnote). 1

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

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Key Features of Formatting Block Quotes When Writing a Commentary Essay

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 the research article’s publication year and the page number of the information the writer cites in their commentary essay. The main difference is the arrangement of these details, including the place of putting comas. On the other hand, the MLA and Chicago/Turabian styles are similar in that they do not show the research article’s publication year. The main difference is that the Chicago/Turabian style uses footnotes to show the author(s) and all the bibliography details at the commentary essay’s end. The MLA style shows only the author’s surname and the page number in the text. In turn, people begin writing their commentaries in the following line after a block quote as a standard paragraph in all the formats.

Easy Sample Topics for Writing a Great Commentary Essay

Students should choose easy essay topics when writing a commentary essay to avoid complicating their tasks. Ideally, a specific topic should indicate a particular source document one is commenting on, such as a text, film, or image. The standard practice is that instructors define essay topics or commemorative speech 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. The best approach to choosing an easy topic is to engage with course content and read widely to generate and incubate ideas. When the time for writing a commentary essay comes, one finds it easy to construct arguments fitting the task. The following are possible commentary essay topics because they suggest analyzing and examining a source from the writer’s perspective.

• In Memory of Amelia Earhart: Sky’s Fearless Lady
• The Central Themes in Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• “The Great Gatsby” Through Contemporary Lens
• The Rhetorical Stance in Jessica Grose’s “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier”
• The 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)”
• The Essence of Margaret Atwood’s “Negotiating With the Dead: A Writer on Writing”

Sample Outline Template for Writing a Commentary Essay

• 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 Section of a Commentary Essay

• Essay introduction must have a hook that interests readers enough to grab their attention and stirs 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 the writer’s claim.

II. Body Section of a Commentary Essay

Body paragraphs (at least three):

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

III. Conclusion Section of a Commentary Essay

Sum up a commentary essay by:

• Restating the thesis.
• Emphasizing the main ideas of a commentary essay.
• Giving a final remark that confirms the importance of the essay topic.

Example of a Commentary Essay

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

I. Example of an Introduction of a Commentary Essay

A woman never rests, not with society constantly demanding her value at every turn. This idea is the 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.

II. Example of Body Paragraphs of a Commentary Essay

A. commentary on the main idea of the article.

Grose opens the article with a personal story of her and her husband cleaning their house after Hurricane Sandy forced them indoors. She uses the uneven distribution of the cleaning task in her marriage to point out the larger feminist issue of who between a husband and wife should do the 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. According to Grose, even distribution of the cleaning task can happen by creating a task chart that shows who does what on the basis of skill and ability and adopting cleaning gadgets to make cleaning more fun.

Throughout the article, Grose uses sources to appeal to the readers’ ethos and build her argument. Some of the sources she uses to achieve these goals 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. To emphasize the uneven distribution of the cleaning task, she 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. She 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 the uneven distribution of household chores that disadvantages women. As a result, the personal details and statistics from credible sources help Grose to impress upon the reader how society uses the domestic environment to subjugate women.

The article appeals to the readers’ pathos in the beginning and middle sections, where Grose uses emotionally-charged words and phrases to induce the audience’s sympathy. For example, Grose 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 the readers’ mind that portrays women as vulnerable in the 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.

III. Example of a Conclusion of a Commentary Essay

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

4 Easy Steps for Writing a Commentary Essay

Writing a commentary essay is a technical process that requires students to grasp essential details. For example, 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 the wisdom writers should exhibit when creating any scholarly text.

Step 1: Preparation

Preparation is the first step of writing a commentary essay. As the name suggests, it is when writers take time to create a favorable environment to write their papers. The first task is identifying a single source, where students should select good sources they can analyze easily, including poems, novels, or films. The 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 the stage is the second step of writing a commentary essay. The first task is to read, watch, or examine an assigned source to identify key themes and ideas. The second activity is to research reliable sources that help to generate ideas that align with these themes and concepts. The next task is to create a clear essay outline emphasizing the introduction, body, and conclusion with all the essential details.

Step 3: Writing a First Draft of a Commentary Essay

Writing a first draft is the third step in creating a commentary essay, and the focus is generating a paper that can be used for further editing and improvement. As such, students should organize their ideas into text, emphasizing the claim in the thesis statement, ideas in the topic sentences, evidence (quotes), and transitions in the body paragraphs. Students should also ensure the conclusion restates the thesis, summarizes the main ideas of a commentary essay, and gives a final remark about their commentaries, focusing on an assigned source and topic.

Step 4: Wrap-Up

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

20 Tips for Writing a Commentary Essay

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 the source’s basic information, like the author, title, and publication date; identifying the central themes in the source; writing an introduction that emphasizes the source’s basic information; creating a thesis that communicates a claim about the source; adopting the unique structure as above; beginning paragraphs with a topic sentence; incorporating quotes from the source into body paragraphs; commenting on the 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 when writing a commentary essay 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 mistakes;
• proofreading a final version of a commentary essay.

10 things not to do include:

• failing to document the source’s essential details, like the author’s name and surname;
• concentrating on the introduction more than the body;
• not incorporating quotes in body paragraphs;
• focusing on too many ideas in a commentary essay;
• not defending the claim in the 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.

Summing Up on How to Write a Perfect Commentary Essay

• Choose a single source that is simple to analyze.
• Create a clear thesis that emphasizes the 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, it 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 it should be concise. More importantly, it should leave readers with a lasting impression of a defined source and topic.

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Learning Materials

How to write a commentary essay: tips and examples.

Updated: May 13, 2024

Ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of writing a commentary essay? It can be daunting to express your thoughts coherently and engage your readers effectively. A commentary essay requires you to analyze a text critically, offering your perspective in a structured and detailed manner. This blog will guide you through understanding what a commentary essay is, exploring its types, and providing steps and tips to write one effectively, including examples and essential do's and don'ts.

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Understanding what a commentary essay is.

A commentary essay is a type of writing where you, the author, provide your personal interpretation and analytical comments on a given text. This could be a book, an article, a film, or any other form of media. The purpose of this essay is not just to summarize the content but to dive deep into its elements and offer insights based on your understanding. This kind of essay helps in sharpening critical thinking skills and allows you to convey your perspectives in a structured manner.

In academic and professional settings, the importance of a commentary essay lies in its ability to demonstrate your ability to critically engage with texts and articulate your thoughts clearly. Here are some key aspects that highlight its significance:

• Enhances analytical skills : By analyzing different layers of the text.
• Improves writing skills : As it requires clear and coherent expression of your thoughts.
• Encourages independent thinking : You interpret the text in your unique way without relying solely on external commentaries.

Exploring Types of Commentary Essays

Commentary essays come in various forms, each serving a unique purpose and audience. One popular type is the literary commentary , which focuses on analyzing a specific passage from a literary work. This type of commentary delves into the text's themes, stylistic choices, and overall significance within the larger context of the work. It's not about summarizing but rather interpreting and offering new insights about the text. Literary commentaries are particularly useful in academic settings where deep textual analysis is required to understand the nuances of literature.

Another distinct type is data commentary . Unlike its literary counterpart, data commentary does not deal with traditional texts. Instead, it focuses on interpreting and discussing data, often presented in formats such as graphs, tables, or charts. The key points of a data commentary might include the data's reliability, trends, and what these imply about the broader research context. This type is commonly found in scientific or technical fields, where understanding data is crucial for advancing knowledge and making informed decisions.

Steps to Writing a Commentary Essay

Writing a commentary essay involves a systematic approach that starts with thorough planning. Initially, you must carefully read and analyze the text to fully grasp its content and subtleties. This critical first step sets the foundation for your commentary, as it allows you to form a clear understanding of the text's main points and underlying messages. It's not just about understanding what the text says, but also about interpreting and evaluating its deeper meanings and implications.

After your initial analysis, the next step is to outline your essay. This outline should include an introduction that sets up your thesis statement, a body where you will expand on your main points with detailed commentary, and a conclusion that ties all your insights together and reinforces your thesis. The key to a successful commentary essay is linking your observations back to your main thesis , ensuring that each section of your essay contributes to a cohesive and persuasive argument.

Specific Methods for Crafting Commentary

One effective method for crafting insightful commentary in your essay is the "This Shows That" method . This technique involves starting your analysis sentences with the phrase "this shows that," which prompts you to explain the significance of a quotation or a detail from the text. This method helps in steering clear of mere plot summary by encouraging a deeper analysis of how specific elements of the text contribute to its overall meaning or theme.

Another powerful strategy is the "LET" method , which stands for Literary Elements and Techniques. This approach guides you to focus on the literary devices used in the text and discuss how they enhance the narrative or argument. For instance, you might analyze the use of metaphor, symbolism, or irony, and explain how these elements support the text's themes. By using the LET method, you can provide a more nuanced interpretation that highlights your ability to engage critically with literary texts.

Example of a Well-Written Commentary Essay

Let's consider an example of a well-written commentary essay on the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. The essay begins with an introduction that contextualizes the poem and presents the thesis: Frost uses the road as a metaphor for life's choices. The body paragraphs delve into detailed analysis:

• Exploring the metaphor : The essay discusses how the "two roads diverged" symbolizes life decisions.
• Imagery and tone : The commentary highlights how Frost's use of serene and contemplative imagery enhances the theme of choice.
• Reader’s personal reflection : The essay includes the author’s personal interpretation, suggesting that the poem resonates with readers who face significant life choices.

In the conclusion, the essay synthesizes the analysis by reaffirming how Frost’s use of literary techniques, such as metaphor and imagery, effectively underscores the poem's deeper meaning about choices and consequences. This example demonstrates the key elements of a commentary essay:

• Thesis-driven : It is centered around a clear, arguable thesis.
• Textual evidence : It uses specific examples from the poem to support claims.
• Personal interpretation : It reflects the writer’s unique perspective on the text.

Tips for Writing an Effective Commentary Essay

When embarking on writing a commentary essay, it's crucial to focus on structure, style, and content . Begin with a clear and concise thesis statement that will guide the flow of your essay. This statement should not only state your main point but also set the tone for the arguments you will present. Here are some style tips to consider:

• Use a formal yet engaging tone to connect with your reader.
• Vary your sentence structures to keep the essay dynamic and interesting.
• Employ rhetorical questions sparingly to provoke thought without overusing them.

Structurally, your essay should have a logical flow that makes it easy for readers to follow your analysis. Start with an introduction that hooks the reader and provides a roadmap of your commentary. The body of your essay should then elaborate on your thesis statement, with each paragraph focusing on a single idea supported by evidence from the text. Finally, ensure your conclusion ties all your points together and reinforces your thesis, leaving the reader with a strong impression of your analytical skills. Remember, the key to an effective commentary is not just in what you say, but in how you say it.

Concluding Your Commentary Essay Properly

Concluding your commentary essay is crucial as it's your final opportunity to make an impact on the reader. A strong conclusion will not only summarize the main points but also reinforce your thesis statement and show how your analysis adds to the understanding of the text. Consider linking back to your introduction or using a quotation that emphasizes your main point. This creates a sense of completeness and leaves the reader with a lasting impression of your insights.

To ensure your conclusion is effective, try these strategies:

• Synthesize, don't just summarize : Briefly reiterate your main points to show how they interconnect and support your thesis.
• Include a provocative insight or quotation : This can give your conclusion depth and resonance.
• Propose questions or suggest further areas of study : This encourages the reader to think beyond the essay and apply your analysis in broader contexts. By implementing these methods, your conclusion will serve as a powerful capstone to your commentary essay.

Key Terminology in Commentary Writing

Understanding the key terminology in commentary writing is crucial for anyone looking to master this style of essay. Terms like "thesis statement" refer to the main idea or argument that your essay proposes and defends throughout the text. Another important term is "textual evidence," which includes quotations, summaries, or paraphrases from the text to support your thesis. These elements are vital as they provide the foundation and support for your commentary, ensuring that your analysis is grounded in the text itself.

Additionally, the term "analysis" in commentary writing involves breaking down the text into its components to understand its meanings, themes, and implications more deeply. This process is often supported by identifying and discussing various literary devices such as metaphor, symbolism, or irony used by the author. Recognizing these devices helps to enrich your interpretation, offering a more nuanced view of the text. Personal interpretation , another key term, refers to your unique perspective and insights on the text, which adds originality and depth to your essay.

Do's and Don'ts in Commentary Essay Writing

When writing a commentary essay, it's crucial to adhere to specific best practices while avoiding common pitfalls. Do ensure you always cite your sources to back up your analysis and provide credibility to your essay. Do include a clear and concise title that reflects your thesis and the essence of the commentary. It's also important to thoroughly understand and present the original content you are discussing, including details about the author and publication.

On the flip side, there are several things you should avoid to maintain the quality of your commentary essay. Don't merely summarize the entire content; instead, focus on analyzing and interpreting the text. Avoid including irrelevant citations just to fill space—every source should add value to your argument. Lastly, don't overlook the importance of proofreading ; always review your work to correct any grammatical or structural errors, ensuring your final piece is polished and professional.

Enhance Your Commentary Essay with Samwell.ai

Samwell.ai significantly simplifies the process of writing commentary essays by providing AI-powered writing assistance. This tool is designed to help you craft well-researched, insightful essays that adhere to academic integrity. With features like advanced plagiarism checks and access to authentic sources , Samwell.ai ensures that your essay is not only original but also rich in content and analysis. This is crucial in commentary essays where depth and originality are key.

Using Samwell.ai, students and professionals can focus more on developing their analytical skills without the stress of extensive research and citation management. Here’s how you can benefit:

• Ease of use : The interface is user-friendly, making essay writing more accessible.
• Time-saving features : Quick access to data and citations speeds up the writing process.
• Enhanced learning : Provides multimedia integrations for a comprehensive understanding of topics. To experience these benefits firsthand, visit Samwell.ai and start enhancing your essays today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you start a commentary in an essay.

Starting a commentary essay effectively involves setting up a clear and engaging introduction. Begin with a hook to capture the reader's interest, followed by background information on the text you will be analyzing. Then, introduce your thesis statement, which will guide the flow of your essay and state your main point. This structure not only prepares the reader for what is to come but also sets the tone for a coherent and persuasive argument.

What is an example for commentary?

An example of a commentary essay is analyzing the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. The essay could start with an introduction that contextualizes the poem and presents the thesis that Frost uses the road as a metaphor for life's choices. The body paragraphs would delve into detailed analysis, discussing the metaphor of the roads diverging, the use of serene and contemplative imagery, and the personal reflection of the reader. The conclusion would then synthesize this analysis, reaffirming how Frost’s literary techniques effectively underscore the poem's themes about choices and consequences.

What is the format of writing commentary?

The format of writing a commentary essay includes an introduction, body, and conclusion. Begin with an introduction that includes a hook, background information, and a thesis statement. The body should consist of several paragraphs, each focusing on a specific part of the analysis linked back to the thesis. Each paragraph should contain textual evidence and detailed commentary. Conclude the essay by synthesizing the main points, reinforcing the thesis, and suggesting further implications or questions for the reader to consider. This structured approach helps maintain a clear and logical flow, making your analysis easy to follow.

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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)  

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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 ephemerality of 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 language used by the author plays an important role 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 the interpretation of 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, 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 errors 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 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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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.

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Commentaries

What is a commentary.

A commentary is a response to another person’s argument. Commentaries are most often found in expressions of opinions on current issues and events. 1  The purpose of commentaries is to offer new and insightful perspectives so that readers can understand their own stance on an issue or event. Importantly, readers can find commentaries similar to an op-ed (opinion/editorial) piece in a newspaper or a magazine.

What Do Commentaries Do?

Commentaries offer a new angle to an ongoing public conversation. 2  The goal of commentaries is to convince readers that the opinion of the person writing the commentary is more convincing. When writing a commentary, it is important to make clear points that are understood easily by readers. At the same time, readers of commentaries want to learn something new while figuring out how someone else views an issue or event of interest. Most commentaries act on the purpose of making their points memorable. 3

Where Can I Find Commentaries?

Commentaries are not difficult at all to find. Readers can find them in print media (e.g., newspapers, magazines) and visual media (e.g., online news). Many letters to the editor and opinion-editorial (op-ed) pieces have a similar style as commentaries do. In addition, blogs and social networking sites like Blogger or Facebook serve the purpose of creating a space for writing commentaries. 4

What Is In a Commentary?

The content of commentaries (along with letters to the editor and op-ed pieces) have current events or issues as their primary focus. 5 Commentaries often contain an explanation of the current event or issue. Commentaries often offer support for the opinions written in them. As with any writing genre, commentaries focus on topic, angle, purpose, readers (audience), and context. Writers of commentaries, letters to the editor, and op-ed pieces often view a current issue or event from a unique angle that applies to the issue’s timely relevance. In rhetoric, this is known as  kairos .  Kairos  is the Greek word meaning “right or opportune time.” Writers and readers of commentaries should not confuse  kairos  with  chronos (chronological time). However, if historical criticism applies to the current event, writers should feel free to put that in their commentaries.

How Should Writers Organize Their Commentaries?

One method of organizing a commentary comes from Johnson-Sheehan and Paine. 6

The features included in this method of organizing commentaries are:

• Topic : This is the basis of the current event or issue

• Introduction : It is important that writers of commentaries engage their readers immediately by stating the issue clearly. This involves announcing the issue at hand, the thesis statement , and the angle or position taken on the topic in relation to the issue.

• Explanation : In this part, writers review what has happened or is happening in addition to what other writers have written (or said) about both the topic and the issue.

• Argument : Writers of commentaries argue for a specific position by using reasoning (also known as logos , examples, and eyewitness accounts.

• Clarification : This qualifies the argument while it attempts to avoid the tendency to make overgeneralizations about the topic. This is also what is known as ethos .

• Conclusion : As with any written task, the conclusion offers an overall assessment of the issue by highlighting its importance to the audience. Conclusions make additional implications for the future.

How Do Writers Know What to Put in Their Commentaries?

As with reviews, commentaries involve using the techniques of  preliminary inquiry  and  background research  without necessarily  experiencing the subject under review . However, commentaries are different from reviews in lieu of these features. Writers of commentaries should write about something that is important to them by listening to what others say and reading what others write. 7  Writers of commentaries should also take care to listen to what people are  not  saying and  not writing; this would mean citing a gap in the conversation. Writers of commentaries, in addition, often follow news events found on Web sites, in newspaper, and in magazines. 8  As it is for reviews, writers and readers of commentaries should play the  Believing and Doubting Game  using the three steps of believing, doubting, and synthesizing. Playing the Believing and Doubting Game can help writers of commentaries see multiple sides of an issue while they tie all of their information together to make it their own.

Preliminary Inquiry

Another way of stating this is “finding out what you already know.” 9 10  The Believing and Doubting Game applies most fittingly here.

The three steps of preliminary inquiry are:

• Believing : Clearly, this means understanding a topic and seeing an issue from the perspective of a convinced and unquestioning believer. The first step of believing assumes that all of the information and opinions from this angle are all correct, even if all of the assertions of information and opinions contradict each other. Writers using this step should take into consideration of where the believer’s angle makes the most sense. Writers should also substantiate their claims with supporting evidence that is not only credible but also accurate. 11
• Doubting : Writers, in this instance, should imagine themselves understanding their topic and viewing their issue from the perspective of a skeptic. When doubting, writers can cite logical fallacies in another writer’s argument. 12  Writers can also use the technique of doubt to allow refutation by future writers. In doing so, writing a commentary from a skeptical angle means not taking the believer’s argument literally while considering the practical consequences of the same argument.
• Synthesizing : Here, writers place the believer and the skeptic at odds with each other to find common ground where possible. Writers, then, give their own perspective on the issue based on the arguments made by the believer and the skeptic. Synthesizing entails consideration of the major issues separating both sides of the issue by analyzing the assumptions made and the terms used to make those assumptions.

Background Research

This next step of the Believing and Doubting Game is also known as “finding out what others know.” 13  Since commentaries are most often responses to current events and issues, writers must comment on how the events are still happening and what that will mean. Not all the facts are present in commentaries because they are happening at that moment. New developments often arise before any publication of the commentary takes place. Nonetheless, sources that writers of commentaries include:

• Online Sources : These sources are especially useful for commentaries because they are happening immediately. Online sources are most useful if new events continue to happen within a specific topic. 14  With online sources, writers should keep the Believing and Doubting Game in mind. Writers, in addition, should assess the bias and reliability of each online source. Assessing bias involves how the arguments made use factual information.
• Print Sources : These sources are useful for conducting background research on a topic. 15 Most background research on a current event or issue is available in newspapers and magazines. Such sources can give impressions on how to frame a debate while considering who is involved. 16 Books also work as resources for researching background information. They are useful in exploring the historical dimensions of a topic. From that, writers can develop a better understanding of the issue. Overall, it is important to look for the most recent information available, as some sources can become outdated quickly.
• Empirical Sources : As with a review, it is likely that an expert on a topic or issue is available, particularly on university campuses. In this case, writers of commentaries can correspond with the expert by using e-mail or another mode of correspondence to set up an interview. Aside from interviews, writers of commentaries can use surveys and/or field observations. This, of course, depends on the topic.

With all of the potential sources to use for writing commentaries, writers should triangulate their sources. 17  Triangulating sources helps confirm facts to gain a broader understanding of an issue.

How Do Writers Organize and Draft Their Commentaries?

As mentioned earlier, the best commentaries often grab the readers’ attention immediately. In any format, including the commentary, the best writers often lead readers through a series of argument supporting a specific position. There is often the consideration of what type of information is best suitable for the writer’s intended audience. In other words, writers of commentaries must focus on what the audience needs to know.

Introduction

In the introduction, it is often the case that writers generate reader interest if there is the use of information not previously considered. 18

Within the introduction, it is best to do to two things:

• State the Purpose : This usually happens immediately in any genre, but it is especially important for writing commentaries. In other words, readers want their writers to “get to the point.” At the same time, readers have a surprising interest in the angle writers of commentaries take.
• State the Main Point or Thesis Statement : In the introduction of a commentary, writers should be clear about what they want to either prove or disprove. 19 Sometimes, writers of commentaries state their main point immediately. Solid thesis statements give readers a clear sense of the direction the commentary will take.

Explanation

The amount of explanation needed in a commentary depends on how familiar readers are with both the topic and the issue. 20  When explaining the topic and the event, writers should explain what has already happened. Writers should also summarize what others have said about the topic and the issue. If, for example, readers are already familiar with a topic, then the explanation should be very brief. Writers, therefore, should give enough information to remember an event or the origins of an ongoing debate.

If readers are not already familiar with a topic or an issue, then writers should provide enough background to help stimulate the readers’ interest. 21 In this case, writers will need to explain who was involved, where and when it happened, how it happened, and why. Additionally, writers should show as many angles to the debate as possible by summarizing what others have said.

It is impossible to include all the possible information in explaining why a writer’s own position is the most credible. 22 Instead, writers often pick the best and most important pieces of evidence while they devote an appropriate amount of time explaining them. In most commentaries, each piece of evidence receive one to two paragraphs of coverage. Each piece of evidence should support the main point (or thesis statement) while each piece should provide a solid structure for taking an angle on the topic and issue at hand.

Clarification

This section often comes before the conclusion. When writing this section of a commentary, writers should make their readers of the complexities involved in the issue. 23 Here, writers need to make their arguments clear, particularly when they insert new information or events that could complicate the overall argument. In most cases, writers use signal phrases such as:

•  “I’m not arguing here for a complete … but only …”
• “I understand, of course, but …”
• “I’m only suggesting that …”
• “I recognize that the people on the other side want to do the right thing, too.” 24

Most clarifications are only one paragraph in length, depending on the extent of the issue as well as how much readers already know about the topic and the issue. Often, clarification prevents readers from making accusations of writers “painting with too broad a brush”–generalizing too far or failing to consider the fine but important points of an issue. 25

Readers should finish reading a commentary with a clear statement of a position writers make. As with any written task, writers often restate the main thesis but in stronger terms. Writers often reemphasize why the topic is important while speculating on what others will say in the future. Many writers of commentaries finish with an anecdote, a figure of speech, a clever turn of phrase, or a lasting image.

What Is An Appropriate Writing Style for Commentaries?

Commentaries often use a style that set their arguments apart from writing done for other genres, such as reviews or proposals. 26   With the style, writers should see through the lens of someone making a commentary. Important aspects of commentaries to consider are: how writers want their readers to imagine them and how writers want readers to react to the overall tone.

“Getting into Character”

Johnson and Sheehan suggest that writers of commentaries play their role “like an actor.” 27  Another term for this is “getting into character.” This allows writers of commentaries to write with less constraints. Depending on the tone writers of commentaries wish to convey–whether angry or upbeat–they can let emotions flow onto a screen or page. Writing multiple drafts of commentaries allows writers to explore the specific emotion they use.

Some commentaries work best when they imitate the style of a well-known critic or commentator. Examples of well-known commentators include  George Will ,  Glenn Greenwald , Jeremy Scahill , and Ariana Huffington . Writers of commentaries look closely at how other commentators achieve their style or tone. 28 In most cases, writers of commentaries look for details or words used in a particular way; sentence length; analogies, similes, and metaphors to express complex thoughts; and expression of emotions. Writers should, however, best avoid imitating the style of an article on the topic they want to write about so as to avoid plagiarism.

Works Cited

• Writing Today, Custom Edition for St. Cloud State University. Taken from Writing Today, Second Edition by Richard Johnson-Sheehan and Charles Paine, 2012. Print. p. 171.
• Johnson-Sheen and Paine, p. 171
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 171
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 172
• Writing Today, p. 172
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 175
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 84.
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 90
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, pp. 175-176
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 176
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 177
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 178
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 179
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 180
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 181
• Writing Today, p. 181
• Johnson-Sheehan and Paine, p. 182

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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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How to Write a Literary Commentary

Last Updated: February 23, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA . Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer based in Canada. Stephanie's writing has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut's Avenue, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 705,046 times.

A literary commentary is a detailed analysis of a passage of text, focusing specifically on the text itself. It should not be confused with a literary analysis essay, as it does not need a thesis statement or a general discussion of the book as a whole. Instead, the literary commentary should only analyze and reflect on a specific passage. To write a literary commentary, start by reading the text and creating an outline. Then, dive right into a detailed discussion of the text. Make sure you polish the literary commentary for style, grammar, and spelling before handing it in so it is at its best.

Literary Commentary Help

Starting the Literary Commentary

• Make sure you have a hard copy of the passage so you can mark it up as you read it. Jot down any initial thoughts or questions you may have about the text as you read it several times.

• You should also look for words that are repeated in the text, as this means they are likely important. Notice if the same word is used in a different context in the passage and highlight each mention of the word.

• Introduction section: Identify the text
• Body section: Discuss the main features of the text
• Conclusion section: Summarize your thoughts on the text

Writing the Literary Commentary

• For example, you may note, “Published in 1966, Seamus Heaney’s ‘Blackberry-Picking’ is a poem that appears in his poetry collection, Death of a Naturalist .”
• If the text is from a larger work, do not write about the overall plot of the larger work. You should also not include details from the author’s biography or the historical period when the text was written, unless it feels relevant to the passage.

• For example, in Seamus Heaney's poem, "Blackberry-Picking,” the subject is two people picking a large quantity of blackberries. [2] X Research source
• The themes of the poem could be nature, hunger, and decay or rot.
• The poem begins with a dedication to “Philip Hobsbaum,” which means he could be the intended audience of the poem, the “you” addressed in the poem.

• The genre and form of the text will also help you determine the structure of the text. For example, Seamus Heaney's "Blackberry-Picking” takes the form of a poem and fits in the genre of poetry. It uses a familiar poetic structure, such as short lines of text and is broken into two stanzas.

• For example, in Seamus Heaney's "Blackberry-Picking,” the speaker uses the first person voice. The speaker then addresses a “you” in the text, indicating there are two characters in the poem.

• For example, in Seamus Heaney's "Blackberry-Picking,” the tone in the first stanza is nostalgic and light. The tone then shifts in the second stanza to be more serious and dark.

• For example, if you are discussing Seamus Heaney's "Blackberry-Picking,” you may look at a simile like “You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet/Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it.” Or you may discuss imagery like “a rat-grey fungus” or “fruit fermented.”
• You can find a complete list of literary devices in literature online. [5] X Research source

• For example, if you are discussing themes of decay in Seamus Heaney's "Blackberry-Picking,” you may quote a line like “I always felt like crying./It wasn't fair/That all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot.”

• For example, you may end your literary commentary on Seamus Heaney's "Blackberry-Picking” by noting how the poem fits into the poetry collection and reflects common themes in Heaney’s work.

Polishing the Literary Commentary

• You can also read the commentary aloud to someone else to get their feedback. Ask a peer, a friend, or a family member to listen to you read the commentary and then ask for their feedback.

• You can go through the commentary and write down “introduction” or “discussion of text” next to the relevant paragraphs in the commentary. Doing this will ensure you cover all the necessary information in the commentary.

• If you are using a computer to write the literary commentary, you can use the spellcheck option in the computer program. However, you should not rely on spellcheck only to go through your work. Make sure you also do a close review of the commentary for any errors before you hand it in.

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• ↑ https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/modernlanguages/intranet/undergraduate/skills/commesswriting/commentarywriting/
• ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50981/blackberry-picking
• ↑ http://literary-devices.com/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/reading-aloud/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/

About This Article

To write a literary commentary, begin by closely reading the text at least twice while paying attention to the content and structure. While commentaries do not need a thesis statement, you should identify the title, author, and genre in your introduction. In your body paragraphs, discuss the text’s subject, themes, and audience while pointing out any literary devices, like metaphors or symbols, that you notice. Use quotes to illustrate your points and conclude with a summary of your thoughts on the text. For advice about how to read and annotate your text from our Writer reviewer, scroll down. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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AP ® Lang teachers: looking to help your students improve their rhetorical analysis essays?

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clear, concise rhetorical analysis instruction.

How to Write Commentary for Rhetorical Analysis

February 4, 2022 by Beth Hall

Wondering how to write commentary for rhetorical analysis? When writing a rhetorical analysis essay, having well thought out and strong commentary will make a significant difference in your writing.

So, what exactly is commentary? And how can you deliver high-quality commentary in your rhetorical analysis?

Commentary is your analysis and interpretation of the passage. Commentary explains how the evidence you present in the body paragraph proves your thesis. For more information about what commentary is, click here .

Your body paragraphs in your rhetorical analysis will consist of a topic sentence, analysis, and commentary. Many students think evidence is the most important piece, and while evidence is certainly important, commentary is paramount because it is what contains your argument and analysis. You can think of your evidence as answering the “what” and commentary answering the “how” or “why.”

In order to effectively write commentary in your body paragraphs, you need to have an understanding of the rhetorical situation. The rhetorical situation includes the following elements: the writer or speaker, the audience, the (historical) context, the exigence (ie. what prompted the writer to write), the purpose, and the message or argument. 

The rhetorical situation is key to your commentary because it is what you are analyzing. Your commentary should address why the rhetorical choice the author is making is important to the rhetorical situation. (You can learn more about the rhetorical situation by reading this blog.)

How to Develop Your Commentary

Many students don’t develop their commentary enough because they aren’t sure what to say, or they feel they are running out of time. 

When writing a rhetorical analysis essay, be sure to include precise verbs to convey what the writer is “doing.”

Here’s a list of rhetorically accurate verbs:

• Acknowledges

Once you’ve made a claim about what the writing is “doing” (the rhetorical choice they are making,) then you need to explain the significance of that choice. Why is the writer “doing” that? This is commentary.

Here are some verbs that can help you generate commentary:

• demonstrates
• illustrates
• underscores

The step to knowing how to write commentary for rhetorical analysis is knowing the right kinds of questions to ask. When you are addressing the rhetorical situation, you want to do more than scratch the surface level. Let’s look at examining the writer or speaker, for example. You may ask some of the following questions to help you create commentary about the rhetorical choice you are analyzing:

• What are the speaker’s qualifications?
• What does the choice reveal about the speaker’s beliefs/values/needs?
• What do the choices reveal about the speaker’s relationship with the audience?

If you want more questions to guide you on analyzing the rhetorical situation, check out this blog.

How do I write a body paragraph with commentary?

Now that you know the parts that make up the commentary, and you understand how to examine the rhetorical situation, let’s put it all together. Let’s look at an excerpt of a body paragraph, and notice how commentary is used.

Albright references recent political examples in which countries could have settled but chose the more arduous path instead. By noting that America “must choose to turn inward” or “seize opportunities,” Albright suggests the value of making challenging, sometimes “trailblazing” decisions as opposed to selecting the easier, more isolating path . While this comment also serves as affirmation of President Clinton’s leadership and thus a subtle reminder of Albright’s credentials as Secretary of State , the contrast between “turning inward” and “seizing opportunities” introduces Albright’s message of perseverance.

In just this small excerpt, you can see how different elements (underlined) of the rhetorical situation are being addressed. When you are writing your own body paragraphs, it may be helpful to color-code the different elements of the rhetorical situation and identify them in your writing. This will help you check to make sure most of the elements are present.

How do you fix limited commentary?

If you find yourself writing with cliches, idioms, vague wording, or sentences that don’t directly address the rhetorical situation, you are likely writing limited commentary. You want each sentence to address your specific passage, so aim to create specific, clear analysis.

Here is what your writing may look like if you have limited commentary:

• You use phrases like “the author uses diction”
• You use cliches like “opens the reader’s eyes”
• You use idioms like “touches the audience’s heart”

This type of writing is common and also fixable. Once you’ve identified these mistakes in your writing, you want to work on changing them.

First, you can fix phrases such as “the author uses” by strengthening your word choice. You want to add a descriptor or adjective in front of the item you are referring to, such as diction. This might mean changing “diction” to “patriotic diction.” Then, analyze why the author uses this rhetorical choice.

Second, you want to avoid cliches. Try rewording the cliche. Instead of “opens the reader’s eyes” try “forces the reader to consider.” This makes our language more precise and helps you expand your commentary.

Lastly, you want to stay away from idioms. These prepackaged expressions don’t tell the reader the why and the how behind the author’s writing choices. Instead of saying “touches the audience’s heart” try to identify what the writer is doing to evoke that emotional response. Specify which emotion the audience is experiencing and why the writer wants to elicit such an emotion.

Now that you know how to write commentary for rhetorical analysis, go rock your next AP® Lang essay!

DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with The College Board. The advice and opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

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How to Write a Commentary Essay?

Commentary essays are exciting and can be used in many real-life situations. Unfortunately, schools sometimes don’t teach this important type of writing. That means students might not know how to write one. But we want to help! We’ll begin by explaining what commentary in an essay is. Then, we’ll provide you with guidelines, tips and commentary essay examples to help you write a great literary commentary.

What is a commentary essay?

Wondering what does commentary mean in an essay ? Here is the commentary essay definition :

A commentary essay is where you share your thoughts, analysis, or reaction about a specific part of an essay or story. People often use it in newspapers or magazines to do a thorough analysis and describe a particular text.

When you write commentary, you’re telling your reader how the details connect to the main idea. Commentary doesn’t have facts; it helps explain why the details matter for the topic. Additionally, writing a commentary essay is not hard. Just stick to the structure, and you’ll master this kind of academic writing.

Now you have a clear understanding of what is commentary in an essay . Let’s move to its purpose. 

What is the purpose of commentary in an essay ?

In an essay, commentary is like adding extra details and thoughts to explain and analyze the main points. It’s not just about repeating information; it’s about digging deeper to understand the meaning behind what’s being said.

Here’s why commentary is important:

Understanding Meaning: Commentary helps the writer explain why certain facts, evidence, or quotes are important. It helps the reader see the context and the deeper meaning behind the information.

Thinking Critically: It’s not just about saying what happened; it’s about thinking hard about the evidence given. Commentary involves looking at how different things connect and explaining how they help us understand the topic better.

Personal Touch: Writers use commentary to share their own thoughts, opinions, or insights on the topic. This adds a personal touch and makes the essay more interesting.

Connecting Ideas: Commentary links the supporting details back to the main point or argument of the essay. It shows why the evidence matters and how it supports the overall message.

Clear Explanation: Sometimes, things can get a bit complicated. Commentary steps in to clear up any confusion and explain tricky ideas in a way that everyone can understand.

Keeping Interest: Well-written commentary keeps the reader interested by offering interesting thoughts, asking questions, or showing different points of view. It gets the reader involved and thinking.

Smooth Transitions: Commentary acts like a bridge between different parts of the essay. It helps move from one idea to the next smoothly, guiding the reader through the logical flow of the argument.

Commentary Essay Outline

To make your writing easier, try creating an outline for your essay. Just jot down the introduction and body paragraphs. You can’t finalize the conclusion until you’ve written the first two parts.

Introduction

• Start by talking about the topic and giving some background. 
• Then, briefly mention the points you’ll talk about in the main part. 
• Finally, share a clear thesis statement that tells the main idea of your commentary.

Example: Your teacher assigned you a topic ‘ The impact of social media on mental health’ . 

Now you’re wondering how you can start writing a commentary essay? Firstly, you should give some background information about the topic.

Background information: With a growing number of social media sites, worries about how they affect mental health have grown.

Main Points: We will discuss potential negative outcomes such as self-esteem, relationships, and anxiety/depression.

Thesis statement: Social media has transformed communication, but overuse can harm mental health. Some studies have indicated that too much time on social media can lower self-esteem, ruin relationships, and increase stress and sadness.

Body Paragraphs

• Each paragraph should talk about one thing connected to your main idea. 
• Use analysis, evidence, and examples to explain your points. 
• Begin with the most important point, then go down the list. 
• If there are counterarguments, address them in the last paragraphs.

For example

Bad self-image: People who use social media a lot see photos and postings that make others look ideal. This can make them feel useless. Seeing all those flawless photographs may make someone feel bad about themselves.

Hurting relationships: Some people spend too much time online instead of socializing. This can make actual interactions and connections difficult. If someone is always on their phone during dinner, others may feel neglected and unimportant.

Stress and sadness increase: Overusing social media can also increase anxiety and depression. Someone may feel like they’re missing out on enjoyment by seeing positive posts. Others can feel hurt when someone says harsh things online.

In the end, summarize the most important points from your commentary and show their significance. You can do this by repeating the main idea or by clearly stating how your insights help us understand the topic better.

In short, while social media can be fun and useful, it’s important to not overuse it. Too much time on these platforms can lower self-esteem, ruin relationships, and raise stress and sorrow. Our mental health depends on finding a balance and using social media wisely.

How to write a good commentary essay ?

Do you know how to start a commentary essay ? To make a great commentary essay, make sure you have these three important things:

Thinking and Writing

• Think about and write down your thoughts on a topic.
• Use critical thinking to analyze and reflect on it.

Easy-to-Follow Structure

• Organize your essay like a story: beginning, middle, and end.
• Start by introducing your topic, then discuss it, and finish by summarizing your main points.
• Figure out the main point you want to make in your essay.
• This main idea, called a thesis statement, helps guide your reader through your writing.

If you want your writing to be great, add examples to prove your main point. Use quotes from books or other sources to show your ideas are based on real facts, not just guesses. It’s crucial to mention where you got your information in a commentary essay, and you’ll likely use a common citation style like APA.

How to add commentary in an essay ?

Wondering how to make good commentary in an essay? Incorporating commentary into your essay should feel like chatting with a friend about a book or movie. Choose a detail from a book you’ve read, share your thoughts authentically, and support your ideas with context analysis and direct quotes – it’s crucial for this type of essay commentary.

What does commentary mean in a paragraph?

In each paragraph of your commentary essay, talk about different parts of your chosen topic. Start with a sentence that tells what the paragraph is about. It’s perfecty fine to begin with a quote or describe something specific, like the author’s writing style or the setting of a story. Keep adding paragraphs, each one building on your opinion to support the main idea. Begin with the paragraph that has the most important evidence and move towards the less important ones.

How to select the best commentary essay topics ?

Picking the best topic for your commentary essay is like choosing the most interesting thing to talk about. First, it’s super important to pick something you really like. If you’re excited about the topic, your essay will be more interesting to read.

How to select the best commentary essay topics

Audience consideration

Think about what’s important right now and what your readers care about. Go for topics that matter and catch people’s interest. It’s also smart to know who you’re talking to – what they worry about, what they like – when you’re picking your topic.

Originality 

Make your essay special by coming up with a new way to look at things. Being original, like having a fresh perspective or a unique angle on a common topic, makes your essay stand out. And don’t forget to focus on one specific thing instead of trying to cover too much. It helps you dig deep and really understand what you’re writing about.

Controversy or debate

If your topic can start a debate or get people talking, that’s a plus! Controversial topics or ones that make people see things differently are more likely to grab attention. Talking about what’s happening right now adds an extra punch to your essay, making it more powerful.

Research opportunities 

Practical stuff is important too. Make sure your topic lets you find lots of information to back up what you’re saying. And try looking at your topic from different angles, considering all sides of the story.

Clarity of purpose 

Know why you’re writing your essay – are you trying to inform, persuade, or analyze something? Pick a topic that matches your goal. And if your topic is something you love and is important, it will show in your writing.

Brainstorming 

Brainstorming, or jotting down lots of ideas, is a great way to find the perfect topic. Check if your ideas match your interests, are important, and can be analyzed deeply. Also, read some sample essays to get inspired and see what works.

Getting feedback from friends or teachers can help too. They might have cool suggestions or see things you didn’t notice. And it’s okay to change your topic if you find something more interesting as you do your research.

10 Best Commentary Essay Topics 

When choosing a topic for your commentary essay, you have a lot of options. The key is to pick something that genuinely interests you and that you know a lot about. Here are some commentary essay examples topic:

• How Protagonists are Portrayed in Modern Movies.
• Changes in Friendship in J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye.”
• How Immigration Policies and Cultural Diversity Affect Your Country.
• Effects of Social Isolation on Youth, Physically and Mentally.
• The Use of Sarcasm in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.”
• How Political Satire Affects People’s Voting Choices.
• The Role of Irony in Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
• Talking about Privacy Ethics in the Digital Age
• How Social Relationships are Shown in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
• The Impact of Video Games on Teenagers’ Thinking Skills.

Do’s and Don’ts in Commentary Essay

Always refer to this checklist when writing a commentary. These will help you write a great commentary. This checklist covers commentary essay dos, don’ts, and suggestions. 

Follow these simple rules when writing a commentary in a essay :

• Stick to talking about the content; don’t express personal likes or dislikes.
• Always mention where you got your information.
• Use a title that summarizes your work, including keywords from your thesis and the original piece.
• Share all the details about the original content, like the author and when it was published.
• Double-check your work for grammar and structure mistakes.

Don’ts

Keep it simple when writing a commentary in essay:

• Don’t summarize everything because it will give no value to the reader. Just mention the main points briefly.
• Only include citations that support your ideas, and avoid unnecessary ones.
• Avoid making big, general statements.
• Never copy directly from sources to prevent plagiarism.

Commentary essay vs analytical essay

A commentary essay and an analytical essay share similarities but also have distinct characteristics:

Tips on writing a commentary essay

Here are simple steps to make your commentary outstanding:

• Identify the main issue.
• Think about the theme and who you’re talking to.
• Decide how to organize your essay and its style.
• Plan how to share your information clearly.
• Be clear about your language and writing style.
• Choose artistic tools to enhance your writing.
• Decide what to include and what to skip.
• Transform your essay into a well-spoken speech.
• Seek feedback from others.
• Proofread and edit your final draft.

If you still have questions, let the experts handle it. We’re ready to write your commentary essay anytime! Our student-friendly prices and customer-focused service ensure peace of mind. Order from one of the best essay writing services today!

If you ever struggle with writing a commentary sentence in an essay or need help with any part of your schoolwork, you might wonder, ‘Can someone do my assignment for me?’ The answer is yes! You can get professional help to make sure your assignments, including commentary essays, are well done and express your thoughts effectively. You can also buy essays online. 

Services that offer help with assignments can connect you with experienced writers who know how to create interesting commentary essays. Whether you need help picking the right topic, improving your writing style, or making sure you cite your sources correctly, professionals can assist you.

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Writing Commentaries

By Samuel Accuff, PhD and Melanie Arenson, PhD

Many journals offer the opportunity to contribute commentaries, but many graduate students are uncertain about how to write one or think these are reserved for senior career scientists. This couldn’t be farther from the truth (see this call in Translational Issues in Psychological Science), so we wrote a blog post to demystify the process and help you get started! 

What is a commentary and why should I write one?

A commentary is a paper which discusses and expands upon a recently-published article in a peer-reviewed journal. Often commentaries are short (<1000 words), do not require additional data, and focus on a piece of the results or impacts that the original article did not discuss at length. 

So, why write one? Many of us are drawn to research to contribute knowledge and to engage in the conversation of science. Commentaries offer unique advantages relative to other article types to do just that. First, due to their brevity, they require less time. Second, a commentary is a product that emerges from the critical thinking that hopefully naturally occurs while keeping up with the literature. Third, commentaries are opportunities to collaborate with your research community on interesting and stimulating issues. We are in the era of team science, and advancement typically comes through the furnace of critical thinking and friendly, collegial debate. In short, this is an opportunity to engage with your scientific community and question the beliefs of yourself and others, in a brief format that engages you with the literature and results in a publication. What could be better?

What’s the process?

• Stay up to date with the current literature: Commentaries discuss recently-published articles ( ideally published within 6 months, at most a year ). You also want your commentary to reference the most up-to-date literature, and your future directions to be novel. To do so, it is important to stay up to date! 
• Think critically: Commentaries are fundamentally papers that critically examine an existing work. This is not to say they are critical in nature; in fact, they are often far from this. However, there is likely a result, application, implication, or future direction the authors did not touch, but you can!
• Express interest: Often, journals have a specific call for commentaries and may require that you reach out to express interest in writing one. Draft a brief summary and reach out before you write the commentary. You don’t want to write a commentary that the journal isn’t planning to review!
• Get writing: Connect with collaborators to determine the division of responsibilities and  timeline. Then, carve out time in your calendar and get writing!
• Go through review: After your commentary is submitted, it will go through a review process that may be slightly different than other articles to foster a faster publication timeline (e.g., involves fewer reviewers, often reviewed by editorial board members).

The nitty gritty – things that help, and things that can hurt

Journals only have so much space, and editors are picky about what they publish. Here are some tips and tricks to enhance your commentary, and some things to avoid. 

• Identify an idea that is impactful and builds beyond the scope of a previously published article. Identify a practical or theoretical implication not articulated by the authors, or illuminate a limitation/future direction for research (remember to be respectful). A restatement of the findings is not unique and likely won’t publish. Related, avoid vague statements and instead articulate reasons why your take is important. Be specific, and contribute something novel. Connect the paper to a bigger picture.
• Avoid lengthy summaries of the study, and instead point readers to the published article. Lengthy summaries take space, and by their nature are not commenting on the existing article.
• Commentaries often have greater flexibility in voice, with opportunities to show more personality. Use catchy phrases to create brief, memorable summaries of your main idea. That said, you are still a scientist . Do not make claims that cannot be empirically tested; stick to the evidence, and communicate a healthy dose of skepticism. 

This is your opportunity to join the conversation of science. You may have lost touch with this desire due to tests or the stress of managing your dissertation, but isn’t that why we are here? Find a topic or recently published paper and share your thoughts with a colleague. Push the limits of what the study found, and challenge the assumptions. Sit long enough to articulate that feeling you’ve been having about the field that you hold dear. You never know how your engagement might impact the direction of science!

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• Andrew Jull , RN, MA
• Co-Editor, Evidence-Based Nursing Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand

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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 …

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• A Research Guide
• Writing Guide
• Assignment Writing

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.

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What Is a Commentary Essay: Guide for Students

Why can’t an essay be just an essay? Every time you have finally succeeded at writing and think that you’ve got it there is another task at your plate.

You have no idea what to write. However, you already know that you need to research what is a commentary essay in the first place. What type of comments do you put? What do you comment on? Moreover, one of the most important things is how do you make an essay out of comments?

So, in order not to get to lost in the ideas and definitions, this type of essay is mostly a task for the high school student at least or for the college students. The purpose is to demonstrate a formed mindset and general awareness.

The task is designed to demonstrate students’ critical thinking and readiness to be an active participant in the social life and not just the observer. It means that writing a commentary essay is targeted at young people who already have a set of principles and outlook on the world and events that happen on a daily basis.

Commentary Essay Definition to Clarify All Questions

A commentary essay definition can be viewed through the purpose of this writing style. While other writing styles incorporate a dialog, challenge, cause, and consequence, the comment is targeted to reveal the in-depth knowledge of the text.

The writer is supposed to rationalize his/her agreement or disapproval of the information. Critique papers may center around only one content or fill in as a way to look into numerous writings. What is peculiar about this type of essay is that sometimes, the task is about comparing two or more information sources.

Since commentary essays pass on comprehension of foundation material, some examination is required to make papers convincing and lock on a single point. The research from the different angles helps to keep the reader’s attention and make your essay fascinating.

Notwithstanding utilizing general data for writing, students may turn to other sources for acquiring data, for example, the interviews and surveys conducted even by themselves. That is the way a writer is supposed to prompt a student to social interactions.

The definition of a commentary essay means you present the objective facts through these non-conventional techniques to gather enough proof and make an intelligible piece of work with the strong presentation.

How to Do a Commentary Essay Properly

To develop a decent essay, you have to get all the recent information on the subject for the two main reasons.

• Awareness. To provide your comments on the subject matter, you have to learn more about the information. Learn second opinions and contradictions. Search for scientific journals that mention the issue to give a full review.
• Objectivity. To rationalize your opinion, you have to learn several views on the subject matter and the consequence that the resolving of the issue might have. Or suggest a possible solution and foresee these consequence. Also, you may comment on what could have been done differently and why.

Information is the key. Just like with any other academic works any source of information has to be a trustworthy one. It’s really great that today even more information is available on the site, including more tips on how to do a commentary essay.

The standard structure of the essay is applicable here as well. Follow the flow:

• Introduction. A summary of the issue, supported by the leader opinions from rivaling sides. A hint on what you are going to present in the body of an essay.
• Body. Divide the main issue into smaller aspects you would like to provide your comments on. Try to define at least 3 points to the discussion. Provide your comments on each of them and support them with the information you obtained from the prior research.
• Conclusion. Present a common ground of your comments, the general idea that ties your comment together.

Some schools give a task to comment on a literary piece of work. Students say that they keep in mind editorial writing when they have to put comments into an essay. Others think of abstract critique.

Additional Tips

This task expects you to evaluate a bit of writing, frequently a novel, poetry, or play. The key piece of a triumphant discourse is a clear and solid thesis. It is actually applied to any writing. If the message is too vague in the introduction, your presentation may also become too watery. Try to make sense out of every smallest piece you put down.

Commenting on literary works changes the extent of your discourse fundamentally. Start with a bulleted or single-passage analysis and make notes of crucial data to incorporate.

It may not seem easy to write a commentary essay when you receive the task for the first time. Students who were able to get in the college have great chances to complete the assignment with a little practice.

• Buy commentary essay
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Opinion: As conservatives target same-sex marriage, its power is only getting clearer

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It’s been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Dobbs case that overturned the federal right to an abortion, and the troubling concurring opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas in which he expressed a desire to “revisit” other landmark precedents, including the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, codified nationally by the Obergefell Supreme Court decision, nine years ago Wednesday

Since that ruling, the LGBTQ+ and allied community has done much to protect the fundamental freedom to marry — passing the Respect for Marriage Act in Congress in 2022; sharing their stories this year to mark the 20th anniversary of the first state legalization of same-sex marriages, in Massachusetts; and in California , Hawaii and Colorado launching ballot campaigns to repeal dormant but still-on-the-books anti-marriage constitutional amendments.

California Democratic Party endorses ballot measures on same-sex marriage, taxes, rent control

The party’s executive board voted Sunday on which measures they would endorse.

May 19, 2024

This winter, I worked with a team at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law to survey nearly 500 married LGBTQ+ people about their relationships. Respondents included couples from every state in the country; on average they had been together for more than 16 years and married for more than nine years. Sixty-two percent married after the court’s 2015 Obergefell marriage decision, although their relationships started before before that. More than 30% of the couples had children and another 25% wanted children in the future.

One finding that jumped out of the data: Almost 80% of married same-sex couples surveyed said they were “very” or “somewhat” concerned about the Obergefell decision being overturned. Around a quarter of them said they’d taken action to shore up their family’s legal protections — pursuing a second-parent adoption, having children earlier than originally planned or marrying on a faster-than-expected timeline — because of concerns about marriage equality being challenged. One respondent said, “We got engaged the day that the Supreme Court ruled on the Dobbs decision and got married one week after.”

World & Nation

Same-sex marriage ruling creates new constitutional liberty

The Supreme Court’s historic ruling Friday granting gays and lesbians an equal right to marry nationwide puts an exclamation point on a profound shift in law and public attitudes, and creates the most significant and controversial new constitutional liberty in more than a generation.

June 26, 2015

As we examined the survey results, it became clearer than ever why LGBTQ+ families and same-sex couples are fighting so hard to protect marriage access — and the answer is really quite simple: The freedom to marry has been transformative for them. It has not only granted them hundreds of additional rights and responsibilities, but it has also strengthened their bonds in very real ways.

Nearly every person surveyed (93%) said they married for love; three-quarters added that they married for companionship or legal protections. When asked how marriage changed their lives, 83% reported positive changes in their sense of safety and security, and 75% reported positive changes in terms of life satisfaction. “I feel secure in our relationship in a way I never thought would be possible,” one participant told us. “I love being married.”

The evolution of same-sex marriage

I’ve been studying LGBTQ+ people and families for my entire career — and even still, many of the findings of the survey touched and inspired me.

Individual respondents talked about the ways that marriage expanded their personal family networks, granting them (for better and worse!) an additional set of parents, siblings and loved ones. More than 40% relied on each other’s families of origin in times of financial or healthcare crisis, or to help out with childcare. Some told of in-laws who provided financial assistance to buy a house, or cared for them while they were undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

Analysis:: Antonin Scalia’s dissent in same-sex marriage ruling even more scornful than usual

The legal world may have become inured to wildly rhetorical opinions by Justice Antonin Scalia, but his dissent in the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision Friday reaches new heights for its expression of utter contempt for the majority of his colleagues.

And then there was the effect on children. Many respondents explained that their marriage has provided security for their children, and dignity and respect for the family unit. Marriage enabled parents to share child-rearing responsibilities — to take turns being the primary earner (and carrying the health insurance), and spending more time at home with the kids.

The big takeaway from this study is that same-sex couples have a lot on the line when it comes to the freedom to marry — and they’re going to do everything possible to ensure that future political shifts don’t interfere with their lives. As couples across the country continue to speak out, share their stories — and in California, head to the ballot box in November to protect their hard-earned freedoms — it’s clear to me that it’s because they believe wholeheartedly, and with good reason, that their lives depend on it.

Abbie E. Goldberg is an affiliated scholar at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law and a psychology professor at Clark University, where she directs the women’s and gender studies.

More to Read

Opinion: Interracial marriage went from criminal to commonplace. Could it go back?

June 9, 2024

Newsom urges California voters to protect same-sex marriage amid Supreme Court distrust

June 7, 2024

The U.S. has caught up to California on views of LGBTQ+ rights, poll shows

June 6, 2024

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There are better ways to improve traffic flow in NYC than congestion pricing

Traffic on 10th Avenue in Manhattan. Credit: Bloomberg/Jeenah Moon

This guest essay reflects the views of Timothy Menard, founder and chief executive of LYT, a traffic management company that uses artificial intelligence and machine-learning solutions for public transit, emergency vehicles, and snowplows.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to “pause” congestion pricing means drivers on Long Island and throughout the New York City region will avoid an added toll to enter Manhattan’s central business district. It also means residents and business owners likely will pay in the form of fare hikes and/or service cuts for public transit options.

Now, it’s time to focus on alternatives — new, budget-friendly, traffic-easing solutions that can benefit local residents, drivers and businesses.

New York has an opportunity to serve as a benchmark for how a large urban region can reinvent itself into a model of a modern transportation network. That requires thinking outside the box and leveraging technology already in use in other urban centers like Seattle and San Francisco, both of which have seen significant improvement in traffic flow and reduced congestion.

Using advanced technologies would help New York reduce traffic, enhance existing transportation systems in a low-budget approach, and create more equity in the transit system by enhancing public transportation options. By employing intelligent traffic management that uses AI and data to prioritize public transport vehicles such as city buses over private cars and trucks, cities like New York can improve the efficiency and reliability of public transit. And these technologies can be expanded in the future to include ride-share vehicles.

Technologies such as transit signal priority (TSP) and adaptive traffic signals can significantly improve traffic flow. TSP allows buses and trams to communicate with traffic signals via cloud technology to extend green lights or shorten red lights, reducing stop-and-go conditions and improving travel times for those vehicles.

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To make this system work, New York will require use of a ground transportation-specific version of the air traffic control tower at Kennedy Airport used for planes. Even though many different brands, sizes, and shapes of planes are used for air travel, air traffic control is necessary to direct them safely from gate to gate both on the ground and in the air.

On the city’s roads, a similar cloud-based “control tower” technology platform can be used to systematically view each mobility provider (car, bus, rail, etc.) and adjust traffic signals for each so they all move in constant harmony and rhythm with each other, especially through traffic intersections.

Key to this system is the integration of traffic signals and intersections with the flow of traffic, which changes based on events, work-hour vehicle demand, weather patterns, and the prioritization of emergency response vehicles that need to move freely through certain corridors to get to an injured person, fire, or crime scene.

This cloud-enabled, transit-prioritizing technology can be scaled and adapted to different transit modes and city sizes, even urban centers like New York. Whether it’s prioritizing buses in a small city or managing a complex network of trams and buses in a metropolitan area, the technology is versatile and can grow with the city’s needs. In 2023 alone, TSP technology saved 9,107 hours (a 48% reduction) by reducing red-light wait times for transit buses in nine localities including Seattle, Boston, Toronto, and Tempe.

Investing in technologies like transit prioritization can be more cost-effective in the long run without the expense and time delays of new construction, and allows cities to take a prescriptive approach to solving traffic, as opposed to a reactionary approach. This contrasts with a congestion pricing-only approach, which primarily generates revenue rather than directly improving transportation infrastructure.

 THIS GUEST ESSAY reflects the views of Timothy Menard, founder and chief executive of LYT, a traffic management company that uses artificial intelligence and machine-learning solutions for public transit, emergency vehicles, and snowplows.

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Guest Essay

One Thing Everyone Is Missing About Hunter Biden’s Case

By Patti Davis

Ms. Davis is the author of “Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter About Family, Memory and the America We Once Knew.”

Update: Hunter Biden has been found guilty of three felony counts of lying on a federal firearms application in 2018.

Hunter Biden’s legal case is, at its root, a story about the toxic, careless choices made by a drug addict. It’s about the fact that addicts weave tragedy into their own lives and into the lives of those around them. Addicts don’t think about other people; they think about themselves. And they lie — that’s how they supply their addiction.

I was addicted to amphetamines from the time I was a teenager into my early 20s. Preferring prescription amphetamines to tablets of methamphetamine punched out in someone’s garage (although I took those, too), I went into doctors’ offices and spun out lie after lie. When my fondness for speed led me to cocaine, I got behind the wheel of my car and drove home some nights up a winding, treacherous canyon road thinking nothing of the fact that I might kill someone on that road, including myself.

Some observers argue that if Hunter Biden were not the president’s son, he wouldn’t be on trial for buying a gun while being addicted to drugs, since he had the gun for only 11 days and it wasn’t used in any crime. I’m not a legal expert. I’m not qualified to weigh in on that. But as the daughter of first a governor and then a president, I do know what it’s like to live under a glaring, unforgiving spotlight that never dims. The choices you make in your life, the mistakes, the stumbles, are preserved forever and sometimes tossed out in front of you like a minefield you have to keep crossing. Hunter Biden has had to sit in court listening to his ex-wife and his ex-lovers testify about the messiness and insanity of his drug addiction. I’m going to hazard a guess here and say that they probably described things that he doesn’t even remember. He had to watch his daughter take the stand and testify, something that’s intimidating, even frightening, under any circumstances. And whatever the surrounding political circumstances, ultimately he has to know that he is responsible for all of it.

Some have focused on the fact that if he had just agreed to a more modest plea deal, he could have lessened his family’s pain by sparing everyone this very public trial. Maybe. But selfishness leads addicts down many wrong roads, sometimes even long after the addiction itself has loosened its grip.

It also forces those around them to make wrenching choices.

Last week, when I watched President Biden field two questions about his son, I saw the world of hurt behind his replies. David Muir, the ABC News anchor, asked the president if he would accept the jury’s verdict in his son’s case, no matter what it was. “Yes,” he said. Then he was asked if he would rule out a pardon if Hunter was found guilty. Again, he said yes. His answer came from the acute awareness of his, and his family’s, very public life — a life scalded by the bright light of politics. A light that defines and reshapes everything.

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New Yorkers go to the polls – some of them anyway

Congressional, state Senate, and state Assembly primaries are being held Tuesday June 25 th . Not all districts have primaries, but some do, and, in those cases the primary winner likely will be the candidate who prevails in November’s general election. 

Primaries are important in American elections. In fact, in many places primaries have become more important than general elections in determining the winner, especially in congressional and state legislative elections where one party typically dominates. Due to a combination of the natural partisan divides (rural areas tend to be more Republican, urban areas more Democratic, and the suburbs “purple”) and partisan gerrymandering, the number of competitive seats for Congress and state legislatures has declined since the 1970s. Most are “safe” seats—reliably Republican or Democratic. As a result, primaries—when voter participation is typically lowest—are increasingly determinative of the general election outcome. 

How low can voter participation be in primaries? In a state like New York, turnout can be miniscule. A review of the four most recent gubernatorial elections sheds some light. Democrats have had four gubernatorial primaries in the last 20 years, with the highest turnout 24 percent in 2018. On the Republican side, there have been only two primaries for governor over the past two decades, with the highest turnout at 16 percent in 2010. 

In only one election did both major parties have gubernatorial primaries and that was in 2022. In that election 1.1 million voters cast their ballots. To put that in some context, there are over 13 million registered voters in New York. Thus, roughly 10 percent of all registered voters selected the two major party candidates that the rest of us had to choose from. 

Under New York law only those who are enrolled in a political party can vote in that party’s primary. Not all states have adopted that approach. There are f ive types of primary systems. New York’s primaries are considered “closed,” meaning only party enrollees can vote; the primaries are “closed” to all others. There are nine other states that have such “closed” systems. Some states have primaries that are considered “partially closed.” In those states, political parties are allowed to decide whether to allow unaffiliated voters or voters not registered with the party to participate in their nominating contests. There are nine states that have such systems. 

Some states are considered “partially open.” These states permit voters to cross party lines, but their ballot choice may be regarded as a form of registration—essentially meaning that by casting a primary ballot the voter is registering in the political party in which they chose to vote. Four states have a form of this system. 

The fourth category allows unaffiliated voters to participate in any party primary they choose but does not allow voters who are registered with one party to vote in another party’s primary. There are seven states that allow unaffiliated voters to participate in any primary. 

The last category is the obvious one: Some states allow any voter to vote in any primary. These states are considered to have “open primaries. In an open primary, voters choose the party in which to cast a primary vote, but this decision is private and does not register the voter with that party.

Here in New York, given the miniscule voter participation in primaries it makes sense to reexamine how the state conducts its political business. New York’s Constitution has long held that elections are to be run jointly by the two major political parties. 

But does that system make sense in the current political environment? 

Clearly, primary voter participation rates in New York are dismal. Add to that the below the national average turnout in the general election—in which all voters can participate—and the upshot is that when it comes to voting, New York ranks in the bottom third of the nation. 

In New York unaffiliated voter registrations—sometimes called “blanks” because the party enrollment part of their voter registration forms are not filled in—has seen the biggest growth over the past 20 years. In 2006, 5.5 million voters registered as Democrats. In 2022, that number had risen by more than one million to 6.5 million—or an 18 percent increase. Republicans saw their registrations drop during that period. In 2006, 3.1 million New Yorkers registered as Republicans; by 2022, only 2.9 million had. 

However, “unaffiliated” voters saw their numbers jump from 2.3 million in 2006 to nearly 3.1 million in 2022, a whopping 30 percent increase. 

Yet, despite their numbers and their incredible growth, they are “second class” voters. They have no representation in elections administration, and they cannot vote in primaries. When Election Day rolls around they are simply left to choose among the candidates blessed by the political parties. 

It doesn’t have to be that way. As mentioned earlier, there are other primary models to choose from. And the administration of elections could be wrestled from the hands of the two major parties and handed to independent elections professionals. 

This week, a small number of New Yorkers will choose Congressional and state Legislative candidates for the general election. From now until November, it is our opportunity to press our representatives to make New York’s elections more open and accountable to all voters.

Blair Horner is executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group.

The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.

Writer and journalist Rex Murphy dead at 77

Murphy wrote for newspapers, also appeared on radio and tv during decades-long media career.

Rex Murphy, long-time CBC Radio host and commentator, dead at 77

Social sharing.

Rex Murphy, the controversial Newfoundland-born pundit and wordsmith whose writing and often-blistering commentaries were the focus of a decades-long career in Canadian media, has died at the age of 77, according to the National Post.

"You might not agree with what Rex had to say, but oh, boy, could he ever say it," said comedian and fellow Newfoundlander Mark Critch, who performed an impression of Murphy on  This Hour Has 22 Minutes .

In a report published on the Post's website  on Thursday, the newspaper said Murphy died after a battle with cancer, and he had last corresponded with an editor there on Tuesday, inquiring about his most-recent column.

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey posted a statement on the social platform X Thursday saying that people there "are mourning one of our own tonight, and sending condolences to his family and friends."

Murphy's "quick wit and mastery of words were unmatched, and his presence was significant — whether or not everyone always agreed," Furey said, echoing a theme that Critch touched upon in his own remembrances.

Critch told CBC News that he'd "only known a world with Rex in it," explaining that he grew up next to a radio station where his father worked, along with Murphy.

Comedian Mark Critch calls Rex Murphy 'the greatest wordsmith in a place known for talkers'

"As a little boy, I remember seeing this man with wild hair in a golden turtleneck, listening to music with dad at the house and he was larger than life," Critch said Thursday.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper, in a tribute posted on social media , remembered Murphy as "one of the most intelligent and fiercely free-thinking journalists this country has ever known."

In another social media tribute, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called Murphy "an icon, a pioneer of independent, eloquent and fearless thought, and always a captivating orator who never lost his touch."

Newspapers, radio and TV

Murphy graduated from Newfoundland's Memorial University before attending Oxford University as a Rhodes   Scholar in 1968 .

He got his start lending a hand at the private radio station VOCM in St. John's, backfilling a talk show while its host went on vacation.

Murphy would go on to spend many years working with CBC, including work on both radio and television. He was a National Post columnist at the time of his death and had previously written columns for The Globe and Mail.

"When Rex had something to say, he knew exactly what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it," Kevin Libin, a longtime editor of Murphy's work at Postmedia, told CBC News on Thursday evening.

Murphy hosted Cross Country Checkup on CBC Radio  for more than two decades and was a familiar face to longtime viewers of CBC's The National . His appearances on CBC-TV date as far back as the 1970s.

Controversies and criticism

Murphy's work drew criticism, at times, including for accepting paid speaking engagements for the oil industry.

In 2014, while still hosting Cross Country Checkup  and regularly contributing TV essays to The National , members of the public complained to CBC's ombudsman that Murphy was in a conflict of interest for doing paid speeches at oil industry gatherings.

Rex Murphy on Canadian values

Murphy had long defended the sector, including on CBC, saying the oil boom saved many of his friends and fellow Newfoundlanders from economic ruin when the East Coast fisheries collapsed.

As for the speeches, he said nobody controlled what he said — not the oil industry, and not the CBC.

Later in life, Murphy became a loud detractor of the federal Liberal Party — despite having twice run as a provincial Liberal candidate in the mid-1980s — and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government. 

But he still had Liberals who admired him, such as longtime politician Bob Rae who posted on X that while they disagreed on many things he never lost "affection and admiration for him. He loved Newfoundland and Canada and was fearless."

He was also an outspoken opponent of "wokeism," progressive ideology sensitive to systemic inequities, and argued in his column that conservative voices like his were being pushed to the margins.

In a 2022 column, he decried "the frenzy of woke politics and the cancel culture it has bred and nourished, the prescriptions on what may or may not be debated or talked about."

Two years earlier, he'd been at the centre of one such frenzy for another piece of writing in the National Post.

A week after Minneapolis police murdered George Floyd, a Black man, Murphy accused liberals — both in general and in the party — of trumping up racism in Canada.

"Most Canadians, the vast majority in fact, are horrified by racism and would never participate in it," he wrote. "We are in fact not a racist country, though to say so may shock some."

The column was widely decried, prompting an editorial review at the Post, which eventually added a note at the top of the piece saying it fell short of the newspaper's standards.

Rex Murphy, on Newfoundland outport fishing

With files from The Canadian Press