::: PROCESS FOR WRITING A FORMAL COMMENTARY :::

Purpose of the commentary: to provide an account of your experience of the work. Your commentary should express the work's effect and how this effect is created.


QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN PREPARING TO WRITE A COMMENTARY:

STEP 1:
Who is speaking? To whom?

What are they saying? Why? (What is the situation? purpose?)

How? (What is the tone? style?)

Patterns? (Identify the structure, form.)

Tensions? (Identify the contrasts, conflicts, ironies.)

So what? (What is the dominant effect?)


STEP 2:
Use the dominant effect as the thesis for your commentary.

Select relevant details to support your thesis. Be sure not to include a detail without identifying its specific effect and its place in the whole.

Organize your commentary in the way that best suits your argument. Let the text guide your interpretation.



::: A TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR IN-CLASS COMMENTARY WRITING :::

Step 1: Read the text 3x - silently, out loud, silently (5 minutes).

Step 2: Free write about the text to discover your personal response (5 minutes).

Step 3: Answer the "elements to consider" questions outlined above (15 minutes).

Step 4: Find details from the text to support your response (10 minutes).

Step 5: Formulate your thesis statement (5 minutes).

Step 6: Use the thesis statement to anchor your response--your final product should be 3 paragraphs in length (20 min.).

Step 7: Proofread your commentary and revise (15 minutes).