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.

1. Elements of an Essay: Writing
Details
By Oxford Tutoring

2. Commentary
It is an extremely important factor in writing a well-thought out essay. You will
need it for every single detail you write.

3. Commentary Defined

4. Commentary
Is an explanation.
● Explain to your reader how the
details relate to the thesis
statement.
● It does not contain facts.
● Instead, it discusses what your
details have to do with the topic.

5. Writing Commentary

6. Writing
1. You are going to need at least
two sentences for every detail
sentence.
2. A good guideline is that you
commentary should be twice as
long as your details.
3. Without commentary, your
paper is just facts.

7. We want to know
how YOU think
these facts prove
your point and what
YOU think they
mean.

8. Different Ways to Write Commentary

9. Opinion

10. This is when you
write your belief,
subjective judgment
or way of thinking
about a detail.

11. Interpretation

12. Your explanation of
something that is
unclear

13. Character or Subject’s
Feelings

14. When you describe
what the character
or subject of the
detail is feeling.

15. Personal Reaction

16. Your personal
emotions about the
detail

17. Evaluation

18. Your objective
judgment of a detail

19. Commentary is the Treasure

20. 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.

21. The “What and Why” Method

22. “What and Why”
1. If you are struggling to write
commentary, try using the
“what and why” method.
2. First, tell the reader WHAT
your detail is talking about by
defining or explaining
3. Next, let your reader know
WHY this same details is
relevant to your thesis
statement.

23. Starting Commentary Sentences

24. Commentary
Sentence starters
● “This shows that…”
● “This is important because…”

25. Commentary Sentence Starters Tips
Obviously, you cannot start every sentence the same way because that would be
redundant.
It is, however, helpful to think these phrases in order to guide your commentary in
the right direction.

26. Applying Commentary Techniques

27. Let’s put together
the different
commentary options
and the method for
writing them.

28. Commentary Type: Opinion Using the
“What and Why” Method

29. Commentary
Opinion Example
● Topic: education
● Detail: According to the 2013
National Assessment of
Education Progress Reading
test, 80% of students score
below grade level in reading.

30. Opinion Example
Your commentary should answer the following
questions (1) WHAT is my opinion, and (2)
WHY is my opinion relevant to my thesis
statement?
Commentary for previous detail:
1. A statistic like shows the poor state of
the education system.
2. If we are to help students become
successful adults, we need to change
they way we are educating our children.

31. Commentary Type: Interpretation
Using the “What and Why” Method

32. Commentary
Interpretation Example
● Topic: benefits of college
● Detail: First of all, of
2,350,000 college students
enrolling per year, only
1,750,000 will graduate.

33. Interpretation Example
Your commentary should answer the following
questions (1) WHAT is my interpretation, and
(2) WHY is my interpretation relevant to my
thesis statement?
Commentary for previous detail:
1. This shows that the high demand placed
on students during their college years is
too much stress for many.
2. However, the pressure of college is
reflective of a future career and helps to
prepare young adults for these
challenges.

34. Commentary Type: Character or
Subject’s Feelings Using the “What
and Why” Method

35. Commentary
Character or Subject’s Feelings
Example
● 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.

36. Your commentary should answer the following
questions (1) WHAT is the subject’s feelings ,
and (2) WHY is the subject’s feelings relevant
to my thesis statement?
Commentary for previous detail:
1. He like most, experiences extreme
frustration over spending time and
money obtaining a degree that gives him
very little advantage when searching for
a job.
2. As a result, many are left wondering is
higher education is worth the cost.
Character or Subject’s
Feelings Example

37. Commentary Type: Personal Reaction
Using the “What and Why” Method

38. Commentary
Personal Reaction Example
● Topic: bullying
● Detail: Also, a bully might
speak cruelly in order to
intimidate, steal a student’s
belongings, or intentionally
exclude a student from a group.

39. Interpretation Example
Your commentary should answer the following
questions (1) WHAT is my personal reaction,
and (2) WHY is my personal reaction relevant
to my thesis statement?
Commentary for previous detail:
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.

40. Commentary Type: Evaluation Using
the “What and Why” Method

41. Commentary
Evaluation Example
● 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.

42. Evaluation Example
Your commentary should answer the following
questions (1) WHAT is my evaluation, and (2)
WHY is my evaluation relevant to my thesis
statement?
Commentary for previous detail:
1. Although this is a frightening
experience, it is not entirely the bear’s
fault.
2. In fact most of the time a bear attack is
the result of an individual not realizing
that the woods is a bear’s environment
and means one must be cautious and
respectful of that environment.

43. When to Use Commentary Types

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

45. Commentary Workshop

46. Workshop
1. Go back and look at step two of
writing details from last week’s
presentation.
2. Update your commentary to fit
the “what and why” method,
using the commentary types you
just learned.
3. If you have not already done
that step, use the worksheet
found here.

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