Writing a Commentary

Remember that your will be marked in terms of 3 assessment objectives:

1 – Accuracy and use of appropriate TERMINOLOGY.

2 – Comments on changes made during the DRAFTING PROCESS and use of STYLE MODELS.

3 – Comments on how your language choices were affected by your PURPOSE, AUDIENCE & GENRE.

Each of these will receive a mark out of 10.  So, if you FAIL to comment on drafting and style models, for example, you will lose a third of your marks.

The KEY is to have selected several (10+) quotes / features from each of your texts to demonstrate how effective your writing is in achieving its PURPOSE.

Remember that whether your primary purpose is to persuade, inform, advise etc, it should always be entertaining (and therefore interesting to read).

Following is an outline you may follow to produce a commentary that covers the essential frameworks.  If you do use this model, make sure that the whole essay flows coherently from paragraph to paragraph with connecting words / phrases such a:

In contrast….  However…        Whereas…..         

Similarly….           Moreover…. etc.

Introduction

This should cover the fundamental aspects of GENRE, AUDIENCE & PURPOSE.  You should refer to your style model and comment on where you imagine your text being published.

Discourse (Structure)

Comment on features that show how the text is structured (at least in terms of a 3-part structure).

Lexis

Explain how the register is appropriate to genre, audience etc.  Note how the register will probably be deliberately varied. 

Pragmatics & Semantics

Many of the quotes that you select should be analysed in terms of their effect upon the reader, their connotations, your use of metaphorical language etc.

Grammar

Consider grammatical choices that you will have made (e.g sentence structure, sentence mood, use of tenses, use of 1^st & 2^nd person etc.)

Conclusion

As with the introduction, return to more general comments on how successful you consider your text to have been.