Objective: Create commentary for use in personal and academic writing. This writing activity provides you the opportunity to offer your opinion (and support it!) on any current event in the news today. This is known as a 'commentary' because you are making a 'comment' on an issue.

Writing a Commentary

A commentary is an essay in which you discuss an issue or an event. Identify an article in an online journal or newspaper that is interesting to you. This article may be about an issue or an event. Write a commentary on your chosen article. Your commentary should follow the essay format and demonstrate the correct use of Academic English. Avoid simply restating the information in the article but add your thoughts and ideas about the issue.

Prewriting

Step 1. Read through the article quickly. Note any words or phrases which strike you as worth comment.
Step 2. On your working paper, write brief notes placing the passage in context.

Writing

Step 3. Write your draft to include your notes.

Revising
Step 4. Review your draft, revising and editing as needed.

Simple Essay Format

Paragraph 1: An introduction and explanation of the topic or event and why it is of importance or interest to you.

Paragraph 2: A detailed explanation of your opinion on the topic or event.

Paragraph 3: Supporting details, reasons, or examples to support your opinion. You should also provide some resources that support your opinion.

Paragraph 4: A summary, or conclusion, that wraps it up for the reader

Review

Directions: Follow the steps below to complete the activity.

Step 1. Identify an article in an online newspaper or news journal.

Step 2. Use the suggestions in the lesson to help you write a commentary on the article that you chose for this lesson.

Step 3. Provide the link to the item so that we may review it while reading your commentary.

Step 4. In your commentary include all of the skills you have learned so far;

Synonyms and Antonyms

Prefix and Suffix

Connotation and Denotation

Idioms

Subject/Predicates in both natural and inverted order