It is likely that, at some point in your life, you will have to write a comment. Knowing how to analyze someone else's work in a constructive way is a useful skill, whether you are a teacher, editor, student, or hobbyist critic. To write a comment, there is no magic formula but what you write will depend on what you are going to criticize, your reasons for providing feedback and your opinion about the work. Your comment can be successful regardless of the topic if you have a clear objective and use solid writing.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Write a Literary Comment
Step 1. Define your thesis
In various high school and college courses, you will be assigned to write a literary commentary, through which you will have to evaluate a literary work. This is mostly a novel, poem, or play. For a comment to be successful, the key element is a clear and solid thesis statement.
- The thesis constitutes your argument or your point of view. Through the thesis, you adopt a position and then support it during the rest of the essay.
- For example, if you are writing a commentary on Great Expectations, this might be your thesis statement: "Dickens's novel is not only compelling but is also an insightful commentary on the differences between social classes in Great Britain. the industrial Revolution".
Step 2. Make an outline
This will vary greatly depending on how long you want the comment to be. To draft a shorter comment, such as a bullet point or a single paragraph, include the essential information that you will mention. For a longer comment outline, you need to create a structure for your answer.
At the top of the outline, you could write "Important Topics in Great Expectations" and then include bullets for "Scenario", "Ambition", "Class", etc., for example
Step 3. Introduce the topic
Your outline should also include an introductory paragraph to help you stay focused on the key points as you write. For example, you can include an introduction where you mention the context of the work, after which you move on to the analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, themes, etc., and end with a brief conclusion of the importance of the subject.
- This might be a way to start: "Great Expectations is filled with images that make the reader feel as if they are in 19th century England with Pip. This Dickens novel about social class, ambition and self-determination. love provides important information about the divisions of that time. "
- Then you could include a list of the topics that you will address in the body of the comment.
Step 4. Support your thesis using specific examples
Mention an issue or theme that you have identified, show where it is in the work, and then explain the effect this issue or issue has on it. For example, it might seem to you that a major theme in Great Expectations is Miss Havisham's obsession with lost love.
A great way to illustrate this is through the specific example that this character remains in her wedding dress even though it was rejected decades ago
Step 5. Link the examples to the topic
If you use specific examples, you should clearly illustrate how they relate to the more general topic. If you are going to use Miss Havisham's wedding dress as an example of grieving over a lost love, the reader will appreciate it if you explain clearly the importance of it.
- Here's an example of what you can write: "Ms. Havisham is an example of the topic that love can sometimes fail terribly, which is also an important topic when discussing the relationship between Pip and Estella."
- Be careful to use smooth transitions. You should use good transitional words or phrases to move from one example to another. Phrases you can use include "similarly," "backward," and "again."
Step 6. Write a strong conclusion
This is the section that will link the rest of the comment. You should make sure that the conclusion includes a summary of your argument, as well as indicating the reasons why the text you have read is important.
- In the case of a comment on Great Expectations, you should emphasize again in your summary: this is a good example of the divisions of social class and that sometimes ambition is not the best quality.
- You could also compare the book to another from the same time as a way to illustrate the importance of Dickens's work.
Step 7. Cite your sources
If you have used information from other sources, cite them according to the guidelines for assignment or publication. For example, you must quote every phrase from other sources. Create a separate "Works Cited" section at the bottom of the comment, where you will add this information.
Method 2 of 3: Write a data comment
Step 1. Understand the guidelines
A data comment is similar to comments of another type in that you must analyze an existing set of information to do so. However, instead of commenting on a book or movie, you'll be commenting on a data set. While a data comment may sometimes be a separate written work, these comments are usually found at the bottom of reports, usually labeled "Results" or "Discussion."
Also, your boss or teacher might ask you to write a data comment, so you should ask them what their expectations are (for example, in terms of length)
Step 2. Present the abstract
In a data commentary, one of the key elements is the research synopsis. You should write concisely about the results of the study and the reasons why it is important. You should also analyze and summarize the data.
For example, if your research is about the graduation rate of public schools in your country or city, you will need to explain the numbers and illustrate the reasons why the results are important
Step 3. Emphasize the key points
You will likely use charts or graphs in a data comment as a way to help illustrate the results. You could include a table showing the amount of money that families in your country pay for insurance and then you should comment on it and analyze it.
Here's something you could write: "As shown in Figure 1.2, since 2000, the cost of health care has increased steadily."
Step 4. Include a conclusion
Make sure the conclusion doesn't just repeat what you've already said. You should use different words to re-emphasize the importance of the results. You can also recommend other avenues for further investigation.
The conclusion, as with the rest of the data comment, must refer to specific data
Step 5. Include the sources
In a data comment, you should not only include facts and figures but also the sources of this information, as well as you must cite them following the accepted citation format.
- At the end of the data comment, there should be a specific section for sources.
- You should always provide a reference when mentioning figures or including a quote.
Method 3 of 3: Post a Comment
Step 1. Choose the topic
You could have the goal of writing a comment for a newspaper or for a blog. You should take the following into account when choosing the topic:
- Was a specific article assigned to you, like a comment on the best movies of 2016? This is an example of a case where someone else chooses the topic for you.
- Do you want to write to say something important? You can choose something that you are passionate about, like freedom of expression.
- Are you interested in writing about culture? You can choose a book or movie that has had a great impact on you.
Step 2. Do your research
You will need to do a little research regardless of the topic you choose. It's a good idea to make sure that all the information you collect is accurate, even if you're only writing a comment for your own blog.
- For example, to write a comment on a movie, you will need to make sure that all relevant names are correct.
- If your comment will be about politics, you should get a broad perspective on the subject by reading more than one different source.
Step 3. Give the comment the correct structure
Every good piece of writing should start with a good introduction. In the first paragraph, the topic and argument should be clearly stated. Then, in the body of the comment, there should be several paragraphs so that you can expand on your ideas.
- In the body of the comment you should include specific examples, in addition to elaborating on your ideas and explaining your research.
- Provide a strong conclusion. Repeat the thesis and mention new ways in which the topic can be considered further. For example, if your comment is about women's roles in film, you might suggest that this topic needs ongoing analysis.
Step 4. Choose the appropriate publication
To post your comment, you need to consider where would be the best place to submit your work. For example, if it is an article about the impact of the decrease in the bee population, you could send it to an academic journal that belongs to some field of science.
- If your comment is cultural, you could post it to a popular blog or website, as well as the lifestyle section of a newspaper.
- Check the guidelines for submitting texts, as each publication will have guidelines for length, style, and references, and you'll need to follow them carefully.
Advice
- When writing a comment for a class, you should carefully follow the instructions.
- You should make sure to carefully edit and refine your writing.