Birgitte J. answered • 10/02/20
Writing (IB, IGCSE, ToK, research writing, college essay)
Paper 1: IB English Language and Literature Standard Level Preparation
First Examination Session: May 2021, Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
How to write the commentary in 12 steps
1) Decide on which text you want to analyze and determine the text type. (You should aim to practice identifying the features of different text types prior to the exam). Pick the text with the most substance you feel you can comment on in an intelligent manner. Spend a maximum of 5 minutes making this decision.
2) Give an initial reading of your chosen passage and try to identify its overall message. Helpful questions you can ask yourself at this stage are: What is the purpose of the text? What meaning is the author trying to convey? What is the central emotional resonance? It may be helpful to use the SOAPSTONE acronym to remember the important parts in the text or the OPTIC method for visual analysis. Also, at the bottom of the text notice a prompt or question that hints at what to look for in the text.
3) Spend some time thinking about this, and then formulate a thesis statement: a single sentence that states very clearly your exact impression of the text.
4) Go over the text, this time asking yourself the question: how is the author accomplishing this aim? This should not be an attempt to spot features randomly, but considering how language has been used to convey the message or meaning of the text. Annotate thoroughly, scouring the text for as many different linguistic devices that serve your thesis statement.
5) After about five minutes of close reading, you should hopefully have found three or four major linguistic ways in which the author is conveying the meaning or message. Select at least two quotations from each of these ways and organize them under headings, for example: natural imagery, religious symbolism, irony, a war motif, use of rhythm, punctuation and more.
6) Now you are ready to begin your plan. Write your full thesis statement. The thesis statement should combine your overall impression of the passage with a precise indication of the three main linguistic areas you are going to focus on. For example: In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Edgar Allan Poe uses the symbolism of the stranger, the clock, and the seventh room to develop the theme of death.
7) Now plan each of your three paragraphs. Select at least two quotations, one from the beginning and another from the middle or end of your text, demonstrating an appreciation for the literary feature across the passage and noting any developments such as for example; a change in perspective or tone. For each quotation, write a few words in your plan that will help you analyze the language of the quotation.
8) Once you have completed this for all your paragraphs, you are ready to start writing! You should spend around 30 minutes on your plan: this may seem like a lot of time but when you come to writing the commentary you will save time because you know exactly what you are writing about in each of your paragraphs.
9) Begin the commentary with some brief context about the passage, 1-3 sentences. (Identify the text type, use SOAPSTONE to help you understand what is important about the context for the passage). The next sentence should be your thesis statement, which should be stated in a precise and clear manner. Then outline the three main text features you will be focusing on. Avoid vague descriptions like ‘structure, form, tone’ but instead add more descriptive adjectives that show you have a more subtle appreciation of these devices, for example: ‘chiastic structure, war motif, sombre tone.’
11) Next, go into your first paragraph. Think of each paragraph as being a self-contained mini-essay. Make a Point, Illustrate with a quotation, Explain (analyze) (P.I.E Method for structuring paragraphs). Each of your quotations should merely be illustrations of the point you make in your opening sentence. Make sure you analyze the specific language of each quotation, remembering each time to connect those thoughts to the message of your thesis statement. As you progress through the commentary, remember to quote frequently from the text. Keep the quotations short so you can go into lots of details about the techniques being used.
12) Your conclusion, much like your introduction, should be short. Summarize your main points and how these points build towards your thesis statement. Hopefully the process of writing the commentary has prompted you to think more deeply about the purpose or meaning of the text and you may want to add a thought about that here. End the conclusion with a reference to your thesis statement.
The most important thing is to demonstrate that you understand what the text is about, how the writer has conveyed the message through language features, and that you structure your essay clearly and in a coherent and connected fashion. If you would like individual help with your Paper 1 commentaries, please reach out to me. I can work with you on analyzing text examples of the new Paper 1, review and grade student responses, review examiner comments on those responses, and I can help you structure your own practice essay. Assuming you get these samples from your teacher, I can help you with any Paper 1 text you want to share with me.
