how to write a comparative commentary
A2 Comparative Commentary
1.Choosing the texts :(5mins)
Firstly you have to choose which texts you are going to compare. You do not have the time to spend ages making this decision. Look briefly at the two pairs of texts. Note what type of texts they are and skim them to see which ones appeal to you the most. It might be a case of choosing the pair you understand the most, or not choosing a poem, for example. Once you have made your choice, stick to it. You have `reading time' at the start of the exam to do this.
2.Read the texts:(15-20 mins)
Read each text carefully, underlining key points as you read. Try to establish the key theme which links the two texts.
Make a note of the text genre, purpose, audience, tone.
3.Re-read the texts
Re-read the text looking carefully for literary devices.Try and find similarities/differences in how the texts are written. For example, a poem is going to use lots of description, imagery etc whereas a newspaper article for a broadsheet will be more formal and informative in style.Annotate the texts, underline/highlight everything you feel is important to include in your commentary. Your texts should be covered in writing, underlinings and colours!
4.Make a plan:(10 mins)
You should make a detailed paragraph plan, noting roughly what you will include in each paragraph. You will not have time to write a rough copy but if your plan is done well enough, this will not be a problem.
How are you going to structure your commentary? There is no set pattern to follow, however I suggest you do the following:
Introduction:Introduce your texts. State the title, author, date written(if known)and genre. Summarize content of each text in one sentence. State the common theme.
Paragraph one:State the purpose, audience and tone of each text. Comment on the structure of the texts and what effect this has.You could also mention the point of view(l st/2n d/3r d person narrator; biased/objective)
Body of commentary:You now need to compare and contrast the two texts. The number of paragraphs you write will depend on each individual although you should be aiming for 3-4 sides of exam paper. Do not deal with text A and then text B. Equally, don't talk about the themes and then a separate section for language devices. You must show how the language is used to communicate the themes of the text. Divide your commentary up into sub-themes . Refer back to your list of literary devices and explain the effect they have in the text. Incorporate your examples into the text. Remember:Point - Quotation- Comment (PQC) Example:The author conveys the idea of fear and terror when he refers to the house as "desperately dark" and this use of alliteration emphasises the main character's feelings as he enters the house. This sharply contrasts with the house in text B which is described as "a large, welcoming bungalow... ". Here the atmosphere is completely different and we see Remember one paragraph=one idea. You van compare the two texts in the same paragraph, but start a new one when you move onto another idea.
When you have mentioned all the key points comparing the two texts you need to end on a short conclusion. Don't be vague and say that `the two texts have lots of similarities and differences' - this is obvious. By all means, make a generalised point about how the two texts deal with the same theme but in a different way but try to add an element of originality. Did you find the texts effective? Is one more effective than the other? Why? What was the message of each text? Was it effectively conveyed to you, the audience?
You have approx1 hour to write the commentary and should aim for 3-4 sides of exam paper. Remember to spend the last 5minutes checking your work carefully as there are 10 points for the `quality of language' you use.
5 min reading time - choose pair of texts
15-20 min reading and annotating text.
10 min make a detailed plan
50 mins write the commentary
5-10 mins read through and check your grammar.
Total: 1h30 mins + 5 min reading time
Example of a good introduction:
Text la is an article taken from the British broadsheet newspaper `The Guardian', published on July 27`h2003. It deals with the controversial topic of testing cosmetics on animals. Text lb also deals with the subject of animals, however, unlike text la, it deals with one animal: the mouse. Being a poem, the text is highly imaginative and visual and the author, Gillian Clarke, contrasts the natural, idyllic world of `The Field-mouse' with the Bosnian crisis erupting in the 1990s. Both texts therefore share the common theme of animals and human reactions towards them. Being of different genres they clearly do not share the same focus and deal with the subject matter in contrasting ways.
Example of a good conclusion
To conclude, the article and poem successfully deal with the subject of animals but in very different ways. `The Guardian's' aim was to alert readers of the dangers concerning animal testing and to provoke emotion in its readers. It successfully does this through its informative style and reference to key case studies carried out by scientists. On the other hand, Gillian Clark's `The Field-Mouse' shows us the plight of one animal but, like `The Guardian', refers to a newsworthy event. This evokes emotion in the reader as it deals with the sensitive subject of war. Both texts are therefore successful in their aims of informing and entertaining a wide readership.
Example of incorporating quotations into your writing: Point Quotation Comment As a broadsheet, `The Guardian' uses a series of techniques used by journalists to grab the reader's attention. The rhetorical question "How many mice die each year from cosmetic testing?" opens the article in an effective way, drawing the reader into the world of testing cosmetics. This contrasts sharply with the more emotive language of `The Field-mouse' which describes the mouse as being `soft' `white' `fluffy'. These adjectives give us a good idea of the kind of mouse the poet is alluding to.
Words/Phrases for writing about a text.
The purpose: to argue, entertain, inform, persuade, explain...
The tone: joyful, happy, melancholy, solemn, serious, lighthearted, satirical, ironic, good-humoured, formal, informal, impersonal, emotional, detached, poignant....
The text is aimed at/is directed at/ targets/ is taken from...
The author describes/ depicts/ portrays/ illustrates/ suggests/ argues/draws a parallel between....
This image suggests that/implies that/coneys/captures/symbolizes/represents/alludes to...
The use of ...intensifies...
Reference is made to-which...
The ... is closely linked to...
...help the reader to understand...
Checklist of things to look for in a comparative commentary:
Genre
Purpose
Audience
Point of view
Author
Period when written
Structure(of text and sentences)
Register(informal/formal)
Tone
Diction/Lexical fields
Qualifiers(adjectives/adverbs etc)
Tenses
Punctuation
Imagery:simile/metaphor
Symbolism(something that stands for or represents an idea/emotion)
Assonance/alliteration
Personification
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron (two contradictory words eg. Bitter-sweet)
Repetition
Rhetorical questions
(If it is a poem/song, comment on rhyme, rhythm, stanzas, structure etc)