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

Me online english 4 quiz #1-10 question 1(multiple choice worth 10 points) (lc) what is a rhetorical device? a) techniques that elicit reactions b) support for the argument's claim c) analysis of an argument's main point d) evidence to support a claim question 2(multiple choice worth 10 points) (lc) which of the following is true of valid evidence to support an argument? a) can be based on a variety of opinions b) can come from an expert's testimony c) may be based on any online source d)may have details from wikipedia articles question 3(multiple choice worth 10 points) (lc) which type of argument appeals primarily to the emotions? a) political cartoon b) written argument c) infographic d) verbal speech question 4(multiple choice worth 10 points) (mc) staci is reviewing several sources related to her argument against restricted parking in the neighborhoods near her school. which of the following is the most credible source? a) data about the number of student drivers from 5 years ago b) information about traffic patterns in the neighborhood from a traffic engineer c) interviews with students about parking problems on campus d) observations staci conducts on a single afternoon in the affected neighborhoods question 5(multiple choice worth 10 points) (lc) which of the following sentences uses the rhetorical device called rhetorical questioning? a) what is the agenda for the protest march in washington? b) what was martin luther king's dream as delineated in his speech, "i have a dream? " c) why does a human being find it necessary to fight for freedom and justice? d) why did martin luther king present his "i have a dream" speech, in washington d. c.? question 6(multiple choice worth 10 points) (lc) when writing an argument, evidence is necessary to a) identify the audience b) tell a story c) elicit emotions d) refute a counterclaim question 7(multiple choice worth 10 points) (mc) which of the following presents a credible web resource for an argument about impurities in dog food? a) a guide to safe pet food published on petfoods. com b) a list of questionable products on wikipedia. org/wiki/petfood c) an article on foodsafety. gov about safety in the pet food industry d) an article on kibbledog. com about the ingredients in the product question 8(multiple choice worth 10 points) (mc) which of the following would offer the most valid evidence in an argument about the garden snake population in a local park? a) a narrative from a hunter about an encounter with a harmless snake in the woods b) an article by a scientist with 8 years' experience researching snake behaviors c) an encyclopedia entry detailing the behaviors shared by a majority of snakes d) an informative article about snake habitat by a company that makes snake traps question 9(multiple choice worth 10 points) (mc) read the following line from an argumentative essay: the proposal will destroy our most beloved old neighborhood trees, including the one we all climbed as children. this text presents an appeal to which of the following? a) ethos b) history c) logos d) pathos question 10(multiple choice worth 10 points) (mc) which of the following acknowledges a counterclaim? a) i do agree that the costs of the new park may be high initially, but the benefits—including financial gains—will be high in the long run. b) i do not think we can make a commitment to this project until we talk with all the interested parties. c) if we move too quickly on such a project, we will regret not investigating other options for development. d)while we cannot yet budget for a project of this size, we can make every effort to investigate the total investment.