Getting Started
This topic focuses on the most critical part of your argument: the commentary. Strong commentary is what separates a list of facts from a persuasive essay. It is your opportunity to explain your thinking, connect your evidence to your claim, and guide your reader to your conclusion. This chapter will teach you how to write commentary that convincingly explains how and why your evidence proves your point, solving the common problem of simply dropping in evidence without analysis.
What You Should Be able to Do
After working through this topic, you should be able to:
Explain the logical connection between a specific piece of evidence and a claim.
Write commentary that clarifies the significance or relevance of evidence.
Develop a line of reasoning by using commentary to link evidence and claims.
Differentiate between summarizing evidence and providing analytical commentary.
Use various commentary techniques to deepen your analysis and persuade your audience.
Key Moves and Effects
Claim and Thesis
In an argument, your central assertion is your thesis, which is a defensible and debatable statement. Each body paragraph will then have its own claim, a smaller assertion that supports the overall thesis. Effective commentary always works in service of proving these claims. Your commentary must consistently and explicitly connect back to the specific claim of the paragraph and the broader thesis of the essay.
Reasoning and Organization
A strong argument is built on a clear line of reasoning, which is the logical progression of ideas that leads the reader from the thesis to the conclusion. Commentary is the essential connective tissue of this progression. It is the "because" part of your argument, explaining why one idea logically follows from another and how a piece of evidence supports a particular reason. Without commentary, your essay is just a collection of disconnected claims and evidence.
Evidence and Commentary
Evidence is the factual information—such as examples, anecdotes, or data—that you use to support your claims. However, evidence cannot speak for itself. Your job as a writer is to provide commentary, which is the analysis, interpretation, and explanation that illuminates the relationship between the evidence and the claim.
Effective commentary answers key questions for the reader:
So what? Why is this piece of evidence important?
How does this prove your point? What specific part of the evidence supports your claim?
What does this evidence imply or suggest? What are the broader consequences or meanings of this fact?
Think of yourself as a guide. Your evidence is a landmark on a map, and your commentary is you explaining the landmark's significance to a tourist. You don't just point to it; you explain its history, its importance, and how it fits into the larger story of the city. In writing, your commentary explains how the evidence fits into the larger story of your argument.
Data and Organization Tools
A powerful way to structure your body paragraphs and ensure your commentary is doing its job is to follow a "reasoning chain." This tool helps you visualize the logical flow from your main idea to your specific analysis.
Reasoning Chain
| Element | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Claim | The main point of your paragraph; a reason that supports your thesis. | Implementing a four-day school week would improve student well-being. |
| Evidence | The specific fact, example, or detail you use to support the claim. | A recent district pilot program showed a 20% decrease in student absences after switching to a four-day week. |
| Commentary | Your explanation of how and why the evidence proves the claim. | This reduction in absences suggests that the extra day for rest and appointments allows students to... |
| Link | A concluding thought that connects back to the thesis or to the next point. | ...recharge physically and mentally, directly contributing to a healthier and more positive learning environment. |
Commentary Strategies and Moves
To move beyond simple summary, incorporate these specific analytical moves into your commentary. These strategies help you dig deeper into the evidence and articulate its significance more effectively.
Explaining Significance: Directly state why the evidence is important and what it demonstrates. This move explicitly tells the reader what you want them to understand from the evidence.
Interpreting Evidence: Explain what the evidence means in the context of your argument. Go beyond the surface-level fact to uncover the underlying assumptions or implications.
Analyzing Details: Zoom in on specific words, numbers, or details within the evidence. Explain why these particular details are revealing or persuasive.
Connecting to the Claim: Use transitional words and phrases to explicitly link the evidence back to the paragraph's main claim. Phrases like "This demonstrates that..." or "The consequence of this is..." create a clear logical bridge.
Elaborating on Implications: Discuss the potential effects, consequences, or broader meaning of the evidence. This shows you are thinking about the "big picture" and the real-world relevance of your argument.
Using Rhetorical Questions: Pose thoughtful questions that guide the reader’s thinking and emphasize the importance of the evidence. This can be an effective way to prompt the reader to agree with your analysis.
Repeating Key Ideas: Strategically restate a core concept from your claim after presenting evidence. This repetition reinforces your line of reasoning and keeps the reader focused on your main point.
Skill Snapshots
Here are three examples showing how commentary connects a piece of evidence to a claim. Notice how the commentary does more than just restate the evidence.
Example 1: School Policy
Claim: Uniform policies in public schools restrict students' ability to express their individuality.
Evidence: A survey from Northwood High School found that 78% of students felt their school uniform did not reflect their personal identity.
Commentary: This overwhelming percentage reveals that for the vast majority of students, the uniform is not a symbol of unity but a tool of conformity. By preventing them from making basic choices about their appearance, the policy sends a message that personal expression is secondary to institutional control, thereby stifling the very individuality that schools claim to foster.
Example 2: Technology
Claim: The constant connectivity of modern smartphones has paradoxically led to a decline in meaningful social interaction.
Evidence: An observational study noted that in a coffee shop, 8 out of 10 pairs of people sitting together were looking at their phones instead of talking to each other.
Commentary: While these individuals are physically together, their psychological attention is fragmented and directed elsewhere. This behavior demonstrates how the allure of a digital world can sever the tangible, present-moment connections that are essential for building deep relationships, replacing genuine conversation with shallow, screen-based engagement.
Example 3: History
Claim: The construction of the transcontinental railroad in the 19th century was driven as much by a desire for national unity as by economic ambition.
Evidence: In his 1862 address to Congress, President Lincoln advocated for the railroad, calling it a project "to bind the continent."
Commentary: Lincoln's choice of the word "bind" is significant; it implies more than just a physical connection. It suggests a deliberate act of mending and strengthening a nation fractured by civil war. This framing reveals that the railroad was envisioned as a powerful symbol of a reunified country, a steel artery that would pump life and a shared identity into its distant territories.
Common Misconceptions and Clarifications
Misconception: Commentary is just summarizing the evidence.
- Clarification: Summary restates what the evidence says. Commentary explains why the evidence matters and how it proves your point. Summary is "in other words," while commentary is "this shows that..."
Misconception: The evidence speaks for itself.
- Clarification: No evidence can interpret itself. You must always explain its relevance to your specific argument. Your reader cannot read your mind and may interpret the evidence differently if you don't provide clear guidance.
Misconception: Good commentary is just adding your personal opinion.
- Clarification: Commentary is your reasoned analysis, not an unsupported feeling. It must be logically grounded in the evidence you've presented. The goal is to offer a thoughtful interpretation, not just state a preference.
Misconception: The longer the quote or piece of evidence, the stronger the argument.
- Clarification: The strength of an argument lies in the quality of its commentary, not the quantity of its evidence. A short, well-analyzed piece of evidence is far more persuasive than a long quote that is left unexplained.
Summary
Effective commentary is the engine of a successful argument. It is the intellectual work you do to show your reader how the evidence you've chosen logically and persuasively supports your claims. By moving beyond summary and actively interpreting, analyzing, and explaining, you transform a collection of facts into a coherent and compelling line of reasoning. Mastering the art of commentary means mastering the art of persuasion, as it allows you to control the narrative of your argument and guide your reader to see the world through your analytical lens.