Fluent Essays

Topic 7: Writing A Commentary Objectives: 1. Synthesize your perspective with the patterns and qualities of a trend, event, or policy. 2. Use audience awareness in explaining the patterns and qualities in a topic, trend, event, or policy. 3. Cite properly using in-text and bibliographic citations. Assignment 1: According to strategies discussed in Chapter 4 of the textbook, post a message in which you explain the techniques you will use for your introductory paragraph and why they might be effective for you. Then write or revise your introductory paragraph using the techniques you have chosen. Post your introduction along with your explanation. Assignment 2: It is important to distinguish between your perspective and other perspectives regarding your commentary topic. What are some of the other perspectives you see? Summarize them briefly. Next, summarize your own perspective. In what ways does your perspective differ from other perspectives? Why is your perspective different?Genre, Revision, and EditingBy Sandi Van Lieu Introduction College students are often tempted to write essays the night before they are due and then submit them as is. Even in the professional world, employees may send out emails, letters, or other forms of work-related material before checking for errors. Website pages are sometimes published without a second thought as to checking and double-checking for errors. This method, however, will almost always result in the author seeing the mistakes later and feeling embarrassed for not editing first. Revision and editing are critical to the writing process. While brainstorming and drafting, writers should focus on getting their thoughts out and the content down; this is not the time to revise. Later during the revision stage, the writer should focus on revising the material and proofreading for grammatical errors. Even best-selling authors must still revise and edit because mistakes are always made, and often writers do not notice them the first time they revise. The best writers edit over and over again before turning in a final submission. This is the way the author is most likely to create organized content that is well written. As writing expert William Zinsser (2006) said, “Rewriting is the essence of writing well—where the game is won or lost” (p. 83). Many writers, including students, often do not like the idea of editing or are not sure how to go about it. Sometimes writers assume that editing is simply looking for grammatical errors or that they do not have the skills to self-edit or peer edit; however, because a reader knows when a concept does not make sense, a sentence is too wordy or awkward, or an argument jumps to conclusions, any reader can revise and edit. Often, reading out loud to oneself or to someone else can help to locate where revisions are necessary. Genre, Revision, and Editing Because  genre  is interrelated with purpose and audience, it is important to consider who the audience is and what the purpose is while revising. Recall the discussion of genre in Chapter 3. Revision  means to “see again.” It is the act of reading written material and rewriting and changing areas that need to be corrected. Revision generally focuses on “big picture” items, such as the standard parts of an essay, organization and flow, and generalizations and biases. Editing  is the act of reading written material that has been revised and correcting conventions related to grammar and mechanics. Editing generally focuses on detailed items such as grammar, mechanics, and writing styles. Revision When self-revising or even peer revising, an editor should focus first on higher level concerns rather than small or minor details. The following are the elements a writer should look for when revising. Introduction Content and Style Recall that the purpose of the  introduction  is to draw readers in and engage readers in the writing. In addition, the introduction discusses the backgrouWriting with Purpose 10 Writing the Commentary · Introduction · The Definition of Commentary · Social and Political Commentary · Prewriting Activities · Organization of Commentary Essay · Conclusion · Chapter Review · Key Terms · References Chapter 10 Writing the Commentary By Angela M. Lopez Introduction This chapter focuses on the comprehension, analysis, and writing of commentary. For the purpose of this course, students are encouraged to write public commentaries such as those found in the New York Times; specific examples relating to this category will be introduced and studied later in this chapter. Students will study the fundamental principles that comprise  commentary  and scrutinize trend topics that accompany this type of genre. Included in this section are example readings of various types of commentary. Students will explore these forms of expression and examine similarities and/or variations associated among them, particularly differences in language, forms of persuasion, and diversity in point-of-view. Students will acquire the knowledge necessary to realize the purpose of commentary and utilize the intellectual tools needed to write a distinct opinion regarding a significant  trend . In order to achieve this result, sections of this chapter focus on practice writing assignments that attempt to convince the reader that the writer’s opinion is more effective than other opinions. This section also includes discussion on the characteristics that comprise and differentiate the trend from fad. Students must grasp the difference between a strong, relevant, and far-reaching trend as opposed to a superficial, short-lived obsession. This chapter closes with an in-depth, detailed outline on the organization and final draft of the commentary essay. The Definition of Commentary The term commentary is derived from the medieval Latin word commentarius, which translates to “a message, letter, daily entry in a written log, diary, a form of written communication, or tabulation” (Lewis & Short, 1879). In modern-day society, the word commentary has transformed in meaning to denote an expression or assertion of opinion, either verbal or written in form, which discusses a definite belief on a particular subject or occurrence—specifically, a current event or trend. These topics range in theme and include, but are not limited to, world news and politics, controversial social issues, business or technology, professional sporting events, celebrity news and gossip, art, cuisine, fashion, and/or foreseeable progressing trends. A commentary is similar to an intellectual discussion in that various viewpoints are considered, debated, and rebutted or confirmed. The purpose of the commentary is for the writer to persuade the reader that his or her standpoint is compelling and ultimately conclusive when compared to other opinions. These persuasive opinions are found almost anywhere, but specifically in a