Parents love to comment on everything their kids do. Nothing can go unnoticed – how else would their offspring know what they’re thinking? Comments can express opinions, reinforce points, and start a conversation. So it’s good to know how to write a comment – you might even be able to better comment on your parents’ comments after reading this explanation.
What exactly is a comment?
A comment is a type of text that is yours opinion or reaction to express target. In a comment you present your opinion on a certain situation.
Often comments are therefore also as opinion designated. Accordingly, they can look very different and deal with a wide variety of topics.
Write a comment English: Prepare
Emotions often come over us spontaneously. When you see a video of puppies on social media, you might want to directly comment on how cute these puppies are. Such comments are also important, but if you write a comment in English class, it usually takes a little more effort to create the text.
Write a comment: Topics
So if you leave a comment If you don’t have a specific task, you have to sign up for a theme decide what you want to comment on. It makes sense to choose a topic about which you have an opinion or about which you have something to say.
You can find inspiration for topics that you can comment on, e.g. e.g.:
- through your own interest: a topic on which you have something to say is easy to comment on
- in the Internet: many articles and posts invite comments and provide a topic to comment on
- in Conversation with friends and family: if there is a difference of opinion in your circle of acquaintances, you can also comment on it
sample topicswhich you can comment on, could be:
- no books should be banned
- teachers should talk about their life outside of school
- school should start after 8 o’clock
In class or during an exam, you will often be given a quote that you should write a comment about. This usually means that you have to agree or disagree with what was said. So comments can approvingas well as refusing be. You always have an opinion.
notes
Whether you are writing a commentary on a book, film, article, or quote, it always helps to gather your thoughts first. Notes are useful for this. You can write down all your thoughts and then sort them. This way you can find a structure for your comment.
For more on Notes, check out the Notes Explainer!
You formulate your thoughts into arguments for the comment, with which you make the opinion you represent clearer. It helps to divide the arguments into pros and cons – you take the side for which you have more convincing arguments.
Type of comment
In the task or the context in which you want to write a comment, it becomes clear what kind of comment you will write. You should therefore be careful what e.g. B. is required of you in an exam, because when preparing to write a comment it makes a difference what type of comment you will write.
In English lessons there are usually «personal comments«— personal comments – asked. In these you describe your own personal opinion. You use:
- a source text
- arguments
- your prior knowledge
This means that it is primarily about your opinion, which is nevertheless supported by arguments and previous knowledge. The goal of this comment is to make your opinion clear.
Another type of comments are «argumentative comments«— argumentative comments. You should weigh up these comments. Here pro and contra arguments and the comparison of these play an important role. The aim of this commentary is to draw a conclusion that emerges from the argument.
Write a comment English: construction
Regardless of their length and type, comments follow a concrete structure. Like other types of text, it consists of an introduction, main body and conclusion. your comment you usually write in the simple present.
You can find more about this tense in the explanation «Simple Present».
introduction
In the introduction to your comment, you give your readers a brief introduction to the topic. Note that the introduction doesn’t have to be a retelling or an exact summary, so don’t go into too much detail.
After you give the reader a overview about the situation, you raise a thesis or question on the subject. This allows you to arouse the interest of the readership.
formulations and useful phrases for a comment introduction
Here is some inspiration for the introduction of your comment:
English
German
(Point of view) has become the general consensus in regards to (topic). (Point of view) has become the general consensus on (topic). It has been repeatedly observed that… The author of the text/article/book/etc. proposes the following argument/thesis: … The author of the text/article/book/etc. proposes the following argument/thesis: …
Example of a comment introduction
You can find an example of an introduction to a personal comment here:
The article talks about a demonstration led by students who demanded that schools should start after 9 am in the future. The author ends by asking the reader’s opinions – so what reasons are there for schools to follow the demands of these students?
You can also address the readers yourself by asking them a question – like in the example above. Depending on where the comment was published, your language can be more formal or informal – i.e. colloquial. The example topic here is a reaction to an article, so a good mix of formal and informal is appropriate.
Imagine you have one blog entry, i.e. blog entry, read it and want one Write a comment. There a blabove entry is a subjective contribution by another user, you can make your comment a little more personal. However, the basic structure of the comment is retained in any case.
Would you like to read up on what a «Blog Entry» is? Then take a look at the explanation of the same name.
Bulk
In the main part of the comment you clarify yours perspectiverespectively position/opinion on the topic. For this you bring the arguments that you have considered in the preparation. You can make both pro and con arguments, no matter which side you take.
This applies to both types of comments – both argumentative and personal. In general, however, you work more often with contra-arguments when it comes to argumentative comments.
In both cases it is important that you close with the strongest argument:
- If you with arguments for and against Your perspective works, i.e. pro and contra arguments, then you start with the strongest counter-argument – which you then invalidate.
- If you only bring arguments that for your site speak, you start with the weakest pro argument.
In both cases, however, you close with the strongest argument, as this helps the reader to remember and understand your opinion.
structure of an argument
Arguments are structured as follows: You start with a claim/thesis, which is followed by a rationale and closes with an illustrative example.
Especially with the arguments that belong to your position, examples help the reader to make your arguments tangible. If possible, use examples from everyday life. This makes the argumentation about your position more comprehensible and closer to the life of your readers.
You can use examples that actually happened (anecdotes or things you know from the news), but you can also make up examples. So if you can think of a non-real situation that illustrates your point, you can use it as an example. The prerequisite for this is that it is realistic and relevant to your situation.
formulations and useful phrases for a comment body
In the main part you lead your arguments. You connect these with so-called linking words («connecting words»). You can find these and other formulations below:
English
German
According to…According to…However…Jedoch…As the author clearly states…On the one hand… on the other hand… On the one hand… On the other hand…First… Second… Third…First… Second… Third…An example that illustrates this point is…An example that illustrates this point, is…
You can find more connecting words in the «Connectives» explanation. Click through for inspiration!
Example of a comment body
A main part for the previous example can look like this:
Schools want to help students learn for life and grow up – that is why they should have their best interests in mind. The fact of the matter is that studies prove that students would be healthier and get better grades if schools started later in the day. By getting more sleep and adhering to their biological rhythm, students would get healthier and, in turn, be more in charge of their mental capacities – resulting in better grades. Do you remember being a teenager and having the weight of the world on your back, as well as the urgent need to create a personal identity? There are enough stress factors at play in the usual teenage life, school does not need to become even more of one than it is already.
In this example, the first sentence is the thesis. The thesis is followed by a rationale and an example that underscores the thesis. For the sake of simplicity, this body contains only one (strong) argument. In your comment you would add about three to five arguments.
Ending
In the final section of your comment, you briefly and concisely summarize your arguments. You don’t bring any new arguments. In the case of a personal comment, you write yours opinion up again, if you make an argumentative comment, you move in Conclusion from the arguments presented.
If you asked the readers a question in the introduction, answer it with your opinion in the final part. You can even repeat the question to make the back reference clear.
formulations and useful phrases for a comment ending
Finally, some formulations and helpful phrases for the end of your comment:
English
German
All in all/To summarize/In summary…In the end…In the end…By and large…On the whole…
Example of a comment ending
In the example comment about the start of school could…