IB: Written Commentaries

I cannot stress this enough:  TAKE YOUR TIME.  YOU HAVE 2 HOURS.  BE BRILLIANT.

BEFORE arriving

1.  Breathe a lot.

2.  Have a plan for attacking the passage or poem you choose on your exam. Decide before you come into the exam how much time you are going to allow yourself to read, to mark, to think, and then to write your commentary.  Know yourself and what you will need to budget time for to be successful. REMEMBER: YOU WILL HAVE 2 HOURS TO READ, PREPARE, AND WRITE YOUR COMMENTARY.

 

DURING your PREPARATION time

1.  Read both the passage and the poem through once each. Read carefully.

2.  Decide which text you think you want to write your commentary on. Only pick ONE.

3.  Re-read the texts (the passage or the poem) you chose 2 or 3 more times. Start making some notes about themes and what the text seems to be about.

4. Re-read some more start taking serious notes and marking techniques. Highlight, underline, circle, mark it, mark it, mark it and make sure you can understand your own markings for easy reference during your commentary.

5. Settle on your thesis (quickly!).

6.  Outline and organize your commentary, particularly the order of your evidence and analysis. Remember, your commentary should have a beginning, middle, and an end.

 

WHILE writing your commentary...

1.  Begin with a brief statement of where you're going. This should not be a formal, long, and detailed thesis like you'd write out in an essay.  You should introduce your theme (and if appropriate, the function) of the poem, though.

2.  Stay focused. Follow the outline you made.

3.  Present as much textual evidence as possible and analyze each piece in depth. Build your evidence and analysis up step by step to fully prove your thesis.

4.  Tie your analysis of each piece back into all or part of your thesis.

5.  Wrap up your analysis with a conclusion. This is your opportunity to really make sure you've "sold" your thesis.

6.  Proofread/read carefully to yourself to check for clarity and errors.