Mr.

Assem (CPGE Moulay Driss)

Commentary:
1-It is a writing genre like narration, argumentation, etc.
We start commentary by :
1-Analysis: explain+provide the gist of the quote+find patterns of meaning between key
concepts/words (relationships of causation, complementariness, contradiction …)
2-Interpretation: This is where you state your point of view about the issue(s) raised in the quote.
3-Providing persuasive explanations with examples: It is never enough to declare only your point of
view. To be convincing, you should always think of persuasive examples and explanations to back up
your interpretation. Remember, your commentary should persuade the reader of your view. For that
matter, you need to cite scientific experiments, studies, experts’ views, verses from Quran, sayings of
the prophet, newspapers/magazines/periodicals/articles, personal experiences, etc.
4- Being neutral: You can also be neutral without taking sides (agreeing/disagreeing) provided that
you offer an explanation of convincing reasons to be so.

EXAMPLE:
“What I believe is that marriage is between a man and a woman, but what I also believe is that we
have an obligation to make sure that gays and lesbians have the rights of citizenship that afford them
visitations to hospitals, that allow them to be, to transfer property between partners, to make
certain that they're not discriminated on the job.” Barack Obama
1-Analysis: B.O supports full citizenship rights for gays and lesbians and considers them to be equal
to other Americans. This support is based on the principal of equality among US citizens, which is
grounded in the American constitution. The latter, guarantees a set of civil liberties that American
citizens can take advantage of.
2+3 As far as I am concerned, B. O’s view that lesbians and gays should be treated equally as other
‘normal’ citizens is altogether wrong. I believe that these sexual abnormalities aren’t pre-determined
or congenital to justify the call for equality, but they are preferences which are developed over the
course of the victims’ lives. In other words, they themselves voluntarily opted for this kind of
lifestyle. If we were to approve the opposite view, human race would cease to exist. Second, from a
religious point of view, God is our creator and knows what is good/bad for us. It is something of
truism to say that God can’t order us to avoid doing something and at the same time create us with
things which incite us to do it. Allah says in Al-Baqarah (the cow) chapter: “On no soul doth Allah
Place a burden greater than it can bear”. To conclude, I think that the misuse and the
misinterpretation of civil liberties will undoubtedly have serious ramifications on the human
societies’ welfare. Gays and lesbians are in dire need of rehab clinics and not more abuse of freedom.
Don’t forget to finish your commentary by a powerful concluding sentence(s)[conclusion]. Your
conclusion can either repeat what you said earlier using different words, suggest something or both.