CREATIVE NONFICTION

Quarter 2 – Module 1, Week 1-2:

Presentation a Commentary/Critique on a
Chosen Creative Nonfictional Text
Representing a Particular Type or Form
Creative NonFiction Alternative Delivery Mode Quarter 2 – Module 1, Week 1-2:
Presenting a Commentary/Critique on a
Chosen Creative Nonfictioal Text Representing a Particular Type or Form First
Edition, 2020

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 Creative Non-Fiction
Quarter 2 – Module 1-Week 1-2:
Presentation a Commentary/Critique on a
Chosen Creative Nonfictional Text
Representing a Particular Type or Form
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the CREATIVE NON FICTION-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Alternative Delivery

Mode (ADM) Module on The Forms and Types of Creative Nonfiction.

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by

educators both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or
facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum
while overcoming their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also
aims to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This provides essential guidelines and lists several popular
books and several resources to help aspiring writers learn that art
and craft of writing
creative nonfiction.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them
to manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and
assist the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

For the learner:

Welcome to the Creative Non Fiction –Senior High School Alternative Delivery
Mode (ADM) Module on The Forms and Types of Creative Nonfiction.

Creative nonfiction is about fact and truth. The truth can be about a
personal experience, event, or issue in the public eye. Nonfiction can take many
forms: biographies,autobiographies,memoirs,essays,journals,letters,diaries,speeche
s, and many more formats. With this module you will learn to understand various
works and how you are going to critique and analyze them. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.
This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know

This will give you an idea of the skills or competencies you are expected to
learn in the module.

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 What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to check what
you already know about the lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link the

current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be introduced to

you in various ways such as a story, a song, a poem, a problem
opener, an activity or a situation.
What is It This section provides a brief discussion of the
lesson. This aims to help you discover and understand new
concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and skills of the
topic. You may check the answers to the exercises using the
Answer Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process what you learned
from the lesson.
What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will help
you transfer your new knowledge or skill into real life situations
or concerns.

Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your level of

mastery in achieving the learning competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given

to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the lesson learned. This
also tends retention of learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.

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 If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning
and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

What I Need to Know

Welcome to Module 1! This module will be your partner in understanding the

different creative nonfiction types and form. For a text to be considered creative
nonfiction, it must be factually accurate and should be written with a touch of
literary style and technique. In the end, the primary goal of creative nonfiction
writer is to communicate just like a reporter, but organize it in a way that it reads
like fiction.

In this module you will be guided in presenting a commentary/critique on a

chosen creative nonfictional text representing a particular type or form
(Biography/Autobiography, Literary Journalism/Reportage, Personal Narratives,
Travelogue, Reflection Essay, True Narratives, Blogs, Testimonies, Other Forms).

The module consists of one lesson, namely:

• Lesson 1: Types and Forms of Creative Nonfiction

• Lesson 2: Writing a Commentary/Critique of a Selected Nonfictional
text

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Describe the different types or forms of nonfiction;

2. Compare and contrast some nonfiction types and forms; and
3. Evaluate a creative nonfiction piece and give its form.

What I Know

DIRECTIONS: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the chosen letter on the
given answer sheet.
1. The writer composes his/her life story, from birth to the present, using the 1 st
person “I”. Sometimes called as memoirs.
a. Autobiography b. Biography c. Travelogue d. Literary Journalism
2. This is an account of someone’s life written by someone else.
a. Autobiography b. Biography c. Travelogue d. Literary Journalism

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3. The writer crafts an essay about an issue or topic using literacy devices, such as
the elements of fiction and figurative language.
a. Autobiography b. Biography c. Travelogue d. Literary Journalism
4. This is a formal written or spoken statement.
a. Autobiography b. Biography c. Travelogue d. Literary Journalism
5. In the developmental task theory, which stage achieves emotional independence
of adults?
a. Autobiography b. Biography c. Travelogue d. Literary Journalism
6. A piece of writing that focuses on a topic through the lens of the personal
experiences of the narrator.
a. Essay b. Personal essay c. Lyric Essay d. Reflective essay
7. You’ll reflect on how you’ve changed or how an event changed you.
a. Essay b. Personal essay c. Lyric Essay d. Reflective essay
8. The writer crafts articles or essays about travel using literary devices.
a. Journal b. Blogs c. Travelogue d. Reflective Essay
9. Is frequently updated online personal journal or dairy. It is a place to express
yourself to the world.
a. Journal b. Blogs c. Travelogue d. Reflective Essay
10.It is an expression of opinions or offering of explanations about an event or
situation.

a. commentary b. reflection c. critique d. journal

Lesson Forms and Types of Creative

1 Nonfiction

Learning to write creative nonfiction well is all about learning how to find your
voice and your perspective on any story you want to write. The wonderful thing about
creative nonfiction is that from the same facts, we can tell hundreds of different stories.
Everyone has a different perspective.

What’s In
To write great creative nonfiction, a writer must tell a fact-based story in
an imaginative way-not as easy a task as it sounds! Nonfiction writers must be
dedicated to preserving the truth of their stories with the right amount of knowledge
gained from your studies in the past. Can you recall your past readings and topics last
quarter? What lesson do you remember and get from essays and blogs?

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 Notes to the Teacher
This provides essential guidelines and lists several
popular books and several
resources to help aspiring writers
learn that art and craft of writing creative nonfiction.

What’s New

In this module, you will learn about the different forms and types of
creative nonfiction. You will be reading given sample titles of each forms and
types of creative nonfiction.

Activity 1

Directions. Read each question and answer them on your Reflective Journal.
1.
What Philippine news program do you watch? Why do you choose it over another?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2.
Which do you like watching, plain news or a news documentary? Why?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Biography
The word “biography” comes from two Greek words, bio (“life) and graphia
(“Writing”). A biography, or simply bio, is the story of someone’s life written by
another person. Biographies often tell about the lives of well-known, important
people such as world leaders, scientists, movies stars, and athletes.
A Critical Biography is a type of bio in which the writer analyze his or her
subject. The tone is detached and even skeptical.
Another type of biography is the Scholarly Bio which is a straightforward
compilation of facts.
Another is Profiles. The writer constructs biographies or essays on real people
using literary devices.

Inspiring BIOGRAPHY Examples

● A Life in Parts by Bryan Cranston
● Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time by Howard
Schultz
● Eleanor Roosevelt (Volume One and Two) by Blanche Wiesen Cook
● On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
● Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

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Autobiography
The writer composes his/her life story, from birth to the present, using the first
person “I.”
When someone writes the story of his or her own life, the result is an
autobiography. It tells the writer’s feelings and thoughts about the people,
places, and things that are important in his or her life.
Autobiography is supposed to be a type of nonfiction, but there is often
considerable latitude between how the subject sees his or her life and how
others call it.

Inspiring AUTOBIOGRAPHY Examples

● I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. I told myself, Malala you have already faced death…
● Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain…
● Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela…
● Born a Crime by Trevor Noah…
● M Train by Patti Smith

Memoir
A memoir is a popular form of autobiography. It is written in story form
like a novel and uses many of the techniques common to fiction. The major
difference between memoir and autobiography spans the entire of a person with
intricate details such as the childhood family history, education and profession.

Inspiring MEMOIRS Examples

● Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays With Morrie
● Augusten Burroughs’s Running with Scissors,
● Dave Pelzer’s A Child Called “It”,
● David Sedaris’s Me Talk Pretty One Day,
● Elie Wiesel’s Night

Essays
An essay is a short piece of prose that examines a single subject, usually
expressing a personal or limited view of the topic. A personal essay falls into
two categories: The longer essay generally published by literary magazines or
literary online journals is about 2500 to 3000 words.
Essays can be formal and informal. A formal essay is serious in tone
and subject and more objective in point of view. This form is basically identical
with prose writing in which the literary effect is secondary to a serious purpose.
It is unbiased and intended to inform the reader. On the other hand, an
informal essay has an informal tone, as if the author is speaking directly to
the reader. It describes the writer’s reaction to an experience.

Personal Narratives /True Narrative

A narrative is a story. A true narrative essay is a true story, with plot,
action, suspense characters and setting which delivers a theme. A true
narrative is the most informal pf the various types of essays, thus it does not
follow a set format because you are telling a story according to your sense of
style-the narrative voice.

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Literary Journalism/Reportage
Literary Journalism uses the techniques of journalism (such as
interviews and review) in order to look outside of the straight forward, objective
world that journalism creates.

Blogs
A blog is a frequently updated online personal journal or diary. It is a
place to express yourself to the world. A place to share your thoughts and your
passions. The content of a blog typically includes texts, pictures, videos,
animated GIFs and even scans from old physical offline diaries or journals and
other hard copy documents.

What is It

Activity 2
Directions: Match the items in column A to the descriptions in column B. Write
the letter only on your Reflective Journal.
Column A Column B
1. Personal narrative A. The purpose in telling the story is to express a
point or observation. B. It is a combination of factual reporting with
2. Reflective essay narrative techniques and stylistic strategies.
3. Literary journalism C. It is an essay that describes an actual experience
4. Travelogue in the author’s life.
5. True narrative D. It recounts an author’s specific excursion
6. Blog E. It requires the author to inform the reader
about his/her idea or impression regarding a given
topic
F. It is diary or journal located on a website.
G. It is a story about imaginary people.

What’s More

Activity 3

Directions: Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast the indicated forms
of creative nonfiction. Use your Reflective Journal for your answers.

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 Biography

Autobiography Memoir

What Have I Learned

These are the key points discussed in this lesson:

 Creative Nonfiction is another form of writing that make use of the literary techniques
usually associated with fiction to describe on actual persons, places or event in fact

 encompasses many different forms of prose. Nonfiction only works if the story is
based in truth, an accurate retelling of the author’s life experiences.

 Fact, Extensive research, Reportage/reporting, Personal experience and personal

opinion,

Explanation/Exposition and Essay format are important elements in creative nonfiction.

 Biography/autobiography, memoir, personal narrative, true narrative, reflective essay,

travelogue, literary journalism, history, chronicle and blog are its common forms.

What I Can Do?

Activity 4

Directions: Evaluate the sample creative nonfiction pieces below and tell its type its its type or
form. Write the letter of your answer on your Reflective Journal.

1. I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the
essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not,
when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was
not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite

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 necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so
sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad
swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.

A. biography B. travelogue C. memoir D. personal narrative

2. Though I grew up on Long Island near New York City, I very much wanted
to be a farm kid, and one way I got to be was by way of my kid-bible, the Good
Earth Almanac by Mark Gregory, which is probably out of print now. This was a
kind of counterculture, back-to-the-land guide for kids, which showed how to tan
hides with acorns, cut holes in frozen lakes for ice fishing, restore health via
“natural” foods and remedies, and other useful wilderness knowledge. I loved best
the survival tips (how to keep yourself from freezing/drowning should you fall in a
raging river) and survival foods (pemmican!). The pictures were hand drawn and
allowed for deep imagining into the lives of feral and independent kids (my family
was way more interested in indoor pursuits, and except for me, running and
generally uncontrollable, no one really spent time outside unless they had to).
This book conjured up various dangers and edges that thrilled me, and its stance
aligned so closely with the ways I turn to the world now, as a writer, knowing the
aliveness of trees, stones, mud, buzzards, and such.

A. true narrative B. travelogue C. memoir D. personal narrative

3. Bauer, Henry (1861-1934), German-born anarchist. Bauer immigrated to the

United States in 1880, and settled in Pittsburgh, where he took part in the
movement for an eight-hour workday. Bauer was drawn to anarchism in response to
the Haymarket trial and executions. Alexander Berkman stayed with Bauer and Carl
Nold
in Pittsburgh before his attempted assassination of Henry Clay Frick. With Nold,
Bauer was sentenced to five years, and served four, in prison on two charges:

incitement to riot (stemming from their distribution of a handbill addressed to

striking Homestead workers on 8 July); and conspiracy (with Berkman) to commit
murder. Bauer was also charged $50 and sixty days in county jail for contempt of
court when he refused to name the other men involved in distributing the leaflets
(one of whom was Max Metzkow). Bauer corresponded with AB through the journal
Prison Blossoms, created within the walls of the Western Penitentiary in
Pennsylvania. After his release, Bauer served as secretary of the Berkman Defense
Committee. Settling in Pittsburgh, he became western Pennsylvania's distributor of
English- and German language anarchist books, pamphlets and newspapers,
including Firebrand, Free Society and Freiheit. He contributed to Freedom (in 1892
on the consequences of the Frick shooting) and to Free Society (25 December 1898) a
re-print of an interview with
him first published in the Pittsburgh Leader, "Can Anarchism Be Killed.

A. biography B. autobiography C. memoir D. personal narrative

Assessment

Directions: Write T if the statement is true and F if it is false.

Write your answer in your journal notebook.

1. Like fiction, creative nonfiction also has a plot.

2. Biography talks about the entirely of another person’s life.
3. A memoir often tells the story of a particular event or time turning point
points from the life of the author.

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 4. Events in nonfiction cannot be made up.
5. Research is not necessary in creative nonfiction writing.
6. If you are required to write about a person who had a significant impact
on your life or career, the form of creative nonfiction you are going to
write is a personal narrative.
7. The purpose of true narrative essay in telling the story is to express a
point or observation.
8. Setting is not an element of a creative nonfiction.
9. Creative nonfiction is a genre that relies on the author’s ability to retell
events that actually happened.
10. Essay is often the format used in writing creative nonfiction pieces.

Lesson Writing a Commentary

2 Or Critique

What I Need to Know

Learning Objectives:
In this lesson, you will be able to
1. identify the parts, techniques and steps in writing a critique;
2. distinguish a commentary from a critique; and
3. write a commentary on a given creative nonfictional text representing a
particular type or form.

What I Know

Directions: Answer the following items below. Write the letter only on your Reflective
Journal.

1. It is an analysis of a particular piece of writing.

A. essay B. critique C. abstract D. concept paper
2. It analyzes how well the points in the article are made.
A. essay B. critique C. editorial D. abstract
3. What is a goal in writing a critique?
A. To summarize the original text
B. To prove how bad a literary piece is
C. To analyze how good the points in the article are made
D. To emphasize an idea
4. Which type of writing below focuses on the work that you read?
a. book review b. book report c. article critique d. news
5. It is an expression of opinions or offering of explanations about an event
or situation.
a. commentary b. reflection c. critique d. journal

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 What’s In?

In lesson 1, you have learned the different characteristics and elements of

creative nonfiction. You also got an orientation of its different types or forms. For
lesson 2, you are going to study how to study how to make and present a
commentary or critique of a creative nonfiction piece.

What’s New?

Activity 1.
Directions: Answer the succeeding questions. You don’t need to need to pass you
answer. What is important is you answer it for self-for assessment.

1. Recall a post of blog/vlog over any social media platform like Facebook or IG that
you have commented. What is the post all about and what was your comment?

2. Was your comment a sort of a review, a feedback, or criticism of the post? Why?

What is It

Discussion

What is a COMMENTARY?

A commentary is an explanatory interpretation or series of notes and

comments in a form of observation of a text. Writing commentary means
giving

your opinion, interpretation, insight, analysis, explication, personal reaction,

evaluation or reflection about a concrete detail in an essay. Simply, you are
"commenting on" a point you have made. The purpose of publishing a
commentary is to provide a forum where different perspectives can be
discussed on a certain topic.
A literary commentary is specifically focused on a complete analysis
and detailed description of a specific text.
What is a CRITIQUE?

A critique is a formal analysis and evaluation of a text, production, or

performance—either one's own (a self-critique) or someone else's. It starts out
with a summary of the topic of the paper but differs from a straight
summary because it adds the reviewer's analysis.

Commentary VS Critique
As nouns, the difference between critique and commentary is that
critique is the art of criticism while commentary is a series of comments or
annotations. They are two different things but they have one common
function that is to evaluate a piece thus, most writers use them
interchangeably.

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Things to Do Before Writing a Commentary/Critique

1. Prepare before writing. To have a clear understanding of the text, you

may have to read it multiple times. Read each word and sentence
carefully to understand the read between lines that the author wants to
convey. You will be able to develop an analytical mindset by reading the
text slowly.
2. Outline the main points. Once you have read the text several times
and highlighted the words, you can create an outline of your
commentary. This is a general way to prepare a commentary, unlike an
essay which requires a thesis statement. Generally, it should have an
introduction which identifies the important points. Then comes body
outline which discusses the ideas and issues in detail. And lastly, there
will be a conclusion in which you summarize your analysis of the
content.

Steps on How to Write and Present a Commentary

There are no fixed rules for writing a commentary, but a general

structure will be suggested. You should always PLAN your commentary
before you start writing it and following these guidelines are always
necessary. Remember also to write each part in a paragraph form.

1. Introduction.
▪ Put the passage into context, and summarize its arguments briefly
(in a few sentences). Do not spend too much time discussing
matters outside of the passage.

▪ You should assume that your reader has read the work from which
the passage has been taken.
▪ You may want to point out the passage's most important thematic
and structural aspects in your introduction.

2. Overview

▪ Introduce the main theme and structural aspects of the passage.

▪ What kind of passage is it (description/dialogue/free indirect speech),
and what is its function (in the rest of the work)
▪ What is the narrative point of view
(first-person/thirdperson/omniscient or not)?
▪ What is the register (high/low) and tone (comic/surreal) of the
passage?
3. Detailed Analysis
This is the most substantial part of the commentary. It should not be
simple description or paraphrase, but an analysis of how the language of the
passage functions. The following are aspects of the text that you should look
for:

▪ Sentence structure
▪ Tense usage

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 ▪ Word order (balance or lack thereof, harmony, repetition, parallels)
▪ Figurative language (imagery, metaphors, similes, symbolism,
allegory, personification, myth, antithesis, irony, paradox)
▪ Characterization (or lack thereof)
▪ Narrative technique/point of view (first/third person, limited point of
view, stream of consciousness)
▪ Punctuation
▪ Vocabulary
▪ Alliteration, assonance, rhyme (poetry and prose)

Remember that no text is likely to have instances of all of these elements,

and that it is best to concentrate on those that are most relevant to the
passage in question. Also, you should avoid simply commenting on the
appearance of a particular technique: make sure you say why this is worth
noticing. Ideally, your comments should cohere to explain how the various
linguistic devices combine to produce the overall effect intended by the
author.

4. Conclusion

▪ Summarize your findings, drawing together the different aspects of

the text that you have discussed in your commentary.
▪ Assess briefly the achievements and significance of the passage, both
in itself and in relation to the work from which it is taken.

Study the following sample essays and commentaries:

Essay 1

Working Part Time Jobs

With the development of our society, people’s lifestyle change from day to
day. It has become more common for people to have different part- time
jobs. Compared this trend with before, some people start wondering
whether it is good or bad for people to have many jobs at the same time.
However, in my opinion, I think part- time job is a double sides sword. It
has its own advantages and disadvantages. For some people, part- time jobs
provide them an opportunity to do things they are actually interested in.
Also it offers the possibility to earn more money at the same time. But for
other people, part- time jobs are time- consuming and they cost many
energy to do so many jobs at the same time period.

The most important advantage of part- time jobs is that they provide an
opportunity for people to try different things. Taking my brother as an
example, he works n a bank as a teller, but he has seen many videos about
bartender, so he decides to be a bartender at night. This job extends his
sight and provides him a chance to fulfill his dream.

Speaking of dreams, part-time jobs also offer people a chance to earn more
money. Part- time jobs are the best path for someone who needed money.

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Although it takes time, people could still benefit from the work they did. In
our society, many people take part-time jobs in order to make enough
money to pay bills or pay for their kids tuition.

However, as we all know, it takes time and energy to do so many jobs. This
is the most disadvantage of part-time jobs. People get tired and stressed
because of their work. They don’t have time with families. All they want to
do is finishing the job and sleep. If a father takes several part-time jobs, it
mat influence on his children. His children may lack of love and they may
become a workaholic person in the future.

Taking all these factors into account, we may draw a conclusion that part
time can do good things in your life, but can also destroy your time in life.
We may have to think about what are we pursuing in our lives before we
bury into the work. Money is important but money and life are more worth
for us. Time is not coming back.

Commentary :

Essay 5 seemingly good writing. It is cohesive piece of writing that is well

organized and on topic. The writer has the linguistic and rhetorical resources
to address both the advantages and the disadvantages of the topic and end
with a logical conclusion.

The writer uses both simple and complex syntactic structures, but the control
of syntax is uneven. Some sentences are error free but others contains
distracting morphological mistakes (“people’s lifestyle change,” “Compared
this trend with before.” “someone who needed money”).

The vocabulary is adequate to convey the author’s ideas clearly but is not
always appropriately used. The essay has instances of successful use of
lexical phrases (“it takes time and energy”) and others where vocabulary is
awkward or incorrect (“extends his sight”

Overall, the essay is a clear 77. Development is good and the whole text
builds logically, although uneven control of syntax and vocabulary detracts
from the overall impression created by the essay.

Essay No. 2

The Pros and Cons of Technology

Technology has highly evolved over time. In fact, nowadays almost

everybody has some sort of machine at hand, be it computers, cars, or even
washing machines. But although machinery was devised to benefit
mankind, it has also brought along many flaws to match.

Firstly, when it comes to technological equipment such as computers,

disruption most often arises between the person using the computer, and
the household he or she is surrounded by, or living with. For example, many
old family traditions such as eating meals with your relatives at the dining

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table seldom take place now that one of the family members might be too
busy working on his Mac laptop. Thus, family values and morals have
changed in order to adapt to this technological age.

Secondly, having many kinds of machinery at hand is not only destroying

family traditions, but is also very harmful to our environment. Many people
are careless about allowing their car engines to run haphazardly, or leaving
their laptops on for long periods of time, however they do not seem aware of
the fact that all this energy and electricity consumption is dangerous to not
only our local environment, but to the world as a whole. Furthermore, it is
the over-usage of machinery, big or small that is bringing our society ever
close to Global Warming, and we must stop.
As I mentioned n my introduction, technological equipment was never
program to damage nature per se , but to help people all around the globe.
Now that nuclear families aren’t as closely intact compared to the 1950’s or
1990’s, technology has given us an alternative method to keep in touch with
our relatives thanks to computer applications such as Skype, or even
cellphone applications such as VIBER, or WhatsApp. Machinery has most
definitely done wonders in our lives, and we as people should be grateful to
easily possess cars, and/or phones when others do not even have the
chance to.

However, with all the advantages machinery has brought to us all, I

personally believe that possessing too many cars or phones, or even
consuming too much of their energy and battery is beginning to get out of
hand and needs to be controlled.

Commentary:

This is a well written essay with only minimal errors. It is a polished piece of
writing that thoroughly develops the topic, far beyond the superficial level,
and acknowledges its complexity.

Syntactic control is very strong in this essay. The writer demonstrates

consistent control over complex and varied syntactic structures, and the
response is essentially error free. There is a wide range of appropriately used
vocabulary. Errors are very minimal and could not entirely affect the
effectiveness of the composition.

The essay is also very cohesive. The writer builds the argument not through a
reliance simply on the use of mechanical transition markers, but in a much
sophisticated way, developing each supporting point richly and connecting the
ideas together so that the essay reads smoothly. It is very easy for the reader
to follow the development of the ideas in the text.

Entirely, it a well – written text with unity and coherence of ideas, and clear
emphasis.

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What’s More

Activity 2

Directions: Read the sample personal narrative below. Study the commentary on
its right side and observe how a commentary is written. Then, answer the questions
that follow. Write your answers on your Reflective Journal.

(Personal Narrative) (Commentary of the essay)

Mother Rage: Theory and Practice by

The narrative talks about a single reason
Anne Lamott
why it is just easy for a mother to get angry

One reason I think we get so angry mad at our and shout over her child. It is presented in
the children is because we can. first person point of view with direct speech.
I had a hard time reading this
Who else can you talk to like this? Can you
imagine hissing at your partner, narrative. I wanted to look away,
to deny Lamott’s experience, to
“You get off the phone NOW! No, NOT in five pretend I can’t relate. But then, I
had to press pause and bow
minutes …”? Or saying to a
down. Lamott’s bravery in this
piece, well, it’s almost
friend, “You get over here right this second!
unparalleled. After all, it takes
And the longer you make me
guts for a mother to admit this:
wait, the worse it’s going to be for you.” Or,
while talking to a salesman at

Sear’s who happens to pick up the ringing

phone, grabbing his arm too hard and

shouting, “Don’t you DARE answer the phone

when I’m talking to you.

But underneath the fear I keep finding

resiliency, forgiveness, even grace.
This essay is more of a rant or
even a journal entry than a
personal essay, but it works
because it’s real. It works
because her readers see
themselves in her words. It works
because she doesn’t shy away
from the shame or the pain —
and she invites her readers to do
the same.

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 1. Did the commentary show the topic of the narrative?
2. If yes, what is the narrative all about?
3. How did the commenter describe the narrative based on its overview?
4. What distinct attitude of the character in the narrative did the commentary
show?
5. What good point or value can we get from the narrative?

What I Have Learned

• Writing commentary means giving your opinion, interpretation, insight,

analysis, explication, personal reaction, evaluation or reflection about a
concrete detail in an essay.
• A literary commentary is specifically focused on a complete analysis
and detailed description of a specific text.
• A critique is a formal analysis and evaluation of a text, production, or
performance—either one's own (a self-critique) or someone else's
• A commentary and critique are two different things but they have one
common function that is to evaluate a piece thus writers use them
interchangeably
• There are no fixed rules for writing a commentary

What I Can Do

Activity 3
Directions: Commentary Writing and Presentation. Read the travelogue below
and make your own commentary. Write your output on your Journal.

TRAVELOGUE

I’ve been to so many places, but I never thought that Tagaytay is one
of the most beautiful places I’ve been to. When I was in Grade 3, 2 first
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experienced riding in a bus, where my classmates are with me. My first Field
Trip was in Tagaytay. I was so happy that my parents allowed me to go
there. So, that day came and I woke up earlier than ever before I got to
school at 4:00, and I found my best friend on the bus, Sitting with her
mother. I was with my Mom and Dad. Oh, my sister`s there too.
The bus was full at 5:30, as we go all of us was so excited. After an
hour, I guess, the bus stopped at a gasoline station surrounded with
restaurants and shops. We bought food at Mcdo, my favorite. Finally, we
moved on and got to the bus. After a while, my classmates are in the bus.
All in! While the bus was on its way to Tagaytay, I ate my fries from Mcdo.
When we arrived at our first place Leisure Park, we got into the Coffee
Farm. After, the guide showed us Flower Gardens and the Worms World.
There I first touched a worm. Even though it`s an “eew” still, I touched it
and it tickled me, especially when it was in my palm. Anyways, when we got
to the Butterfly Garden, we first passed through a Wishing Well. Too bad, I
don`t have any wish with me. Then, after that we got into the bus again and
go in the famous castle in Tagaytay, Fantasy World, I saw the castle painted
with different colors. I also saw a hanging bridge, It was so scary, but, I
wanted to get pass through it. There, I also saw the Taal Volcano from the
castle. After, we got into the Gardenia Factory at Batangas. We got home,
safely. Even though I got so tired, I enjoyed it.

Note: Be guided with the rubrics below which will be used in rating your
critique paper.

Rubrics in Evaluating a Commentary

VGE GE SE LE N
Criteria (5) (4) (3) (2) (1)

Content (35%)
Main idea is clear.
Explanation is comprehensive and sufficient.
Explanation has depth.
Supporting details are directly linked to the main idea.

Introduction contains the title, author, and main

idea of the piece reviewed.
Paper presents the summary of the reviewed piece.
Paper presents different perspectives of the issues
raised

Paper clearly points out the weakness of the paper

reviewed.
Explanation and opinion are supported by evidence.

Ideas are presented convincingly.

Conclusion states the overall impression of the work.
Organization (25%)
Paper uses organizational pattern and structure
appropriate for the genre.
Cohesive devices are effectively used.
Ideas are correctly placed which improves the
paper’s organization.

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 Flow of ideas is smooth and easy to read.
Style (20%)
Paper showcase the writer’s voice.
Paper uses a variety of sentence structures.
Paper eliminates sexist language.
Paper uses language appropriate to context.
Paper eliminates wordiness.
Grammar and Mechanics (10%)
Grammar is accurate
Spelling, capitalization, and punctuation are
correctly used
Word choice is appropriate
Sentences are well – structured
Documentation and Sources
Paper uses correct citation and reference format.
Sources used are reliable
Sources used are relevant to the topic
Total

Legend/ Rating Guide:

Description Rating
VGE- to a Very Great Extent 4.01- 5.00
GE- to a Great Extent 3.01- 4.00
SE – to Some Extent 2.01- 3.00
LE- to a Little Extent 1.01- 2.00
N- Not at all 1.00

Assessment

Directions: Write True if the statement is true and False if it is false.

Write your answers on your Reflective Journal.

1. A commenter should not give his personal opinion in writing a

commentary.

2. Writing a commentary is bound by strict rules.

3. Making an outline is important in writing a commentary.

4. Critique and commentary are different but are used interchangeably.

5. Like any other essay, a commentary has introduction, body and

conclusion.

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6. A critique is an art of criticism while commentary is a series of criticism.

7. A literary commentary specifically focused on a complete analysis and

detailed description of a specific text.

8. Reading between lines will help you get a clear understanding of the text

and will eventually lead to a good commentary writing.

9. The purpose of commentary is to criticize a text.

10. A thesis statement is necessary in writing a commentary.

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 REFERENCES:

http://www.creativenonfiction.org/online-reading/we%E2%80%90re-writers- we
%E2%80%99re-readers.

https://thewritelife.c/personal-narrative-examples/.

https://utsites.ul.ie/rwc/sites/default/files/MELAB-SampleEssays Commentary2013.pdf.

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/modernlanguages/intranet/undergraduate/
skills/commesswriitng/commentarywriting/.

http://www.literarydevices.com/memoir/.

https://sirmikko.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/student-travelogue-my-wonders- of-
tagaytay.

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For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education– Tagbilaran City, Division

Rajah Sikatuna St. Dampas, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, 6300
Telefax: (38) 427
-1702
Email Address:tagbilarancity.division@deped.gov.ph

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