10. Comment

1. Definition:

State clearly your opinion on the topic in question and support your views with evidence.

2. Examples:

-Comment on the suggestion made in the text that a ‘lack of women in the armed forces demonstrates a weakness in the role of women in society’.

-Comment on the thesis expressed in line 35f.

-Comment on the writer’s criticism of human beings in their attitude towards nature and the treatment of illnesses and her neglection of ethic aspects.

-A firm has a right to know what kind of person a manager is. Comment on how much intrusion into the private sphere of a person you would think tolerable and/or necessary in times of globalization.

3. Description:

Here, you are definitely supposed to present your own opinion on a given topic. You always have to strengthen your arguments for your point of view so that a possible opponent does not have any chance to undermine your position.

4. Advice:

You will often be asked to write your comment in form of a letter to an editor or a reader’s letter. Be careful that such a letter should contain:

-Writer’s/sender’s address

-Date

-Addressee

-Salutation

-Body of the letter

-Complimentary close

Be careful with formal characteristics! Use phrases like these:

-Dear Sir or Madam

-I refer to your leader about…

-Sir or Madam – I refer to your leader about…

The letter should be brief and informative so that it could really be published in a newspaper. Use formal style in a comment!

by Sarah Stöppel