The Student Room Group
Reply 1
Toilet humour!

Or more seriously:

1. First reading - getting the general idea.
2. Second Reading - looking for the central idea or emotion; noting the essentials.
3. Third Reading - attending to details of style.
4. Writing out the argument - the sequence of the content.

Note how the content develops in stages. Look for shifts or changes in direction, which may involve changes in tone.

5. Reading aloud (in your head)

How would you present this poem? Try it out in your head, imaging how it should sound. What kind of impact should it have?

6. Looking at the technical aspects - sound, syntax, diction, figurative language, etc.

How do these aspects enhance or provide meaning?

7. Writing a "summarizing interpretation"
8. Producing a plan or guide of the main ideas
9. Starting to write.

NB. Try to begin with the "whole," then examine the parts, and then return to the whole composition again.



Marking Criteria

A. Understanding of the text

Perceptive understanding of the thought, feeling, and some subtleties of the test; detailed and persuasive textual references.

B. Interpretation of the text

Excellent interpretation of text. Ideas are convincing; appropriate and considered personal response included; analysis is consistently detailed; persuasively illustrated by carefully chosen examples.

C. Appreciation of Literary Features

Detailed and persuasive appreciation of the effects of literary features; analysis is detailed and illustrated by carefully chosen examples.

D. Presentation

Purposefully and effectively structured; supporting examples are well integrated into the body of the commentary.

E. Formal Use of Language

Clear, varied, precise and concise use of language; varied and accurate grammatical structures; precise use of wide vocab; effective choice of register.
Reply 2
i always have trouble understanding syntax

anyone care to explain it to me
Reply 3
Syntax is simply word order and the ways in which grammar is used.
Reply 4
yea but i dnt know how im suppsoed to distinguish it
it implies using proper structure and grammar...but isnt that obvious already - well i wud think so...do u see my confusion
Lol.

Dont do a TOK-ish commentary, like with moral issues lalala. I tried that and got a 17 =x

Write a proper structured answer.
Reply 6
17 out of 20??

u dnt consider that a pretty good mark???...thats a 7 by IB standards
nono wait.

commentary for unseen? isnt that out of 25?
syntax is the word order of things. it's not jsut about grammar and accuracy, but sometimes you get extracts where the wording is a bit unusual, especially in a poem or something. example, you could say that the syntax is a bit unusual but it is necessary in this poem or soemthing for rhyming purposes or something like that.

don't confuse it with semantic which is the meaning of a word, which again, might be used in an unusual situation.
Reply 9
I am more nervous about this exam than any other. Last year I had an absolutely amazing teacher. Under him I was getting 7s in most practice commentaries. This year our English teacher was changed and now I have been scoring, at most, 12 - 13 out of 25. I don't understand what has gone wrong. If anything I would expect to be improving, not going backwards. I have a feeling it is a combination of the new teacher marking extrememly harshly, and not really having any idea what she's doing. Under her, it is the commentaries filled with fluffyness and complete bulls**t that score 7s. I don't understand, especially if the point is analysis!!
Reply 10
we always got marked out of 20

but i guess it dsnt make a difference whether its 20 or 25, the teacher is still going to mark accordingly
Reply 11
HMSChocolate
syntax is the word order of things. it's not jsut about grammar and accuracy, but sometimes you get extracts where the wording is a bit unusual, especially in a poem or something. example, you could say that the syntax is a bit unusual but it is necessary in this poem or soemthing for rhyming purposes or something like that.

don't confuse it with semantic which is the meaning of a word, which again, might be used in an unusual situation.



thanx for ur help!!! :smile: :smile:
i understand it now, yayy!!
wsnt so difficult after all
Reply 12
Uchhh we have to do practice commentaries in class every Friday. It sucks, especially when we're given poetry to write about.

Friday Commentaries have made me lose my will to live.

BTW: I have no advice. I don't tend to do well on them.
I'm basically bumping this for the benefit of IB students 2011.

See Post #2!

You can thank me later.
What they all said. And BE LUCKY WITH YOUR EXAMINERS.
People approximately how long would you spend on planning? 20-25 mins? Thanks!
Reply 16
Original post by coffee cupp
People approximately how long would you spend on planning? 20-25 mins? Thanks!


Pretty much. I'm standard, and quite happily dedicate up to half an hour on planning.
Reply 17
The way I timed it was to spend the first 20 minutes reading, annotating and writing a plan, then the rest of the two hours writing the commentary (got a 7 for P1 btw), I found any longer would be too long.
Reply 18
yeah its bit difficult. but with appropriate knowledge of English language you can do it. I would recommend to get free software for grammar and punctuation check at http://bit.ly/q5r7vY

it helps in better writing.