How to write a comment

01 / Understand what you are being asked

Identify the precise issue, the command word, the intended audience and any source requirements. When responding to a statement, check its scope: words such as always, only, all or should can change what you need to argue.

A school comment is an argumentative text, not simply a short social-media response. Follow the assigned format, register and length. If a source text is supplied, engage with it as required rather than writing around it.

02 / Plan a position you can defend

1. Explore the issue. Note possible reasons, examples, objections and affected groups before committing to your answer.
2. Write a working position. Answer the actual question in one sentence. Include a condition or limit if it is essential to your argument.
3. Select distinct arguments. Choose points that contribute something different. Rephrasing the same reason does not create another argument.
4. Develop each point. Record a claim, a reason, supporting evidence or an example, and an explanation of why it matters.
5. Choose a logical order. Build ideas on one another or move from a general principle to practical consequences. Saving the strongest argument for last is one option, not a universal rule.
6. Test your view. What is the strongest reasonable objection? Can you answer it, or should you qualify your position?

You do not automatically need exactly three arguments. Their number and depth depend on the task and available length. A few well-developed points are stronger than a longer list of unsupported claims.

03 / Write a clear argument

Introduction: establish the issue and your position

Introduce the problem in focused terms. If you are responding to a statement, express its central claim accurately in your own words. Make your position clear without turning the introduction into a summary of every argument. Avoid generic openings such as “Nowadays, this is a very important topic”.

Main body: develop one central point per paragraph

1. Point: start with a topic sentence that makes the paragraph’s claim clear.
2. Reason: explain why the claim is reasonable.
3. Support: use relevant evidence or an example. Distinguish an illustrative scenario from an established fact.
4. Explanation: show how the support strengthens the point and your overall position.

Do not leave an example to speak for itself. Never invent studies, sources or statistics. Use supplied material accurately and give references when required.

Objections: consider them fairly

A comment need not give equal space to every side, but engaging with a serious objection can strengthen the reasoning. Explain whether it can be answered, limits your claim or requires a compromise. Avoid making the opposing view absurd just to dismiss it.

Conclusion: answer the question in light of your argument

Bring your strongest considerations together and restate your judgement in fresh words. Explain any important qualification or practical implication. Introduce no new major argument and do not merely copy the introduction.

04 / A comment in miniature

The following example was written for this guide. It illustrates structure and reasoning; it is not research evidence or a fixed-length model for every assignment.

Example question: Should students be allowed to use smartphones during independent work in class?

Introduction & position

A smartphone can provide access to a dictionary and an invitation to stop working. The useful question is therefore not whether phones are entirely good or bad, but when their use serves learning. I support allowing them during independent work when the teacher has set a clear purpose and limits.

Developed argument

Purposeful phone use can help students overcome small obstacles without interrupting their work. In an English lesson, for example, a student could check the meaning of an unfamiliar word in an approved dictionary and then return to the text. This illustrates how a defined use can support the task. The benefit depends on choosing a suitable resource and keeping the phone use brief, rather than treating access to a device as useful in itself.

Objection & response

A serious objection is that the same device also provides access to messages and entertainment. Clear rules alone may not remove that distraction. Permission should therefore be limited to tasks with a specific need, and a non-phone alternative should remain available. Where distractions repeatedly outweigh the benefit, the teacher should end that use.

Conclusion

On balance, conditional access is more defensible than unrestricted use. Phones should be available when they clearly support the task, with an alternative for students who cannot or prefer not to use one. Their value lies in what they help students do, not in their presence on the desk.

Notice: the position is qualified but clear. The example is explained, the objection is taken seriously, and the conclusion follows from the reasoning.

05 / Choose language for its purpose

Use the simple present for general claims. Choose other tenses when meaning requires them, such as the past for a past event or a conditional for a hypothetical outcome. “I think” is possible in a comment, but repeating it does not make an argument stronger.

Distinguish facts from interpretations. Avoid “This proves …”, “Everybody knows …” or “There is no doubt …” when your support does not justify that certainty. First-hand experience can illustrate a point; it does not automatically establish a general rule.

06 / Revise the reasoning, then the language

• Does my position answer the exact question or statement?
• Does each paragraph develop a relevant, distinct argument?
• Have I explained how each example or piece of evidence supports my point?
• Have I represented a relevant objection fairly and responded to it where useful?
• Do my claims stay within what my evidence supports?
• Do the order and linking expressions make the reasoning easy to follow?
• Does the conclusion follow without adding a new major argument?
• Have I checked register, sentence structure, vocabulary, tenses, spelling and punctuation?

My priority: make your reasoning clear and convincing. There is no automatic reward for using five connectives, five adjectives or five memorized phrases. Use what the argument needs, accurately.

07 / Turn feedback into a stronger comment

Read your partner’s comment once for the overall argument, then use the criteria to check it closely. Identify a specific strength, locate a point needing development, and agree on one useful revision. Explain your feedback with reference to a sentence or paragraph.

Review the argumentative essay guide →
Explore linking words and writing tools →
Read the assessment criteria →