How to write a commentary (VCE English)

Commentary explains the why behind your creative choices. Anchor claims in specifics: quote a sentence from your draft, then explain how you shaped it for purpose, audience, or form.

Link explicitly to mentor texts or class models: “I borrowed X’s use of fragmented sentences to convey shock; I adapted it by…” Avoid claiming influence you did not actually use.

Discuss the stimulus honestly: which element you foregrounded, which you resisted, and how you embedded it beyond a single reference.

Revision should be visible. Examiners reward before/after insight — what was flat in draft one, what you cut, what you amplified, and why.

Organise by theme, not by chronology of writing day one/two unless your task requires a process log. Strong commentaries often move: intention → key craft choices → mentor/stimulus → revision → limitations or trade-offs.

Use metalanguage functionally (tone, pacing, metaphor, dialogue tags) — each term should unlock a decision, not decorate a sentence.

Do not paste the creative piece into the commentary. Refer precisely; the reader already has the full draft.

Keep voice analytical, not confessional. “I felt sad writing this” matters only if it connects to a craft decision visible on the page.