Writing & Elaborating on Commentary (College Board AP® English Language & Composition): Revision Note

This study guide introduces you to commentary, the explanation that connects evidence to a claim and develops a line of reasoning. Commentary answers the following important questions:

• How does this evidence support the claim?

• Why does it matter?

• What should the reader understand from it?

What is commentary?

Commentary is the writer’s explanation of how evidence supports a claim.

Evidence gives the reader information. Commentary explains what that information proves.

In addition to claim and evidence, a body paragraph needs explanation that shows how the evidence supports the paragraph’s reason and how that reason supports the thesis.

Why commentary matters: explaining the how and why

Commentary matters because evidence does not speak for itself. A writer may choose strong evidence, but the reader still needs to understand how the evidence supports the writer’s argument from their perspective. Strong commentary answers questions such as:

• What does this evidence show?

• How does it support the reason?

• Why is it significant?

• How does it connect to the thesis?

• How does it develop the line of reasoning?

• What larger insight should the reader understand?

Note: in rhetorical analysis, commentary also explains why a writer’s choices matter for a particular audience, context and purpose.

What is the difference between commentary and evidence?

Evidence and commentary do different jobs:

Evidence shows what happened. The comment explains why it matters.

For example:

Claim:

Evidence:

Commentary:

How to write effective commentary: step-by-step

Step 1: Identify the claim or reason:

• Before writing commentary, know what point the evidence is supposed to support

• Ask:

  • What is the paragraph’s main reason?

  • How does this reason support the thesis?

Step 2: Choose specific evidence:

• Commentary is easier to write when the evidence is specific because it gives the writer something to explain:

  • Weak: "Many students improve."

  • Stronger: "A student who revises a paragraph after feedback may add missing explanation, clarify the claim and remove irrelevant evidence."

Step 3: Explain what the evidence shows:

• Start by identifying what the evidence reveals:

  • "The teacher’s comment indicates that the student has evidence but has not yet explained its meaning."

Step 4: Explain why it matters

• Move from observation to significance:

  • "This matters because evidence alone does not create reasoning; the student must explain the relationship between the example and the claim."

Step 5: Connect back to the claim:

• Finish by linking the evidence to the argument:

  • "Therefore, a revision policy would make writing instruction more focused on growth rather than only on the first submitted draft."

How to elaborate and develop your commentary

Elaboration means developing your explanation instead of stopping after one basic sentence. Strong commentary shows the reader the thinking that connects the evidence to the claim. Develop it by asking better questions about your evidence — these teach the thinking behind commentary without making every paragraph sound too similar:

How much commentary should follow each piece of evidence?

There is no exact number of words every time, but a useful rule of thumb is that the explanation should usually be longer than the evidence. This does not mean that every paragraph must follow the same formula. Some evidence needs only a brief explanation. Complex evidence may need more. However, if a paragraph has more evidence than explanation, it may start to feel like listed evidence rather than a convincing argument.

Worked example: paragraph with commentary

Prompt:

• Develop a position on whether high schools should allow students to revise one major writing assignment after receiving teacher feedback

Thesis:

Model paragraph:

Most importantly, revision turns teacher feedback into active learning. For example, a teacher may write on a student’s essay, “you have evidence here, but you need to explain how it proves your claim.”  That comment identifies the problem, but it does not automatically fix the student’s reasoning. When the student revises, the student must return to the paragraph, reconsider the claim and add explanation that connects the evidence to the argument. This process matters because the student is not simply reading feedback; the student is practicing the skill the feedback identifies. For that reason, allowing one major revision would make writing assignments more focused on growth, reasoning and improvement.

Common mistakes when writing commentary

• Summarizing instead of explaining

• Repeating the evidence

• Using empty phrases

• Forgetting to connect back to the claim

• Writing commentary that is too short

• Integrating evidence without explanation

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between commentary and analysis?

Commentary is the written explanation of thinking in the essay. Analysis is the thinking that interprets evidence. In many AP Lang contexts, the terms overlap. When students write commentary, they are usually doing analysis by explaining how evidence supports a claim or how a writer’s choice affects an audience. 

How do I avoid simply summarizing my evidence?

After presenting evidence, explain what the evidence proves rather than restating it. The questions listed under Why commentary matters above give you what to answer: summary stops at what the source said, while commentary explains why it supports the claim.

How is commentary scored on the AP Lang FRQs?

On AP Lang free-response rubrics, commentary is part of Row B: Evidence and Commentary, which is worth up to 4 points. Stronger responses explain how evidence supports a line of reasoning, while weaker responses may summarize evidence without explaining how it supports the argument. 

Key terms and glossary

• Analysis: interpretation that explains the meaning, function or significance of evidence

• Claim: a defensible position that requires proof

• Commentary: explanation that connects evidence to a claim and develops the line of reasoning

• Evidence: facts, examples, observations, quotations, source material or details used to support a reason or claim

• Line of reasoning: the logical progression of reasons, evidence and commentary that explains how the thesis is supported

• Paraphrase: restating someone else’s idea in your own words

• Reason: an explanation of why the claim is valid

• Relevance: the connection between evidence and the claim it supports

• Rhetorical situation: the circumstances surrounding a text, including writer, audience, purpose, context, exigence and message

• Summary: a brief restatement of the main idea or details of evidence

• Thesis: the central claim that guides an essay

• Topic sentence: a sentence that states the main reason or point of a body paragraph

• Unity: the quality of an argument in which all reasons, evidence and commentary support the same central claim