Metacommentary!
The best and easiest tool you can use to greatly improve any paper. But what exactly is metacommentary?
Source: Giphy
To put it simply, metacommentary is a way to clarify something you’ve said. Metacommentary can help further develop your point and can significantly strengthen your essay. It can be used to ward off potential misunderstandings, elaborate on an idea, provide an example, indicate significance, and so much more!
The process is very simple to follow. Anyone can do it! Here are some examples that demonstrate the magic of metacommentary.
Some Templates to Follow:
- Essentially, I am arguing not that _______, but that we should_______.
- That is not to say______, but rather _______.
- In other words, _______.
- To put it another way, _______.
- Consider______, for example.
- But above all, ________.
- Although some readers may object that ______, I would answer that ______.
- While it is true that _____, it does not necessarily follow that______.
- In sum, then, ________.
If there was one big take away I got from my CTW class, it would be the use of metacommentary. Such a simple move can transform how your paper feels and sounds. Plus, you can easily add some length to your papers without writing any unnecessary sentences! How cool is that?
As I write my research paper, I’m reminded of the importance of metacommentary. Before this class, I had never even heard of this writing skill, let alone recognize it in other papers. This is, without a doubt, the most important writing skill I’ve learned and I will continue to use it for the rest of my writing career.