4.8 • +11k Ratings
Save
Print
Edit
Imagine someone is trying to sell you a magic potion that they say can cure any disease, but they don't list out any of the ingredients, and they can't explain how it cures diseases. Would you want to buy the potion? Probably not!
The same goes when you're writing an essay. Even if you have great ideas, a reader won't believe them unless you can say where you got them from. That's where the synthesis essay comes in! A synthesis essay makes (or synthesizes) a claim based on outside sources. We use synthesis essays to build strong arguments for our ideas.
Synthesis Essay, lingfrog.blog.
Synthesis: In writing, synthesis means gathering information from different sources and using it to support a central idea or thesis.
In other words, if you give a thesis statement, but you don't provide any evidence to back it up, it won't be very convincing. You have to synthesize a strong argument using info from outside sources.
Key elements of a synthesizing an argument include:
A good synthesis essay covers all of these elements to create a strong argument.
The synthesis essay in language and composition exams involves answering a prompt using information from a few sources, usually in a five-paragraph format. To get the full six points on the synthesis essay, you need to give:
The prompt on the first page of the synthesis essay section lays out the topic that your essay should focus on. The synthesis essay prompts in the last few years have handled the following topics:
These topics all involve debates. The prompt presents two opinions on the topic, and your job is to pick a stance on it. Every supporting paragraph in your essay will back up that stance on the topic.
Once you've looked over the prompt and you begin forming your thesis, you need to decide what angle to take with your argument. The prompt will tell you to defend, challenge, or qualify the claim of the topic with your argument.
Defending the claim means that you agree with the claim in the prompt. If you're defending the claim, you will want to get evidence from sources that also defend the claim.
Challenging the claim means that you disagree with the claim in the prompt. If you're challenging the claim, you will want to get evidence that goes against the claim or could even prove it wrong.
Qualifying the claim means that you agree with parts of it but disagree with others. For this middle-of-the-road approach, you will want to get evidence from both sides of the argument. Use your supporting paragraphs to weigh out the pros and cons of the claim.
Qualifying the claim doesn't mean you can avoid making a clear statement on it! Even when you explore the pros and cons, you need to explain how those pros and cons inform your final decision.
This is the general outline of a synthesis essay. While you're reading through your sources for evidence, think of where the info would fit into the outline.
I. Introduction
A. Hook: Include an interesting, attention-grabbing sentence.
B. Introduce the topic: Summarize the topic the prompt gave.
C. Thesis statement: Write your stance on the topic you're about to defend.
II. Body Paragraph (x3)
A. Topic sentence: State what the paragraph and evidence is about.
B. Source/evidence: Summarize, paraphrase, or quote the source.
C. Analysis: Explain why the evidence supports your thesis.
III. Conclusion
A. Transition: Show that you're wrapping up the essay.
B. Summary: Go back over your main points and restate your thesis.
C. Close: Close off by saying how your conclusions apply beyond the essay.
Here is a sample synthesis essay (including prompt, sources, and outline) to show the key elements that it comprises.
More explanations in this Study Set will go over these in more detail.
Growing issues of excess waste in our oceans and climate change have sparked debates about sustainability in packaging. Some argue that glass packaging is the most sustainable option because it is easily reused and recycled. Others argue that recyclable plastics are a more sustainable solution because they are lightweight and require less energy to produce.
Read through the provided sources completely. Then, synthesize an argument using information from at least three of the sources, and present your argument in a complete and structured essay. Your essay should defend, challenge, or qualify the claim that glass packaging is a more sustainable solution than plastic.
Use the sources to provide evidence for your argument and explain your stance on the claim. Incorporate the evidence by directly quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing the sources. Remember to specifically credit each source you take information from.
The claim in the second paragraph of the prompt is the central question: is glass packaging a more sustainable solution than plastic? The thesis statement is an answer to the central question.
The environmental impact of plastic waste is a crucial issue, Pixabay.
In the sources given for the synthesis essay, you'll probably be provided with more information than you really need. In the synthesis essay, it's best to work with three sources out of the ones you're given. This means you have to be able to sort through the sources and find the ones that work best with your thesis.
The prompt says that there are six sources to work from. These are some of the sources that may be available. Our job is to choose sources that are relevant to the thesis.
Articles written by experts can provide scientific evidence to support our thesis: This kind of source is especially helpful for writing about scientific topics like this one.
Editorial articles express opinions on the topic: These sources don't provide scientific evidence, but they can give us good points to work from. We can use them to show how the claim can be challenged or defended.
Graphs provide numbers and visuals to help us understand data: These are also useful sources because the numbers are objective. That means they're fact-based instead of coming from someone else's opinion.
Excerpts from literature: These are sometimes included in synthesis essay prompts. This kind of source can't give evidence on scientific topics; however, a literature excerpt can be effective when we use it to add some dramatic flair, like in the hook portion of the introduction!
Let's say one of our sources (Source A) is a newspaper article. We'll use this part of it in our body paragraph:
Source A
The manufacturing of plastics is endangering our environment and our lives. Plastic production involves crude oil and natural gas. Crude oil must be extracted from beneath the earth's crust by drilling large holes through bedrock in the ocean. Harvesting natural gas involves a similar process called fracking, which also involves breaking the earth's crust. Fracking and oil drilling both cause pollution in our oceans.
There's a common saying about writing an essay: "Tell them what you're going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them." Your introduction is the first part of this.
In the introduction, set up the argument you're about to give and clearly state your thesis at the end.
On my last trip to the beach, I looked out at the ocean and saw nothing but waste. Bottles, boxes, and bags crowded the water and washed up on the shore. As a society, we must find more sustainable packaging solutions to prevent this pile of garbage from growing even larger. The sustainability of glass and plastic, in particular, is hotly debated. Due to problematic factors in plastic production and recycling, glass packaging is a more sustainable option and should be employed by manufacturers.
The last sentence is our thesis statement. It answers the main question from the prompt and clearly shows that we are defending the claim that glass packaging is a more sustainable solution than plastic.
The introduction to an essay can be the hardest part to write sometimes. If you're feeling stuck trying to find the right words to set up your thesis, save the intro for later! Writing the body of the synthesis essay first can help you form clear ideas. That will make it easier to summarize them.
The body is the main part of the synthesis essay. The body usually consists of three supporting paragraphs. This is where you'll add the info you picked from your sources and show how it supports your thesis.
Here is a short example of one of the three body paragraphs.
It is not only plastic waste that endangers our oceans but also plastic production. Crude oil and gas are necessary to produce plastic, both of which cause significant damage to the earth's crust and pollute the oceans (Source A). Glass production, on the other hand, does not require these methods. A transition to glass packaging over plastic would decrease the need for these environmentally damaging practices.
The first sentence introduces the paragraph. The second gives the information in the source. The last two sentences explain how that information backs up the thesis and analyzes the source. Each body paragraph will handle different evidence, but this general format will help us use each source to support our thesis.
The conclusion is the last part of that saying: "tell them what you told them."
In the conclusion, you'll summarize everything you just wrote in the body section. State your thesis again – this time, it will have all of the information from the body to back it up!
In conclusion, the evidence from these sources supports the use of glass packaging over plastic. The sheer amount of plastic waste in the ocean, as well as the harmful practices of fracking and oil drilling in plastic production, disadvantage the use of plastic packaging. A societal shift from plastic to glass packaging could help us to repair the damage to our environment and create a better future for the earth.
When writing your synthesis essay, you should make sure that every source you decide to use supports the thesis and is cited correctly.
A successful synthesis essay clearly connects evidence with the thesis and smoothly transitions between topics.
Here’s an example of tying a source into your writing in an ineffective way:
Plastic waste in the oceans is a major environmental concern. Source B states that millions of tons of plastic enter the oceans every year. Glass packaging is more sustainable than plastic.
The writer has given information from a source and the thesis, but they're not connected. We can't see how they relate to each other, so it's hard to see the point.
A better way to tie these together would be something like this:
Plastic waste in the oceans is a major environmental concern. Source B states that millions of tons of plastic enter the oceans every year. This shows that plastic production is not a sustainable solution.
The final sentence brings the point together with the source. Now we can see how the information from Article A supports the thesis.
Some phrases from these three common cohesive patterns can help draw these connections and make your writing flow more smoothly. Here are some examples:
Last but not least, you need to accurately cite your sources. Citing your sources shows where you got the information from. Citing sources is also important because it credits the original writer. In the exam, the citation can be in the sentence or in parentheses at the end of it.
You can include the source information in your essay in three ways: paraphrase, direct quotation, and summary.
Paraphrasing means giving the information in your own words. Our example of tying a source into the thesis is a paraphrase:
Source B states that millions of tons of plastic enter the oceans every year.
Direct quotation means repeating the source and placing it in quotation marks. If you use the exact same words as the source in your essay, you have to put them in quotation marks. That way, you're not accidentally using someone else's work as your own.
"Each year, the oceans are filled with millions of tons of added plastic" (Source B).
A summary is an overview of the information given in a source.
In this article, Smith discusses the potential consequences of increasing plastic waste in the ocean, stating that millions of tons of plastic enter the ocean every year (Source B).
It's important to show the reader where you got your information from. You need to summarize, paraphrase, or directly quote the material and cite the source. This shows that you've done your research and helps you avoid taking credit for someone else's work.
A synthesis essay is an essay that involves gathering information from multiple sources and using it to support a central idea, or thesis. The synthesis essay is the first of three essays in the AP English Language and Composition Exam.
A synthesis essay is a short-form essay in the AP Lang exam that supports a thesis statement using information from multiple sources.
Form a thesis based on the main question in the prompt. Find relevant information in sources that can provide evidence for your thesis. Work the information into your body paragraphs, and make sure to show where you got the information from. Finish the essay with a conclusion.
A synthesis essay has an introduction, where you state your thesis, a body, where you provide at least three sources of evidence for your thesis, and a conclusion, where you restate your thesis and draw conclusions from your evidence.
The introduction of a synthesis essay should address the prompt. Explain to the reader what the body of the essay is going to discuss, and state the thesis that the body is going to support. In other words, "tell them what you're going to tell them."
Be perfectly prepared on time with an individual plan.
Test your knowledge with gamified quizzes.
Create and find flashcards in record time.
Create beautiful notes faster than ever before.
Have all your study materials in one place.
Upload unlimited documents and save them online.
Identify your study strength and weaknesses.
Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them.
Stop procrastinating with our study reminders.
Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying.
Create flashcards in notes completely automatically.
Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates.
Sign up to highlight and take notes. It’s 100% free.
