ap lang synthesis essay tips

ap lang synthesis essay tips

Effective Strategies for Writing a Synthesis Essay in AP English Language and Composition

1. Introduction to Synthesis Essays in AP Lang

A synthesis essay contains two or more sources and many parts. You have to remember that you need to compile 24 pages in which you summarize effectively all sources and give your comments concerning the problems. The main factor that influences your grade is that you demonstrate your ability to understand different independent thoughts and integrate them into one strong and solid work. The essay must prove that you are a part of some intellectual discussions and the academic community. To get a high grade, your essay should cover the topic fully and illustrate understanding of all the provided instructions.

AP English Language and Composition represents a highly meticulous study program for which you must deliver papers that show a profound comprehension of the subject. The most critical factor concerning writing a study paper is that a person can use all sorts of quotations and other particular elements but still avoid being accused of the lack of uniqueness. With the massive quantity of information accessible today and the growing array of study tactics, like graphic organizers and digital resources, students can develop information, both genuine and imagined, in a few moments. This is why the teaching of synthesis essays may be a great idea to think about. To get success in this task, you will need to use many different resources.

2. Analyzing and Understanding the Prompt

Topic: Make sure you understand what your essay should ask you. Look for keywords, such as “compare and contrast,” “discuss,” “explain,” “evaluate,” and “analyze.” The AP English Language and Composition Exam Review suggests using this chart to identify an option in analyzing the prompt. Highlight every signal or command word in your prompt. Identify how to define them. Based on the keywords you have highlighted in the prompt, construct a brief and flexible thesis in response to the question. Carefully compare your criticism with the notions and suggestions provided in the prompt. Your response should rely on the evidence. Address the question, the given ideologies, and the connections between the texts in your essay.

With an average time of only 40 minutes per essay for your AP English Language and Composition exam, you should divide your time as follows: begin with reading the prompt, making sure you really understand what the question asks you to do. Look for keywords and themes. Indicate specific evidence that aids you in addressing the question, which adds to your reasoning and how your works connect to each other. Make sure you know how to handle them effectively.

3. Research and Source Integration Techniques

There’s a difference between merely observing and analyzing a situation or issue, and considering your observations in a school paper. You need to expand your study of those questions logically and effectively by supervising your study of your sources. You need to find valuable and authoritative sources. You need to access high quality publications that are readily available to you. And, you need to read those posts and analyze your study of the topic. When you’re reading and analyzing your sources, you need to think about the following aspects of the research plan. When and in what time period did the case take place? What happened during that event? What were the causes of this effect? At what examples is the author distributing their messages? What are their messages? Who were the key actors in the scenario you’re focusing questions studied, or what were the key actions studied, in your research proposal? What were the outcomes of the named messages and actors, or what meanings for a change in question, is relevant?

4. Structuring Your Synthesis Essay

The 3-by-3 plan is effective because it is simple. As with all successful selections, the combination of details and patterns presents the synthesis in an easily comprehensible way. As you write, you should review your topic selection, synthesis topic sentences, details, patterns, and potential conclusions. Remember, in effective writing, how you say it is as important as what you say. If the purpose of your synthesis is to help your readers gain an education about a topic or learn about the basic ideas contained in the sources, classification can be helpful as a part of the synthesis. Classification is a way of breaking up sensations, ideas, experiences, and observations of the world into arrangements of manageable and comprehensible elements.

When you have finished your research, you will have a map that shows how all the sections of a synthesis fit together. This map can be the skeleton for a logical organization in your writing. For example, one strategy used in writing the three body paragraphs in a five-paragraph synthesis essay is the 3-by-3 writing plan: In this plan, you write the opening paragraph and then three content paragraphs. In the first paragraph of the plan, you write three synthesis topic sentences that show your knowledge of the issue. In paragraphs two, three, and four, you use information from every source—reading, experience, observation, or words—to prove that the synthesis topic sentence you wrote is correct.

5. Effective Revision and Editing Strategies

Verify information. Possible inaccuracies may create an argument without support. Many students use blog posts, which are often opinion pieces unrated by a professional editor. Look for factual accuracy for all essays. Finally, when appropriate, use varied language. If possible, include strong, varied postulates and an answer that has solid credibility to conclude your argument. Remember, revisions are happy opportunities to make clarifications concerning any inaccuracies or areas of difficulty. Even if you don’t think editing at the level of the ease will do any good, and even though we would rather you asked yourself questions earlier in the writing process than later, we would urge you to engage the revision process and apply careful scrutiny to your work at each level. Then, sit back and wait all brainy, like Thomas Jefferson.

Peer editing is also a good idea. Have a classmate read your work and revise it accordingly. Peer review can be a helpful tool, clarifying ambiguous points and addressing areas of difficulty. Then revise your completed draft. Concentrate on both the paragraph level and the essay level. At the paragraph level, paragraph will have the most impact if you are detailed. Look for areas where you may add more evidence to support your views. Look for characteristics that help distinguish the source’s argument from others. Also, pay more attention to transitions, ensuring that sentences and paragraphs link in a logical, effective manner. At the essay level, look for areas where you find yourself describing moments instead of analyzing them. Where your evidence is proving a point, identify the main claim put forth by the source. Provide additional evidence or explanations.

As with anything you write, neatness is especially important in a synthesis essay. In a composition course, we have already discussed the fact that neatness has to do with spelling errors, agreement errors, word order, and the like. But, we say it again: do not forget about other elements of neatness such as good punctuation and clear, consistent handwriting. Further, rough drafts are sometimes written and then not looked at again except by your teacher. But we encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to grow by writing rough drafts and then revising them. Just about everyone we know drafts and then revises, and so should you. If you wonder, “Why bother to edit?” the answer is that you will always catch some errors that will affect your grade. Take the opportunity to improve your work before anyone else sees it.