Useful tips for writing a synthesis essay

1
Useful tips for writing a synthesis essay

• www.synthesisessay.net

2
We are going to show you 4 parts of writing a
Synthesis Essay

• Part 3 Writing Your Essay
• Write your first draft according to your outline
• Write in the third person
• Use transitions between paragraphs to make the
  text flow logically
• Part 4 Finalizing Your Essay
• Revise your essay
• Proofread your paper

• Part 1 Examining Your Topic
• Understand the concept of a synthesis essay
• Choose a topic suitable for a synthesis essay
• Develop a thesis statement
• Part 2 Outlining Your Essay
• Outline the structure of your thesis
• Use a more creative structure to present your
  thesis
• Create an outline appropriate for a background or
  review synthesis essay

3
Part 1 of 4 Examining Your TopicUnderstand the
concept of a synthesis essay

• The purpose of a synthesis essay is to make
  insightful connections between parts of a work,
  or multiple works, with the goal of ultimately
  presenting and supporting a claim about a topic.
• The different types of synthesis essays can be
  categorized
• Argument synthesis
• Review
• Explanatory/background synthesis

4
Part 1 of 4 Examining Your TopicChoose a topic
suitable for a synthesis essay

• Your topic should be broad enough for pulling
  several related sources together, but not so
  broad as to bring widely disparate sources
  together. If you have free choice on a topic,
  some preliminary reading may help you decide what
  to write about in your synthesis essay.

5
Part 1 of 4 Examining Your TopicDevelop a
thesis statement

• Once you have read the sources you are provided
  with, or have done your own outside research, you
  will have to come up with an opinion on your
  topic. Your thesis will be the main idea
  presented in writing a synthesis essay. It should
  encompass the topic and state your point of view
  on that topic. It should be stated as a complete
  sentence.
• Depending on the essay, your thesis statement
  can be either the opening sentence of the essay
  itself or the last sentence of the first
  paragraph.

6
Part 2 of 4 Outlining Your EssayOutline the
structure of your thesis

• If you dont know how to write an introduction
  for a synthesis essay this structure will help
  you.
• The structure
• The introductory paragraph 1. An introductory
  sentence that acts as a hook, capturing the
  readers interest. 2. Identification of the issue
  you will be discussing. 3. Your thesis statement.
• The body paragraphs 1. Topic sentence that gives
  one reason to support your thesis. 2. Your
  explanation and opinion of the topic sentence. 3.
  Support from your sources that backs up the claim
  you just made. 4. Explanation of the significance
  of the source(s).
• The conclusion paragraph 1. State further
  significance of your topic from the evidence and
  reasons you discussed in the essay. 2. A profound
  thought or thoughtful ending for your paper.

7
Part 2 of 4 Outlining Your EssayUse a more
creative structure to present your thesis

• If you are not writing this argumentative
  synthesis essay for the AP test, you should plan
  to use a more elaborate structure than the one
  listed above. Follow these tips for writing a
  synthesis essay
• Example/illustration. This may be a detailed
  recount, summary, or direct quote from your
  source material that provides major support for
  your point of view. 
• Straw man. With this technique, you present an
  argument opposed to the argument stated in your
  thesis, then show the weaknesses and flaws of the
  counter-argument. 
• Concession. Essays with concessions are
  structured similar to those using the straw man
  technique, but they acknowledge the validity of
  the counter-argument while showing that the
  original argument is stronger.

8
Part 2 of 4 Outlining Your EssayCreate an
outline appropriate for a background or review
synthesis essay

• While most synthesis essays are entirely focused
  on stating and supporting a thesis, background
  and review essays explore the ideas found in the
  sources rather than focusing on the authors
  point of view.
• There are two basic ways to structure these sort
  of synthesis in academic writing
• Summary. This structure presents summaries of
  each of your relevant sources, making a
  progressively stronger argument for your thesis.
• List of reasons. This is a series of sub-points
  that flow from the main point of your paper as
  stated in its thesis.

9
Part 3 of 4 Writing Your EssayWrite your first
draft according to your outline

• Dont know how to write a synthesis essay? Begin
  from the draft. Be prepared to deviate from your
  plan, however, if you find new ideas and
  information in your source material that supports
  your thesis.
• If you are writing the synthesis for the AP
  test, you will not have time to write more than
  one draft, so pace yourself and make it the best
  it can possibly be.

10
Part 3 of 4 Writing Your EssayWrite in the
third person

• Writing in the third person means using "he,"
  "she," "it", and using complete, unambiguous
  sentences. Present enough information to show
  your credibility in the subject of your synthesis
  essay.
• You should write in the active voice as much as
  possible, although passive voice is acceptable in
  circumstances where you would otherwise use first
  ("I") or second person ("you").

11
Part 3 of 4 Writing Your EssayUse transitions
between paragraphs to make the text flow logically

• Transitions are a great way to show places where
  your sources support one another "Hallstrom's
  theory on price-fixing is supported by
  Pennington's paper 'Cliffhanger Economics,' where
  she makes the following points Show the
  committee that you are great at writing a
  synthesis essay.

12
Part 4 of 4 Finalizing Your EssayRevise your
essay

• One of the best tips for writing a synthesis
  essay. This is the time to strengthen arguments
  and improve transitions between points and
  paragraphs. You should try to make your argument
  as succinct and easy to follow as possible.
• It helps to read your essay out loud because
  when you read out loud, you are more likely to
  notice awkward sentences or incoherent arguments.

13
Part 4 of 4 Finalizing Your EssayProofread your
paper

• Read through your paper and look for any
  grammar, punctuation or spelling errors. Are all
  of the names and proper nouns spelled correctly?
  Are there any run-on sentences or fragments?
  Correct them as you go.
• Read the synthesis in academic writing aloud to
  guarantee that you don't accidentally add in or
  take out words when reading in your head.

14
Write Your Perfect Synthesis Essay With Us!

• www.synthesisessay.net