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Synthesis Essay: Basic Guide on Writing a Good Essay

Synthesis supposes gathering information from various sources and to put it in one content. The examples of written sources are journals, articles, magazines, books, and newspapers. Lectures, interviews, various observations are non-written sources. You are a writer and your task is to get an idea of how various sources make a concept, combine those sources, and create a convective paper.

You will also need to deal with synthesis questions and to learn how to write a concepts summary. To make a good summary, you have to create a list of paragraphs from the sources you browse. After that, you will have to link those paragraphs with the help of good and quality sentences.

Your task is also to go beyond the summary, make judgments, and persuade the reader. Have the goals for your paper in mind always, do not lose the topic. Your work has to be maintained in a good flow.

Types of Synthesis

There are two types of this essay, according to which you have to categorize it and follow the proper format:

  • Explanatory synthesis. Its purpose is to give your reader information on the topic. Your topic has to be subdivided into different parts and the content has to be presented in a clear and understandable way. This essay is focused on descriptions, so the reader could have the scene in his mind. It has to be supported with the facts only.
  • Argumentative synthesis. The main purpose of it is to provide your opinion and point of view on a certain point and support your position with evidence. This is a sort of a debate forum.

How to Organize a Synthesis Essay?

  • Always support everything you claim with your sources. First, claim your idea, then follow it and support with the related source.
  • The paper has to be written in the form of a dialogue between your thoughts and sources used in research.
  • You have to understand your reader and choose the tone to convince him. Your purpose is to give your reader an idea of a certain topic, so use a persuasive language.
  • Each point of your essay has to be placed in a paragraph. A topic sentence has to be used at the beginning of every paragraph to introduce the reader to the main idea and link the section to the thesis. The length of a paragraph is moderate, up to 5 sentences, as a rule.
  • The introduction must contain a short background story about your topic and increase the reader’s suspense. The thesis statement has to cover the body aspects, be clear and brief. Good transition words will have to link the intro, the body, and the conclusion.
  • In your essay, use the proper language and tone. It is crucial to choose proper words. Use simple language to make your content clear and not boring to the reader.
  • Choose the proper title, so the reader could be attracted to your paper. For example, you can make your title in the form of a question.
  • Before submitting your work, we recommend to read it through once again to determine the misused words, find out whether you have made grammar mistakes, and check the tone chosen.

Synthesis Essay Examples

Below are a few examples and samples that will help you write a good essay, properly outline, and much more.

ap lang synthesis essay

sample synthesis essay

synthesis essay example

synthesis essay outline

Definition of a Synthesis Essay

For defining synthesis, you should converse different information sources. Before starting to write your synthesis essay, follow these steps:

  • Understand the prompt.
  • Create a good thesis.
  • Choose sources. You have to pick up only legit and reliable sources of information for your research.
  • Read the sources through. Once you choose the sources, read them through again to make short notes on the main ideas. Here you have to define whether to use the source or not.

Good Synthesis Essay Topics

You can be examined on various topics for your synthesis essay. The purpose of this task is to check whether you are able to conduct research and relate data from various sources. It is good to browse some samples of the synthesis essay to realize the proper format for your paper.

However, there are some common topics, including:

  1. Global warming.
  2. Video games.
  3. The impact of technology on education.
  4. Earning money online.

It is crucial to choose the right topic for your synthesis essay, while some of them have a limited number of points. Picking up the right topic is half of your success.