The great thing about taking a few minutes to develop an outline is that you can develop it out into your essay draft. After you closely read the prompt and make note of the most important details, you need to read all of the sources provided. We're not going to include all of the sources in this article, but you can view the six sources from this question on the 2018 AP Lang exam here. Developing an outline might seem like it's a waste of your precious time, but if you develop your outline well, it will actually save you time when you start writing your essay. Once you've got your thesis statement drafted, you have the foundation you need to develop a bare bones outline for your synthesis essay. To get a full understanding of what this prompt wants you to do, you need to identify the most important details in this prompt, paragraph by paragraph. Our team of PrepScholar admissions experts have compiled their knowledge into this single guide to planning out your high school course schedule. When you finish reading, take a few seconds to summarize, in a phrase or sentence, whether the source defends, challenges, or qualifies whether eminent domain is beneficial (which is the claim in the prompt). It may sound obvious, but when you're pressed for time, it's easy to get flustered. Here are some of the elements of high-scoring essays that seem to be fairly constant from exam to exam, regardless of the essay prompt topic: Give a sense of why the topic is important, Engage with the complexity of the subject. If you're planning to take the AP Language (or AP Lang) exam, you might already know that 55% of your overall exam score will be based on three essays. In addition to six to seven sources, the AP Lang exam provides a written prompt that consists of three paragraphs. Refer to the sources as Source A, Source B, etc. Jot some tone-related ideas down as you outline during the 15-minute reading period, and keep in mind everything you’ve learned about tone and other aspects of rhetoric so far this year. Try to have a thesis statement written by the time you start the essay – your thesis should establish your opinion and the general reasons you feel this way; the rest of your essay will go on to justify and exemplify these reasons. When you decide whether you want your synthesis essay to defend, challenge, or qualify that claim, you need to convey that stance clearly in your thesis statement. Kickstart your AP® English Language prep with Albert. You may cite the sources as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the descriptions in parentheses. As you do this, try to keep track of potential aspects of each source that you can use to support your claim. Before we get into specific advice on how to handle the AP® English Language and Composition synthesis essay, you need to know what this part of the test really is. Offer thorough and thoughtful analysis of quotations, paraphrases, etc. Give an Example. Mention you heard about us from our blog to fast-track your app. For example, consider a question on the environmental impacts of corporate practices – an environmental journal is obviously going to be biased in favor of more environmental regulation, while a report from a company spokesperson will probably gloss over some of the negative impacts of his company. Another good idea that will help you learn how to structure your essay is by looking at a synthesis example. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams. The defensible position that you establish in your thesis statement will guide your argument in the rest of the essay, so it's important to do this first. I created this site to help students like you learn from the experiences my team had learned during our extensive academic careers. The first of the three essays you'll have to write on the AP Language exam is called the "synthesis essay." This helps to finance improvements to the town. Thank you for your patience! The synthesis part comes in as you begin to develop connections between the sources, whether they are in agreement, disagreement, approach the same topic from different angles, or simply provide ideas on different topics that can in some way contribute some other discourse. This sample received 4 out of 4 possible points for this portion of the synthesis essay. that will bolster your synthesis argument. [2] The environmental benefits of using wind power are well-known and proven. Also write down some of the main points upon which you will base subsequent paragraphs and mark quotes or sections of the sources you can use in each of these paragraphs. Because the writer did a good job consistently developing their argument and incorporating evidence, they received full marks in this category. However, you must show logical basis for your opinion, drawing on both the sources AND your own knowledge and experience. Summarizing ideas and source material is easy, and for that reason it is not going to do a whole lot in the way of getting you a great score. And if you're confused about whether you should take the AP Lang or AP Lit test, we can help you make that decision, too. For instance, they could state the specific benefits and consequences power companies should consider when deciding whether to establish a wind farm. You can learn more about the second English AP test, the AP Literature exam, in this article. You’ve already learned how to structure persuasive essays in this class and in other classes you have taken; put that knowledge to good use now, and have your main points set out before you start writing. Reading the sources without having read the prompt first is kind of like trying to drive while wearing a blindfold: you can probably do it, but it's likely not going to end well! AP Lang is a timed exam, so you have to pick and choose what you want to focus on in the limited time you're given to write the synthesis essay. Students can receive 0-1 points for writing a thesis statement in the essay, 0-4 based on incorporation of evidence and commentary, and 0-1 points based on sophistication of thought and demonstrated complex understanding of the topic. With that in mind, we recommend spending 5 to 10 minutes outlining your synthesis essay. Obviously, it’s going to ask you to synthesize some stuff, but keep an eye out for these helpful guide words: Read the source material; then, read it again to annotate. In many ways, the synthesis essay is similar to the persuasion essay. [5] As with most things, wind power has no easy answer. Throughout this article, the concept will surely become clearer to you. If you use a bare-bones outline like the one below, labelling each piece of content that you need to include in your essay draft, you should be able to develop out the most important pieces of the synthesis before you even draft the actual essay. To do this, make sure you have a clear and complete thesis. Your outline doesn’t need to be especially detailed, but it will be tremendously helpful for you to have a general plan to work from. Let's get started by taking a closer look at how the AP Lang synthesis essay works! Give some BACKGROUND information and CONTEXT on the general topic of your essay. So how much time should you spend reading the provided sources? While you're reading the sources and marking passages, you want to think about how the information you're reading influences your stance on the issue (in this case, eminent domain). These could include things like environmental impacts, economic impacts, or even population density! If you read this carefully and take seriously these suggestions, you’ll have no trouble coming up with interesting and complex ideas for your essay. This brings us to our first tip…. The prompt will help give you a sense of what claims, points, facts, or opinions to be looking for as you read the sources. If you spend around two of those minutes reading and breaking down the essay prompt, it makes sense to spend the remaining 13 minutes reading and annotating the sources. Since you probably don't know much about eminent domain, you'll probably decide on your position after you read the provided sources. Despite losing one point in the last category, this example synthesis essay is a strong one. In addition, wind power by way of gearbox and advanced blade materials, has the highest percentage of energy retention. For the sample exam prompt included above, there are six sources provided. Has it made elections fairer and more accessible, or has it moved candidates from pursuing issues to pursuing image? Now, we know that this essay received a score of 5 out of 6 total points, and the place where the writer lost a point was on the basis of sophistication of thought, for which the writer received 0 out of 1 points. This line of reasoning is summed up in the fourth paragraph in the following sentence: "One thing for power companies to consider is working with turbine manufacturing to make the machines less aesthetically impactful, so as to garner greater public support.". There are also public sample questions available there for the rest of the AP® English and Composition Exam. One thing for power companies to consider is working with turbine manufacturing to make the machines less aesthetically impactful, so as to garner greater public support. While this in some ways makes the AP® English Language and Composition synthesis essay easier than the argument essay (because you can use quotations, point to authoritative sources for support, etc. The second key category taken into consideration when synthesis exams are evaluated is incorporation of evidence and commentary. On top of that, the writer does a good job of connecting the incorporated evidence back to the claim made in the thesis statement through effective commentary. Students can receive 0-1 points for writing a thesis statement in the essay, 0-4 based on incorporation of evidence and commentary, and 0-1 points based on sophistication of thought and demonstrated complex understanding of the topic. And a solid argument is key to getting a six on your synthesis essay AP Lang! The thesis statement is one of the three main categories that is taken into consideration when you're awarded points on this portion of the exam. In this section, we'll teach you how to analyze and respond to a synthesis essay prompt in five easy steps, including suggested time frames for each step of the process. Now, already fatigued from the first section, you must begin the grueling, two-hour free response section of the exam, which accounts for a whopping 55% of your final exam score. This, of course, is just a very basic introduction to what a synthesis essay is. There's a lot more to the AP Language exam than just the synthesis essay. Indicate clearly the sources used through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. But what does "synthesize" mean, exactly? In fact, doing this well will earn you four points (out of a total of six)! But if you break the prompt down into chunks, you'll be able to figure out what the prompt is asking you to do in no time flat. Read the following sources (including any introductory information) carefully. The main purpose of this 15-minute period is to give you time to read the source materials. It’s not exactly “high-order” analysis, but it can be very useful in establishing the positions of your sources and creating a foundation on which you can present your own ideas and opinions. How to Write a Perfect Synthesis Essay for the AP Language Exam, Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, view the six sources from this question on the 2018 AP Lang exam here, Be sure to check out our expert guide to the entire exam, confused about whether you should take the AP Lang or AP Lit test. Once you have a strong thesis statement, you can begin outlining your essay. Respond to the prompt with a thesis presents a defensible position. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? It is, however, an incredibly useful tool that, when used in conjunction with other strategies on this list, can be quite effective. You should also seek out connections and contrasting elements between the sources in order to give your essay a certain level of nuance and to display your deeper understanding and reasoning skills. The AP® Examiner cannot take points off because she disagrees with you. If you want to earn full points on this portion of the AP Lang Exam, you need to know what a synthesis essay is and what skills are assessed by the AP Lang synthesis essay. But, there is no doubt that wind power is also hurting the power companies. Attention: This post was written a few years ago and may not reflect the latest changes in the AP® program. Select and use evidence from at least 3 of the provided sources to support your line of reasoning. Because this example thesis statement states a defensible position and establishes a line of reasoning, it can be elaborated upon in the body of the essay through sub-claims, supporting evidence, and commentary. There are essentially two types of synthesis essay that you will run into: argumentative syntheses and explanatory syntheses. Like we mentioned earlier, this prompt gives you a topic — which it briefly explains — then asks you to take a position. Instead, the writer is ambiguous and non-committal, saying, "As with most things, wind power has no easy answer. It's better to use a little extra time reading and understanding the sources now so that you don't have to go back and re-read the sources later. In other words, to write a solid thesis statement to guide the rest of your synthesis essay, you need to think about your position on the topic at hand and then make a claim about the topic based on your position. You might also consider summing up the key points or position of each source in a sentence or a few words when you finish reading each source during the reading period. A strong thesis will do a lot of heavy lifting in your essay. The following is a list of steps that you should always take before you start writing the bulk of your actual essay. Start with a TOPIC SENTENCE that supports your thesis statement. However, you’ll also have a 15-minute reading and planning period just for this essay, and if you use this time to plan effectively, you can’t go wrong. This thesis statement received full points because it states a defensible position and establishes a line of reasoning on the issue of eminent domain. Tie it all together by briefly summarizing your main points. If you're an educator interested in trying Albert, click the button below to learn about our pilot program. Finally, we want to leave you with a quick list of things to strive for and things to avoid at all costs. If you're still wondering how to write a synthesis essay, examples of real essays from past AP Lang exams can make things clearer. SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. The prompt will briefly explain the essay topic, then present a claim that students will respond to in an essay that synthesizes material from at least three of the sources provided. Use a TRANSITION WORD or PHRASE to guide the reader logically toward the ideas you will present in the topic sentence of the next paragraph. To get started on an analysis of the sample synthesis essay, let's look at the scoring commentary provided by the College Board: This means that the final score for this example essay was a 5 out of 6 possible points. However, this isn’t just about writing a beautiful essay, so read on to Tip # 5! We are gradually updating these posts and will remove this disclaimer when this post is updated. Although there may be significant economic and environmental benefit to wind power, people will always fight to preserve pure, unspoiled land. The commentary is your chance to show original thinking, strong rhetorical skills, and clearly explain how the evidence you've included supports the stance you laid out in your thesis statement. Additionally, you'll need to cite specific evidence from your sources to prove your point. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? For consumers, wind power is very cheap, leading to lower bills than from any other source. Here's what each paragraph is asking you to do: So basically, you'll have to agree with, disagree with, or qualify the claim stated in the prompt, then use at least three sources substantiate your answer. One of the most challenging aspects of the AP synthesis essay is figuring out what the prompt is asking you to do. Source A (photo)Source B (Layton)Source C (Seltenrich)Source D (Brown)Source E (Rule)Source F (Molla). The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. While the general economic trend is positive, there are some setbacks which must be overcome before wind power can take over as truly more effective than fossil fuels. Now that we know what a synthesis essay is, what AP exam scorers will be looking for in your essay, and what techniques you can use to develop your essay topic, it’s time to look at some different strategies for how to actually write a synthesis essay in AP Lang. Or maybe you argue that eminent domain is useful in certain circumstances, but not in others. Lastly, we’ll leave you with some advice about things to be sure and attend to in your essay, as well as the most important things to avoid. To get started, let's look at the official prompt for the 2019 synthesis essay: In response to our society's increasing demand for energy, large-scale wind power has drawn attention from governments and consumers as a potential alternative to traditional materials that fuel our power grids, such as coal, oil, natural gas, water, or even newer sources such as nuclear or solar power. This essay will present you with several sources providing different information about or opinions on a certain topic. For over five years, hundreds of thousands of students have used Albert to build confidence and score better on their SAT®, ACT®, AP, and Common Core tests. But make sure you're taking your time and reading carefully! Keep in mind that these time allotments are merely recommendations, and that exam takers can parse out the allotted 60 minutes to complete the synthesis essay however they choose. As you read the sources, consider marking helpful passages with a star or check mark in the margins of the exam so you know which parts of the text to quickly re-read as you form your synthesis essay. However, it would be wise to use some explanatory techniques even within your argumentative synthesis essay. This is typically the level of synthesis that most people start at after summarizing the content they are considering. The commentary in this sample essay is effective because it goes beyond just summarizing what the provided sources say. You'll be evaluated based on how effectively you do the following in your AP Lang synthesis essay: Write a thesis that responds to the exam prompt with a defensible position, Provide specific evidence that to support all claims in your line of reasoning from at least three of the sources provided, and clearly and consistently explain how the evidence you include supports your line of reasoning, Demonstrate sophistication of thought by either crafting a thoughtful argument, situating the argument in a broader context, explaining the limitations of an argument. You can even memorize this outline to help you out on test day! That will leave you plenty of time to read the sources provided, which is the next step to writing a synthesis essay. All you have to do in order to write your thesis statement is decide whatvyour stance is in relationship to the topic provided. To make good use of your time on the exam, you should spend around 2 minutes reading the prompt and making note of what it's asking you to do. In this case, you'll have to show that eminent domain is a good thing. Once you have a map, writing the essay will be much easier. Present the context surrounding the essay topic in a couple of sentences (this is a good place to use what you learned about the major opinions or controversies about the topic from reading your sources). A Comprehensive Guide. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, 'b8868328-25ad-4976-9f3f-6f24fa4b2b20', {}); Keep reading for a real-life example of a great AP synthesis essay response! When you have a thesis statement down (at least a tentative one—you should always be open to revising it as you go), you should sketch a simple outline that includes your thesis statement, supporting points that you can use for topic sentences, and a rough idea of how you will incorporate your sources. Simply put, a synthesis essay is a piece of writing that brings together information and ideas from two or more sources. After all, what does it mean to “synthesize” something anyway? The very first thing to do when the clock starts running is read and analyze the prompt. It's tempting to skip one or two sources to save time--but we recommend you don't do this. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: © PrepScholar 2013-2018. To demonstrate how to do this, we'll look at the sample AP Lang synthesis essay prompt below. You should include commentary that offers a thoughtful or novel perspective on the evidence from your sources to develop your argument. All rights reserved. In your response you should do the following: Now that you know exactly what the prompt asked students to do on the 2019 AP Lang synthesis essay, here's an AP Lang synthesis essay example, written by a real student on the AP Lang exam in 2019: [1] The situation has been known for years, and still very little is being done: alternative power is the only way to reliably power the changing world. Hey! None of these elements will be particularly effective in isolation, so be sure to use a variety of these strategies to enhance the complexity and depth of your argument. This section requires you to compose three essays of distinct types: an argumentative essay, a rhetorical analysis essay ( you also need to learn how to use AP Lang rhetorical devices) and, the most dreaded of all, the synthesis essay. In other words, a synthesis essay asks you to state your claim on a topic, then highlight the relationships between several sources that support your claim on that topic. Write a straightforward, clear, and concise thesis statement that presents your stance on the topic, Topic sentence presenting first supporting point or claim, Topic sentence presenting second supporting point or claim, Topic sentence presenting three supporting point or claim, Sums up the main line of reasoning that you developed and defended throughout the essay. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the claim that television has had a positive impact on presidential elections.