What is a synthesis essay
Before writing a synthesis essay one needs to understand what it is. A synthesis is not a summary, a description or a juxtaposition. It is about understanding the different ideas in a text, comparing and contrasting the differences between all of the documents to give an nuanced answer.
The five steps of writing a synthesis essay
Read carefully the instructions, they might help you understand the problem question or guide your plan. If it is still difficult try to identify important key-words from the instructions, you will have to write about those important key-words in your essay.
Identify the nature, source and date of each document. Who is talking? To whom? Is there a specific context? If there are any titles or sub-titles read them carefully. Finally, try to create a link between each document and a problem question.
Identify how the document is organized, is there a specific structure, a way ideas are connected. Are they connected the same way in each document? What is the point of view presented in each document? What is not being said? What structures are used, passive voice? Negative forms?
Follow the usual plan with an introduction, development and conclusion. Your development should have two or three parts, none of them should be focused on one document only. Each part should be about every documents.
Introduction
- Find an opening sentence that will introduce the topic (gun culture has always been an issue…)
- Present briefly each document
- Announce the problem question followed by your plan (three main parts only)
Development
- Find two or three parts, the first being the most obvious while the last one is the most nuanced
- Always write your ideas AND quote the text or cite the text AND explain the quotation
- While writing use many linking words to contrast, explain, clarify, illustrate, compare, etc.
Conclusion
- conclude or summarize in a brief way, no more than two or three lines
- Give a short but nuanced answer to the problem question