The synthesis essay joins the argument essay and integrated sources. You read a set of sources on an issue, take your own position, and support it with several of them, citing each. On the AP English Language exam, the synthesis question gives a set of sources and asks students to use at least three.
Key idea
Your argument organizes the essay; the sources serve it. Each body paragraph makes one of your claims and brings in the sources that support or challenge it, in conversation with each other.
Why it works
If the sources organize the essay, you have written a series of summaries, and your own position gets lost. If your reasons organize it, each source becomes evidence for something you are arguing, and the reader sees your thinking at every step.
| Organized by sources | Organized by reasons |
|---|---|
| ¶1 Source A says teens need sleep. | ¶1 A later start helps students learn (A, with C’s survey). |
| ¶2 Source B says buses cost money. | ¶2 The bus cost is real but manageable (B, answered with a cost comparison). |
| ¶3 Source C is a student survey. | ¶3 After-school costs need a plan (C and D agree; propose shifting practices). |
| ¶4 Source D is a coach’s letter. |
Worked example: A synthesis sentence
Using the practice sources from the last topic, write one sentence that puts two sources in conversation to support the claim that a later start is worth its costs.
- Choose two sources that relate: A (sleep benefit) and B (bus cost) answer different questions.
- Name both and say how they relate: A shows the benefit; B shows the cost.
- Add your own judgment: which matters more, and why.
Answer: “While the district’s memo (Source B) shows that a later start would require more buses, the sleep research (Source A) suggests the benefit reaches every student every morning, a gain that outweighs a cost the district can plan for.”
Common mistake
Letting the sources organize the essay, one paragraph per source. Check your topic sentences: if any of them begins with a source (“Source C says …”), rewrite it to state your claim, then bring in the sources as support.
In the AP exam’s synthesis question, sources are cited by letter, such as (Source A), or by author; in a research paper, use the style your teacher assigns, as in Composition’s MLA in-text citations.