Rhetorical terms · AP English Language, SAT Reading and Writing, ACT Reading
Synthesis
Synthesis: Combining information and ideas from multiple sources to support an original argument.
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What it means
Synthesis means bringing sources into conversation with each other in service of your own position. Synthesis shows how sources support, complicate or contradict one another, and it ties each source to a claim the writer makes.
Effective synthesis puts the writer in charge: the writer's claims set the structure of the essay, and the sources serve as evidence for them.
Example
'The survey shows most residents never use the golf course (Source B), and the budget report shows it loses money each year (Source D); together they suggest the town is subsidizing a facility for a small minority.'
On the exam
The AP Lang synthesis essay requires evidence from at least three provided sources. SAT Reading and Writing also has rhetorical synthesis questions that ask you to combine notes to meet a goal.
Lessons and practice questions
Related terms
- ClaimAn arguable statement a writer asks the audience to accept, supported by reasons and evidence.
- CommentaryThe writer's explanation of how a piece of evidence supports a claim; the analysis that follows a quotation or example.
- Line of reasoningThe logical sequence of claims that connects a thesis to its supporting evidence across an essay.