Synthesis Essay

Overall Positives Using 3 or more sources Incorporating quotes effectively Effective hooks to intros Overall, clear sentence structure and grammar

Areas to review overall Be careful of using “you” – this is rarely effective and can mess with your tone Pay close attention to the wording of the prompt – this prompt deals with the effects of advertising. This is not the same as analyzing the effectiveness of advertising Use punctuation marks correctly!

Synthesis Issues Definition vs. Synthesis Remember, this is at heart an ARGUMENT essay – if you’re not making a clear argument, you won’t score well Explaining/summarizing sources does not make a point for YOUR argument. Don’t let sources shape your argument.

More Synthesis issues When you make a claim, you must support that claim. If your claim is that “the negative impacts of advertising outweigh the positives since ads can be physically and emotionally destructive,” then each subsequent paragraph needs to elaborate on that theme. Don’t let the sources shape YOUR argument. If all of your paragraphs begin with something like “According to source B…” then you’re probably doing this.

Steps to avoid these issues Make sure your thesis is a thesis Hint: If it doesn’t make a claim, it’s not. Make sure your thesis addresses the actual prompt, not an interpretation of the prompt that you think would be more interesting. Make sure every paragraph supports the central argument made by your thesis.

Steps to avoid these issues Consider how you’re using your sources. Sources should always support your point, not make it for you. Use pieces of quotes rather than entire lines Reread your essay to make sure you’re attaching enough commentary to your discussion of the sources. This commentary (your analysis) is what shapes your argument.

We fix these things by practicing. Reread your essay thoroughly and highlight areas that need significant revision and where you need to add to what you already have. Start with the thesis, then make an outline of each point of YOUR argument. Include each source you will use to support your points. Your outline should be approved by me before you begin rewriting (and before the end of class today).

Homework: Revised essay due on Monday, April 29. If you can type it, that’d be nice. This essay will be graded and must be significantly different from your first essay.