1. Synthesis Essay Feedback
knowyourmeme.com
I have some feedback for y’all...

2. Feedback: Strengthen Your Topic Sentences!
Don’t start your paragraphs with background info. Instead, make an assertion. You are trying to convince the reader that your reason/position is accurate. Give your reason and marshal (arrange) the evidence in a compelling way.
Remember, this is a course on argument—firmly state your position.
…because everything’s
an argument!

3. Feedback: Both Examples Must Connect with Your Topic Sentence
You’re improving in this respect, but remember that both examples must connect to one another and support the topic sentence.
Note: Since these are relatively short essays, it was apparent when both of your examples didn’t connect.
memegenerator.net
Listen to Yoda.

4. Feedback: You Must Use Different Sources Within Each Paragraph
True Confessions of an AP English Teacher: I’m tired of mentioning this.
If you don’t mix sources when writing a body paragraph of a synthesis essay, the best score you’ll receive is a 4.
Several of you are still doing this. Watch out. If you had correctly written synthesis paragraphs elsewhere in your essay, I didn’t give you an automatic 4, but watch out.
memegenerator.net
Synthesis is a beautiful thing…

5. Feedback: Books vs. Magazines
The essay relied exclusively on article titles. You should have used quotation marks (“”) throughout the paper.
Reminder: Use italics for books, magazines, websites, and movies.
On the AP exam, you want to demonstrate skillfulness with a variety of sources. Remember the difference between italics and quotation marks.
…And quotation marks

6. Feedback: Inside/Outside
If there’s no MLA citation, all commas and periods go INSIDE quotation marks.
Example: She said “I’ll take the children, the pets, and the supplies, and go to the park.”
Otherwise, the punctuation goes OUTSIDE the quotation marks.
Example: The article cites “four essential rules for achieving the American Dream” (Turak).
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Memes

7. Feedback: Citations, Part II
For websites, you always cite the author’s last name (e.g., Turak).
If no author is named, you cite a shortened name of the article (e.g. “Four Truths”).
With MLA, you do NOT cite the year that the article was printed. (That’s APA style!)