Responding to a Synthesis Prompt

Synthesis of Movement, Giacomo Balla (1914)

Responding to the Synthesis Prompt on the AP Exam (You Can Use These Ideas to Write Any Synthesis Essay)

The Synthesis Prompt appears first in the Free-Response Section of the AP English Language and Composition Exam.  Synthesis is a blending of ideas from other sources to create a new whole (your essay).  In this exam, there will be either 6 or 7 Sources (A through G) that you will need to read and gather ideas to support your argument--your response to the prompt. At least one of the Sources will be visual (a chart, a graph, a picture, a cartoon).  The directions on the exam tell you that you must incorporate at least 3 different Sources into your discussion (essay).  You may think of the Synthesis Essay as a mini Research Paper.  You are being tested on your ability to read, evaluate, and utilize the Sources in a coherent written argument.  Below are some pointers that I have come up with after teaching AP English for many years, as well as from my experience as an AP Reader.  The suggestions below are not necessarily part of the rubric from The College Board.  They are based on the conclusions that I have drawn after reading and evaluating thousands of Synthesis Essays over the years.

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay

The Book, Juan Gris (1913)



Print out the following notes (or handwrite) so that you can keep this rubric in your binder for future essay assignments.

• Analysis means explaining (with textual evidence, i.e., quotes) how an author effectively renders/shows/establishes a particular literary aspect.  For example, theme, mood, characterization, conflict.  Before you begin to write the essay, you have to figure out what larger aspect of the text you will be analyzing. (Sometimes your teacher will assign a specific literary aspect for you to analyze; other times, you will have to choose that literary aspect on your own.)  As you are reading the text, you need to find excellent examples (quotes) that will support that larger literary aspect.

Freshman English--Sample Opening Paragraphs for Theme Analysis Essay on "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell

The following examples are products of collaborative writing in my first period English I class.

Group One

     “I have hunted every kind of game in every land.  It would be impossible for me to tell you how many animals I have killed.”  This quote is proudly spoken by the self-confident character General Zaroff from the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell.  However, his self-confident personality is quickly overpowered by his more practical opponent, Rainsford, who shows the general that he can outsmart him in his own hunting competition.  Connell's story shows us that self-confidence can turn on you when you are trying to survive.

Freshman English--Vocabulary List Four

Banks of the Seine, Paris Albert Marquet (1896)

Due February 3, 2015

Directions: Copy the vocabulary words. Most of them have been taken from your textbook; some words/terms are not typical vocabulary words (for example, names of places or allusions to famous things); nevertheless, you should know them. Look up the definitions and parts of speech of each word. Write both in your notebook. (You must handwrite this assignment; not type, or cut and paste). For each of the words, find an excellent context sentence by googling the Internet (always cite your source within parentheses after the sentence--the name of the website). In addition, create an excellent context sentence of your own. Please clearly label the "googled" sentence and your "own" sentence: "I" for Internet sentence; "My" for the sentence that you create. Also highlight the vocabulary word in each sentence. All of this work should be written on loose-leaf paper in your notebook, so that it can be turned in for a grade.