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| Synthesis of Movement, Giacomo Balla (1914) |
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.
- As with the other Free-Response Questions (Analysis, Argumentative), the introduction of your essay need not be long. I suggest a maximum of 5 sentences--an interesting, more general hook for the first one or two sentences, followed by a strong thesis statement (can be two sentences) and a transition to the body of your essay.
- The body paragraphs of your essay are the most important part. My experience tells me that body paragraphs of AP Essays tend to be longer--at least 7 sentences. By the way, you might have been taught sometime that each paragraph should focus on one example. There is no steadfast rule about how many examples to include, but more than likely you will not have just one example per paragraph. What is important is that the paragraph flows with good transitions between ideas.
- While AP Readers do not count the number of examples that you provide, my advice is that you have at least 4 references to the Sources and 2 of your own original examples to support your argument. (By the way, you can refer to one Source more than once, but make sure you refer to at least 3 different Sources.) You will find that the Sources themselves often give you an idea for an original example. To access good examples in your mind, you might consider the mnemonic device that I created: "Let Me Have Some Apple Pie Pretty Please." L stands for Literature; M stands for Media (current events); H stands for History; S stands for Science or Social Studies; A stands for the Arts; P stands for Psychology; P stands for Politics; P stands for Personal experience or observation. I find that students, because of the stress of the testing environment, sometimes have difficulty accessing the ideas in their brains. You have so many good pieces of information stored in your head! The mnemonic device is a way to focus and ask yourself, "What do I know in each of these categories that could be used as an example for this prompt?" (Of course, you have to decide whether the categories are relevant for the prompt; they may not be.) Use this technique for the Argumentative Essay as well. For that matter, use this technique for any essay that you write (SAT, ACT, etc.)
- Never, ever begin a body paragraph with a quote from the Source. I tell students this because what often happens is that they make the voice/ideas of the Source primary. For any essay that you write, your voice/opinion/argument should be central. So begin your body paragraphs with a few sentences that are your original thoughts. Only then should you incorporate the Sources. The Sources should support your opinion, not be your opinion. Imagine you are responding to the prompt without the Sources, and then you just happen to have the good fortune of finding them on the desk near you. You read them, thinking, "How can I use you to support my argument?" I say, "Don't let the Sources write your paper!"
- Never, ever summarize the Sources or write down your opinion about how good or awful they are. You are responding to what the Sources say, not attacking them. (Certainly, in your head you evaluate the Sources; good critical thinkers always do that. But what you write should not be a critique of the writing in the Sources. And by the way, don't start analyzing rhetorical devices!--That's the Analysis Essay only.) You are having a civil argument with the Sources. You may agree, disagree, or qualify, as you do on the Argumentative Essay. I find that students who qualify tend to create more complex arguments, which might just earn you a higher grade. However, do not qualify an argument if you aren't able to clearly express your thinking in this regard. You certainly can achieve a high score without qualification.
- Students often ask me if they need to include only Sources that support their argument. Of course not! In fact, your rebutting the ideas put forward in the Sources shows that you are a strong, confident thinker. You can even agree with bits and pieces of each Source and disagree with the rest of the Source. Do not be afraid to refute ideas as you make your argument.
- Don't fall into the trap of faulty reasoning--overgeneralization, oversimplification, stating the obvious, too great a stretch in your thinking. Remember the world is not all black and white; there are always shades of gray.
- For every essay that you write, your thesis and the prompt are your North Stars or Anchors. Let them keep you directed and focussed in your discussion. You should ask yourself repeatedly, "Am I staying on point or am I digressing?" Try to use key words (or synonyms) for the ideas of the prompt with each example/Source that you use to support your argument. "Always bring your discussion back to the ideas of the prompt." Ask yourself, "Have a provided a 'clincher' sentence with this example that explains/illustrates how it directly relates to the ideas of the prompt and thesis?"
- I suggest that you have 3 to 4 sentences of elaboration for each example and/or argumentative point that you are making. One of the main problems with many student essays is the length. Aim for at least two and one-half pages of writing. Chances are that if you force yourself to write a lot, you will discover some great ideas.
- Always clearly cite your Source. I suggest placing in parentheses the Source (and underlining it) every time you make a direct (quoted) or indirect (paraphrased) reference to the Source. And write out the word, "Source." You want to make it as easy as possible for the AP Reader to see your citation; the AP Reader is looking at hundreds of essays a day. By the way, students sometimes ask me if they need to cite the Source they are discussing after each elaborative sentence in the paragraph. The answer is No. That is a waste of time. The AP Reader will know that you are still referring to a particular Source, provided your discussion of that Source continues in a fluid way.
- The conclusion is the least important part of your essay. If pressed for time, add a concluding sentence onto your last body paragraph. Don't leave the AP Reader thinking that the essay sounds incomplete. And don't write, "In conclusion."
- On the day of the Exam, you are given the prompts for all the questions at once. The Essay portion of the Exam is all "lumped together." In other words, if you finish one essay, by all means, go onto the next essay. For the Synthesis Essay (the first question), you are given an extra 15 minutes to read, digest, and mark up the Sources for ideas. It would be foolish, once you are told the writing period has begun, to NOT start with the Synthesis Essay. You should always begin with the Synthesis Essay. You may go out of order for the Analysis Essay and the Argumentative Essay if you like. Again, these are my ideas, not those of The College Board. There is no rule that you have to answer the Synthesis Prompt first. I am simply advising you to do so.
