When you are asked to write a synthesis essay by your professor, it might look like an immense task. But, no need to fear, as we will guide you in understanding the concept of a synthesis essay and forming a synthesis essay structure.
Let us first understand what a synthesis essay is before going further with how to write a synthesis essay!
What is Synthesis Essay?
A synthesis essay is a written discussion of ideas, which involves gathering information from different sources to combine them to document the main thesis statement. Students usually get confused about which types of synthesis essay they should choose. There are three types of synthesis essays.
- Argumentative Synthesis Essay
- Background Synthesis Essay
- Literature Review Synthesis Essay
How To Write A Synthesis Essay?
As the synthesis essay have different types, the format of the paper varies based on the types chosen, but there are three main parts in every synthesis essay:
- The introduction
- The body
- The conclusion
Every student or essay writer needs to follow this synthesis essay format and ensure that he/she present their ideas in a way that the reader can easily follow.
Synthesis Essay Structure
The synthesis essay structure refers to how you present your idea to the reader. In the following guide, six synthesis essay structures are highlighted.
Climactic order – In the climatic order, the writers present their arguments, starting with the least important section or topic. The reason for writing in such type of order is that the reader remembers the last argument more properly, and therefore, this essay order have them remember the most decisive point. Particularly, here you save the best idea for the last.
Anticlimactic order – This order is the opposite of climactic order. Here, the writers order their ideas in descending order of importance, which means the idea of least importance comes at last. This can be mainly useful in an argumentative essay. It will allow writers to start with the points that make an impact first, and then they move to the weaker ideas.
Chronological order – Usually, such order is not used with argumentative types of essays; however, it can be applied to the other two types of synthesis essays. In this order, the thoughts are organized in the order the ideas are presented. This can be specifically important if the concepts are building on each other. Besides, this order is also suitable for explaining cause and effect.
Problem/solution order – As the name suggests, in this order, the writer begins the essay by writing the problem. The rest of the section of the essay includes the solutions to the problem in whatever order the writer feels to write.
Logical order – In a case where the first idea writer’s get is more complicated than the next one, they are suggested to follow the logical order. This order is also not applicable for argumentative essays, similar to the chronological order.
Comparison and contrast order – Sometimes, synthesis essays, just like comparison and contrast essays, also compare and contrast the ideas. In these cases, comparison and contrast order is used. In this order, the writer can first summarize each source then shed light on the similarities and differences of all the sources.
Writing Tips for Synthesis Essay
In order to create a good synthesis essay, follow these points.
- Choose a good source first
- Choose good title
- Create an outline
- Write a compelling introduction
- Address your readers properly
- Use precise vocabulary
- Use proper paragraph structure and clear sentences
- Use sentences and paragraph transitions
- Use references and citation
- Proofread and edit
Learning to write synthesis essays is a great skill that will prepare you to deal with the current information overload. If new ideas are being presented every so often, therefore, you will need to learn how to analyze them, interpret them, and come to a viable conclusion. This article will help you in creating an effective synthesis essay structure.