<p>I've having trouble with writing a Synthesis Essay for my AP English class and was wondering if any prep books had good tips. If there are and you've used them I'd like to know how much help they were. I tried using my Godmother's college writing book, but it didn't mention much about an SE. Help would be great.</p>
<p>Thanks.
Mac</p>
<p>The reason your Godmother's college writing book doesn't mention a "synthesis" essay is because CollegeBoard AP test essays are bogus. In none of your college classes will you write timed 45 minutes essays and be graded on that ridiculous scale. In college classes, which AP classes are supposed to emulate, you write something that we like to call the research paper. [/end rant]</p>
<p>Hasn't your AP English Language teacher instructed you on how to write the synthesis essay? Mine did. If not, I hear that Cliff Notes English Language is a pretty good book for preparation of the AP exam. I will probably buy it for my AP Language test this year.</p>
<p>My AP Lang teacher was an idiot, and our class didn't even know there WAS a synthesis essay until we saw it on the test. I just approached it like a DBQ for history, and I got a five. So if none of the strategies in English prep books are helping, you might consider taking a look at suggested strategies for DBQs in the history APs.</p>
<p>I think the DBQ approach will be easier as long as I don't have to draw a boat or sail of any kind. I will defeat the APUSH Pirates and the AP English ninjas....??? o.O My mom came home last night with the CliffsAP book for English Language and the Sparknotes one because she knows I love the colors. They both seem pretty good and I know that my US History prep book has DBQ strategies. I'll try them.
Thanks!</p>
<p>Here's another person with a question about the synthesis essya:</p>
<p>Is it pretty much just an argumentative essay in which I have to support my stand with only the information which CollegeBoard has presented?</p>
<p>tetrisfan:
No, you can draw information and examples from your own life. The main difference between Argument essay and the Synthesis essay is that the Synthesis will provide you with several sources (~6-7; likely there will be a visual source) from which to pull information from and put in your essay. The challenge is to use at least half of them.</p>
<p>The argument essay only uses one source.</p>
<p>The synthesis question is brand new. They started it a year or two ago, so if you're using an outdated book, it won't be in there. </p>
<p>Just think of it like a DBQ.</p>
<p>So for both the synthesis and argument essays I can use outside info (in addition to info from at least 1/2 the sources in the synthesis)?</p>
<p>You can, but it has to be relevant.</p>
<p>Right, thanks.</p>
<p>The synthesis and the argumentative essays are the easiest for me. i find the rhetorical analysis/expository essay a bit difficult.</p>