ESSAY PROMPT

Practice turning two sources into one paragraph whose central idea belongs to the writer.

Start with the relationship you noticed

A synthesis paragraph does more than report Source A and then Source B. It explains a relationship between them and uses that relationship to answer the writer’s question. Before drafting, write the relationship in plain language: ‘Both sources support __, but they differ about __,’ or ‘One source describes the problem while the other shows a possible response.’ If you cannot state a relationship, you may still be collecting notes rather than building a paragraph. Missouri S&T’s writing guide organizes synthesis around a topic sentence, source material, analysis, a transition, another source, further analysis, and a concluding insight. The order is useful because it makes the writer’s thinking visible between source references.

Reference:Writing a Synthesis

Give each source a job

Make a small two-column note before writing. In the first column, record what a source contributes to your question; in the second, record what it cannot establish. One source might provide a definition, another a case, and a third a challenge to your assumption. Harvard’s guide to using sources encourages writers to consider the role each source played in research; it describes sources as possible primary evidence, context for what is at stake, or a counterargument that changes a thesis. These roles help prevent a paragraph from treating sources as interchangeable containers of quotations. Choose sources because of what they add to your reasoning, not because you need to reach a source count.

Reference:A Source’s Role in Your Paper

Move from evidence to your own analysis

A workable paragraph pattern is: claim, evidence from Source A, explanation of its relevance, a transition showing how Source B relates, evidence from Source B, comparison, and a concluding sentence that answers the paragraph’s question. The transition should carry an idea, not merely announce another author. ‘Similarly’ works only when the sources genuinely agree; ‘however’ works only when there is a meaningful difference. After each paraphrase or brief quotation, explain what the evidence means for your claim. This explanation is where you show why the source belongs. If your paragraph can be reduced to ‘A says this; B says that,’ the writer’s interpretation has not yet connected them.

In the margins Why this passage works +
“This explanation is where you show why the source belongs.”

The paragraph’s analysis is made explicit as the writer’s responsibility, rather than being hidden behind quotations.

A short worked pattern

Suppose an assignment asks whether a school should add a quiet study period. Source A describes students’ reported difficulty finding uninterrupted time. Source B describes the school’s limited schedule and room capacity. A summary-only paragraph would repeat each source separately. A synthesis paragraph could instead argue that a quiet period may address a real need only if the schedule makes it accessible. The first source establishes the problem; the second complicates the solution. The writer’s contribution is the conditional relationship: a response should be judged by whether it reaches the students facing the problem and whether its design can work within the school’s constraints. These are hypothetical source roles, not claims about a real school or study.

Revise the paragraph for ownership

Underline the sentence that states your paragraph’s point. Circle every sentence that interprets or compares evidence. If the circles are sparse, add analysis rather than another quotation. Then check whether each source is represented accurately and whether the paragraph preserves any important qualification. Remove a detail that does not help answer your question. Finally, read only your own sentences aloud: the topic sentence, analysis, transitions, and final insight. They should form a coherent line of thought even when the source details are temporarily covered. The sources supply evidence; they do not supply the paragraph’s structure of reasoning.

A repeatable drafting sequence

Write the paragraph in six passes: state one answerable point; choose a source that supports or complicates it; explain the source’s role; bring in a second source only when it changes or deepens the point; compare the evidence; end with the conclusion the comparison permits. This process is flexible, not a formula that requires exactly two sources. A single primary source may be enough when it is the object of analysis. Several sources may be needed when the question asks about a debate. The key is that every source has a reason to be present and every borrowed idea is connected to the writer’s own answer.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

Try the idea.

Take two sources you have read. In two sentences, identify what each contributes to your question; in a third, explain how their relationship changes or strengthens your answer.

See the self-check +

A strong response names a distinct role for each source and makes a comparison that bears on the writer’s question. If the third sentence only says that both sources are “important,” identify a more specific agreement, difference, or limitation.

Sources and evidence