Common Mistakes on the AP Lang Synthesis Essay

Summary

In Coach Hall Writes' video, common pitfalls in AP Lang synthesis essays are discussed. The most critical mistake is failing to use three sources, limiting the score potential. Other frequent errors include limited commentary, improper citations, excessive summarization, underdeveloped broader context, and lack of conversational tone in the essay. Solutions like outlining sources ahead, integrating smoother citations, employing broader context effectively, and ensuring a synthesis of multiple sources in paragraphs are suggested to enhance essay quality and coherence. These tips aim to refine students' writings by focusing on analysis over summary, and on creating a cohesive and engaging argument.

Highlights

• Failing to cite three sources can drastically lower your essay score. 🚨
• Outline your sources to prevent last-minute scrambling and ensure three source usage. ✅
• Develop your commentary thoroughly; ask yourself why to deepen your analysis. 🎯
• Avoid summarizing sources; focus on using them to support your thesis. 🗣️
• Use proper citations consistently to enhance clarity and credibility. 🧐

Key Takeaways

• Always use at least three sources in your essay to maximize your score potential. 📚
• Plan your ideas and sources before writing to ensure coherence and completeness. 📝
• Develop your commentary by asking yourself why, how, or so what your evidence means. 🤔
• Avoid mere summarization of sources; focus on analysis and your own voice. 🎤
• Ensure proper citations to avoid confusion and assert your argument's credibility. 🔍

Overview

Writing a synthesis essay on the AP Lang exam can be tricky if you're unaware of common pitfalls. The biggest error? Using fewer than three sources, which limits your scoring potential significantly. Coach Hall suggests outlining your main ideas and sources before writing, effectively transforming them into a checklist to ensure all sources are utilized.

Commentary, the soul of your argument, often gets overlooked. Avoid simply stating your thesis and evidence; dive deeper by questioning the 'why' behind your claims. Incorporating linking language can also strengthen transitions between ideas, ensuring a smooth flow of thought and bolstering your essay's overall effectiveness.

Citations might seem minor, but improper ones can lead to major confusion. Coach Hall emphasizes the importance of using source letters for clarity on the AP exam, while noting a preference for more specific citations. Avoid being a summarizer; instead, analyze and make your voice heard by weaving a nuanced narrative around your sources.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction and Importance of Using Three Sources In the introduction chapter titled 'Introduction and Importance of Using Three Sources,' the focus is on understanding common mistakes students make in AP Lang synthesis essays. The narration emphasizes the crucial role of subscribing and turning on notifications to stay updated with future content and notes the significance of checking the provided description box for additional resources. The primary severe mistake highlighted is students' failure to properly utilize three sources in their essays, emphasizing the importance of this element in crafting a successful synthesis essay.
• 01:00 - 02:30: Planning and Time Management Chapter Title: Planning and Time Management
• 02:30 - 04:00: Limited Commentary and How to Improve It The chapter "Limited Commentary and How to Improve It" discusses a strategy for planning essays, commonly used by students preparing for exams like the AP Lang Exam. The method involves organizing their outline with the thesis, main ideas, and the sources they plan to use. Some students may include evidence and commentary in their outlines, although time constraints during exams can limit this practice. The approach serves as a checklist to ensure the incorporation of at least three sources before proceeding to the next essay.
• 04:00 - 06:00: Proper Citations This chapter discusses the importance of proper citations in academic assignments. It emphasizes double-checking that the required number of sources, in this case three, are included before submission. If time runs out and only two sources are included, a quick fix is suggested - adding another source, perhaps in the introduction, even if it is not the most ideal solution.
• 06:00 - 08:00: Analysis vs Summary The chapter titled 'Analysis vs Summary' focuses on common strategies and pitfalls in writing synthesis essays, specifically for the AP language exam. It highlights a common mistake students make by not integrating sources effectively into their essays. As a quick fix, the chapter suggests including a source in the conclusion as a last resort, especially when time is limited. This is considered a failsafe strategy to ensure all required sources are included, even if it's not ideally executed. The emphasis is on making sure that the necessary elements are present within the constraints of a timed exam.
• 08:00 - 11:30: Developing Broader Context Chapter Title: Developing Broader Context The chapter discusses the need for more developed commentary in essays to achieve higher scores. While the thesis, main ideas, and selected evidence in these essays are often adequate, the lack of in-depth commentary hinders them from reaching top rubric scores. The chapter offers tips to enhance commentary by encouraging writers to ask themselves questions like why they chose certain evidence, how it supports their argument, and its broader significance.
• 11:30 - 14:00: Engaging in a Conversation of Sources This chapter focuses on effective engagement with sources when writing. It emphasizes the importance of varying vocabulary to make arguments more compelling. Instead of using the word 'shows,' alternatives like 'demonstrates,' 'underscores,' 'illustrates,' or 'highlights' are suggested. Additionally, the use of a 'because' clause is encouraged as it adds depth by explaining why evidence is significant and how it supports the thesis. The chapter also cautions against superficial commentary, urging students to delve deeper into analysis and explanation.
• 14:00 - 15:00: Conclusion and Encouragement The final chapter focuses on deepening your understanding and thinking critically through the consistent questioning of 'why.' By doing a 'double because,' readers are encouraged to articulate their thoughts more precisely, ensuring their reasoning is both detailed and specific. This chapter prompts readers to not only ask detailed questions but also to maintain a broader perspective on why the topic at hand is significant. Additionally, the use of linking language like 'consequently,' 'thus,' and 'therefore' is recommended to help clarify and connect ideas. Overall, the chapter aims to inspire readers to thoroughly develop their thoughts while appreciating the overall importance of their inquiry.

Common Mistakes on the AP Lang Synthesis Essay Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 Hey everybody, welcome back to Coach All Writes. In today's video, we're going to be talking about common mistakes that students make on AP Lang synthesis essays. Before we get started, let's be sure to stay in touch. Make sure that you subscribe and turn those notifications on. That way, you don't miss any upcoming AP Lang content. Also, be sure to check out the description box below for some useful links. This first mistake is arguably the most severe mistake that a student can make on an AP
• 00:30 - 01:00 lang synthesis essay, and that is not using three sources. I've seen it happen where a student wrote a pretty decent essay, but they only had two sources, not three. And so, because of that, they could only earn a score of a one out of four in row B. So, here are a couple quick fixes to avoid this happening. Quick fix number one is going to be to plan your main ideas and which sources you will use before you write. I encourage my students to make a pretty simple outline before they actually
• 01:00 - 01:30 start their essay. So, they'll put their thesis, main idea one, and they'll say what main idea one is. Then, underneath that, they'll put the sources they intend to use. Some students do a little bit more. They might put their evidence and commentary, but on the exam, you don't have a ton of time. Then they'll do main idea 2 and they'll put the sources they intend to use for that one. This allows them to make sure that they have three total sources and it becomes a bit of a checklist. Double check that you have three sources before moving on to your next essay on the AP Lang exam
• 01:30 - 02:00 or if it's an in-class assignment, make sure that you double check that you've included three sources before you turn your assignment in. Quick fix number two is going to be for a situation where you realize that time is running out and you've only got two sources so far. So, here's what you can do. While it might not be the best solution, you can squeeze in another source. I've seen students do this where they added it to their intro. Maybe they used a source that defined what the topic was. Or I've
• 02:00 - 02:30 even seen students include a source in their conclusion. Now, of course, the execution of this matters. Preferably, you're not just going to haphazardly drop in a source, but technically this could be a way to get that third source in if the clock is ticking and you have like next to no time left. So, quick fix number two is more of a failsafe strategy if you are legitimately out of time and you got to squeeze in that third source. Probably the most common mistake that I see students making on their AP lang synthesis essays is
• 02:30 - 03:00 limited commentary. So many of the essays that score a one 120, they just simply need more developed commentary. Their thesis is fine. They have decent main ideas. They've selected appropriate evidence. It's just that the commentary is not driving the essay forward to break into those upper scores on the rubric. So, here are some quick tips for you. Ask yourself why, how, or so what. So, think about it this way. Why did I choose this evidence? What does it show?
• 03:00 - 03:30 Now, you want to use a different word besides shows if possible. So, you could do demonstrates, underscores, illustrates, highlights. There are several other verbs you could use. You can also add a because clause because when you say the word because, you're adding on why. And commentary is essentially why. It's why the evidence is significant and how it proves your thesis. Sometimes though, students add a because clause and it's still a little bit superficial. So sometimes you almost
• 03:30 - 04:00 need to do a double because meaning you need to keep asking yourself why and developing that commentary more. So if you add the word because you want to make sure that your answer after that is detailed and specific. Be thorough and encourage yourself to think big picture too like why is this actually important? It also helps if you include linking language. This could be words like consequently, thus, therefore. Those words help you
• 04:00 - 04:30 transition between your ideas and can help you potentially develop your commentary more. They also help with effective transitions, which can sometimes help your line of reasoning. Another common mistake that I see students making is improper citations. On the AP Lang exam, students can site using the author's last name or the source letter. So, like source A. In my experience, most students do the latter. And for me as a teacher, I teach my students to do the source letter. And
• 04:30 - 05:00 that's simply because for me, that's how I remember the sources. And so it's easier for me to grade when students say source A as opposed to the author's last name. Now, when you're in college, you're going to use the author's last name for MLA or APA citations. So, it's good to know both methods. The source letter thing is just personally my preference. Whichever method you choose though, you want to be consistent at the AP reading. In my experience, readers are typically encouraged to count the source if it is clear which source the
• 05:00 - 05:30 student is referring to, even if there isn't a citation. Now, personally, I would not leave this to chance. I would double check that I had not only three sources, but that all of my evidence had a proper citation. I can tell you as a teacher and a reader, it is really frustrating when students don't site their evidence because then I have to go back and figure out which source it came from. And then on top of that, I have to figure out was it a third source or was
• 05:30 - 06:00 it the same as their first or second source because that means I'm trying to figure out if the student has three sources since that affects their evidence and commentary score. Now, while I will do this, I will go back and check and see if I can figure out which source the student is talking about. It is a little bit frustrating. I'm not going to lie. And that problem can be solved by you, the student, including a proper citation in the first place. So, please make sure that you are citing your evidence. If you need help with
• 06:00 - 06:30 your citations, I do have two different videos about synthesis citations. One is admittedly shorter, whereas the other one is longer and more detailed. I'll include links to both of them in the description box below. That way, you can choose which video is more useful to you. Also, as an added tip, I personally encourage my students to avoid saying according to source A. This does count as a citation, and it's better than nothing, but personally, I like to have them use the original source material.
• 06:30 - 07:00 So, let's say that the original source was a research study from Pew Research in 2017. Instead of saying according to source A, I would have them say according to a 2017 Pew research study. I personally feel like that sounds better. It's a way to weave in the evidence more naturally and more smoothly. It's also less jarring to the reader because it's giving credit to where the source came from. Therefore, it's helping to explain why you would include that evidence. In some sense, it
• 07:00 - 07:30 adds credibility to the source. So, you could state where the source came from, the author's name. And there's different ways to do it. I go over this more in those videos that I mentioned. But then when you're done with that sentence, at the end you can include a parenthetical citation. That's when you would put source A in parenthesis and the period would go outside the parenthesis. Another common mistake on AP lang synthesis essays is when students summarize the sources rather than actually analyzing. So it's okay to give
• 07:30 - 08:00 a bit of context to introduce the evidence. Doing so helps the evidence seem less jarring. But at the same time, we want to avoid summarizing the sources because summary is not analysis. So, please don't write your whole essay saying source A says this and then giving us a summary and then source B says this and then another summary. Your job is not to tell us what the sources say, but rather your job is to use evidence from the sources to support your argument. We want your voice to
• 08:00 - 08:30 shine through. So instead of telling what the source is about, you want to explain how the quote you've chosen proves your thesis. So less summary, more analysis. Another common mistake is underdeveloped broader context. I tend to see this for students who are trying to earn the sophistication point. And so I'm glad to see students attempting it, but let me tell you how to fix it. Broader context is when you include
• 08:30 - 09:00 information beyond what is provided in the sources. This can include personal experience, historical knowledge, just general outside knowledge. So for example, for the historical preservation prompt, which was one of the prompts from 2024, simply mentioning historical locations is not enough. So for instance, if students said something like historical places like the Alamo or the Eiffel Tower, just named dropping
• 09:00 - 09:30 those places is not broader context. However, if a student were to select a historical site that connects to the main idea they're trying to prove and analyze the value of this place by providing details, that could potentially be broader context. So, for example, one of the sources in that packet brought up the idea that some people are in favor of modernizing historical buildings, especially historical homes, like for instance,
• 09:30 - 10:00 adding solar panels, but then those who are opposed to it feel like it's ruining the aesthetic. So, let's say that your town has a historical building, like maybe there's a historic downtown in your area. You could potentially tell an anecdote about that depending on which side you're on. Talking about how no, it doesn't ruin the aesthetic. You can keep the charm on the outside and have modern interior. Or if you're on the opposite side, you could talk about, yeah, it totally does ruin the aesthetic and here's why. Here's what it looked like
• 10:00 - 10:30 and that kind of thing. So by providing those extra details and connecting some outside knowledge to what the source says, you can develop that broader context. Another example that some of my students like to use is when we cover the library synthesis prompt. There is one source in there that is essentially a library schedule and it talks about different classes offered at the library. Now, in my opinion, there's plenty to say about that source alone, but some of my students like to connect that source to their own experience in a
• 10:30 - 11:00 library. So, they talk about their experience with the different library programs during the summer. And by going into detail and explaining its significance, they're going beyond the source. And so if executed well and consistently, it can potentially lead to broader context. So the way to avoid this common mistake is to really develop your broader context. Add in specific details and make sure it's clear why you're including that outside information rather than just named
• 11:00 - 11:30 dropping. Another common mistake is a lack of conversation. So, you might have heard of a synthesis essay being called a conversation of sources. If you think about a conversation, there are at least two voices. A good conversation isn't one-sided. And so, in a synthesis essay, in my opinion at least, if an essay has three body paragraphs, each of the body paragraphs has only one source. The
• 11:30 - 12:00 essay can feel more like a summary than an argument. And oftentimes the paragraphs can seem disjointed. The essay can have a weak line of reasoning. One way to fix this would be to include two sources in at least one body paragraph. These two sources can agree, disagree, or just simply highlight different perspectives of the main idea of the paragraph. By including two voices in a body paragraph, it's
• 12:00 - 12:30 starting that conversation. You can continue the conversation by having strong transitions between your paragraphs. It also helps if you think about which main idea should be first versus second. I've heard it termed an irreversible line of reasoning. Meaning, there should be a reason why your first body paragraph has the main idea that it does. And the same for the second and third if you have a third. Thinking about the order of your body paragraphs can also help that conversation because
• 12:30 - 13:00 like I said, it helps with those transitions. When you include two sources in one of your body paragraphs, be sure to use linking language, whether it's similarly or conversely or other types of transitional phrases to help smooth out that conversation. All right, there you have it. Those are the most common mistakes that I have seen in AP Lang synthesis essays. If you found this video helpful, please give it a thumbs up and also don't forget to subscribe.
• 13:00 - 13:30 That way you don't miss any upcoming videos as you are preparing for the AP Lang exam. Thank you so much for watching and until next time, happy writing.