English Language and Composition Exam AP English Language and Composition Synthesis 3

Question 1

A synthesis prompt provides a cartoon, a statistical graph, and four written articles. Which of the following is true about using the visual sources?

Accepted Answer

Visual sources may be used just like written sources to support the argument

Answer

AP synthesis essays allow students to draw evidence from any provided source, including charts, graphs, cartoons, and photographs.

Question 2

Which of the following thesis statements is MOST appropriate for a synthesis essay arguing about the effects of social media on democracy?

Accepted Answer

Although social media enables civic engagement, its role in spreading misinformation poses a measurable threat to democratic institutions.

Answer

A strong synthesis thesis makes a specific, defensible claim that acknowledges complexity — not a simple observation or a statement of intent.

Question 3

When paraphrasing a source in a synthesis essay, the writer must:

Accepted Answer

Restate the idea in their own words and still cite the source

Answer

Paraphrases must be genuinely reworded AND attributed to the source; changing only a few words constitutes patchwriting, which is problematic.

Question 4

A synthesis essay that scores a 4 (out of 6 on the evidence/commentary row) most likely:

Accepted Answer

Provides evidence from multiple sources but offers limited or formulaic commentary

Answer

A mid-range score typically reflects adequate evidence use but underdeveloped analysis that does not fully explore the significance of the evidence.

Question 5

In building a synthesis argument, outside knowledge may be used:

Accepted Answer

To supplement and contextualize the provided source evidence

Answer

Outside knowledge can strengthen context and analysis, but the synthesis task requires that provided sources form the core evidence base.

English Language and Composition Exam Practice Test