An Argumentative Essay.

Writers choose argumentative essays when they want to persuade readers to change their minds about something. It means presenting a carefully reasoned, well-supported argument that takes into account other points of view. In this kind of essay, writers sometimes try to convince readers of their point of view. Arguments should be developed according to rules of evidence and logical reasoning. Often argumentative essays include some of the other types of writing. For example, you may want to compare and contrast the opposing views in your essay to show the reader why your view is the best one. Or, to illustrate your point that a diet low in cholesterol can prevent heart disease, you might explain the process of how cholesterol develops into plaque in coronary arteries.

Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Synthesizing in Academic Writing.

Plagiarism is passing off someone else’s writing and ideas as your own – like stealing what belongs to someone else. It is a serious issue in academic circles. In order to use source materials correctly and avoid plagiarism, learn the skills of paraphrasing, summarizing, and synthesizing and then apply correct documentation format.

What Are Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Synthesizing?

In academic writing you will often have to write about something you have read. Therefore, it is important to learn how to paraphrase (use different language to say the same thing), summarize (express the same idea in a smaller number of words), and synthesize (combine information from two or more sources) to answer a specific question of interest. The diagram shows how you may paraphrase a source, summarize a source, and then use these skills to synthesize information from two or more sources into your original writing.

Paraphrasing

Summarizing

		Main text in much less text
	Source A

Synthesizing