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Contemporary's GED Language Arts, Reading
John M. Reier
Synthesis

Chapter Outline

Study the chapter outline below. Use the page numbers below each topic to refer to the corresponding section in Contemporary's GED Language Arts, Reading. When you are finished, go to the Flashcards or choose a different activity or chapter from the menu on the left.

Synthesis

(See page 89)

Synthesis is a reasoning process that draws multiple inferences from an entire passage or integrates information from outside the passage to reach a new understanding.

Interpreting How a Passage Is Organized

(See pages 89–95)

A writer organize his or her work in a way that helps the reader to follow the writer’s thoughts:

  • the progression of action
  • the importance of ideas
  • examples for illustration
  • points of comparison or contrast
Comparison and contrast is often used to organize a passage:
  • judging which of two people or things is better
  • showing how two people or things are alike or different

Interpreting the Tone, Point of View, or Purpose of a Passage

(See pages 95–100)

Tone is an important element of a passage. It determines the author’s

  • organizational pattern
  • intent
  • attitude towards the subject
As you read a passage, think about the point of view:
  • Observe who is telling the story.
  • Determine if an individual outside the event is telling the story.
  • Determine if a person who is part of the event is telling the story.
To find the purpose of a multiparagraph passage, look for the idea that ties together all the ideas from the passage.

Linking and Integrating Information

(See pages 100–102)

Extended synthesis questions contain additional information not found in the passage. You have to integrate the new information with your understanding of the passage in order to answer the question.

The new information might be one of the following:
  • something that happened before or after the given passage (if it’s from a larger work)
  • a critical commentary on the passage
  • information about the author








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