Synthesize information from multiple passages or paired passage sets.
Synthesis combines the main point from each source into one supported idea.
Core Idea
Synthesis means building one supported understanding from more than one passage. The answer should combine what the passages contribute, not simply restate one of them more strongly.
Understanding
In ACT Reading, social-science paired passages often approach the same civic issue from different angles. One passage may focus on how information is collected, while the other focuses on how people use it. The best answer usually sounds balanced and specific because it includes both passages together instead of pretending they say the same thing in the same way.
A synthesis answer should need both passages. If a choice could be supported by only one passage alone, it is usually too narrow for this task.
Step by Step
- State the main contribution of each passage.
- Ask what larger idea emerges only when both are considered together.
- Prefer an answer that includes both perspectives or functions.
- Eliminate answers that could be supported by only one passage alone.
Misconceptions
- Treating synthesis as simple agreement.
- Choosing an answer that mainly repeats one passage.
- Assuming paired passages must reach identical conclusions to support a combined claim.
Worked Example
Taken together, the passages most strongly support which conclusion? Passage A describes a city project that records oral histories from longtime immigrant residents so neighborhood change can be documented in residents' own words. Passage B describes a community-mapping project in which local students and shop owners identify places residents consider culturally significant before redevelopment plans are finalized.
Select an answer to see the explanation