Synthesis: what the sources say together

A summary reports the sources one by one; a synthesis says what they show as a group. Start with a frame that covers all of them (Taken together, Across the three sources), state where they agree, and mark the source that differs with whereas or although.

Taken together, + sources + suggest / point to / support …, although + exception

• Taken together, the three audits point to the same weakness in the supply chain.
• Across the four case studies, the pattern is broadly the same.
• Most of the sources agree that costs will fall, although the internal report is more cautious.

Signposting and emphasis in a complex argument

In a long argument the listener needs two kinds of help: signposts that mark the move to a new stage, and one emphasis frame that tells them which idea to keep. A participle clause (Having established …, Turning now to …) links the stage that is finished to the one that begins.

• Having set out the three options, let me explain why we prefer the second.
• Turning now to the risks, the most serious one is delay.
• What I want to emphasize is not the cost of acting but the cost of waiting.