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What can you synthesize?

Published Updated 2 min read Editorial standards

A professional combines several separate reports and observations into one coherent model

Natural objects after synthesize include findings, evidence, feedback, and insights. Each word can name material gathered from separate parts or sources.

Quick check

How well do you know "Synthesize"?

Put the material after the verb

In its main information sense, synthesize is usually a transitive verb. That means it takes a direct object. The object tells the reader what material was brought together.

"We synthesized the evidence."

"Please synthesize the feedback."

These short sentences are complete. The evidence and the feedback sit right after the verb. You do not need a preposition between synthesize and its object.

The same pattern works with other natural objects:

  • synthesize the findings
  • synthesize the evidence
  • synthesize the feedback
  • synthesize the insights

These nouns fit because each can refer to material drawn from more than one part or source. The verb tells us that the material will become a coherent whole.

Try it yourself

Use "Synthesize" yourself

Name the actual material

A clear object is more useful than a vague one. Compare synthesize it with synthesize the interview feedback. Both can be grammatical, but the second version tells the reader what needs to be combined.

You can also name two kinds of material as one compound object.

"The committee synthesized resident comments and traffic data."

The direct object now has two parts. The sentence still follows the same rule: the material comes straight after the verb.

If you want to name the source, add a from phrase after the object: synthesize insights from six interviews. The object is still insights. The interviews tell us where those insights came from.

Avoid “synthesize about”

Do not put about before the direct object. Write synthesized the comments, not synthesized about the comments. The second form breaks the verb's direct-object pattern.

Also check that the object really is material from separate parts or sources. Copying one passage is not synthesis. Listing items without forming a whole is not synthesis either. The grammar may look right, but the action must still match the verb's meaning.

The regular past form is synthesized, and the -ing form is synthesizing. Standard British English also uses synthesise. These spelling changes do not alter the direct-object pattern.

Practice scenarios

Practice selecting a clear object in these situations.

  • ask a colleague to bring together feedback from a meeting
  • state that a team combined the evidence
  • name the findings that should form one account

Try these practice phrases.

  • "Please synthesize the feedback."
  • "We synthesized the evidence."
  • "Can you synthesize the findings?"
  • "She is synthesizing insights from six interviews."

Want to actually use "Synthesize" naturally at work?

Understanding it is one thing. Practice its nuances, see how it works in real workplace situations, and use it yourself with feedback.

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Put the material right after synthesize. A clear object makes both the grammar and the task easy to see.

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