College Axia Material
Appendix F
Summary, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation
Review the four paragraphs below. There is one paragraph matching each of the following types:
summary, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Once you have read each paragraph, complete the
following chart to identify the type of paragraph for each.
Paragraph
Number
1
2
3
4
Type of Paragraph
Summary
evaluation
synthesis
analysis
1. Alice Axias article discussed overlooked tax deductions. It talked about some of the most
commonly missed deductions. Whereas her use of statistics seemed to bolster her arguments, it
would have been nice to see her elaborate more about the specific deductions missed. She could
have talked about what recourse, if any, a filer would have once he or she realized there was an
overlooked deduction. She also should have focused more on why the deductions were
overlooked, as that would have made the article more effective.
2. Alice Axia informs us of ways in which we can reduce our tax obligations in any given year.
Based on studies she cited, there were cases in which some tax filers were unaware of various
deductions they were eligible to claim. In some cases, those deductions would have saved the
tax filers hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Some of the common missed deductions,
according to Alice Axia, were the mortgage deduction, the energy efficiency deduction, and the
charitable donation deduction.
3. In Unclaimed Deductions, Alice Axia wrote about the most commonly overlooked deductions
when filing a 1040 tax return. She provided about information the total number of missed
deductions. In a separate article, titled The Challenges of Estimating Tax Revenue, Phyllis
Phoenix talked about a number of reasons why estimated tax revenue may be a challenge. She
did not discuss the points made by Ms. Axia. It is possible that much of the difference between
tax revenue received and estimated tax revenue may be explained by looking at the additional
revenue generated by overlooked deductions.
4. When reading Alice Axias article, Unclaimed Deductions, there are a few key points made that
are worthy of further consideration. The first point is that the rules for deductions change from
year to year. This leads to the second point, that those changes are not always as effectively
communicated as they could be. These two points lead us to better understand why there are
many unclaimed tax deductions each year.
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A summary is a shorter version of the original. Such a simplification highlights the major points
from the much longer subject, such as a text, speech, film, or event. The purpose is to help the
audience get the gist in a short period of time.
An analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a
better understanding of it.
The synthesis solves the conflict between the thesis and antithesis by reconciling their common
truths, and forming a new proposition.
An evaluation is a systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or
someone using criteria against a set of standards.
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