The first step to writing an effective source-based synthesis argument is to read about different views on the issue in question. You want to understand the pros and the cons, and, most important, the gray areas in between. The gray areas of an issue are often where you’ll find civil compromises, reasonable solutions, and new ideas.

One way to find the gray area of an issue is to use a mental exercise called “yes, but,” in which you concede a point that others have made about the issue, but then think about how to refute it. This puts every idea under the microscope:

Yes, performance-enhancing drugs diminish the purity of sports, but is the idea of “purity” in sports an outdated notion?