Synthesising, evaluating and glossing information

These expressions help you process and present information clearly in business and academic contexts. They describe different actions: synthesising (combining ideas into a concise whole), evaluating (assessing strengths, weaknesses and implications), and glossing (explaining or briefly interpreting a point). Using the right phrase helps you sound precise, professional and TOEIC-ready.

• Synthesising = combine several sources or points into a clear summary.
• Evaluating = judge importance, reliability or impact of information.
• Glossing = add a brief interpretation, clarification or caveat.

Match the phrase to your purpose: summarise, combine, evaluate, or gloss/interpret.

• Use 'summarise' or 'to sum up' when you present main points concisely at the end.
• Use 'synthesise' when merging multiple sources or viewpoints into one coherent statement.
• Use 'evaluate' or 'assess' when judging quality, risk or relevance — provide criteria and evidence.
• Use 'gloss' or 'gloss over' carefully: 'gloss' = explain briefly; 'gloss over' = avoid details.

Formal reports favor 'synthesise', 'evaluate' and 'distil'; avoid informal fillers in TOEIC-style writing.

When synthesising, evaluating or glossing information, learners often make predictable errors. Watch for these:

• Mixing registers: using informal phrases in formal reports (e.g., 'a bit' or 'kinda').
• Over-summarising: removing essential evidence or context when you distil points.
• Confusing 'gloss' and 'gloss over': one clarifies, the other minimises or ignores.
• Poor placement: putting a summarising phrase in the middle of a complex sentence and creating ambiguity.
• Weak evaluation: stating an opinion without clear criteria or supporting data.

Always check purpose, register and evidence when you choose how to present information.