Economic Writing
Half yearly exam feedback
These slides are available on your moodle – print them off!
General Feedback
• In section I and II as a group you all did very well, achieving band 4-6 grades
• You are managing the short answer and multiple choice questions well
• However section III was not as impressive, with many of you falling amongst band 3 grades
• As this is a large part of the exam it has negatively effected your overall grade
• So the next two lessons we will be focusing on Economic Writing
Paragraphs
• Most of you managed to write a well structured short answer paragraph but in the extended response you seem to have lost the appropriate structure
• A paragraph is one idea and concept, each sentence adding detail and supporting the first sentence
• Think hamburger
Think Hamburger
Topic sentence introducing what this paragraph will cover
Details explaining/supporting the TS. Include a sentence that substantiates the TS claim
Final statement summing up the paragraph and restating the topic sentence
• Let us answer this question using the hamburger graphic organiser
Explain why the government intervenes into the economy and provides public goods
Explain why the government intervenes into the economy and provides public goods
• Let us now translate the diagram with the additions of text into a flowing paragraph
Model Answer“The Australian government intervenes regularly into the economy
by providing collective goods and services. A collective good or services are demanded by the community as a whole and cannot be met by private business. Private business may not meet this need as it is prohibitively expensive with little return. Alternatively the government may not be willing to allow private business to provide these goods as they form natural monopolies and business may exploit this. It is therefore desirable for the government to provide collective goods and services”.
Explain why the government intervenes into the economy and provides collective goods and services
Guided practice
• Explain why the government intervenes into the economy and provides public goods
TS: government intervening to provide public goodsD1: define public good; non excludable, non rivalD2: examples – light house, street lightsD3: free ridding – therefore private business won’t
provideCon: only the government can provide public goods
Independent practice
• Explain why the government intervenes into the economy and provides merit goods
Paragraphs
• Remember a paragraph is one idea
• Each body sentence supports the one idea
• The final sentence sums up the paragraph restating the main idea
Answering the Question
• A common problem in the responses given in section III was the fact that the question wasn’t answered appropriately
• Instead of evaluating students described• Instead of explaining students outlined• The directive verb is vitally important – revise the
directive term list I have given you!• Let us look at a few questions from the exam
Common verbs in action
Q: Justify government involvement in the economy
This broad section III style question requires you to provide reasons to support the government involvement in the economy.
To do this you will need to have a series of reasons, statistics, facts and explanation as to why the government needs to intervene convincing the reader.
Common verbs in action
Q. Demonstrate how taxation on externalities effect quantity of a goods sold
This question requires you to answer by providing an example.
To do this you could use a diagram and then explain it. You do not always have to write, in fact a simple annotated diagram will answer this question is sufficient detail.
Common verbs in action
Q. Discuss government attempts to control monopoly power in markets
Discuss requires you to...To do this...
Common verbs in action
Q. Contrast between merit and public and explain why the government is the main provider of these goods in the economy?
Contrast requires you...To do this...
Explain requires you...To do this...
Verbs
• It is vital that you become familiar with all the common verbs used in this course
• This will ensure that you will answer the questions appropriately
• Ensuring success
Economics Extended Response writing
• It became apparent that many of you do not structure and plan your essays well
• A good essay plan ensures that you answer the question correctly, satisfying the directive verbs and makes it easier for markers to mark
• You should take a few minutes to plan your essays in exams
Note take these points
Simple essay structure
• An essay consists of an introduction– Introduces the topic, defines key terms, tells the reader
broadly what it will cover• Body paragraphs– Support the introduction by elaborating on key points
• Conclusion– Concludes the essay, sums up the text and provides
closure
Generally utilises a passive tone
Account, analyse, apply, describe, examine, explain, outline, indentify, recount, summarise, synthesise
Note take these points
Describe the nature of government intervention into the Economy
Intro: governments intervene into the economy for a variety of reasons. They include (list)... This intervention is to ensure the stability of the economy and the well being of citizens.
Body: each reason explored and linked back to either ensuring stability of economy or well being of citizens
Concl: the government regularly intervenes into the economy, in the following of ways... In order to ensure stability and the well being of citizens.
Complete this for homework
Persuasive essay structure
• This text type is similar to the simple essay however has the following differences
• Introduction– Introduces the arguments key points
• Body– Key points of arguments elaborated and supported by evidence
• Conclusion– Summarises arguments, with an appeal to reason supporting this
position
Utilises an adversarial argumentative tone, the essay should be structured so that your position reflects the only logical outcome
Analyse, evaluate, justify
Note take these points
Justify the involvement of government in the economy, internalising spill over costs
Intro: many economic activities pass costs onto others, these are called spill over costs or externalities. It is morally justifiable for the government to levy taxes on these businesses to cover these costs. These taxes are justifiable as they...
Body: give example of externality, its effect on others, response by government as just
Body: promote notions of corporate citizenship, image of business
Body: encourages business to pursue changeConclusion: restate argument, government involvement as only
option
Complete this for homework
Complex essay structure
• Introduction– Introduces both sides of the debate/summarises
similarities and differences• Body– If possible should weave between debates/similarities
and differences forming a tapestry. • Conclusion– Restate the debate/key similarities and differences
Utilises passive tone
Discuss, compare, contrast.
Compare and contrast/discuss• Introduction: introduces broad similarities and
differences/sides of debate• Body:
– B1 – a similarity/side A debate point 1– B2 – a difference/ side B debate point 1– B3 – a similarity/side A debate point 2– B4 – a difference/side B debate point 2
• Conclusion:– Sums up the similarities and differences/sides of debate
Utilises passive tone
Note take these points
Essay Writing Generally
• It is vital that you substantiate all your claims – all key points in your essays with facts or examples!
• So in your paragraphs, you need to include a claim and then a fact or example supporting it
Note take these points
Language Features
• As mentioned; there are broadly three approaches to writing economics essays utilising two different ‘tones’
• Complex essays and simple essays use a neutral tone, very bland factual language
• Persuasive essays use an argumentative tone, language designed to support a point and appeal to reason.
Tone
Persuasive• Clearly• Obviously• Therefore • Visibly• Without a doubt• Logically• Statistics reinforce• Example/statistics supports Utilises persuasive adverbs
Passive• Firstly/secondly/thirdly• Therefore• Evidence suggests• Subsequently• As a result• Etc
Rarely uses persuasive adverbs, utilises positional adverbs
Note take these points – Use in essay
Conjunctions
• Conjunctions are important in essay writing as they give paragraphs a sense of ‘flow’ by joining two phrases; use common conjunctions (and, but, so, because etc) in essay writing
• Consider; today I went to the park. It was fun. versus today I went to the park and it was fun.
Note take these points
Conjunctive Adverbs
• Conjunctive adverbs work like conjunctions in the sense they give flow but they are not as strong, requiring punctuation between the first phrase and the second – a comma, semi-colon or a period. Often you can use them to start paragraphs, providing a link to the previous
• They show cause and effect, relationship, contrast, comparison, and sequence
• Use them in essay writing!
Conjunctive Adverbs• accordingly• additionally• anyway• again• as a result• besides• certainly• comparatively• consequently• contrarily• conversely• finally• further
• furthermore• elsewhere• equally• hence• henceforth• however• just as• identically• in addition• in comparison• in contrast• in fact• incidentally
• indeed• instead• likewise• meanwhile• moreover• namely• nevertheless• next• nonetheless• notably• now• otherwise• rather
• similarly• so• subsequently• still• that is• then• thereafter• therefore• thus• undoubtedly• uniquely• yet
Note take these points
Homework TaskYou will be required to write 2 short essays by next week utilising
the skills covered. Spend an hour on each. We will use your essays, and improve upon them.
1. Describe the nature of government intervention into the Economy– Focus on structure, and the use of conjunctive adverbs – especially
those that sequence . Substantiate all claims2. Justify the involvement of government in the economy,
internalising spill over costs– Focus again on structure, and the use of tone – I want you to
convince be so use adjectives appropriately. Substantiate all claims
Finally...
• The final thing I wish to show you is how to use graphs in answering questions easily from your exam.
Demonstrate how taxation on externalities effect quantity of a goods sold
Graphs
Social Cost of Activity
Quantity
DemandMarginal CostMarginal Social Cost
Price
Externality Addressed
Quantity
DemandMarginal Cost + In-tervention
Price
Graphs continued
• Using the two graphs you can explain how government intervention rectifies in theory the externality produced by an enterprise.
• And then discuss that in fact the higher cost will effect the quantity of goods sold.
• Think the proposed ETS
Homework TaskYou will be required to write 2 short essays by next week utilising
the skills covered. Spend an hour on each. We will use your essays, and improve upon them.
1. Describe the nature of government intervention into the Economy– Focus on structure, and the use of conjunctive adverbs – especially
those that sequence . Substantiate all claims2. Justify the involvement of government in the economy,
internalising spill over costs– Focus again on structure, and the use of tone – I want you to
convince me so use as many persuasive adverbs as appropriate. Substantiate all claims
Note homework