This post is about effective writing in general, and effective economics writing for A level economics students in particular.
Writing essays effectively is an important skill for students and workers in the knowledge economy.
There are many good reasons why this is the case. Jobs often require good writing skills for career success; writing is also clearly an important part of communication in daily life; and excellent writing skills are needed for attaining excellent results in essay examinations.
There are many good reasons why this is the case. Jobs often require good writing skills for career success; writing is also clearly an important part of communication in daily life; and excellent writing skills are needed for attaining excellent results in essay examinations.
This post shares a simple mnemonic device to remembering simple yet effective tips on how to write effectively:
The AIMS model for writing essays
A - Accuracy
I - Impact, Importance, and Implication
M - the "Mother Test"
S - Substance
A
Accuracy is very important in writing. Vague allusions and unspecific arguments make it difficult for readers to really understand the author's intentions. Using economics essays as an example, when an economics student writes about "economic policy" or "macroeconomic policy" in his essay, does this term refer to fiscal policy, or monetary policy? At once, it becomes clear that accuracy is important.
Or even better still, is the student making an argument about "expansionary fiscal policy" or "contractionary monetary policy"? Accuracy makes writing stronger and better, and much more effective.
I
I can stand for impact, or importance, or implication.
It can stand for a lot of things - but what is the core idea here about impact, importance, or implication?
Impact or importance is very important in writing. Why is a sentence or an argument useful or relevant to the reader?
For instance, when an economics student writes about expansionary fiscal policy and the details of how it works or functions, that is great - but what is the impact or implication of the policy? What is the importance of this particular policy? If the argument goes on to say that expansionary fiscal policy can reduce demand-deficient unemployment in theory, then the argument has a real impact and importance, and tells the reader the full implication of the theory.
For instance, when an economics student writes about expansionary fiscal policy and the details of how it works or functions, that is great - but what is the impact or implication of the policy? What is the importance of this particular policy? If the argument goes on to say that expansionary fiscal policy can reduce demand-deficient unemployment in theory, then the argument has a real impact and importance, and tells the reader the full implication of the theory.
What is the impact of contractionary monetary policy? Does it lower AD and thus reduce demand-pull inflation in a particular economy? To what extent does it successfully achieve this aim?
In other words - impact, importance, implication.
Make your writing impactful by drawing out the importance of what you are saying, and often this is done because you have told the reader about the implications of your reasoning.
M
M stands for the Mother Test.
Can your mother understand what you are writing?
Some people call this the grandmother test, but I wanted to write a post that was neat and memorable, and so I chose M for mothers - because mothers are particularly memorable (mine is).
If your writing is comprehensible to your mother, then that is a good piece of writing. If your essay cannot be easily understood, because of one reason or another (bad spelling, bad punctuation, bad grammar, meandering arguments, unclear sentences) then you should practise harder. Strive to make your writing as clear and powerful as possible.
Make your mother understand.
S
S stands for substance. Do you really know what you are writing about? Do you have detailed knowledge of the field, or the topic for that matter? For instance, in economics, do you really understand the economic policies that you are analysing? Do you understand the intricacies of the arguments that you are making?
For economics students, the relevant questions are: have you really mastered your economics material?
Studying hard for economics will provide you with a strong theoretical background to answer essay questions accurately and properly, detailing the importance and implications of your arguments.
Studying hard for economics will provide you with a strong theoretical background to answer essay questions accurately and properly, detailing the importance and implications of your arguments.
In conclusion, for effective writing, always remember the AIMS of good writing.
Thank you for reading, and cheers.
***
For more specific articles on various economics essays topics, please refer to the following useful links:
JC Economics Essays - While this is an economics essay website for A level economics (mainly H1, H2, H3, AS, AO, GCE, GCSE, A level economics), it is also important for students (beyond just economics students) to learn how to write effectively. The editor of JC Economics Essays strongly and firmly believes that writing effectively is an important skill. Writing effectively will help all students with their written examinations, not just for economics, but also for General Paper and other examination papers that require excellent essays written in English. Students can always get better and writing, and make steady improvements if they are willing to learn.
Thank you for reading this article, and cheers.
Thank you for reading this article, and cheers.
