How should you structure your response to a 25-mark question? This post covers a few possible ways you could structure your answer.
There is no “right” structure. Different structures, including ones not mentioned here, can access high marks. However starting off with a general structure can be a good way to start off writing essays in economics.
What matters most importantly is making sure to show your knowledge, apply to the real world, analyse and evaluate. Having depth to your answers is helpful too.
To practice your essay writing skill on up-to-date questions, see the link below for practice papers for A-level exams in 2024.
Below I suggest one possible essay structure and then apply it to an example essay.
Suggested Structure
Introduction – this is where you should define key terms.
Point 1:
- In each point, you are looking to make your point and explain it through a chain of analysis and (often) a graph.
- Adding a fact or information about the current state of the economy helps achieve application points. For statistics on the UK economy, I usually use the website Trading Economics.
- Particularly where the point feels short or when you have the time, consider an additional chain of analysis to extend the point.
Evaluation: I have discussed evaluation examples in my previous posts. See the blue buttons below for these posts:
Point 2
Evaluation
Point 3
Evaluation
[Note if you do not have time because you have written more detailed points above, you could leave out the third evaluation paragraph for example]
Conclusion:
- Answer the question directly, using the wording of the question.
- Justify your answer to the question. For example, is there an important factor that sways your point of view?
- You could also add a bonus evaluative factor that may support your point of view or that could
Example Essay Plan
Consider the following essay title that I have made up:
“Evaluate whether the UK Government should increase the corporate tax rate for the UK economy” (25 marks).
To answer this question using the structure above, we could write about the following:
Introduction:
- Define key terms e.g. corporate tax rate, what the corporate tax rate is in the UK.
Point 1
- Effect on aggregate demand.
- Reduced incentive to invest means lower investment so aggregate demand shifts left on an aggregate demand – aggregate supply diagram. So real GDP will fall.
- This could be extended by discussing multiplier and/or accelerator effects.
- Add a fact about how the current UK Government has planned corporation tax rates to rise.
Evaluation
- Investment may depend on factors other than corporate tax rates, for example economic growth via the accelerator effect, the expected profitability of the investment, etc. So the fall in investment could be minor.
Point 2
- Effect on long-run aggregate supply.
- Reduced incentive to grow or start a business, as well as lower investment, may decrease productivity and productive potential. The LRAS may shift left and real GDP could fall.
- It could also mean businesses are more likely to avoid or evade taxes, or even move abroad to an area with lower tax rates. This could further harm productive capacity.
- Adding information about the UK economy’s weak productivity record in recent decades could support this point.
Evaluation
- This depends on the rates of corporate tax in other countries. If other countries raise their corporation tax at the same time, then businesses are less likely to move abroad. Recently world leaders agreed to a 15% minimum corporate tax rate for example.
Point 3
- Raising corporate tax increases tax revenue for a given level of economic activity.
- This means a reduced budget deficit, reduced future debt interest payments and less of an impact on future generations from current budget deficits.
- A fact about the UK Government’s currently high budget deficit, because of pandemic spending, could support this point.
Evaluation
- This depends on the current position of the UK economy on the Laffer curve.
- If the corporation tax rate is currently raising peak revenue on the Laffer curve, then increasing tax rate may decrease revenue, as it reduces incentives to start a business or expand, reducing taxable corporate profits.
Conclusion
- A final judgement on the question. For example, higher corporate tax rates could be effective at raising revenue.
- A justification: This is because governments have committed to a minimum global corporate tax rate and so there is less likely to be moves abroad to avoid the tax. You could argue the other way round instead.
- A factor that may influence your judgement. For example, the level of interest rates could affect the level of interest payments and in turn whether the Government needs to raise as much revenue in the short term.
Alternative Structure
Other teachers suggest this structure below. This structure allows more depth to points but should also come with a longer conclusion ideally and can be appropriate depending on the essay title:
Introduction
Point 1 – for
Evaluation
Point 2 – against
Evaluation
Conclusion
This can work too, provided the analysis and evaluation is sufficiently detailed.
More Resources
For an online course covering AQA exam technique, click the blue button here:
For practice AQA Economics-style papers, please see the link below (paid resource):