A-Level Economics Essay Structure
Introduction
- The aim of your introduction is to firstly, introduce the essay topic / theme as well as summarise
the points you will be making. Your introduction is also one of your easiest opportunities to knock
out your AO1 (knowledge) and AO2 (application) marks.
- Your introduction should be no more than 5/6 lines on lined A4 paper, subject to the size of your
handwriting and it should read well, very much like an English essay.
- Prior to writing your introduction, the first thing to do is to B.U.G the essay question.
- The key words which you underline in the essay title, will be the key words that you define within
your introduction. After defining your key words, it is important to give examples where possible.
- After defining all key words, the next thing to do is give the reader a short road map of the points
you are going to make throughout your essay, i.e. summarise your main points.
Analysis Paragraph
- A well written analysis paragraph, without a diagram, should account for roughly 3 AO3 marks and
with the addition of a diagram up to 5 AO3 marks (approximately).
- Hence you ideally want to be writing 2-3 analysis paragraphs, depending on the essay question.
- Analysis paragraphs should follow a P.E.E.L structure or Dip, Paddle, Swim method or K= AO1 A =
AO2 A = AO3.
- The first sentence of your analysis paragraph should summarise the argument that you will be
making throughout the paragraph (Point / Dip).
- The next few lines should be dedicated to you explaining why something works as well as give
evidence to support the claim you’re making, this evidence can take the form of a fact, statistic,
diagram etc (Paddle / Evidence).
- The last section of your analysis paragraph should be a full explanation of the point you have been
developing; hence, it should include explicit referral to any evidence which has been given in
support of the point (Swim / Explanation).
- The last thing to do is to link back to the question at hand.
Evaluation Paragraph
- A well written evaluation paragraph should account for roughly 3 AO4 marks, hence you should be
aiming to write 3 strong evaluative paragraphs.
- Evaluation paragraphs should follow a P.E.E.L structure combined with the Dip, Paddle, Swim
method.
- Evaluation paragraph should be clearly marked by phrases such as, “the extent to which X is a
successful tool to correct the market failure arising from Y, will depend on Z”
- The first sentence of your evaluation paragraph should summarise the argument that you will be
making throughout the paragraph (Point / Dip).
- The next few lines should be dedicated to you explaining why something works as well as give
evidence to support the claim you’re making, this evidence can take the form of a fact, statistic,
diagram etc (Paddle / Evidence).
- The last section of your evaluation paragraph should be a full explanation of the point you have
been developing; hence, it should include explicit referral to any evidence which has been given in
support of the point (Swim / Explanation).
- The last thing to do is to link back to the question at hand.
Conclusion / Judgement
- Your conclusion should mirror your introduction and doesn’t need to be any longer than 5/6 lines.
- The first line of your conclusion should be a summary of your main argument, something along the
lines of, “In this essay I have shown that X is successful tool to correct the market failure which
arises from Y”.
- The next few lines should be spent outlining the strongest supporting arguments you made
throughout your essay as well as highlighting any weaknesses of your argument (recapping some
of your it depends points).
- You should wrap up your conclusion by summarising that despite the fact that you have come to X
decision, you still recognise that there are limitations to X decision.
Essay Type 1 Essay Type 2
Introduction Introduction
Analysis Analysis
Analysis Evaluation
Analysis (Optional) Analysis
Evaluation Evaluation
Introduction
- The aim of your introduction is to firstly, introduce the essay topic / theme as well as summarise
the points you will be making. Your introduction is also one of your easiest opportunities to knock
out your AO1 (knowledge) and AO2 (application) marks.
- Your introduction should be no more than 5/6 lines on lined A4 paper, subject to the size of your
handwriting and it should read well, very much like an English essay.
- Prior to writing your introduction, the first thing to do is to B.U.G the essay question.
- The key words which you underline in the essay title, will be the key words that you define within
your introduction. After defining your key words, it is important to give examples where possible.
- After defining all key words, the next thing to do is give the reader a short road map of the points
you are going to make throughout your essay, i.e. summarise your main points.
Analysis Paragraph
- A well written analysis paragraph, without a diagram, should account for roughly 3 AO3 marks and
with the addition of a diagram up to 5 AO3 marks (approximately).
- Hence you ideally want to be writing 2-3 analysis paragraphs, depending on the essay question.
- Analysis paragraphs should follow a P.E.E.L structure or Dip, Paddle, Swim method or K= AO1 A =
AO2 A = AO3.
- The first sentence of your analysis paragraph should summarise the argument that you will be
making throughout the paragraph (Point / Dip).
- The next few lines should be dedicated to you explaining why something works as well as give
evidence to support the claim you’re making, this evidence can take the form of a fact, statistic,
diagram etc (Paddle / Evidence).
- The last section of your analysis paragraph should be a full explanation of the point you have been
developing; hence, it should include explicit referral to any evidence which has been given in
support of the point (Swim / Explanation).
- The last thing to do is to link back to the question at hand.
Evaluation Paragraph
- A well written evaluation paragraph should account for roughly 3 AO4 marks, hence you should be
aiming to write 3 strong evaluative paragraphs.
- Evaluation paragraphs should follow a P.E.E.L structure combined with the Dip, Paddle, Swim
method.
- Evaluation paragraph should be clearly marked by phrases such as, “the extent to which X is a
successful tool to correct the market failure arising from Y, will depend on Z”
- The first sentence of your evaluation paragraph should summarise the argument that you will be
making throughout the paragraph (Point / Dip).
- The next few lines should be dedicated to you explaining why something works as well as give
evidence to support the claim you’re making, this evidence can take the form of a fact, statistic,
diagram etc (Paddle / Evidence).
- The last section of your evaluation paragraph should be a full explanation of the point you have
been developing; hence, it should include explicit referral to any evidence which has been given in
support of the point (Swim / Explanation).
- The last thing to do is to link back to the question at hand.
Conclusion / Judgement
- Your conclusion should mirror your introduction and doesn’t need to be any longer than 5/6 lines.
- The first line of your conclusion should be a summary of your main argument, something along the
lines of, “In this essay I have shown that X is successful tool to correct the market failure which
arises from Y”.
- The next few lines should be spent outlining the strongest supporting arguments you made
throughout your essay as well as highlighting any weaknesses of your argument (recapping some
of your it depends points).
- You should wrap up your conclusion by summarising that despite the fact that you have come to X
decision, you still recognise that there are limitations to X decision.
Essay Type 1 Essay Type 2
Introduction Introduction
Analysis Analysis
Analysis Evaluation
Analysis (Optional) Analysis
Evaluation Evaluation
