Essay Writing – Sentence Types in Economics

With exams approaching in the northern hemisphere thought this post might be useful. There are concerns about essay writing in that students tend to either write sentences that are too long, or they do not know how to write different types of sentences. Better essay writers vary the style of sentence they use to keep the reader interested. Sentences of 20 words or less will make it easier for the marker to grasp the point you are trying to get across. Below are some ideas that may be useful to add some spice to student essays. Source: Dr Ian Hunter – ‘Write That Essay! A Practical Guide to Writing Better Essays and Achieving Higher Grades’

Source: The New Yorker

1. The very short sentenceFive or six wordsCan break up longer flowStatement that the reader will not missImmediate impactUsed extensively in the media to grab attentionEconomy in recession as inflation soars

2. Repeating PatternEasy to use but don’t overplayPick a sentence and use it as a motifCan be a single word or phraseWithout doubt the most vibrant economy was China, and its most vibrant export was the Apple iPhone

3. Adverb at the frontAlters a plain sentenceAccentuates a particular pointGrab an adverb to introduce a sentenceInterestingly, the US debt ceiling debate didn’t have an adverse impact on the economy.

4. The Em DashPurpose is to isolate a part of a sentencePhrase is oblique to content of that sentenceThe New York Stock Exchange – the biggest financial market – recovered after the GFC due to the government stimulus.

5. The ‘W’ StartEasy to useAdds interest to the flow of an argumentWhat caused the depreciation of the NZ dollar is debatable.

6. The Paired-DoubleGet rid of ‘ands’Use a semi-colon for two sentencesUnemployment was at 10%; structural issues were seen as the main cause.

7. Prepositional PhrasesWord which modifies a phraseClassic examples are by, with, fromFrom the outset, it was clear that the Reserve Bank was not going to reduce the Official Cash Rate.

8. Verb At The StartAdds interest to your writingTwo forms of verbs work well: either an -edform of the verb, or an -ing form of the verb.Determined to help developing countries, the World Bank provides technical and financial support in implementing reforms.

9. AlliterationRepeating words can draw attentionShould not be overusedGovernment policy during COVID was expansive, extensive, and expensive.

10. Metaphor And SimileMetaphors add drama and emphasisSimile is good at explaining difficult conceptsWith the war in the Ukraine and a cost of living crisis, red warning lights are once again flashing on the dashboard of the global economy.

11. Colon: And FlowPoint just made is to be expanded uponCan be used to convey several points or expand on a keyword, the final word.There were three options for the government to reduce climate change: firstly, tax polluters; secondly, import carbon credits; thirdly, plant trees.

12. Good Ol’ Red, White, And BlueUse of a comma to separate the three terms accurately. Two commas should be used if all three items have equal merit.The 2008 financial crisis was about credit default swaps, sub-prime mortgages, and the regulator asleep at the wheel.