Writing for Success in Mircoeconomics 1101_3

Australian School of Business

Writing for success in Microeconomics 1101


GINETTE FARCELL

SENIOR TEACHING and LEARNING ADVISOR

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT UNIT

AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

CONTACT DETAILS

– ROOM GO7 ASB– [email protected]– 93857577– [email protected]– SKYPE ginnyg83– www.facebook.com/educationdevelopmentunit

Contact details

mailto:[email protected]


Australian School of Business WRITING and GRAMMAR WORKSHOP

What is meant by improving your writing?

Looking at the quality of your communication is my message clearly received?

Looking at the accuracy of your grammar is my message meeting the expectations

of the reader?

optimise your results

knowing you can express what you need to write

increased employability


Writing for success in Microeconomics

• Deconstructing the question• Organising the answer

– Short explanation essay– Using the right language

• Discipline specific language• Writing about diagrams and models• Content language versus structure language• The most common grammar errors

Australian School of BusinessThe most common grammatical errors

What we practise today will help you to avoid the most common grammatical errors

The structures we work on today will help you develop sentences and paragraphs that express what you need to say even if there are errors

Australian School of BusinessDECONSTRUCTING THE QUESTION

TOPIC –

FOCUS –

INSTRUCTIONS

Overall topic of the whole essay

Key topics the question asks you to focus on

The topics the essay is limited to

What kind of essay are you asked to write?


Assume a many person economy. Draw the production possibilities curve model and state the assumptions of the model. Use the diagram to explain the “Law of Increasing Opportunity Cost”. If the curve was a negatively sloped straight line what would be the reason?(the word “assume” here means “Start with” an economy made up of many people)


TOPIC –

FOCUS –

INSTRUCTIONS

Production possibilities curve model

A many person economy

“Law of increasing opportunity cost”

A negatively sloped curve

Assume (fully explain)

Draw Explain (define) Give the reason


• Short explanation essay

Explain the economy and its assumptions

• Start with” an economy made up of many people

• That there are only two goods being produced in the economy

• That there are many workers who are not identical

• The workers are fully employed

• Technology is fixed

Organising the information into the Essay


• Define the production possibility curve model

NB • A model Is an

abstraction from reality based on certain assumptions. The assumptions here the simplifications of reality on which the model is based

E.g.

A production possibility curve shows the maximum amount of one good which can be produced for any quantity of the other good produced.

•



Qu

antity

of C

ompu

ters

Quantity of Textiles

Loss in computers = 2Gain in Textiles 9

Loss in computers = 12Gain in Textiles 2

Draw the diagram which must be “bowed” or “concave” because of the assumptions.The curve is negatively sloped and its slope increases as you move from left to right.

Australian School of BusinessOrganising the information into the Essay

• Define opportunity cost

• Opportunity cost is defined as the amount of one good which you must give up in order to get more of the other.

• Because the workers are not identical they have different opportunity costs in producing the two goods.


• Talking about diagrams and models

• Remember – A model is an

abstraction from reality

• There should be some explanation of how the opportunity cost is increasing as you move from left to right relating this back to the graph,



The language of integrating information about diagrams and models

1. A few words that locate the visual,The diagram below showsIn figure 1 belowThe diagram represents…………….As seen in the diagram

2. A statement that draws attention to the important features of the visual,

The bow in diagram 1 is ‘curved’ or ‘bowed’ because………………

3. Some sort of comment on or discussion of the visual

The curve is negatively sloped and its slope increases as you move from left to right.. This is because……………….. As a result……………….


• The curve is negatively sloped and its slope increases as you move from left to right.. This is because……………….. As a result……………….

• If the …………….

• There should be some explanation of how the opportunity cost is increasing as you move from left to right relating this back to the graph,

3. Some sort of comment on or discussion of the model/diagram

Australian School of Business Drawing your essay to a conclusion by

providing a complete answer

If the production possibility curve was a straight line this would be because the resources had the same abilities which means that their opportunity costs of producing each good was the same for each person. This means that they are perfect substitutes for each other and the Law of increasing Opportunity Costs does not apply. The resources have no comparative advantage.

Australian School of BusinessSentence structure

The beginning of the sentence – TOPIC – orients the reader by connecting to what went before or what follows

Middle – VERB – Anchors sentence, shows relation to beginning and end

End – NEW INFORMATION -emphasises the point, limits the point

e.g. The term elasticity of demand

refers to The responsiveness of demand for a good or service to changes in another variable

In simplest terms, it is the percentage change in price of the good itself in which case it is called price elasticity if demand

Elasticity of demand for a product

may be In response to a change in price of the good itself in which case it is called Cross-Price elasticity

Australian School of BusinessMOST COMMON GRAMMARV ERRORS

Australian School of BusinessOLD INFORMATION - NEW INFORMATION

The key is to build sentences that are complex in terms of meaning yet accurately structured

The old information new information pattern gives a simple yet grammatically accurate structure to build from

It helps you avoid the common errors of starting sentences with unnecessary prepositions, time words and transition signals

Australian School of BusinessMaking language dynamic – transition signals

‘

OLD INFORMATION

STRUCTURE LANGUAGE

CREATES THE MEANING

TRANSITION SIGNAL

NEW INFORMATION

“You know I love you”

and ADDING INFORMATION

I’ve made a decision”

“You know I love you”

but CONTRAST OR CONCESSION

I’ve made a decision”

The Aussie dollar continues to climb

and ADDING INFORMATION

importers are feeling the pinch


meanwhile TWO ACTIONS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME

Economic growth remains sluggish


because REASONING Interest rates.......

Australian School of BusinessMaking language dynamic - referents

OLD INFORMATION(subject and verb)

STRUCTURE LANGUAGE CREATES THE MEANING

TRANSITION SIGNAL AND/OR REFERENT

NEW INFORMATION


meanwhile TWO ACTIONS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME

economic growth remains sluggish

It started to climb in the third financial quarter of 2010 ……..(ref)

despite CONTRASTING INFORMATION

Other economic factors indicating a fall in value. According to (ref..)


because Reasoning it is ………..

This is because Reasoning economic growth is impacted by.........

Australian School of BusinessUSING TRANSITION SIGNALS FOR

COHESIVE WRITING To indicate sequence or order• first, second, third next,

last, finally first of all next, before, after

• meanwhile • followed by• at this point • previously, subsequently• simultaneously • concurrently • and then• at this time

To introduce an example

for example, for instance, in this case, on this occasion

• take the case of• to demonstrate• to illustrate

Australian School of BusinessTRANSITION SIGNALS

To indicate time • Immediately• thereafter • formerly • previously• finally, then, later • Soon, during• after a few hours, at that

time prior to, at this point• before, after

To compare • Similarly• likewise • whereas • similar to• like, just like, conversely • by comparison• while• balanced against

Australian School of BusinessTRANSITION SIGNALS

To contrast in contrast on the contrary however on the other hand a different view is differing from unlike balanced against

To introduce an

additional idea in addition, besides, also, It

could also be said Another, furthermore,

moreover, further Nor, and, then, finally,

additionally


Our world of today is one in which new technology is constantly being introduced and shaping the world people live in. The rapid technological advancements in our era mean that markets are required to update and adapt to ever changing consumer demands. The car market is no stranger to change and with new models being introduced yearly it is an industry which is continually on its toes.

Empty words at the beginning of paragraphs lose focus

Do not use personal references ‘our’If people are referred to classify themDo not use ‘time’ words unless the time frame changes or is an essential part of the idea being communicatedThe text should start here with key topic at topic beginningDo not use phrasal verbs. They lack precision‘The car market is one of constant change’

Talking about nothing/personal references/phrasal verbs


Question.

Use a supply and demand model to predict what will happen to the equilibrium price and quantity in the market for cucumbers if both the following events occur.i. Household incomes increase

ii. Stricter standards regulating the supply of cucumbers are introduced

What is the topic?

A supply and demand model

What is the focus?• Equilibrium price in the market for

cucumbers• Household incomes increase• stricter standards regulating

supply of cucumbers are introduced

What is/are the instruction/s?

Use – draw diagram/s showing the changes if i. and ii. Occur.

Predict – explain in detail what happens if i. and ii. occur and describe how the changes are shown in your diagram/s.

Deconstructing the question


1.Draw the diagram/s

(What are the assumptions?)

2.What are the key points

3.What are the key points?

Supply and demand model

Market in equilibrium

Household income changes

(ceteris paribus)

(cucumbers are a normal good)

Stricter standards are set

PREPARING TO WRITE 1. (make notes)


Organisational model 1

Introduction

Explain a supply and demand model in equilibrium (para.)

Insert diagram 1

Refer to diagram 1 (para.)

Body

Explain key point 2 (para.)

Insert diagram 2


Explain key point 3 (para.)


Conclusion (optional)

An overall statement that explains how market equilibrium can return

Useful language

Assume that… Assuming that……

The market is in equilibrium if……..

Demand equals supply when……….

and this means the market is………..

The market is in equilibrium when…………

Diagram 1 shows………….

The diagram below reflects/shows/ indicates

In diagram 2/3 the change/ movement in…….. means/shows that……..

Organising a short explanation essay


Organisational model 2

IntroductionDefine equilibrium

Insert diagram 1

Explain the outcome if i. occurs

Explain the outcome if ii. occurs

Body

Explain i. in more detail and refer to those details (changes and movements) as shown in diagram 2

Explain ii. in more detail and refer to those details (changes and movements as shown in your diagram

Conclusion (optional, see organisation model 1)

Useful languageEquilibrium can be defined as….

The market is in equilibrium where…..

Assume that the market is ……..

Assumption : the market is equilibrium. This means that….

Diagram 1 shows that/how/where…

In diagram 1 the…………… This shows that…..

If household incomes increase the/then ………”

If stricter regulatory standards are introduced the/then……….

In this situation, in this case, if this happens then…..

Starting from the equilibrium price,….

In the first/second case…..

Diagram 2 shows/reflects these changes where the……and the……..

The diagram above/below ……..”

Organising a short explanation essay


Sentence structureMake sure you have complete

sentences that are logically developed by using –

Subject + verb + added information

Use referents to connect ideas together and make logical connections

Make sure that your subject and verb agree in number and gender

Remember that instructions “predict” and “what will happen” ask you to write about the future and you need the future tense ‘will’ and ‘if – then’ sentences to express information correctly

There is no excuse for not doing a grammar and spell check!

E.g. “The diagram below shows the situation where demand equals supply

E.g. “This occurs where the price equals $70 per box and quantity equals 500 boxes per week.”

E.g. “Assume that cucumbers are…..”

cucumbers (plural) verb (are) must also be plural

E. g. “The market for cucumbers is in equilibrium……..”

market for cucumbers (singular subject) verb (is) singular

E.g. “If the price rises then the demand for cucumbers will fall and the price will rise”

Grammar check


GINETTE FARCELL

SENIOR TEACHING and LEARNING ADVISOR

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT UNIT

AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

CONTACT DETAILS

– ROOM GO7 ASB– [email protected]– 93857577– [email protected]– SKYPE ginnyg83– www.facebook.com/educationdevelopmentunit

Contact details



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Writing for Success in Mircoeconomics 1101_3