How to Write an Economics Assignment (Step-by-Step Guide for UK University Students)

Step 1: Read the brief slowly and translate it

Open the task sheet and read it more than once. Do not rush to Google or ChatGPT or anything else yet.

Look for:

• The command word in the question: explain, analyse, discuss, evaluate, compare, assess.

• The topic: is it about markets, growth, inflation, trade, labour, government policy, or something else?

• Any instructions on word count, structure or use of diagrams.

Now rewrite the question in your own words in one sentence, as if you are explaining it to a friend.

Example:
Original question: “Evaluate the impact of an increase in the National Living Wage on employment and living standards in the UK.”
Your version:

“I have to decide whether a higher minimum wage in the UK helps people or costs them jobs, and I must use economics ideas to support what I say.”

Keep this one-sentence version at the top of your notes. Everything you write later should help answer that sentence.

Step 2: Decide which economics ideas are needed

Before you start reading long articles, think about which parts of the module link to the question.

Ask yourself:

• Is this mainly microeconomics (firms, workers, markets) or macroeconomics (inflation, GDP, interest rates)?

• Which models are clearly connected? For example:

  • Minimum wage → labour market diagram.

  • Inflation question → AD–AS model.

  • Externalities → MSC, MPC, MSB, MPB diagram.

Write a short list in your notebook:

“For this assignment I must use: labour market model, maybe elasticities of demand for labour, some UK wage and employment data.”

This keeps you focused. You are not writing “about economics in general”. You are using a few specific ideas to answer a very specific question.

Step 3: Collect useful material (not hundreds of pages)

Now gather material, but keep it tight.

Start with:

1. Your lecture slides and seminar notes – your lecturer has already chosen what they expect you to use.

2. The relevant chapter in your main textbook – this is usually enough for definitions and diagrams.

3. One or two trusted sources for data, for example the Office for National Statistics if you need UK figures on wages, inflation or unemployment.

When you read, do not copy whole paragraphs. Make short notes in your own words:

• Write one-sentence definitions.

• Sketch any diagrams by hand.

• Note down one or two numbers you may use (for example, “UK unemployment rate around X% in year Y”).

Later, it will be much easier to write because you will already have “your” version of the theory and the numbers.

Step 4: Build a simple structure

Before you start full sentences, plan your assignment like a mini map. A lot of students skip this and then wonder why their work goes in circles.

A very common structure for an economics assignment is:

• Opening section – explain what the question is about and what you will look at.

• Theory section – set out the main ideas and diagrams you will use.

• Discussion section – apply those ideas to the UK, to past events, to data or to policies.

• Judgement section – weigh up different sides and say what you think, with reasons.

• Closing section – give a short, direct answer to the question.

For each part, jot down a few notes:

Opening: define minimum wage, mention recent rises in the UK.
Theory: basic labour market model, idea of unemployment risk, maybe elasticity.
Discussion: who gains, who might lose, effect on prices, small firms vs big firms.
Judgement: depends on sector, size of rise, state of economy.
Closing: overall view, plus one clear condition (“if… then…”).

Once you have this, writing full paragraphs is much less stressful.

Step 5: Sort out your diagrams and definitions

Economics assignments often live or die on the basics: are your diagrams clear, and are your main terms correct?

Take each important concept in turn.

For each one, do three things in your notes:

1. Write a clean, single-sentence definition in your own words.

2. Draw the diagram you will use and label every line and axis.

3. Write a two–three line explanation of what the diagram shows when something changes.

Example for a simple labour market question:

• Definition: “A minimum wage is a legal wage floor set by the government, below which firms cannot pay workers.”

• Diagram plan: Wage on vertical axis, labour on horizontal axis, downward sloping demand for labour, upward sloping supply, then horizontal line above equilibrium as minimum wage.

• Explanation note: “At the higher wage, more people want to work, but firms want fewer workers. Some workers gain higher pay, some may lose their jobs.”

These notes become the backbone of your paragraphs later.

Step 6: Write clear paragraphs, not long stories

Now you can start drafting paragraphs. Think of each paragraph as doing one small job for the assignment.

A simple pattern that works well is:

• Start with one clear sentence that says what this paragraph is about.

• Bring in a bit of theory or a small piece of data.

• Explain how that theory or data helps answer the question.

Example (short and simple):

Raising the National Living Wage can help some low-paid workers in the UK. When the legal minimum is set above the old wage, workers who keep their jobs are paid more per hour. This extra income can make it easier for them to pay rent and bills, and may slightly reduce in-work poverty for those families.

Then the next paragraph might look at a possible downside, using the same pattern.

Avoid extremely long sentences. If you are running out of breath when you read your sentence aloud, it is probably too long.

Step 7: Use UK examples and numbers to give weight

Economics is easier to mark when the work feels linked to something concrete. Instead of writing in very general terms, bring in a few details from the UK.

You might:

• Mention a recent policy change (for example, a particular National Living Wage increase, or a change in Bank of England interest rates).

• Add one or two simple figures (“inflation was around…”, “unemployment was roughly…”).

• Explain what happened in one sector (for example, hospitality, retail, energy, housing).

You do not need a full statistical analysis. Even one short sentence such as:

“For example, after the minimum wage increase in year X, low-paid workers in hospitality saw their hourly pay rise, but some small cafés reported cutting staff hours.”

is enough to show that you are connecting your answer to life in the UK.

Step 8: Show that you can see both sides

Many economics questions will include a word like “evaluate” or “discuss”. This usually means your lecturer wants to see that you understand more than one side of the issue.

To do this without being vague:

• Take one clear argument in favour (for example, “higher wages can reduce poverty”).

• Explain why that argument makes sense using theory or data.

• Then calmly show a limit or problem with that argument (for example, “this may not hold if firms respond by cutting hours or raising prices too much”).

Repeat the same for the other side. You are not trying to sit on the fence. You are showing that you understand conditions:

“If the demand for labour is fairly inelastic, the minimum wage can raise pay without a large fall in jobs. If it is very elastic in a particular sector, the risk of job losses is higher.”

This kind of writing reads as thoughtful rather than one-sided.

Step 9: Write the opening and closing last

It is often easier to leave the introduction and conclusion until you have written the middle of the assignment.

For the opening, aim for about one short paragraph:

• Say what the topic is.

• Say why it matters in the UK at the moment.

• Say briefly what your assignment will look at.

Example:

This assignment looks at how a higher National Living Wage affects workers and firms in the UK. It uses basic labour market theory and recent UK experience to weigh up the possible benefits for low-paid workers against the risks to employment and business costs. The aim is to decide whether, overall, the policy helps or harms living standards.

For the closing section, also keep it short:

• Give a direct answer to the question.

• Remind the reader of your main reasons.

• Add one line that shows when your answer might change (for example, “if the economy is in deep recession…”).

Avoid adding new ideas or new data in the last lines. The conclusion is not the place to introduce something completely fresh.

Step 10: Check language, layout and references

Before you submit, leave the work for a little while and then come back to it with fresh eyes.

Things to check:

• Spelling and grammar – use your software’s spellcheck, but also read aloud; you will hear where the sentence sounds strange.

• Economics words – make sure all key terms are spelled correctly and used in the right place.

• Diagrams – are axes labelled? Are lines labelled? Can a stranger understand the picture?

• References – if you have used a textbook, website or article, make sure it appears in your reference list in the style your module expects (often Harvard in UK universities).

Reading your work out loud is a simple trick that makes mistakes jump out. If you stumble over a sentence, re-write it in simpler language.

Step 11: Getting extra help if you are stuck

Some assignments are very technical, and sometimes you just run out of time or confidence. If you feel stuck:

• Talk to your seminar tutor in office hours and ask, “Is my plan on the right track?”

• Use your university study skills service if they offer help with writing.

• If you are still unsure, you can also look at professional support like economics assignment help UK to get quality written assignment with quick turnaround and plagiarism-free.

Whatever help you use, make sure the final answer you submit is in your name and you understand every part of it. That way, you can also talk about it in any tutorials or viva-style checks