Essay Structure [and my SECRET to coming TOP at UNI]!

00:39 Why bother structuring essays?
04:00 Structure everything!
04:09 Sentence structure
05:18 Paragraph structure
06:37 Planning essays
09:45 The Four basic essay structures
14:40 Standing out from the crowd!

[@awood817]

This was really helpful, especially sentence structure! I've been a little shocked since starting uni about not having to write in flowery, poetic language.

[@justinlu1144]

Cheers for presenting these inspiring recommendations in a such clear and concise manner! I hope I could put them to good use in my future essays, much appreciated!

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

Glad you like it! Thank you!

[@thealtaccount879]

Good day professor! This video was exceedingly helpful, however with the "bunny ears" section I felt the bunny ears could also go on other words in the question (e.g "power", "change", "securely" and "cause") and, while I understand why you placed them on the other words, I wondered if I would be considered incorrect by an examiner if I chose to focus on those different keywords and revolved my arguments around those, or if it would simply be thought of as coming at the question from a different perspective/angle. I am incredibly grateful for all your videos and I hope you never stop making them (or at least not anytime in the somewhat close future). Thank you.

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

Thanks for your comment. I agree that several words in the questions are ambiguous. But the ones that I highlighted were the focus of each debate. In the analogy I gave to a court trial, the words guilty/not guilty would focus debate there. Similarly, the words highlighted by bunny ears were the main focus of what everyone is and should be arguing about when responding to that question. It is absolutely fine to pick on other ambiguous terms in the question, provided that you are focused on the core debate.

[@thealtaccount879]

Thank you for the prompt reply considering the video isn’t very recent. Is there any specific way to tell what the core focus of the debate is? I seem to be quite poor at it and primarily focus on adverbs/adjectives as opposed to the actual debate (e.g for the guilty/not guilty if the question were “Would a schizophrenic person who committed homicide be considered guilty” I would focus on ‘considered’ as opposed to ‘guilty’ which can occasionally lead to me sitting on the fence a bit or a more vague argument).

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

You need to imagine you've been asked the question in an interview, and you had to start your answers with as few words as possible. “Would a schizophrenic person who committed homicide be considered guilty” "Yes, they would be guilty." Guilty has to be the focus of discussion. You're absolutely right that words like "considered" are also interesting and worthy of analysis. But, ultimately, the question boils down to guilty.

[@thealtaccount879]

That's really useful, thanks professor for the help and the advice. Enjoy your week.

[@nicolemusic2242]

really helpful, as always, thank you

[@jorgecorteznina5348]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:02 Essay structure is crucial for academic success, empowering students and making them more effective communicators. 01:12 Well-structured essays are liberating, enhancing expression and comprehension, as they are written for an audience to convey critical thinking. 02:47 Organization is over 90% of the case in essay writing; conscious structuring is essential for powerful arguments and avoiding confusion. 04:12 Sentence structure should be short and clear, avoiding complexity; punctuation should serve clarity rather than adding unnecessary complications. 05:22 Paragraphs should follow a structured approach like PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link) or PETER (Point, Evidence, Technique, Explanation, Reflection). 06:45 Planning is crucial for essay success; the Bunny Ears technique helps focus on key words in the essay question, guiding the overall structure. 10:16 Four fundamental ways to structure an essay: timeline, mechanism, funnel, and feedback loop, each offering a unique perspective and logical flow. 15:23 Standing out and achieving high marks involve being a contrarian, presenting arguments that challenge common beliefs, showcasing critical thinking skills. 18:52 The importance of structuring essays lies in its transformative power, making writers more powerful thinkers and communicators. Made with HARPA AI

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

That's helpful -- thanks!

[@Radha_KrishnaDevotee]

Please help me! I have admitted to Oxford Academy and my test is in 2 weeks, should I make it complex so the admissions officer accepts me, could you also tell me what to do for the academic essays, and why us essay? It would be much appreciated 👍.

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

Hi there, it depends what you mean by complex. If you have a sophisticated argument, that's a good thing. If the essay structure is so complicated that it can't be understood, that's a bad thing. So, complexity can help you, provided your readers can figure out what you're saying. I hope that makes sense?

[@krishnagopalsrivastava2084]

Dear Professor, I am planning to write an essay that answers the question 'Was there peace during Emperor Augustus' rule? ,the keyword being peace. My essay is essentially based on the definitions of peace and lack of it i.e violence. Conventionally Augustus' rule has been comsidered peaceful and a respite from republican civil wars. My point is that civil wars are not the only kind of wars and violence committed in roman provinces is lack of peace too. I am not able to structure my essay properly as half of it goes in defining peace, civil war and who came under Augustan rule and why conventional readings of his rule is logically flawed. I am not able to make out whether to define the terms in the beginning as they take up a lot of space or define the problems in paragraphs with data of violence. A little help would be much appreciated. Thank you!

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

Sounds like a very interesting line of argument. I might suggest doing both those things! In that you could quickly point out the conceptual difficulties posed by "peace" in your first paragraph after the introduction, then you could expand on the conceptual points in each subsequent paragraph, providing evidence as you do. In essays like this there will inevitably be a significant amount of conceptual analysis to make plain what peace meant. But, of course, you don't want to just speak to concepts without also providing some theory and empirical evidence.

[@krishnagopalsrivastava2084]

@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 Thank you so much Professor Williams! This gave me a boost to carry on through the structuring process.

[@pauleliaquimf.saldoga9481]

Hello sir Matt... do you have a contacts there? can I access you contacts if you have there... I'm aware something about studying there at Oxford eventually...

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

Hi there, yes my contact details are here: www.jesus.ox.ac.uk/access-outreach/our-team/

[@fa_asilbekovna]

Which subject do you teach Mr Matt

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

Politics

[@Radha_KrishnaDevotee]

Why should you avoid complexity? Won't that make you look smarter in your why us eesay?

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

It's good to be smart, but you need others to understand you! If you're so smart that no one else gets you, then it's kind of useless to you. Many students write in such a confusingly complicated way, that literally only they can understand it. Academic writing needs to be accessible, or it simply won't have any impact. So, by all means have a delicate and sophisticated argument. But don't write in a way that is convoluted and incomprehensible.

[@Radha_KrishnaDevotee]

@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 I'm sorry for disturbing you but and this may be a strange request, but can you tell me to write an essay about a topic and could you revise it. I would completely understand if you don't have the time because I do understand you have better things to do instead of just tutoring a random kid you've never seen in your life. Also if you can help me, is there an email I could send it to, I need all the help.

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

I'm sorry, I don't have capacity to help in this way. It's worth practising some essay writing, nonetheless. Try using www.oxplore.org to find essay questions.

[@Radha_KrishnaDevotee]

@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 I got wait listed for Oxford academy but I didn't fill the inter district transport. Thanks for your support.

[@Ka112eb]

I am a dyslexic autistic with ADHD who has been traumatised by academia, I have recurring nightmares about essays being due the next day. I feel that this would be good if I had some writing ability. Like a woman that keeps giving second chances to an abuser and who keeps returning to a drunken wife beater I keep finding myself fantasising about writing essays as a way to resolve previous trauma, Fuck my life. I am so jealous of people that can articulate themselves in writing.

[@naomim7125]

don't worry God got you. Cast anxieties unto Him