01 / The art of expression

English

Read closely. Write with confidence.

Make your ideas heard. From your first paragraph to a university essay, we connect close reading, clear reasoning, and writing that sounds like you.

Try the essay lab Find your starting point

School · University · Adult learners Let’s talk about your goals

Frankenstein is a really good book with lots of themes a warning about creators who walk away.

Victor works super hard on sacrifices sleep and family for his creature — then flees the moment it opens its eyes.

Yes! Now: which scene proves he abandons it? Quote it.

stages, from early reading to college writing

moves every session: read, outline, draft, revise

minutes per session

Try it

The essay lab. Tag it. Then revise it.

Two exercises straight from our sessions. Strong writing isn't magic — it's a handful of moves you can see, name, and practise.

Interactive

Paragraph anatomy: claim, evidence, analysis

Pick a highlighter, then click each sentence of this paragraph about Poe's “The Tell-Tale Heart” to tag it. Hit Check when you're done.

In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Poe suggests that guilt can be louder than any outside accusation. When the officers arrive, they sit calmly and chat “of familiar things,” clearly suspecting nothing. Since the police are relaxed, the pressure that finally breaks the narrator can only be coming from inside him. As the visit drags on, he hears the beating grow “louder—louder—louder!” The repetition mimics a pounding pulse, so we feel his panic in the same rhythm he does — and his confession reads as forced by conscience, not by evidence.

Turn on JavaScript to tag the sentences. (Answer: claim, evidence, analysis, evidence, analysis.)

In a session we do this with a printed page and three real highlighters — on the student's own essay. Once they can see the pattern, they can build it.

Interactive

One thesis, three drafts

Step through how a vague first idea becomes an argument worth writing. The notes are the kind of feedback we give in the margins.

“Frankenstein is a book about a lot of different themes, like science and family, and it is very interesting.”

Margin note: “A lot of themes” and “very interesting” give the reader nothing to argue with. What do you think the book is saying?

“In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley warns about the dangers of science.”

Margin note: Better — a specific author and a real claim. But “the dangers of science” is still a topic, not an argument: almost nobody would disagree. Push further.

“In Frankenstein, Shelley suggests the true horror is not that Victor creates life, but that he abandons it — making responsibility, not ambition, the novel's real moral test.”

Margin note: Now it's arguable, specific, and it tells the reader exactly what the essay will prove. This is a thesis you can build five paragraphs on.

Where AI fits: after Draft 2, a student might ask an AI “What's the strongest argument against this thesis?” — then write Draft 3 themselves. AI as sparring partner, never as ghostwriter.

Personal plan

Built around one student.

No two readers are stuck in the same place. The first session is a diagnostic, and everything after it is planned for one student — their pace, their books, their goals.

  • A diagnostic, then a written plan

    The first session finds the exact gap: we read together, look at real writing, and listen to how the student talks about a text. Then you get a written plan — and it changes as the student does.

  • Their books, their examples

    Pace, texts and practice are chosen for this student: the series they actually finish, the sports column they read anyway, the game they could write a review of. Their interests become the material.

  • Flexible by design

    Online or in person, evenings and weekends, weekly sessions or exam-season sprints. Free rescheduling up to 12 hours before, and a short session note afterward.

  • One-on-one, always the same tutor

    One student, one tutor, by default — the same tutor each time, so nobody has to explain the student twice. (Small groups or siblings only if you ask for one.)

Example plans

Grade 3 — reading fluency

Goal
Read chapter books aloud smoothly — and retell what happened in their own words.
Cadence
Twice a week, after school, for a term.
Format
In person or online, with real books, word cards and a pencil — no screens needed.

First three sessions

  1. A relaxed reading check: which sounds and words trip them up.
  2. Phonics gaps practised with cards, then a read-aloud from a book they picked.
  3. Retell the chapter out loud, then write two sentences about it by hand.

Grade 9 — essays

Goal
Turn good ideas into a clear argument — one paragraph, then a full essay, by the end of term.
Cadence
Weekly, with an extra session in the week an essay is due.
Format
In person or online; outlines and drafts on paper, and a parent note after each session.

First three sessions

  1. Diagnostic: annotate a short story and write one paragraph under time.
  2. Thesis statements, built from the novel they're reading in class.
  3. Outline by hand, then draft the first body paragraph live.

College — composition & research papers

Goal
Papers that argue, not summarise — a clear thesis, sources used honestly, and every word the student's own.
Cadence
Weekly through the semester, plus a session in each paper's due week.
Format
Online around the college timetable; outlines and first drafts on paper.

First three sessions

  1. Read the last graded paper and the professor's comments together.
  2. Build the next thesis and outline by hand from their own notes.
  3. Quote, paraphrase, explain: one source-based paragraph drafted live.

Illustrative examples. Every real plan starts from the student's own diagnostic.

Real-world English

Taught by professionals who use this every day.

Lessons are led by trained professionals with in-industry experience, so the examples come from writing people actually act on — requirements, reports, arguments, presentations — not just the next worksheet.

  • At work

    Emails and requirements people act on.

    Writing the way professionals must: say what you need, by when, in the first two lines. We practise on realistic emails, briefs and requirement documents modelled on the ones professionals write every day.

  • Philosophy & logic

    Arguments that hold up.

    From a philosophy-minor foundation in formal logic and ethics: spot the premise that doesn't hold, then build a claim a reader can't wriggle out of.

  • Out loud

    Presenting ideas to a room.

    Speeches, book talks and class presentations, rehearsed out loud — ending with a two-minute “defend your thesis”, no notes.

  • Technical writing

    Instructions anyone can follow.

    Lab reports, how-to guides and documentation: clear, numbered steps that work without you in the room.

Clear writing is a job skill long before it's a grade.

Taught by Mohammed Arafat — 10+ years in industry as a software engineer, a B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Philosophy, and coursework in technical writing. Meet your tutor

The track

Find your starting point.

English skills stack quietly: vocabulary from reading, structure from writing, judgement from revision. Most students sit in one stage, and we touch the earlier ones whenever a gap shows up.

  1. 1

    Early reading & writing

    Grades 2–4 · at the student's pace

    Where reading and writing become habits. We close phonics gaps with short, steady practice, build fluency by reading real books aloud together, and turn spoken ideas into sentences — then into a first paragraph — by hand.

    • Phonics gaps & fluency
    • Reading comprehension
    • Sentence building
    • Handwriting
    • First paragraphs
    • Read-alouds
  2. 2

    Reading & writing foundations

    Grades 5–7 · usually 8–12 weeks

    The stage where reading turns from decoding into understanding. We build stamina for longer texts, make paragraph structure automatic (claim, evidence, explanation), and widen vocabulary through the books they actually finish.

    • Reading comprehension
    • Summary & paraphrase
    • Paragraph structure
    • Sentence fluency
    • Spelling & punctuation
    • Handwriting fluency
    • Vocabulary in context
  3. 3

    Literary analysis basics

    Grades 8–9 · usually a term

    Where essays become arguments. We learn to read for how a text works — not just what happens in it — write thesis statements that actually say something, and quote evidence instead of dropping it in and hoping.

    • Thesis statements
    • Evidence & citation
    • Theme & motif
    • Character & narrative voice
    • Essay structure
    • Grammar repair
    • MLA basics
  4. 4

    Argument & rhetoric

    Grades 10–11 · usually a term

    The analytical engine every humanities course wants: how persuasion actually works in speeches, ads, editorials, and literature — and, now, in AI-generated text too. This is the core of AP English Language.

    • Rhetorical analysis
    • Argumentative writing
    • Tone & diction
    • Logical fallacies
    • Timed essays by hand
    • Research & synthesis
    • Evaluating sources (incl. AI)
  5. 5

    Advanced literature

    Grade 12 & AP Literature · usually a term

    Close reading at speed: poetry, prose passages, and open prompts. We build a personal toolkit of themes and texts the student can write about under any question, plus the craft to make those essays read like they were easy.

    • Poetry analysis
    • Close reading
    • Open-prompt essays
    • Literary theory (intro)
    • Prose style
    • AP Lit exam prep
  6. 6

    College & exam writing

    Grade 12 onwards · project-based

    The writing that shapes the next few years: personal statements, supplemental essays, and timed SAT and ACT sections. We find stories worth telling, in the student's own voice — admissions readers can spot a chatbot's essay in a paragraph.

    • College application essays
    • Personal statement
    • Supplemental essays
    • SAT / ACT Reading & Writing
    • Timed essay practice
    • Statement of purpose
    • College composition
    • Technical & professional writing

Not on this list?

English tutoring also covers book reports, speeches and presentations, learning differences including dyslexia, English as an additional language, and intro-college composition. Describe the student's need in the form and we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.

Test prep

Test prep, without the panic.

Exams reward the same skills we build every week: reading closely and writing clearly against a clock. We add the format, the timing, and the calm.

  • Grade school & middle school

    State reading & writing tests

    Calm practice with the passage types and written responses the student's state test uses.

  • High school

    PSAT / SAT Reading & Writing

    Short passages, evidence questions and grammar rules — and the pacing that keeps them short.

  • High school

    ACT English & Reading

    Reading fast without skimming: a clock, a plan for every question type, and grammar that sticks.

  • Usually grade 11

    AP English Language

    Rhetorical analysis, argument and synthesis essays — planned in minutes, written under time.

  • Usually grade 12

    AP English Literature

    Poetry and prose analysis plus the open question, with a personal toolkit of texts to write about.

  • Senior year

    College application essays

    A personal statement and supplements in the student's own voice, finished before the deadline.

How we prepare

  1. Diagnostic practice test

    A real practice section under real timing, so we see exactly which question types cost points.

  2. Targeted gaps

    We work on the two or three skills behind most missed questions — not the whole prep book.

  3. Timed practice, real conditions

    Full sections against the clock: on paper where the exam is on paper, on screen where it isn't.

Pen & AI in English

Your voice comes first. AI can only edit what you've written.

Writing is thinking made visible — outsource the writing and you've outsourced the thinking. So drafts start on paper, and AI enters only as a critic of work that's already yours.

Hand-to-hand learning

My English lessons make room for hands-on thinking: pen, paper, printed texts, real books, and conversation.

In the session

  • Outlines and first drafts by hand — messy is the point
  • Annotating printed texts with pen and highlighters
  • Timed essays drafted by hand first, then written against the clock the way the real exam runs
  • “Defend your thesis”: a two-minute spoken argument, no notes

How we teach AI for writing

  • Ask it to argue against your thesis — then answer it yourself
  • “Which sentence is weakest, and why?” — critique, never rewrites
  • Grammar and vocabulary explained with fresh examples
  • Spotting generic AI prose, so your own writing never sounds like it

More on our pencil-first, AI-aware approach →

Inside a session

How a writing session runs. Read, outline, draft, revise.

We work on the assignment in front of us — never generic worksheets. You write live, on paper or on screen, while we ask the questions a good editor asks: What's this paragraph doing here? Who is this sentence for? What would you cut?

By the end there's a finished piece they can hand in, and — more importantly — a method they can use on the next one without us.

Start with a free intro call

The assignment

How does Shakespeare present haste in Romeo and Juliet?

  • I. Claim: haste, not hate, destroys them
  • II. Evidence: the rushed wedding
  • III. So what: speed over thought

Romeo and Juliet is about love and it is very sad.

shows how haste, not hate, destroys the lovers.

  • Arguable thesis
  • Quoted evidence
  • Analysis explains why

AI, as critic Counterpoint — the feud is why they rush. Answer it in your own words.

The student's sentence doesn't change — AI only comments.

  1. Read the assignment

    We decode the prompt together and agree on what "done" looks like before a single word is written.

  2. Outline by hand

    A quick paper map: the claim, the evidence, the order. Ten minutes here saves an hour of staring.

  3. Draft live

    Paragraphs get written and talked through while they're still warm — voice first, polish later.

  4. Revise with a checklist

    Structure, evidence, clarity, then grammar — in that order, so the small stuff doesn't eat the big stuff.

Skip the animation

Questions

English tutoring, asked plainly.

My child reads fine but can't write. What's going on?

Common and very fixable. Having a thought is one skill; ordering it on a page is another. We teach the ordering explicitly — paragraph frames, outlines, checklists — until it becomes automatic. Most students see a visible difference within one assignment cycle.

Will you just fix my child's essay?

No — and the student's school wouldn't thank us for it. We show them exactly what's weak and how to fix it themselves, paragraph by paragraph. The essay improves, and so does the next one, which is the actual point.

Everyone uses ChatGPT for essays now. Why does writing by hand matter?

Because the essay was never the point — the thinking was. Students who can draft their own argument can use AI to sharpen it; students who can't are stuck in every timed exam, interview, and job that follows. We teach both halves: write it yourself, then use AI as a critic.

My child is a reluctant reader. Can you help?

Yes. Reluctance usually means reading hasn't connected to anything they care about yet. We find texts that fit — graphic novels and sports journalism count — and build up from there. Enjoyment first; volume follows.

Can you help with college essays specifically?

Yes. We dig for the real story (not the one everyone writes), structure it around a specific moment, and revise until it sounds like the student on their best day. Most students need three to five sessions per school.

English isn't my child's first language. Is that a fit?

Yes. We're patient with vocabulary and idiom while keeping the same high standard for ideas and structure. Multilingual students often write with a freshness that's a real advantage once the mechanics settle.

Keep exploring

The same approach, elsewhere.

Mathematics tutoring

Drag sliders to reshape a parabola, then solve a word problem pencil-first.

Computer Science tutoring

Step through sorting algorithms and predict what code prints before you run it.

Pencil first, AI second

Why we teach on paper — and how we teach AI as a tool. Try the "tool or crutch?" quiz.

Next step

Let’s find your voice.

An essay due Friday, a reading list that isn't getting read, a college application that won't start — a sentence is enough. We'll reply within one business day.

Ask about English tutoring