English tutoring: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What english tutoring is

English tutoring helps students with literature, grammar, analysis and writing for school, working through assigned texts and assignments. Students and parents book it when a novel or play is hard to follow, when grammar errors keep costing points, or when an analysis essay asks for more than a summary.

Signs you need it

  • The student finishes an assigned book but cannot say what the main conflict is
  • Quotes are dropped into essays without any explanation of what they show
  • The student does not know how to analyze a poem or a speech beyond the basic meaning
  • Grammar and punctuation errors keep coming back on every assignment
  • A reading list is coming up and the student needs help with the historical or cultural background

What the pro does

  • Reads the assigned text with the student and checks the key events, characters and ideas
  • Teaches how to find a claim about the text and support it with evidence
  • Works on how to explain a quote, from what it says to what it shows
  • Reviews grammar and sentence structure on the student's own writing
  • Gives practice analysis paragraphs and reviews the revisions at the next session

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Length of each session and how many sessions are in a series
  • The level, such as middle school, high school or college English
  • Whether sessions are in person or online
  • One-on-one tutoring versus a small group
  • How many texts the student is reading, and how long each text is
  • Whether the tutor helps with grammar, analysis or both each session

What a written quote should spell out

  • Number of sessions, session length and start date
  • Whether sessions are in person or online
  • Whether reading guidance and draft reviews between sessions are included
  • Cancellation and make-up policy
  • Whether the tutor will share progress with a parent or the student's teacher

Questions to ask before you hire

  • How do you help a student analyze a text, not only summarize it?
  • What is your approach to a quote that the student does not understand?
  • Will you help with the assigned book I already have, and at what pace?
  • How do you handle grammar errors that keep coming back?
  • Do you write the analysis for the student, or do you guide them to write it?
  • If my child is under 18, have you passed a background check?
  • What should the student be able to do with a text after the first month?

Red flags

  • Writes the analysis or the essay for the student
  • Gives the plot summary as the analysis and does not ask about the student's own reading
  • Promises a grade or a test score without reviewing the student's work
  • Tells the student the answers to the reading questions without asking what they think

What you can do yourself

A student can read the assigned chapter with a notebook, write one sentence about each character's goal, and mark two quotes to explain at the next class. Ask the teacher for the rubric and the discussion questions. Hire a tutor when analysis keeps stalling at summary, when the reading is hard to follow, or when grammar problems are costing points on every assignment.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required to tutor English privately. If the tutor works in a school or program, that program may have its own rules. Ask whether the tutor has teaching experience or a degree in English or a related field, and check with your state or local licensing agency only if the tutoring is part of a program with its own requirements.

English tutoring questions

Do I need to read the book too?

It helps. Reading along lets you ask your child questions about the text. A tutor can also read the book with your child, but the student should be the one who reads the assignment.

How do I help a student write analysis instead of summary?

Ask them what the author wants the reader to feel or think, and what evidence shows it. A tutor can practice this with one quote at a time.

Does my child need a background check for an English tutor?

If the tutor works with a child, ask for proof of a background check before the first session. Many schools and programs require one.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer english tutoring remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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