English Tutoring in Surrey
English marks come down to two things: whether a student genuinely understands what they have read, and whether they can build an argument on the page. Both are teachable. Neither improves by reading more without structure.
Where English Support Makes the Biggest Difference
Grades 1-7
Reading fluency, comprehension and the beginnings of clear written expression.
Grades 8-10
Paragraph and essay structure, literary devices, and writing that answers the question asked.
Grades 11-12
Literary analysis, argument, and the writing standard university-bound students are expected to reach.
Topics We Focus On Most
- Turning a strong understanding of the text into strong writing
- Essays that build an argument rather than retell the plot
- Thesis statements that take a clear position
- Quoting with analysis that earns the mark
- Structure and clarity, so good ideas are rewarded
What Students Learn With Us
- Reading comprehension strategy
- Paragraph and essay structure
- Building and defending a thesis
- Using evidence and quotations well
- Literary devices and analysis
- Grammar, punctuation and sentence craft
- Editing and proofreading their own work
Levels We Tutor
English Language Arts 1-9 · English Studies 10, 11 and 12 · Composition · Literary Studies
Every English Topic in the BC Curriculum, Course by Course
English Language Arts is organised differently from maths and science. The Ministry groups the curriculum under three headings for every grade, and the real chapter list sits underneath them. Those are reproduced in full below, course by course.
English Language Arts 820 topics
Grade 8 is where reading stops being about decoding and starts being about evidence. Literary devices, text features and the first structured paragraphs.
- Story/textforms, functions, and genres of text; text features; literary elements; literary devices; elements of visual/graphic texts; relevance, accuracy, reliability
- Strategies and processesreading strategies; oral language strategies; metacognitive strategies; writing processes
- Language features, structures, and conventionsfeatures of oral language; multi-paragraphing; language usage and context; elements of style; syntax and sentence fluency; conventions; presentation techniques
Where marks are usually lost: Finding evidence in the text and quoting it properly.
English Language Arts 922 topics
Multi-paragraph writing, rhetorical devices, connotation and style. The year before the courses split into streams.
- Story/textforms, functions, and genres of text; text features; literary elements; literary devices; elements of visual/graphic texts
- Strategies and processesreading strategies; oral language strategies; metacognitive strategies; writing processes
- Language features, structures, and conventionsfeatures of oral language; multi-paragraphing; language change; elements of style; usage; syntax and sentence fluency; conventions; presentation techniques; rhetorical devices; connotation and denotation
Where marks are usually lost: Multi-paragraphing. A student who can write one good paragraph and three weak ones is the most common Grade 9 profile.
Composition 1016 topics
The writing course: form, voice, conventions and citation, in the kinds of text students are actually assessed on.
- Text forms and genres
- Text features and structuresnarrative structures found in First Peoples texts; protocols related to ownership of First Peoples oral texts
- Strategies and processesreading strategies; oral language strategies; metacognitive strategies; writing processes
- Language features, structures, and conventionslanguage features; elements of style; exploration of voice; usage and conventions; literary elements and devices; citation techniques
Where marks are usually lost: Usage and conventions. Ideas rarely cost the marks; sentence-level errors do.
Literary Studies 1018 topics
Close reading of literary texts, literal and inferential meaning, and the devices writers use.
- Text forms and genres
- Text features and structuresnarrative structures found in First Peoples texts; protocols related to ownership of First Peoples oral texts
- Strategies and processesreading strategies; oral language strategies; metacognitive strategies; writing processes; design processes
- Language features, structures, and conventionslanguage features; elements of style; exploration of voice; usage and conventions; literary elements and devices; literal meaning and inferential meaning; citation techniques
Where marks are usually lost: Inferential meaning. Saying what a text implies, with a line to prove it.
Creative Writing 1015 topics
Original writing across forms, with genuine attention to voice and style.
- Text forms and text genres
- Text features and structuresnarrative structures found in First Peoples texts; protocols related to ownership of First Peoples oral texts
- Strategies and processesreading strategies; oral language strategies; metacognitive strategies; writing processes
- Language features, structures, and conventionslanguage features; elements of style; exploration of voice; usage and conventions; literary elements and devices
Where marks are usually lost: Voice. It is the hardest thing to teach and the easiest thing to mark.
New Media 1018 topics
Multimodal and interactive texts, with the same analytical demands as a literature course.
- Text forms and genres
- Text features and structuresinteractivity; features of multimodal texts; narrative structures found in First Peoples texts; protocols related to ownership of First Peoples oral texts
- Strategies and processesreading strategies; oral language strategies; metacognitive strategies; writing processes; new media design processes; multimedia presentation processes
- Language features, structures, and conventionselements of style; usage and conventions; literary techniques and devices; citation techniques
Where marks are usually lost: Citation and the design process, which are assessed as carefully as the finished piece.
Spoken Language 1021 topics
Oral texts, rhetoric, persuasion and presentation.
- Text forms and text genres, including creative spoken formsText features and structures; oral text features and structures; narrative structures found in First Peoples texts; First Peoples oral traditions and oral texts; protocols related to ownership of First Peoples oral texts
- Strategies and processesreading strategies; oral language strategies; metacognitive strategies; writing processes; presentation techniques
- Language features, structures, and conventionsfeatures of oral language; elements of style; rhetorical devices; persuasive techniques; usage and conventions; literary elements and devices; literal and figurative meaning; citation techniques
Where marks are usually lost: Rhetorical devices used on purpose rather than by accident.
Composition 1116 topics
Extended writing, argument and citation at the level Grade 12 and first-year university expect.
- Text forms and genres
- Text features and structuresform, function, and genre of texts; narrative structures found in First Peoples texts; protocols related to the ownership of First Peoples oral texts
- Strategies and processesreading strategies; oral language strategies; metacognitive strategies; writing processes
- Language features, structures, and conventionslanguage features; elements of style; usage and conventions; citation techniques; literary elements and devices
Where marks are usually lost: Structuring an argument that holds together across a full essay.
Literary Studies 1118 topics
Sustained study of literary texts, style and inferential meaning.
- Text forms and genres
- Text features and structuresform, function, and genre of texts; elements of visual/graphic texts; narrative structures found in First Peoples texts; protocols related to the ownership of First Peoples oral texts
- Strategies and processesreading strategies; oral language strategies; metacognitive strategies; writing processes; design processes
- Language features, structures, and conventionselements of style; usage and conventions; citation techniques; literary elements and devices; literal meaning and inferential meaning
Where marks are usually lost: Writing about style without slipping into plot summary.
English Studies 1220 topics
The required Grade 12 English course. Text forms and genres, Reconciliation in Canada, First Peoples texts and the protocols attached to them, and formal citation.
- Text forms and genres
- Reconciliation in Canada
- Text features and structuresform, function, and genre of texts; elements of visual/graphic texts; narrative structures found in First Peoples texts; protocols related to the ownership of First Peoples oral texts; the legal status of First Peoples oral tradition in Canada
- Strategies and processesreading strategies; oral language strategies; metacognitive strategies; writing processes; presentation techniques; multimodal reading strategies
- Language features, structures, and conventionselements of style; usage and conventions; citation techniques; literary elements and devices
Where marks are usually lost: Reconciliation in Canada and First Peoples oral texts. These carry specific protocols, and answers that ignore them lose marks.
Grades 1 to 7 follow the same three headings with age-appropriate content, from concepts of print and phonemic awareness in Grade 1 through to argument and paragraphing in Grade 7. We tutor every grade.
Topic lists reproduced from the B.C. Ministry of Education provincial curriculum at curriculum.gov.bc.ca. Checked August 2026.
How We Teach English
We separate the two skills that English marks actually measure. First, does the student understand the text. Second, can they build an argument about it on the page. We teach them as separate skills, in that order, with the student writing in front of the tutor rather than at home alone. More on tutoring in Surrey with OOTB.
Small Group, One-on-One or Exam Prep
Small-group english tutoring runs at $370 a month for four hours a week. One-on-one and exam preparation are $40 an hour, in person in Surrey or online over Zoom. Every new student starts with a $50 trial class. Compare all programs.
English Tutoring Across Surrey, and Online
English tutoring in Surrey runs from our centre at 8806 141A Street, with students from Newton, Fleetwood, Guildford, Cloverdale, City Centre and South Surrey. We teach English Language Arts from Grade 1 through to English Studies 12 and the Grade 10 and 12 literacy assessments.
Classes run 9:00am to 9:00pm seven days a week. Online sessions work well for English because the writing is marked live on screen and the student watches the edit happen rather than reading it afterwards. We also teach students online in Vancouver, Burnaby, Delta and Langley.
English marks move slower than maths marks and then move all at once, usually when structure clicks. That is worth knowing before you judge the first month. To book, call 604-725-6845. Every new student starts with a $50 trial group class, so you can see the teaching before committing to a term.
English Tutoring FAQs
My child reads constantly but gets mediocre English marks. Why?
Do you help with essays for other subjects?
Do you support ESL students?
Is English tutoring available online?
Do you help with the Grade 10 and Grade 12 literacy assessments?
Do you cover the full BC English Language Arts curriculum?
My child reads constantly. Why are the English marks average?
From our blog
Reading for Parents in British Columbia
- Composition 10, Literary Studies 10 or Creative Writing 10: Choosing Grade 10 EnglishGrade 10 is where English stops being one course. Five options, and the choice matters more than it…
- English Studies 12: What the Course Actually Asks ForEnglish Studies 12 is required for graduation. It is also the course students prepare for least.
- Reading and Writing in Grades 4 to 7: What to Watch ForBetween Grades 4 and 7 reading stops being about decoding and starts being about understanding. Some students never…
Looking for a tutoring centre in Surrey for Grades 1 to 12? OOTB Tutoring has taught Surrey students since 2010, in person and online.
