Is English a more subjective class than math or science? Many students think it is. After all, there is usually one correct answer to a math problem while sometimes an English grade can leave a student confused. For example, a student may write what he or she thinks is a spectacular paper, only to be surprised when he gets a less than stellar grade on it. Or perhaps, the student has an English paper or a history paper and they’re having a difficult time organizing all of their research into an organized, cohesive paper. Still, some students may think papers take too much time to write or perhaps, they run out of ideas in the middle of writing an essay. Sometimes writing an English paper or even a history paper can leave a student feeling frustrated and lacking confidence in their ability to write. This is why many students benefit from working with an English tutor. An English tutor can help your child understand "the science" behind writing a paper.

Here are some of the ways an English tutor can help a student excel in class:

1. First, sometimes a student may need a tutor to discuss a book they have been studying in class or a topic that they have been researching. A child can benefit from an English tutor who can help them process and collect their thoughts, organize and categorize their notes, and guide them in deciding what they want the paper they are writing for class to be about.

2. Once the student knows what he or she wants the paper to be about, he or she can formulate this into a thesis statement. The thesis statement is the overriding guiding force behind the paper and therefore, it is essential that the student has a solid thesis for an English paper or history research paper. An English tutor can review the thesis with the student and provide suggestions for improvement.

3. Next, the English tutor can guide the student in systematically writing an essay outline or even an outline for an entire research paper. Using the information that he or she has organized, the student and the English tutor can create a detailed essay outline that will serve as a blueprint for the English paper or history paper. An essay outline is a necessary step that every student must take before writing a paper for any class. A student should even write an essay outline for any essays written in class.

4. Afterward, the student can write the paper, following the essay outline. The English tutor should advise the student to write a rough draft of the paper as quickly as possible. The student can then reread the paper from beginning to end, rewriting, correcting, and filling in any additional information as needed.

5. The student can then revise the paper, correcting any grammatical mistakes and making sure that the sentences are flowing from one to another. Paragraphs should also transition smoothly from one to another. An English tutor can review various topics such as punctuation, run-on sentences, fragments, active versus passive verbs, past versus present tense, citing quotations, bibliographies / work cited pages, and many more.

6. An English tutor can lay this process out for a student and guide them as they work to complete each part. The tutor can also ask the student to read the essay or English paper aloud so that the student can hear any obvious mistakes in the paper that may be missed when reading it over quietly.

7. An English tutor can also point out any grammatical, clarity, and usage errors found in the paper as well as any areas that may need further developing. When the paper is completed, the English tutor can review the paper with the student to ensure that the student has revised and polished the English paper or history paper before the submission deadline.

Working with an English tutor can help a student develop the skills and a system for writing and revising a solid and well-organized paper that the student will definitely carry into other classes, college and beyond.