High school English · Toronto
High school English tutoring in Toronto, built around your teen's own essays
I'm Peter Wade, a former TDSB English teacher. I help students in grades 9 to 12 with essay writing, literature and the OSSLT, one-on-one, online or in person in Toronto.
$100/hour · no contract
In Macbeth, Shakespeare shows that ambition is bad1. Macbeth kills King Duncan because he wants to be king. “I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself / And falls on th’ other.”2 This shows that he is ambitious.3 In the end Macbeth dies, which proves that ambition leads to downfall.
- 1. Too broad. What does ambition do to him? That's your thesis.
- 2. Set it up: who says this, and when? (Act 1, Scene 7, before the murder)
- 3. Go deeper. “Vaulting” is a rider who jumps too far and falls. Use that image.
By grade
Every Ontario English course, Grade 9 to 12
Each year asks for something new. Here's where I usually focus.
Grade 9
1/4ENL1W
One de-streamed course for every student since 2023
Paragraph structure, reading for meaning, first literary essays
Grade 10
2/4ENG2D
Most students write the OSSLT this year
Essay structure, Shakespeare, the literacy test
Grade 11
3/4ENG3U / ENG3C
Marks start to matter for university and college
Comparative essays, rhetoric, independent study projects
Grade 12
4/4ENG4U / ENG4C
Required for almost every Ontario university program
Literary analysis, the ISU, the final exam, applications
College-stream courses (ENG3C, ENG4C) and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OLC4O) are covered too.
What sessions cover
The skills behind the mark
Essay writing
A thesis worth arguing, paragraphs that prove it, quotes that are introduced and analysed, and a revision habit.
Literature
Novels, plays, poetry and Shakespeare. Reading closely, finding what a passage is doing, and saying it clearly.
The OSSLT
Timed practice on the reading and writing tasks the Grade 10 literacy test uses, with feedback on each answer.
Big assignments
ISUs, culminating tasks and presentations broken into steps with dates, so the work doesn't pile up in the last week.
Exams
A review plan for the final, practice with sight passages, and timed essay writing.
Grammar and clarity
The handful of errors that repeat in your teen's writing, fixed one at a time.
For parents
You'll know what happened in every session
After our first session you get a short written plan. After each session after that, a note: what your teen worked on, what to look for on the next assignment, and what comes next.
Sample session note
- Worked on
- Thesis for the Lord of the Flies essay. Went from a summary to an arguable claim about Piggy's glasses.
- Watch for
- Each body paragraph should open with a point that backs the thesis, followed by the quote.
- Next session
- Bring the first draft. We'll work on analysing quotes instead of retelling the plot.
Questions
English tutoring FAQ
Is this for students learning English as a second language?
I work with high school students taking Ontario English courses, including students whose first language isn't English. I don't teach conversational English to adults.
What happens in a session?
Sessions start from your teen's own work: the essay due next week, the novel they're reading in class, or a marked test. I teach the skill behind the task, and your teen practises it on the real assignment.
How soon will marks improve?
It depends on the student and the gap. Most families can expect to see changes in how essays are planned and written within a few weeks, and those show up on the next marked assignment. I won't promise a number.
How much does it cost?
One-on-one English tutoring is $100 an hour, online or in person in Toronto. There's no contract, and the first 20-minute call is free.
Bring the last marked essay to a free call
I'll tell you what's costing marks and how I'd work on it.