Essay Writing

What’s it about?

Essay Writing is a colourful and engaging course, which has been produced exclusively for home-educators. It will show you everything you need to know to be able to write cracking essays, on any topic. I don't assume you have any prior knowledge about essay writing, so I'll take you from the basics of sentence and paragraph structure, right the way through to how to plan and write effective essays.

A range of typical essay styles are covered in the course, such as compare and contrast, analyse and explore and argue and discuss, together with plenty of practical exercises and detailed tutor feedback.

You'll learn about essay presentation, too, and there's even a section on how to write essays for exams. I'll show you how to write references as well (which is important if you're going on to study at college) and there are seven tutor marked assignments, together with unlimited phone and email support.

Who is this course for?

An essay is a longer piece of writing and is the standard written form for many academic subjects. In fact it is hard to get through any programme of academic study without being asked to write an essay at some point.  If you have always wanted to know how to write a good essay, this course is for you; it should help you to write an essay on virtually any subject from GCSE level right up to your first year in Further or Higher Education.

It is worth pointing out, however, that you do not need to do the Essay writing course before you do the IGCSE English Language or Literature courses. Those courses include practice and instruction in the writing styles and formats for those subjects (which are not always essays, funnily enough). However the Essay Writing course will strengthen your skills in analysis, planning and writing of essays and this will have a knock-on effect on the way you think and write in other areas of life. Most students who take the course say they feel much more confident about writing in general.

How is this course delivered?

As with all my courses for older students you can choose to take the course as downloadable pdf files or via a printed book (at extra cost). There are 7 chapters covering every aspect of essay writing and 7 tutor marked assignments to help you practise your skills. As with all my courses there is unlimited (within reason!) phone and email support.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long does the course take?

• It varies. Most students take around 8 months but you can do it more quickly and take longer if you wish (there is no time limit on any of my courses).

What pace should I go at?

• It’s important to go at your own pace – you shouldn’t feel you are rushing the course, but nor should it be gathering dust on the shelf. You should be feeling comfortably challenged but enjoying yourself (for the most part!).

What if I get stuck?

• Pick up the phone or email me - I am here to help! If you have a block about a particular assignment it is usually better to move on with the course and come back to it later.

Can I type my assignments?

• Unless you are likely to get dispensation to type in an eventual exam (so you have dyslexia or some other special requirement), I prefer assignments to be handwritten. We can all type more quickly than we can write so typing assignments gives an unrealistic expectation of what you will eventually produce in the exam. I know the Essay Writing isn’t an exam course, but handwriting is a motor skill so it’s important to practise at every opportunity you get! There are exceptions, though, so get in touch with me if you are unsure.

What about special educational requirements?

• The best thing to do is pick up the phone and talk to me and tell me what you need. Over the years I have helped students with a range of special requirements resulting from dyslexia, Aspergers and other physical or mental conditions that get in the way of their ability to do justice to themselves in English. I can’t promise that I’ll be able to help, but if I can help, I will.

I'm happy to talk over the phone, you can call me on 07722 642709 or email at info@catherinemooneytutoring.co.uk