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English Tutor | Writing, Test Prep & Pronunciation (Accent Reduction)
Mark S.

5.0 (7 ratings)

15 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $29
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Response time: 8 hours
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About Mark

Bio

I’ve been an English teacher and tutor for more than 12 years. I taught English in classrooms for eight years, including high school English and college composition, and I’ve been an online tutor since 2021. I hold master’s degrees in English Education and English Literature and a 120-hour TESOL/TEFL certificate.

I work with English language learners and native English speakers, from middle school through college and adulthood.

For English learners, I help with pronunciation and...

I’ve been an English teacher and tutor for more than 12 years. I taught English in classrooms for eight years, including high school English and college composition, and I’ve been an online tutor since 2021. I hold master’s degrees in English Education and English Literature and a 120-hour TESOL/TEFL certificate.

I work with English language learners and native English speakers, from middle school through college and adulthood.

For English learners, I help with pronunciation and speaking clarity, conversational English, vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, reading, and writing.

For academic students, I work on reading comprehension, essay and academic writing, grammar and punctuation, literary and rhetorical analysis, and developing strong arguments supported by evidence. I also prepare students for SAT Reading and Writing, ACT English and Reading, AP English, and other ELA exams.

My tutoring is individualized. I look for the specific skill or reasoning problem behind a student’s difficulty and develop targeted instruction and practice to address it. With test-prep students, I identify patterns in missed questions and teach them to distinguish well-supported answers from tempting wrong ones. With writing students, I can help with outlining, argument, evidence, organization, drafting, and revision.

My goal is to help students understand the underlying skills well enough to use them independently.

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Education

University of Illinois, Chicago
English
University of Illinois, Chicago
Masters
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul,MN
Masters
  • Licensed teacher

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $29
  • Rate details: If our work requires substantial review and feedback on multiple papers outside of lesson time, I may charge an additional $15 per hour.
  • Lesson cancellation: 12 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 6/2/2025

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Accent Reduction

Accent Reduction

I have been working as a tutor since 2021, mostly serving adults who are learning English. In addition to helping them with their vocabulary and grammar, I work to help them pronounce English like a native speaker. I prefer to have them read texts on subjects they're interested in while I focus on their pronunciation. I use graphics, videos and demonstrations to show them how correct placement of tongue, jaw and lips creates their target sounds, and I give them practice words or sentences as homework between lessons.
ACT English

ACT English

I have been teaching English for 12 years: I was a classroom teacher for 8 years, and I’ve been an online tutor for the last 4. I started teaching the English portions of the ACT and SAT 4 years ago, focusing on common traps and strategies for student improvement to earn your student as close to a perfect score as possible.
ACT Reading

ACT Reading

I recently took the ELA parts of the ACT and received a score of 30. I also recently took the SAT and had 32 correct answers out of 33 on both modules. I have a lesson plan ready for teaching both tests: roughly, I would use a student’s recent test, if available, or have them take a practice test to determine which aspects of the ELA parts of either test are most difficult, looking for patterns in their mistakes. I would then review concepts the student was having trouble with, giving them the opportunity to build skill levels and confidence, and we would consider time-saving strategies. We would set SMART goals and use them to guide the student’s studies, then take another practice test. Based on analysis of that test, we would determine where the student needed concept reviews and practice drills, then test again until they are achieving the scores they’re satisfied with.
English

English

I have more than 12 years of experience teaching English, including high school English, college composition, and online tutoring since 2021. I hold master’s degrees in English Education and English Literature. I work with students on reading comprehension, essay and academic writing, grammar, vocabulary, literary analysis, and argumentation. I also work with English language learners on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, reading, writing, and conversational English.
Essay Writing

Essay Writing

I was a lecturer at the University of Illinois at Chicago for two years, where I taught composition and research composition. Later, I was a classroom English teacher for another 6 years. As a tutor, I have developed a course of lessons to first introduce students to logic and argumentation, and to direct the understanding of what makes good arguments to create effective outlines for persuasive essays.
Grammar

Grammar

have taught English grammar and sentence structure for more than 12 years, both in the classroom and as an online tutor. I help students understand not just which forms are correct, but why they are correct and how grammar affects meaning and clarity. My work includes sentence structure, verb forms and tenses, agreement, pronouns, modifiers, punctuation, and common usage problems. I work with both native English speakers and English language learners.
Literature

Literature

I’m an English tutor with one master’s degree in English literature and another in English education. I was a high-school English teacher teaching literature for 5 years.
Proofreading

Proofreading

I’ve worked as a freelance editor and proofreader on and off since the late 1980s, most recently for the nonprofit website Climate Steps. I also have more than 12 years of experience reviewing students’ writing as a classroom English teacher and online tutor. I can help identify and correct problems with grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, word choice, clarity, and consistency while explaining the reasons for changes so that writers can improve their own work.
Reading

Reading

I taught high school English Language Arts for five years. During that time, I designed both whole-class reading units and independent reading programs, guiding students in analytical and reflective writing about their texts. In my online tutoring work, I focus on teaching practical reading strategies, such as identifying context clues and recognizing key rhetorical techniques.
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

tutor students preparing for the SAT Reading and Writing section, with a focus on both Standard English Conventions and the reading and reasoning skills tested on the exam. I help students with grammar, sentence boundaries, rhetorical synthesis, vocabulary in context, inference, and Command of Evidence questions. I use students’ errors diagnostically to identify the underlying skill causing difficulty and then provide targeted instruction and practice. I also teach students how to analyze answer choices and recognize why tempting alternatives are incorrect.
Thesis Writing

Thesis Writing

I have two Master of Arts degrees: MA in English Literature, MA in English Education. I taught English composition at the University of Illinois Chicago for two years, I was a high-school English teacher for 6 years, and I’ve been an online English teacher since 2021. My specialty is teaching the connection between an understanding of logical argumentation and strong thesis outlines.
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English, a Master of Arts degree with a specialization in English Literature, and another Master of Arts degree with a specialization in English education. I have worked as a freelance writer and as an English teacher and tutor. I was a classroom English teacher for 8 years and I have been tutoring since 2021.
Writing

Writing

I am a writer and editor as well as an English tutor and teacher. I have been writing professionally since my mid-20s. I started writing for neighborhood newsweeklies, I wrote for an online version of Encyclopedia Brittanica in my 40s, and more recently I have edited pages and written articles and main pages for a non-profit.
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Response time: 8 hours

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (7 ratings)
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Reviews

an exceptional tutor - highly recommend!

Mark is an absolutely amazing tutor! He is incredibly thorough, patient, and thoughtful in his approach. He takes the time to make sure my son truly understands the material rather than just completing assignments. I’m constantly impressed by how much care and effort he puts into every lesson, including his detailed feedback and follow-ups. English has always been a challenging subject for my son, and I couldn’t be happier that we found Mark. I highly recommend him!

Lana, 3 lessons with Mark

Excellent tutor and a great first experience!

We had a wonderful first experience with Mark. He is knowledgeable, patient, and easy to communicate with. He made my son feel comfortable and engaged throughout the lesson. We really appreciate his thoughtful approach and look forward to continuing our sessions with him. Highly recommend!

Lana, 3 lessons with Mark
Hourly Rate: $29
Response time: 8 hours
Contact Mark