An essay in the 80s and an essay in the 90s are built differently. Will more hours or the same approach close the gap?
A student’s dad thought his teen could handle English on her own, so he left it alone. Two months into the school year, the teen’s marks were in the same spot as last year.
There’s a conversation I have with parents every year, and it goes something like this. The parent tells me their son or daughter is a good student who takes school seriously and spends hours writing an essay. The student goes to class, reads the rubric, and starts early.
The English mark is solid, and it stays where it is. The student wants it higher, often because they’re aiming for a competitive university program, so they work harder. The mark still doesn’t move.
What could be going on?
An essay that earns a 95 does different work from an essay that earns an 82, and extra polish on the 82 doesn’t turn it into the 95. A student who sinks more hours into the same kind of essay they’re used to writing won’t necessarily get a different mark. In other words, more time doing the same thing that got you an 80 won’t necessarily get you to a 90.
This article explains what changes between the 80s and the 90s in high school English, why hard work alone doesn’t reveal it, and what your teen can do differently on the next essay.
English counts for students heading into Engineering and STEM
STEM-focused students often treat English as the course to get through so they can concentrate on Math and Science. Fair enough. Writing essays isn’t the most fun way to spend a Sunday evening, in my opinion, either.
But to universities, English is no afterthought.
The University of Waterloo lists Grade 12 English (ENG4U) as a required course for its Engineering programs, alongside Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors, Chemistry, and Physics. Some of those programs describe their admission range as the low to mid-90s. In a range that narrow, an 82 in English pulls the average down in a way a strong Calculus mark can’t fully offset.
There’s a second reason. Many competitive programs ask applicants to write about themselves, and university courses in every field ask students to explain their reasoning in writing. The skill that moves an English mark from the 80s to the 90s is the same skill those tasks reward: making a clear claim and showing precisely why it holds.
The rubric puts an 80 and a 100 in the same level
Ontario teachers mark against a provincial achievement chart with 4 levels. Level 4 covers every mark from 80 to 100, and it’s described with a single phrase: the student demonstrates the knowledge and skills “with a high degree of effectiveness.”
That’s why your teen can read the rubric carefully and still not know what to change. An 82 essay and a 96 essay both sit in the Level 4 column. The rubric confirms the essay is good. It doesn’t say what a better one would contain.
The feedback often has the same limit. Comments like “good analysis” or “go deeper” are accurate, but they don’t show a student what “deeper” looks like on the page. A hard-working student responds the only way she can. She writes longer essays, adds more quotations, and edits more. Those are improvements to an 82 essay, so the result is a slightly better 82.
The difference between an essay in the 80s and an essay in the 90s
Here’s the difference using Macbeth, a play many Ontario students study.
An English essay in the 80s and an essay in the 90s differ in 6 ways:
1. Thesis
An essay in the 80s states something true (and pretty generic) about the text. For example, “In Macbeth, Shakespeare shows that unchecked ambition leads to destruction.”
An essay in the 90s makes a claim that has to be argued. For instance, “Shakespeare shows that Macbeth is destroyed by the gradual loss of his conscience more than by his ambition, as he moves from agonizing over Duncan’s murder to ordering the deaths of Macduff’s family without hesitation.” Not only is this stance more specific, but it also raises the question of what plays a greater role in Macbeth’s destruction.
2. Whether a classmate could disagree
With the 80s thesis, no one who reads the play would be keen to disagree. With the 90s thesis, someone could disagree, so the essay has to argue for and defend it.
3. Evidence
An essay in the 80s uses 3 quotations that show ambition causing harm. An essay in the 90s chooses quotations that show the change between early and late Macbeth.
4. Analysis after each quotation
An essay in the 80s explains what the quotation means. An essay in the 90s explains how the wording creates the effect and why that supports the thesis.
5. Structure
An essay in the 80s gives 3 separate examples of the same point. In an essay in the 90s, each paragraph builds on the one before it, adding another level of nuance to the thesis.
6. Conclusion
An essay in the 80s restates the thesis. An essay in the 90s says what the reader now understands that they didn’t at the start.
The first thesis is correct, and that’s the limitation. An essay built on it can only collect proof for something the teacher already knows. It’s organized, accurate, and supported, which is what the 80s reward.
The second thesis takes a risk. It notices a pattern, makes a claim about what the pattern means, and commits to defending it. Teachers reserve the 90s for that kind of thinking.
STEM-minded students are especially prone to the first kind of essay. They’ve been trained, rightly, to give answers that are correct and verifiable. In an English essay, the safest correct answer can cap the mark.
4 habits keep hard-working students’ marks stuck
Each of these habits comes from doing what worked in earlier grades. They’re signs of a diligent student, which is why they’re hard to spot.
1. Choosing a thesis nobody could disagree with
A safe thesis feels responsible. It also leaves nothing to argue. Try this. If a classmate who read the book couldn’t reasonably say “I see it differently,” the thesis is a fact about the text and needs sharpening.
2. Explaining what a quotation says and stopping there
Restating a quotation in different words shows comprehension. Analysis starts one step later, with how the author’s choices create the effect. This could be a specific word, an image, a shift in tone, or what’s left unsaid.
3. Writing 3 parallel examples
The 5-paragraph structure teaches students to find 3 examples of one idea. The paragraphs could be shuffled into any order without changing the essay. In a stronger essay, paragraph 2 depends on paragraph 1, and paragraph 3 takes the argument somewhere the introduction only hinted at.
4. Reading feedback for the mark
Most students check the number, skim the comments, and start the next essay fresh. The same comment then appears on 3 essays in a row. Students who improve keep a running list of their teacher’s comments and check each new draft against it before submitting.
For the 2nd habit, here’s a formula for a body paragraph:
Strong Paragraph = Specific Evidence × How It Works × Why It Matters
- Specific Evidence: a short, well-chosen quotation, with the key word or phrase identified
- How It Works: what the author’s choice does to the reader or reveals about the character/story
- Why It Matters: how that moves the essay’s argument forward
The terms multiply. A paragraph with excellent evidence and no “how” or “why” is a summary, however well it’s written. Most essays in the 80s are strong on the first term and thin on the other 2.
One student moved from the 80s to the 90s with a tough marker
A student I worked with had been earning 80s in English and was happy with them. Then, in Grades 11 and 12, he had a teacher with a reputation as a tough marker at the school. He knew he wanted the 90s, especially in Grade 12, to put himself in a more competitive position for university.
We focused on 3 skills. The first was writing a sharper thesis. The second was building a coherent sequence of paragraphs, where each one added nuance to the one before it. The third was analytical detail for every example, connecting it back to the paragraph’s main point and to the thesis itself.
His first few marks after we started came back around the 2-month mark, and they were in the 90s. He went on to one of his top-choice STEM programs at the University of Toronto.
That’s not to say that every student sees the exact same results on the same timeline. Marks depend on the student, the course, and the teacher. But a strong student’s mark can move, even with a demanding teacher, once the effort goes toward the right things.
5 changes your teen can make on the next essay
Instead of aimlessly adding more hours, consider these 5 changes that move the effort to the parts of the essay where the 90s are decided.
- Ask the teacher one specific question
“What would this essay have needed to be a 95?” gets a far more useful answer than “How can I improve?” Many teachers will also share an example of top-level work if asked. - Test the thesis before writing anything else
Could a thoughtful classmate disagree with it? Does it say how or why, and not only what? If the answer to either is no, revise the thesis first. Everything else in the essay depends on it. - Write 2 sentences of “how” after every quotation
Before moving on, name the specific word, image, or technique and say what it does. - Finish the draft 3 days early
A strong essay is usually a revised one. With 3 days in hand, your teen can reread it once as the teacher would and check whether each paragraph moves the argument forward. - Keep a feedback list
One page, every comment from every marked essay, checked against each new draft. If “add more detail” has appeared 3 times, the next essay has one job.
A useful question for a parent to ask is this: “What’s your thesis, and who would disagree with it?” You don’t need to have read the book to hear whether the answer is an argument or a summary.
A good English tutor shows your teen what “needs more detail” looks like
When a student is doing everything asked, and the comments keep saying the same thing, what’s usually missing is a demonstration. A good tutor sits with one paragraph of your teen’s own essay and shows what “needs more detail” means in that paragraph. Then, your teen does it on the next one.
Teachers mark a full class set at a time, and there’s a limit to how much line-by-line guidance fits in the margin. A tutor can read through a draft closely before it’s submitted, while there’s still room to change it. Some students make these changes on their own once they see the difference. Many get there faster with someone reading their work that closely.
If you’re looking for an English tutor for a student already in the 70s or 80s, watch what they do with a draft. A strong tutor asks questions that push the thinking.
“Why does that matter?”
“What would someone say against this?”
They leave the writing to the student. Be cautious of anyone who writes the essay for a student. The essay may come back with a higher mark, but your teen will be no closer to writing the next one independently.
High expectations matter here, too. A student aiming for the 90s does best with someone who believes she can get there and won’t accept a safe thesis from her.
Not sure what’s keeping your teen’s English mark where it is?
Book a 15-minute call with me. Tell me which course your teen is in, where their marks are sitting, and which comments keep coming back on their essays. I’ll tell you what I’d look at first and whether tutoring is the right next step. If your teen can get there without us, I’ll say so.
Questions parents ask about English marks
Why are my teen’s marks stuck in English?
If your teen is sitting in the 70s or 80s, but can’t seem to score higher, this may be because the essays are correct, organized, and supported, and stop there. The 90s go to essays that make an arguable claim and analyze how the text supports it.
What’s the difference between an 85 and a 95 in high school English?
Both fall in Level 4 on Ontario’s achievement chart, so the rubric doesn’t separate them. In practice, the 95 essay has a thesis someone could disagree with, analysis of how the author’s choices work, and paragraphs that build on each other.
Does English matter if my teen is going into Engineering or Science?
Yes. Grade 12 English is a required course for many STEM programs, including Engineering and Health Sciences, and competitive programs admit in a narrow range of averages. Clear writing also matters in applications and in university courses across every field.
How can a student get into the 90s with a tough marker?
A demanding teacher is usually marking for the same things described here, with less room for a safe essay. Ask that teacher what a 95 would have needed, and apply the answer to the next draft before submitting it.
How long does it take to raise an English mark from the 80s to the 90s?
It varies by student, course, and teacher, and no one can promise a timeline. English marks also arrive slowly, because there are only a few major essays each term. Expect to judge progress over 2 or 3 assignments.
Should my teen read more to improve in English?
Reading widely helps over the years. For the next essay, the faster gain comes from changing how your teen writes about what they’ve already read.
Can I help if I haven’t read the book?
Yes. Ask your teen to tell you the thesis and who might disagree with it, then ask “why does that matter?” once or twice. If the answers come easily, the essay has an argument. If they don’t, your teen has found what to work on.
About the author
Francesca Cadhit is the founder of Top Class Edge Learning, a premium academic coaching and tutoring practice for high school families in York Region and the GTA. She has worked with students for more than 15 years and with over 100 York Region families. Francesca holds an HBSc from the University of Toronto, where she received the Governor General’s Academic Medal, and is the author of Personal Finance for Students.
Her team tutors Grades 9 to 12 in English, Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Many of their students already earn marks in the 80s and 90s and are working toward competitive university programs. The team specializes in the Ontario curriculum and in the thinking, writing, and study habits students keep using in university and beyond.
You can learn more at TopClassEdge.com.
Sources
- York Region District School Board, A Guide for Elementary and Secondary Students and their Parents/Guardians: The Achievement Chart, summarizing Ontario’s Growing Success policy
- Ontario Ministry of Education, Levels of achievement
- University of Waterloo, Faculty of Engineering, Guidance counsellor information
- University of Waterloo, Electrical Engineering admission requirements for Ontario high school students