Writing Course & EssayCoach

By Alfons Sergeant · English Straightforward

ONE WRITING SYSTEM · FOUR PARTS · TWENTY UNITS

From a clear sentence
to an independent essay.

The PDFs guide your practice. This book explains the decisions behind it. EssayCoach helps you investigate feedback on your own writing.

Start with the skill you need. Work through an example, try a fresh task, then explain your choice before moving on.

Find my starting point Explore the four parts

Start with a short, unassisted attempt

Use paper or your own notes. Do not ask EssayCoach to correct this first attempt.

  1. Complete and repair: Although the cost of these lessons are high.
  2. Write three or four sentences explaining one possible benefit of a school study period. Give a concrete example.
  3. Write the opening of the next paragraph, which discusses the staff time needed.
  4. Explain one change you would make to your answer and why it helps.
Check my starting point

1. Although the cost of these lessons is high, some students may find the support useful. “Cost” is singular; the main clause completes the concession. If this is difficult, start with Part 1 and Units 1-4.

2. Explain a mechanism: quiet space could let a pupil locate a difficult step and prepare a focused question. If your answer only says the session is useful, start with Part 2 and Unit 5.

3. Providing that opportunity would require a realistic supervision plan. The benefit leads to a requirement. If the boundary feels disconnected, start with Part 3 and Unit 6.

4. If you can produce the pieces but cannot diagnose and improve your draft, start with Part 4 and Unit 11.

This identifies a learning starting point. It does not assign an exam level. If more than one area is difficult, begin with the earliest one.

How to use the system

  1. Read: follow the PDF’s BASIS route and open the related book unit when you need explanation.
  2. Try: write before opening a hint or possible answer.
  3. Check: compare the reasoning, not just the wording. A different defensible answer can work.
  4. Transfer: apply the skill to a fresh passage or your own essay.

BASIS means foundation route. VERDIEPING means extra practice or explanation. BRONROUTE means the source route: use it whenever your task requires source texts. These are learning routes, not exam-level labels.

Begrijp je de uitleg, maar lukt beginnen nog niet?

Volg één schrijfproces met Nederlandse denkhulp en Engelse voorbeelden. Oefen daarna met steeds minder steun.

Start de brugmodule

Zelfstandig oefenen richting CPE

Voor leerlingen die al begrijpelijke alinea’s schrijven: bronnen verwerken, redeneren, zinnen bouwen en woorden precies kiezen. Met verklaarde antwoorden en een nieuw bronpaar om zelfstandigheid te oefenen.

Start de CPE-bronroute · Academische woordkeuze

Your four-part route

Use the revised PDFs already supplied with your course. Open the route-guide page listed below. The book refers to the PDF page number, including appended practice pages. Keep the PDF and this reader open side by side.

Course PDF Start page Purpose
Part 1
01-Part-1-Basisroute.pdf 		125 Complete clauses, word order and punctuation
Part 2
05-Part-2-Basisroute.pdf 		45 A position, a plan and developed reasons
Part 3
06-Part-3-Basisroute.pdf 		61 Purposeful endings and connected arguments
Part 4
07-Part-4-Basisroute.pdf 		48 Revision and independent performance

You do not need to read all twenty units in numerical order. Choose the PDF route first, then use the relevant units below.

Part 1 · Complete clauses, word order and punctuation

Part 2 · A position, a plan and developed reasons

Part 3 · Purposeful endings and connected arguments

Part 4 · Revision and independent performance

Make it your examination task

The general opinion essay in Part 2 is a learning model. Before a complete exam attempt, complete page 3 of 02-Examenmodules-Student.pdf with the actual task requirements.

All levels may need sentence or paragraph practice. Return to a foundation unit whenever it addresses the actual difficulty.

Use feedback to make a decision

Save your first draft before using EssayCoach. Choose one important suggestion, read the linked explanation, and decide whether the suggested change preserves your meaning. Automated feedback may be mistaken; check it against the task, examples and reasoning.

Write a revision and explain what improved. Then try the skill in a fresh sentence or paragraph without the suggested wording. Do not treat an app score as an official examination result.

Record the original wording, the problem in your own words, the revision, a fresh example and the help used. During a start/end assessment, use only the resources allowed by the agreed conditions.

Return to my writing

When to continue or ask for help

Continue when you can explain the decision and apply it to a fresh example without the model. If you can only imitate the answer, use the hint and repeat the linked PDF practice. If the explanation still does not make sense, ask your teacher about that specific step.

Finish with Part 4 pp. 57-59. For a pilot, use 03-Proefgroep-Toetsopgaven.pdf and 04-Docentenhandleiding-en-Meetformulieren.pdf. Compare task fulfilment, idea development, coherence and language control, and record help separately.

Examination references

Checked September 2026. Consult the current instructions for your actual examination.