Designed to accompany the Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind program or stand on its own, this Grammar Guidebook assembles into one handy reference work all of the principles that govern the English language—from basic definitions (“A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea”) through advanced sentence structure and analysis. Each rule is illustrated with examples drawn from great literature, along with classic and contemporary works of science, history, and mathematics.

Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind is an innovative program that combines the three essential elements of language learning: understanding and memorizing rules (prescriptive teaching), repeated exposure to examples of how those rules are used (descriptive instruction), and practice using those rules in exercises and in writing (practical experience).

How to use as a Stand-Alone Reference Text

This versatile reference guide, like The Diagramming Dictionary, can be used with any grammar program –or without!

If you are teaching with a different grammar curriculum, whenever you introduce a new concept, add the description and examples, of that same concept, from The Grammar Guidebook. Or just have this Guidebook available to the student who is working independently. Encourage the student to consult The Grammar Guidebook  for an additional perspective if he encounters any difficulty applying what he has learned to his practice work.

Whether in the college years or the workplace, we want our communication to convey accuracy and deliver our message in a concise way, demonstrating our command of the English language! What do you do when you’re struggling with how to construct that sentence in a research paper, work report, or in an important email? Consult The Grammar Guidebook!

How to use with Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind

Each year, parents and teachers go through the dialogue, rules, and examples in the Core Instructor Text; students follow along in a Workbook. This repetition solidifies the concepts, definitions, and examples in the student’s mind.

There are four Workbooks, designated by color, one for each year. Each Workbook contains the same rules and examples—but four completely different sets of exercises and assignments, allowing students to develop a wide-ranging knowledge of how the rules and examples are put to use in writing.

Each Workbook has an accompanying Key, providing not only answers, but also explanations for the parent/instructor, and guidance as to when the answers might be ambiguous (as, in English, they often are).

All of the rules covered, along with the repeated examples for each, are assembled for ongoing reference in The Grammar Guidebook.

Use Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind to teach English grammar thoroughly, effectively, and with confidence—no matter what your background or experience!

Note: If you have The Comprehensive Handbook of Rules, you don’t need The Grammar Guidebook; they are the same book with different covers & title pages.

Need Help?

If you are trying to understand how Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind works or want to know which products you need to get started, consult these links:

Introducing Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind, Teaching Tips for Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind, and A Sample Lesson from Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind.

If you want to try it before you buy it, you can download the first 6-weeks for free!