Introduction

Writing is becoming a lost art, while at the same time, communication is becoming more and more important as our globe shrinks. The ability to be understood through the medium of writing has never held the importance it holds today; and tomorrow, things will only intensify.

The need to communicate clearly, masterfully manipulating Standard English, is a goal all writing teachers want for their students. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or, for whom this endeavor was undertaken, a student facing the challenge of passing the HSGQE,  it is my hope that this CD will serve you as a useful resource. Not only will it allow you an inside look at what types of questions you can expect to see on the Alaskan HSGQE, but it will also be a reservoir of answers to any grammar questions that you may encounter as you meander down the road of writing. Having these rules literally at your fingertips will help you to correctly apply them to your writing.

This website has four major components that students will find easy to navigate. Have a question on where to properly place a comma? Check the Grammar Rules section. Trying to find out what writing skills you will need to prepare yourself for in order to pass the Alaskan High School Graduating Qualifying Examination (HSGQE)? Visit the Alaska State Writing Benchmarks section. Would you like to print out some worksheets that you could complete without having to stare at this darn computer screen? Explore the Printable Handouts section, look for what you'd like to practice, and print it. It's that simple!. Or maybe you simply need to find out a writing term or rule without getting an entire lesson on grammar. The Glossary page should help. 

For students' convenience, I've also created an index which will allow you to hyperlink to many of the wonderful grammar websites available. As an added bonus, I've included Dr. Charles Darling's excellent grammar website as a hyperlink to all of the pertinent grammar rules. I've done this, with his blessing, to give students more resources to help them reach their goal of passing the Alaskan HSGQE. I hope that all students would take the time to peruse the entire CD and use it as an educational tool, as well as a handy resource.

This site has been designed to help students pass the writing portion of the Alaskan HSGQE, which will begin carrying huge consequences starting in 2004. If a student can grasp all aspects of the Alaska Writing Benchmark section, I have no doubt they will easily pass the exam. But please remember, we don't write to pass tests; we write to speak to each other's heart's and souls. Writing is a way of communicating that should be taken very seriously and should be looked upon as a labor of love. Enjoy!

John Flynn is an English and history teacher for the IDEA program of the Galena City School District in Fairbanks, Alaska. Copyright 2001