Key to Purple Workbook: A Complete Course for Young Writers, Aspiring Rhetoricians, and Anyone Else Who Needs to Understand How English Works

The Key to Purple Workbook gives clear, thoroughly-explained answers to all exercises in the Purple Workbook, the first of four non-sequential books in the Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind series, providing detailed, well-designed exercises in the correct use of English grammar.

The Key, along with the accompanying Purple Workbook and the Core Instructor Text, make up Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind: a complete course that takes students from basic definitions (“A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea”) through advanced sentence structure and analysis―all the grammar skills needed to write and speak with eloquence and confidence. This innovative program 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). Each year, parents and teachers go through the dialogue, rules, and examples in the Core Instructor Text; students follow along in the Workbook. This repetition solidifies the concepts, definitions, and examples in the student’s mind. There are four Workbooks, 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 Key to the Workbooks provides 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 Comprehensive Handbook of Rules. This will become the student’s indispensable guide to writing through high school, into college and beyond. Step-by-step instruction takes students from the most basic concepts through advanced grammatical concepts such as modal and hortative verbs and multiple functions of noun clauses. Extensive diagramming exercises reinforce the rules and help technical and visual learners to understand and use the English language effectively. Each step of the diagramming process is illustrated and thoroughly explained to the student. Text for examples and exercises are drawn from great works of literature, as well as from well-written nonfiction texts in science, mathematics, and the social sciences. Regular review is built into each year of work. The Key accompanies the first of four non-sequential workbooks, each containing new exercises that allow students to practice and apply the grammar principles under study.

Susan Wise Bauer is a writer, educator, and historian. Her previous books include the Writing With Ease, Writing With Skill, and Story of the World series from Well-Trained Mind Press, as well as The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home, The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had, Rethinking School, The Story of Western Science: From the Writings of Aristotle to the Big Bang Theory, and the History of the World series, all from W. W. Norton. She has a Ph.D. in American Studies from the College of William & Mary in Virginia, as well as an M.A. in seventeenth-century literature and a Master of Divinity in Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literature. For fifteen years, she taught literature and composition at the College of William and Mary.

Audrey Anderson is an international development professional specializing in programming for women and girls. Her background includes program design, strategy, management and evaluation, with field experience in gender-focused programming and education in Latin America, Africa and Asia. In addition to Audrey's work with the Well-Trained Mind, she has contributed to the development of curricula for life skills programs for adolescent girls around the world. Audrey holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of William & Mary, and a master’s in International Education and Development from George Washington University.

Patty Rebne grew up in Colorado, where she earned a BA and an MBA. Most of her grammar, she learned from her mother, an award-winning journalist. To earn a living, Patty taught high school, delivered packages for UPS, marketed and sold software as a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft, inscribed Christmas cards, and wrote fortune-cookie fortunes. She and her husband Glenn live near Seattle; they have a grown son who was mostly homeschooled, guided by The Well Trained Mind with generous additions of ski days and road-trips. Patty likes the physical action of handwriting, and does photography and cross stitch in her ample spare time.

Aaron Woodard is a Virginia based Designer & Illustrator with experience ranging from small start up companies to larger corporate projects. He received a Bachelor's in Communication Arts (Illustration) from Virginia Commonwealth University and an Associates Degree in Graphic Design from Virginia Western Community College.