Essential Writing and Language Skills: Preparation for High School Equivalency Tests

Increase Essay and Extended Response Scores for the GED Test and HiSET Exam

Build the writing skills needed to succeed on the most current GED test and the HiSET exam by learning how to develop ideas, organize responses, and communicate clearly and effectively. This book focuses on the skills required for short answers, extended responses, and real world writing tasks found on high school equivalency exams.

Using the Plan, Draft, Evaluate, Submit writing process, students learn how to approach writing step by step. Lessons are structured to connect new ideas to familiar concepts, demonstrate how to make strong writing decisions, provide guided practice, and explain how to revise and proofread for clarity and accuracy.

The 412 page book includes writing tasks drawn from business, social studies, and science contexts and helps students build confidence with extended response writing. It can be used as a stand alone study guide or as a complement to a broader test preparation program.

All lessons are aligned with Common Core and College and Career Readiness Standards and are designed to support adult learners at varying skill levels.

Topics covered include:

The Writing Process
Determining purpose and audience
Reading and thinking for writing
Choosing an organizational structure
Developing a thesis statement
Drafting introductions
Drafting body paragraphs
Drafting conclusions
Revising and editing
Reading critically
Voice and tone
Unity and cohesion
Flow and clarity
Proofreading and publishing

Organization
Organizing short answers
Organizing extended responses
Organizing workplace documents

Developing Ideas, Arguments, and Evidence
Developing ideas
Building strong support
Evaluating arguments
Citing evidence and connecting it to claims
Drawing conclusions

Revising and Editing Skills
Identifying barriers to communication
Word usage
Spelling
Capitalization and punctuation
Sentence structure

Writing Practice
Everyday writing practice
Reasoning through language arts practice
Social studies writing practice
Science writing practice

This book is aligned with the most current GED test and the HiSET exam and works as a strong companion to Essential Education’s complete online program. Both the book and the online programs are certified by the official testing services, giving students and educators confidence that they are using trusted, approved materials designed to support success on test day.