A method of grammar-guided writing has been devised to guide graphic sign users through the construction of text messages for use in e-mail and other applications with a remote receiver. The purpose is to promote morphologically and syntactically correct sentences. The available grammatical structures in grammar-guided writing are the highest frequency phrase and sentence types in a database of tagged and parsed e-mail messages. A companion learning path allows users to begin with simple grammatical structures, advancing in steps to more complex structures as their language skills develop. In order to give further support during e-mail composition, grammar-guided writing has been augmented with two complementary text input methods. One is a quick and easy method of choosing preprogrammed messages and e-mail phrases. The other is a more traditional method of selecting graphic signs freely without grammar guidance.