Product Description

Your one-stop guide to mastering the basics of French

Product Description
Here is a concise summary of Spanish grammar for students and translators whose first language is English. Topics covered include parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation, idioms, and pronunciation advice. The book is small in size but packed with helpful instruction. It makes a fine quick-reference supplement to standard French language textbooks. The new edition is printed in two colors to enhance student comprehension and emphasize important points. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Anna Rivera's Review of Spanish Grammar
This is Anna Rivera, editor of the Learning Spanish Products Reviews site and author of Anna Rivera's 1000 Plus Most Powerful Spanish Words (Spanish Edition) and Anna Rivera's 800 Plus Most Powerful Spanish Phrases (Spanish Edition).

If you're looking for a quick hitting reference book for Spanish Grammar that's easy to carry around, I recommend Spanish Grammar from Barron's Grammar Series.

Spanish Grammar is a small paperback that runs just over 200 pages.The great thing about Spanish Grammar is that it packs so much information into such a small package. It covers everything - nouns, pronouns, articles, prepositions, verbs, adverbs....the list goes on.The explanations are all clear and simple, and the book uses two different colored formats to make finding things easy.

You can take Spanish Grammar everywhere with you.There aren't too many other grammar books that have reviewed and have gotten so much use out of.Having a reference guide like this helps keep you from getting frustrated by things you don't yet understand.The idioms in the back are a great example because these aren't always covered in other textbooks.

I would recommend Barron's Spanish Grammar to students of all levels.It's one of my favorites.

Good for basics, for beginners
This for a beginner and intermediate student.It does not begin to favorably compare with grammar books I've seen in the past, which covered a lot more fine points.So 5 stars for beginners and intermediate students, 3 stars for use as a reference for writers of Spanish.

Spanish Grammar (Barron's Spanish Language Series)
Keep this book within easy reach because it is the most helpful, easiest to understand, grammar book I've come across. Full of helpful idiomatic expressions and word relationships that make it fun to learn Spanish.

Spanish Grammar
Book arrived quickly, and was brand new, in perfect condition. My only negative comment is the typeface size, which is only about 10pt. (guessing), which is difficult for these older eyes. However, that's not a fault, just an observation. I am very satisfied with this transaction.

Great Little Reference book
I teach Spanish.I require this book and its associated "Verb" book for the 4th year.However, many of my 3rd year students buy it as do almost all of my college-bound 2nd and 3rd year students.It is evidently a great little dorm reference book. ... Read more

Product Description
Thousands of students have found this book the ideal way to master and upgrade their Italian grammar. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

English Grammar for Students of Italian
Great tool for those studying the Italian Language and need assistance in connecting our English grammar to the verbs and tenses of the Italian Language.Easy to understand .

It almost suffices
So this breaks most things you want to know quite well, and breaks it down so that anyone can understand it, which is good.I had a few questions my teacher didn't explain well enough but this helped me resolve those issues.My main problem is that one thing we don't have in English is not there, or at least not when I was looking for it, and that is the Indirect pronoun, it is never truly explained, although I know it is similar to a Dative in Latin.And it can be easily confused with the Direct Object Pronoun, I still am not sure what is the difference in the usage, but it doesn't not explain.This the only issue I have had with it yet, but it is helpful.

Italian Momma
This book is extremely helpful to anyone interested in studying Italian and learning Italian grammar.It explains the English grammar first and then goes into a simple explanation of Italian grammar.I find it to be an essential resource.My Italian teacher uses it too.

Good Conditions
The book was in very good conditions, as the seller said. In spite of being used, it did not even look like it!

The book is great, but dont buy off of Amazon
I purchased this book after changing my adress with amazon. they sent it to my old adress anyways, and then it was returned to amazon without them contacting me or anything. The person I spoke with on the phone was horribly rude.
Then, I purchased several items, including the book, because I still needed it. The next day, I found the book at barnes and nobles, and hurridly took it off of my Amazon order, which I could do because it was not going to ship for a MONTH. Then the order arrived, WITH THE BOOK. So now, how many times have I paid for this damn book?

The book its self is great! My Professoressa reccomended it, and so do I! ... Read more

Product Description
A comparative and simple approach to learning the grammar of a new language

The Side-by-Side Grammar books present explanations of the essential elements of Spanish or French grammar alongside their English-language equivalents. This method allows students to build on what they already know; not only do readers learn grammar for a new language but also enjoy the added benefit of strengthening their grammar skills in their native tongue !

Each lesson clearly explains functions and uses of the different parts of speech and includes abundant examples for each entry. Because the vocabulary is limited to frequently used words, students can concentrate more on a sentence's structure instead of becoming tangled in its meaning. A "Quick Check" section summarizes main ideas in each section and helps readers retain the most important information. New to these editions are exercise sections to further reinforce students' comprehension. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

French & English Grammer
The book was recommended by my UCLA French teacher.It helps to simplify some of the complexities of the language.

Very Good Book on French and English Grammar
I've never used this book very much. I know that one of the students I tutored in French used it. When I saw it, I realized that the book was a French version of Side-By-Side Spanish and English Grammar. I used the Spanish version to learn everthing about English grammar before I learned its Spanish counterpart. This book is just like that, except it explains English grammar, and then French.

Both books explain the following:

Parts of Speech
Nouns
Pronouns
Adjectives
Adverbs
Conjunctions
Interjections
Prepositions
Verbs

Brandon Simpson ... Read more

Product Description
A bind-up of the existing Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Repair Kits, this book combines the humour of the regular Repair Kit characters - clever Zelda, swotty Colin and not-very-bright Steven - with technical help and clear advice on the English language. Contains spelling, punctuation and grammar exercises for the reader to work through. Illustrated throughout with humorous cartoons. ... Read more

Product Description
Grammar Success in 20 Minutes a Day, 2nd Edition provides 20 lessons that promote an in-depth understanding of grammar in a short amount of time. It is full of fun yet practical exercises on writing complete sentences, using verbs correctly, capitalization and punctuation, and choosing the right word for the occasion. This book teaches by actual examples, real-world situations, and daily lessons, each only 20 minutes long, and includes a FREE online link to instantly scored grammar exercises. ... Read more

Product Description

Danish: A Comprehensive Grammar presents a fresh and accessible description of the language, concentrating on the real patterns of use in modern Danish. The volume is organized to promote a thorough understanding of Danish grammar. It offers a stimulating analysis of the complexities of the language, and provides full and clear explanations.

This edition has been fully updated to reflect changes in grammar, cultural changes and the impact of modern technology. All sections have been systematically revised, and a new section on phrases and an up-to-the-moment account of the use of the comma have been added. The examples and grammar explanations have been improved throughout.

Features include:

• a wealth of examples from present-day Danish
• particular attention to areas of confusion and difficulty
• Danish-English parallels highlighted throughout the book
• an extensive index and clear paragraph numbering for easy navigation
• cross-references in all parts of the book.

Danish: A Comprehensive Grammar is the most comprehensive and detailed Danish grammar available in English and is an essential reference source for the learner and user of Danish at all levels. It is ideal for use in schools, colleges, universities and adult classes of all types.

Product Description
Designed for high-beginner to low-intermediate level learners, this American English edition of Essential Grammar in Use focuses on the fundamental structures of English grammar normally taught in basic or introductory courses. The easy-to-use layout is inviting to learners: presentation of new structureswith examples appear on the left-hand page, and exercises to check under-standing on the right. Appendices deal with phrasal verbs, spelling and irregular verbs. The contents and index are clearly organised so that teachers and learners can easily find the unit or grammar point they need.There is a separate answer key for individual use and self-study. The key also provides a handy reference for teachers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

RIP OFF

The key should be together with the book, at the end, as usual. Shame on you, Cambridge and Author.

Great for ESL Students
I agree 100% with the ESOL instructor from Lawrenceburg, IN. I, too, am an ESL instructor, and this book is absolutely my best resource. Each unit is a self-contained lesson (if you want to use it that way), with an explanation and examples of the point being covered, followed by a page of exercises for student practice. It's very easy to use for in-class work, homework, student self study, and even pre-class review by the teacher. I love it!

Good for ESOL instructors
This text contains short lessons on at least a hundred common concepts in English, with straightforward, everyday examples.

In the appendix, there is the best-organized list of irregular verbs I've seen.The verbs are categorized according to their irregularity, so that the patterns can be studied.Each of my students has a copy that (s)he refers to often.

The Table of Contents is spectacular.Each topic is broken into several different units, which are each well-described.I find this organization particularly helpful when a student mentions (s)he is having trouble understanding, say, the use of the present progressive to express the future.I thumb through the contents, and in seconds, I know to show Unit 20.Especially helpful if you and the student don't know that it's called the present progressive, just that people say "I am playing tennis tomorrow."Waste no time flipping through the index of another book only to find it a dead-end.

Lastly, the sections on prepositions (which are so difficult to teach) are wonderful.We have teachers who won't use anything else and students who have found them very helpful.

An excellent english book for beginners to high intermediate
I'm using this book to teach my girlfriend English. She is from Brazil. This book is excellent, well structured, and progressive. The vocabulary its controlled. There are a lot of work with the verbs (to be), and (tohave).The book also covers progressives and irregular past verb tenses.

The best English grammar book available
If your native language is not English you need this book. If you teachEnglish grammar you need this book. I have seen quite a few English grammarbooks and thisone is the best. Somebody might find another book that isas good but they will probably never find one that is better. ... Read more

Product Description
Through engaging and creative contexts, Gammar Plus and More Grammar Plus provide extensive grammar practice for adult and young adult students. The texts integrate structure practice with relevant themes such as technology, work, and recreation. This two-level course, taking students from the beginning to high-intermediate level, provides an effective approach to grammar. ... Read more

Product Description
Grammar and Usage in the Classroom addresses prospective English teachers who need both to learn basic grammar themselves and to prepare themselves to successfully teach grammar. Based on the author's extensive work with school districts, in-service teachers, and hundreds of his own students, the second edition has been thoroughly revised and reorganized into three parts: Grammar; Usage; and A Glossary of Grammatical Terms.The grammar opens with a chapter on the current state of teaching grammar and usage; presents traditional school grammar; and, in the last grammar chapter, introduces a modern descriptive grammar to analyze verb complements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

good book
I learned a lot about grammar, and the notes from the previous owner helped me as well.

still very useful despite the mistakes
The purpose of this book is to give prospective teachers a strong grasp of English grammar so that they in turn can teach it to their students. The intended audience is primarily native English-speaking teachers and native English-speaking students, although it is also addressed to the ESL students who appear in main stream classes.This book has some unusual and useful tools in it, including old-style Reed-Kellogg sentence diagramming exercises and sentence combining.I don't know of anyone who likes diagramming sentences; it's painful and tedious.However, diagramming makes teachers and students alike think of language as an abstraction, and it is possibly one of the best tools to compel them to focus on and analyze its parts.The text is divided into two sections--Grammar and Usage, and what I like most about the book is the many usage tests.These are tests given that draw upon a native speaker's innate sense of grammar rules to determine which part of speech a word, phrase, or clause may be acting as.They're learned quickly and easily, so they're very practical. These usage tests have revolutionized how I approach analyzing sentence structure, and they've been invaluable aids in classroom teaching and analyzing pieces of student writing, no matter how elaborate or chaotic they may be.The tools in the book are very adaptable, so one can work with students at whatever level he or she finds them--already proficient or blissfully unaware.I also like that there are many, many hands-on exercises for the reader to practice the concepts, and there are chapter reviews to ensure the concepts are grasped. Also, there is a very handy Glossary of Grammar Terms that explains the concepts at a glance. The book gives the reader practical tools he or she will need to understand and teach grammar without getting bogged down in Linguistics jargon. I found the diagrams used to teach the concept of verb tense to be very helpful. Additionally, Lester wrote this book with a lot of humor, and it comes through in the text and practice exercises, which helps with such a dry subject.The book has many interesting facts.For example, I found it fascinating that English, originally a Germanic language, was taught with Latinate terminology that inaccurately described the tenses, and that is why what we today call the Perfect Tense isn't really perfect and why the Present Tense isn't used to discuss what is happening in the present.The many merits of the book being duly noted, what I don't like about the book is how errors pervade the entire text, whether they are mere typographical errors or flat out wrong answers to the exercises. It doesn't take much of an imagination to see how confusing these mistakes can be to someone struggling to learn English grammar.I wish the publishers would release another printing that is properly proofread because I hate to see correctable mistakes mar an otherwise good book.The book accomplishes what its author intended: teaching basic grammar to instructors and students.It is practical and doesn't talk over one's head.I think it's a great book for beginners to start or for others who need a refresher.There are plenty of other English grammar books out there that are more influenced by linguistic theory or ESL if that's what you want.Some that I like and recommend are: Understanding English Grammar [With Workbook] by Kolln(written for students), A Student's Grammar of the English Language (Grammar Practice) by Greenbaum and Quirk (a simplified version of their classicA Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, but still pretty tough),Cambridge Grammar of English Paperback with CD ROM: A Comprehensive Guide by Carter and McCarthy (English as it is spoken--very helpful for explaining grammar concepts to ESL students).

Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes....
This is a great book for teachers.It gives great tools and tests for teachers to use and give students to help them unlock grammar.However, it has many errors - many in the self-check answers section.Apparently, the wrong draft was sent to print (rumor I heard from a friend/co-worker of Lester's).I wish the publishers would print a revised edition.Without the mistakes I would give it five stars.

An Average Grammar Book
With the exception of some "tests" the author has derived to check for different parts of speech, this book is quite average in its content, and the way it is organized makes it not very useful as a reference.

Grammar Book Review
This book provides a good general overview of grammar with lots of practice exercises with an answer key in the back. One major flaw with this book is that there are a number of mistakes. Some of the answers in the key are wrong which makes it very difficult to check your work. ... Read more

Product Description
The Everything French Grammar Book provides readers with easy-to-follow lessons on the rules, syntax, and sentence structure of the French language. From punctuation to pronouns, this handy reference walks readers through the basics of proper French speaking. Step-by-step instruction, fun reinforcement exercises, and clever mnemonic clues help readers master conjugation, tense use, and sentence structure quickly! Complete with verb charts, The Everything French Grammar Book is the perfect reference for the Gallic enthusiast. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The review of "Everything FrenchGrammer Book".
This is a great book. It has been very helpful in my French language classes. It clearly explains a lot of the nuances of the French language.

Good for beginners
Very helpful and includes some exercises too. The book could include more or maybe the author could make an additional book for intermediate learners.

Great little book!
This is a great book! I have been using the author's website on about.com for some time now and have always enjoyed her teaching approach. She takes that approach to this book.Not only is the book helping me better understand the French language, but it's helping me with my English! Public schools in the U.S. unfotunately do not focus very much attentiion on grammar. This makes it more difficult for most Americans to learn a new language.

Laura Lawless has created a nice format for this book. It has a nice flow that is more organized than most books of this style that I have used. Of course, you'll still have to put the work in to learn the concepts, but Laura has created a great book to help make it easier! Well worth the money!

Mark ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wunderbar!
The grammar explanations are very clear, straightforward and succint. It's oriented toward practice, with lots of exercises. I found this grammar very user-friendly, both in terms of finding topics and of understanding concepts. It is invaluable help for anyone studying German! However, I do not suggest it as the first and only source for beginners, as the explanations may be unclear to those with no previous knowledge of German. Finally (which may be a problem): the key to the exercises is not included with the book, but has to be purchased separately.

Good reference, a little complicated.
I have worked with this book for a year now. It is a good reference to keep around at the time you are taking a german course.It is not very easy to use, because of its organization, but nontheless, I believe it helps toclear a lot of questions that students may be afraid to ask because theyfear it may sound stupid.

Poor effort
Id advise staying away from this book. As the title suggests its got plenty of excercises, but the presentation and layout are very lacking. (Stick withSchaum's Outlines German Grammar instead). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Useful
Purchased for use in an intensive Latin course, the grammar offers very good examples of English constructions and then compares them to their Latin counterpart.Worth purchasing.

"English Grammar for Students of Latin: The Study Guide for Those Learning Latin (English Grammar Series)"
"English Grammar for Students of Latin: The Study Guide for Those Learning Latin (English Grammar Series)" is a great quick "pocket" review for Latin. It gives the reader quick access to the essential grammar the student might need for a test or exam. It is also an inexpensive guide for review over the summer in between Latin 101 and Latin 102.

What I like about it:

Quick, easy one or two page of the grammar of Latin with the corresponding equivalent (if one exists) in English.
It includes review samples to cement the reader's understanding of those concepts.
A great book to have on had throughout your Latin career.

What I didn't like about it:

It could have more examples and samples to look at to cement one's understanding of Latin grammar.

Norma Goldman's grammar book
Although I love Norma Goldman's book, this copy was supposed to be in like-new condition without writing.It arrived with many pages full of ink underlining plus notes on the sides of the pages.I contacted the distributor, who was supposed to replace it with a new copy, but they did not follow through after I agreed to remove my negative rating. They said they had a lot of people working in their building, and they don't look closely at the product they are shipping! Buy the book, but don't buy it from the people who sold it to me.

English grammar improvement guaranteed
This book will help anyone understand the principles behind the English language. You do not have to be a Latin student to understand this book.

Struggling Latin Student Still Struggling
I didn't find this book to be extremely useful in my studies.I tried to use it, but found that it didn't seem to cover the grammar in a way that was easy to switch back and forth between this book, and the primary text book of Wheelock's Latin. ... Read more

Product Description

Your one-stop guide to mastering the basics of Spanish

Customer Reviews (9)

the perfect reference
This is a fantastic reference book. Very concise. I am learning Spanish now, at intermediate level, and have purchased other similar books, but they are nothing like this one, so I end up never looking at them. I always use this, seems to have everything I need.

The essence
This series of books distill the essence of grammar and verb usage into a condensed, easily referenced book. I first got the one for Brazilian Portuguese and was happy to find there are many others in the series. This is perhaps the most useful Spanish language reference book I have, besides a dictionary. I highly recommend this book, or any of the books in the series, to anyone attempting to learn a new language.

Anna Rivera's Review ofSpanish Verbs and Essentials of Grammar
This is Anna Rivera of the Learning Spanish Products Reviews site and author of Anna Rivera's 1000 Plus Most Powerful Spanish Words (Spanish Edition) and Anna Rivera's 800 Plus Most Powerful Spanish Phrases (Spanish Edition).

Spanish Verbs and Essentials of Grammar is organized into 33 units, with each one dedicated to a single concept.In it, you'll find coverage of all the grammar basics along with verb tenses and moods.You'll also find discussions on idioms, pronunciation, suffixes and even some vocabulary. Every lesson comes with multiple examples of usage which I found to be helpful.

What you won't get are any exercises.I think it's very important to do practice exercises if you want to truly own the material you're studying, so I encourage anyone who buys this book to find supplementary material that offers exercises that you can do at home.

Spanish Verbs and Essentials of Grammar is easy to read and well organized.It's a great reference book to carry with you and dip into whenever you have some free time, and you simply can't beat the low price.

I should mention that this review refers to a previous edition of this book.

Adult Spanish Students
This book was recommended by my instructor.It is proving to be very helpful in my Spanish class which is an adult evening class.The class is being taught on a college level, which sometimes can be hard to follow, but this book is excellent tool to have.

Extremely concise, practical, well-organized and a great value!
This is simply an amazing book.You can see exactly what it covers in other reviews.The focus of my review is on how well it achieves it's objective in such a small space.Although this book does not have exercises, it does have lots of examples and it's too the point manner of communicating essential information is invaluable.Next to my dictionary, this is my most important and frequently used grammar resource bar none!

If you need a good dictionary to go along with this try Collins Spanish Concise Dictionary, 5e (HarperCollins Concise Dictionaries) (Spanish Edition).This has almost any word you would ever want to look up at a reasonable price even many idioms and so called "choice" words.For good grammar exercises in Spanish try The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice w/CD-ROM (UItimate Review & Reference Series).If verbs are your week point, you may want to check out Spanish Verb Workbookto augment the concise volume I'm reviewing. ... Read more

Product Description

German: An Essential Grammar is a practical reference guide to the core structures and features of modern German. Presenting a fresh and accessible description of the language, this engaging grammar uses clear, jargon-free explanations and sets out the complexities of German in short, readable sections.

Suitable for either independent study or for students in schools, colleges, universities and adult education classes, key features include:

• focus on the morphology and syntax of the language
• clear explanations of grammatical terms
• full use of authentic examples
• a detailed contents list and index for easy access to information.

With an emphasis on the German native speakers use today, German: An Essential Grammar will help students to read, speak and write the language with greater confidence.

Customer Reviews (3)

Fantastic resource!
German grammar can get pretty confusing, but this book nails the grammar on the dot. It is very clear concise and easy to understand. I think it should be a necessity for anyone trying to learn the language. The book gives great examples and just explains everything really well. I tried other grammar books from the library and none compare.

Excellent companion to a textbook
I originally used the PDF file on ScribeD and liked it so much that I came here and bought the book.This is an excellent resource for describing the grammar of the German language that is only touched on piece-meal in textbooks.The power of this book is that it is clear, concise, complete, and up to date.The information is sensibly grouped and ordered in a way where you can easily find it.It covers nuances of the language that many students never learn or are so briefly covered that the student quickly forgets it or never fully understood it in the first place.It covers everything from the rules on German spelling (including the 2006 spelling reform) to old noun declensions (Dem Deutschen Volke) that are now only found in formal writing or ancient texts.This book is an excellent reference tool for questions on grammar & usage and also makes a pleasant read for someone wanting to make sense out of the German language.

German Grammar Guide revealed
This book is one of the better guides when you have a question regarding a specific part of the German Grammar.It is clearly written, in almost plain English (Aussie/British) and reads well.While not a great textbook to work with, if you have questions about the rules behind dative, or the simple past this book provides not only excellent explanations, but as well clear examples to base your own work upon. ... Read more

Product Description
Learning to communicate clearly and accurately is fundamental to a child's success. Each of the 44 activities in this 11" x 17" book contains a basic grammar or punctuation rule and examples, suggestions for the teacher, and a reproducible page for practice in using the rule.

For grades 3 and 4 grammar rules include: simple & complete subjects and predicates, run-on sentences, compound sentences, singular/plural/possessive, parts of speech, verb tenses, prefix/suffix, and pronoun usage. Punctuation rules include: Punctuation rules include: commas, colons, quotation marks, capitalization of proper nouns, and abbreviations.

All exercises include notes for the teacher and answer key. Illustrated throughout with fun and clever line art. All 88 pages perforated for easy removal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Reference grammar
Well, this grammar is a reference grammar. This is the most comprehensive Syriac grammar in English. It isn't a read-thu book, it isn't a teaching book. This is the book you use when Wheeler Thackstone or Coakley/Robinson - or even Muraoka - fails to give you the info you need. Certainly, there's quite a bit that could be modernised, the syntax for one, but for all the Latinate terminology, it is simply the best reference in English. It is the nearest Syriac has to Gesenius for Hebrew or Wright for Arabic. Please don't buy it expecting it to be what it's not.

Only as a last resort
True, this book is comprehensive. But originally written by a German scholar at the end of the 19th century, this book is stuck in gory detail. You can use it as a reference authority and as a last resort. It is certainly not a book you can "read through"....

Only as a last resort
True, this book is comprehensive. But written by a German scholar at the end of the 19th century, this book is stuck in gory detail. You can use it as a reference authority and as a last resort. It is certainly not a book you can "read through".

If you want to study Syriac, use the Syriac Grammar by Theodore Robinson. This is a book you can actually read, it keeps things simple and covers all the essentials. It takes you a long time until you feel the need for more.

Very Compendious
It is true, as it says in the introduction, that this is not a complete syriac grammar, but it is very comprehensive. I doubt that most people will come across a topic that is not covered in this compact but very useful volume. I recommend reading it through to brush up your Syriac. It is somewhat lacking in instructions for pronunciation, however. ... Read more

Product Description
The Workbook accompanying each level of Focus on Grammar provides additional exercises for self-study of the target grammar for each unit. Tests included in each Workbook provide students with additional opportunities for self-assessment. Focus on Grammar helps students understand and practice English grammar through contextualized listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities. Focus on Grammar combines controlled and communicative practice with critical thinking skills and ongoing assessment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A solid textbook
I teach ESL in Washington State.While I try to focus on listening and speaking activities, it's always necessary to get some grammar into the program.This is a good tool for beginning students, clearly laid out, with good exercises.

Great academic grammar book
This is a great book for English learners who are not living in the USA. The focus is on students who are studying for academic purposes, not survival.
It has many good exercises and the workbook offers extra practice! ... Read more

Product Description

Take your Spanish grammar skills to the next level and speak with more soltura!

To fully understand how to speak Spanish effectively you must move beyond the fundamental principles of grammar and tackle more sophisticated sentence constructions. Practice Makes Perfect: Advanced Spanish Grammar focuses on intermediate- to advanced-level topics to help you create more complex, meaningful sentences and communicate more naturally.

Instead of just applying sets of rules, Practice Makes Perfect: Advanced Spanish Grammar helps you better understand the nuances of the language and develop your skills and confidence as a Spanish speaker by providing easy-to-absorb explanatory materials, examples, and exercises. Inside you will find:

• Thorough explanations of topics that often prove difficult for English speakers when they learn Spanish, such as the correct use of object pronouns.
• Practical exercises that give you the opportunity to test what you've learned

Learn the ins and outs of:
Some/any and quantity determiners • Adverbs • Problematic prepositions • Relative pronouns • Idiomatic constructions • . . . and much more

Customer Reviews (8)

Advanced Spanish Grammar - Tough but Worth It!
This is a great way to take your Spanish grammar to the next level.Through many examples, you'll understand how to express common every day idioms and why they're contructed the way they are.If you're serious about improving your grasp of Spanish and you already have a basic understanding of Spanish grammar, you need this book.It's tough going at times and the tests at the end of each chapter don't fool around, but it's well worth worth it.You'll thank yourself for doing it and you'll come to love the language even more.

Useful book
Every book needs to be evaluated according to its stated purpose and goals. The purpose of this book is to provide move beyond the basics of Spanish grammar and into more advanced topics. I rate the book highly for reaching this goal.

It assumes a basic understanding of grammar and vocabulary. I found that its usefulness was diminished if I did not have a basic grammar for refreshing my memory on certain concepts, or a dictionary for Spanish words which were not translated in the book.

The strengths of this book are that it fulfills its goal of covering advanced topics, thus giving the student the opportunity to, as the book cover states, "develop skills and confidence as a Spanish speaker." It gives practice examples at the end of each chapter with an answer key at the end of the book and notations when colloquial speech is used that violates basic grammatical rules. The "find and correct the mistakes" exercises at the end of each chapter were especially helpful, since it forces the learner to pay special attention to the exact wording, instead of surmising the meaning from a literal translation of the words.

I have some minor criticims. Chapter 3 only had 30 questions at the end of the chapter, compared to 60 to 100 for the other chapters. I would have liked more practice questions there. Although the book offered explanations for some of the more difficult questions in the answer key, I wish they would have had more such explanations as there are some answers that I got wrong and still do not know why they are wrong, even after reviewing the material. The chapters had "boxes" designed to "provide further information and offer tips on guidance or useage" (p. v).Actually materials identified by shading on the left margin, but more importantly, I was unable to discern any unifying use of the boxed areas. At times they gave more detailed explanations to preceding information. At other times they did not. I would have preferred a more consistent use of the boxes. Knowing the literal meaning of words would have also helped in understanding the idioms presented in the last chapter. Since I was able to translate ahorgarse en un vaso de agua (drowning in a class of water), it was easy to understand the figurative meaning of the expression ("easily depressed by small problems," p. 177). In other chapters the examples given in Spanish were translated, but not in Chapter 12 (idiomatic constructions), requiring that I get a dictionary and look up a lot of words.

Despite these problems, I considered the book to be useful and I would recommend it to students seeking to become proficient in advanced Spanish grammar.

A Great Resource -- Add it to Your Collection of Useful Spanish Books!
Advanced Spanish Grammar, by Rogelio Alonso Vallecillos, is a valuable book for reviewing many details about Spanish that textbooks often ignore. As with the other books in the Practice Makes Perfect series, it has a lot of exercises and the answer keys make it a good resource for independent study or as a supplement to any textbook or Spanish program.

I only have two minor reservations about it. One is that he doesn't use grammatical terminology. For some people, that is a plus. For me, it creates confusion because as a professor of Spanish, I want to know where to find additional exercises and explanations on specific areas of the language. When I don't see them labeled as such, I move on to the next book. For instance, in his table of contents, he has a chapter entitled "Reported Speech." I had to stop for a second to reclassify it as "indirect discourse." This makes the book less useful to experienced professors of Spanish who learned the proper taxomonies. At the same time, however, for many students, it won't really matter and in fact, will make the subject less threatening.

Lastly, the subjunctive is not dealt with head-on. On the other hand, as with everything he does address, he does a great job of explaining, and his examples are clear. For instance, although his treatment of sequence of tense is not dealt with by name, his examples should help any intuitive learner understand how to deal with it.

By all means, buy this book! It provides a good overview of many troublesome areas and does so in a non-threatening way -- and that is very important. Use it as a point of departure for the inevitable time when you'll need more focused practice.

Sincerely,

Eric W. Vogt, Ph.D.

Advanced Spanish Grammar
This book was a gift for a relative who is planning a vacation in Spain and wanted to brush up on her Spanish.She also teaches accents to actors and feels that phrasing is very important when English is not your first language.

She was very pleased with the book.

Practice Makes PerfectÇAdvanced Spanish Grammar
It's probably making everything more difficult than it is, but maybe that is because I prefer language study to be traditional. ... Read more

Product Description
Used alone or in conjunction with your reading, writing, and listening/speaking course books, More Grammar Practice helps students learn and review the essential grammar skills to make language learning comprehensive and ongoing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good intermediate grammar text
I use this book regularly in my adult ESL class, with students at the intermediate to high intermediate range.The explanations and examples are clear and the practice exercises are well constructed. For those working on sentence structure and American English syntax, this is an excellent workbook.

good for who whant to reading more grammer
ok especialmente para aquellos que quieran aprender mas gramaticay para todos los que estudiamos eslles recomiendo este libro es muy bueno comprenlo nuevo o usado bye ... Read more