Product Description
New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second Language Classrooms brings together various approaches to the contextualized teaching of grammar and communicative skills as integrated components of second language instruction. Its purpose is to show from both theoretical and practical perspectives that grammar teaching can be made productive and useful in ESL and EFL classrooms. In this text:
*First-rate scholars approach the teaching of grammar from multiple complementary perspectives, providing an original, comprehensive treatment of the topic.
*Discourse analysis and research data are used to address such pedagogical areas as grammatical and lexical development in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
*The communicative perspective on ESL and EFL instruction that is presented provides ways for learners to enhance their production skills, whereas the meaning-based grammar instruction can supplement and strengthen current methodology with a communicative focus.

This volume is intended as a foundational text for second language grammar pedagogy courses at the advanced undergraduate and master's levels.
... Read more

Product Description
"This book reconstructs what the earliest grammars might have been and shows how they could have led to the languages of modern humankind.

"Like other biological phenomena, language cannot be fully understood without reference to its evolution, whether proven or hypothesized," wrote Talmy Givón in 2002. As the languages spoken 8,000 years ago were typologically much the same as they are today and as no direct evidence exists for languages before then, evolutionary linguists are at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts in biology. Bernd Heine and Tania Kuteva seek to overcome this obstacle by combining grammaticalization theory, one of the main methods of historical linguistics, with work in animal communication and human evolution. The questions they address include: do the modern languages derive from one ancestral language or from more than one? What was the structure of language like when it first evolved? And how did the properties associated with modern human languages arise, in particular syntax and the recursive use of language structures? The authors proceed on the assumption that if language evolution is the result of language change then the reconstruction of the former can be explored by deploying the processes involved in the latter. Their measured arguments and crystal-clear exposition will appeal to all those interested in the evolution of language, from advanced undergraduates to linguists, cognitive scientists, human biologists, and archaeologists. ... Read more

Product Description
First published in 1988, Grammar Practice Activities is a language teaching classic. This revised version combines tried and tested activities with up-to-date content including a brand new CD-ROM. This is an invaluable resource for any teacher who wishes to combine grammar teaching with a broadly communicative methodology. The book contains a collection of imaginative and interesting grammar practice activities suitable for a wide range of levels and ages. Clear teaching notes accompany each activity ensuring they are easy to use. In addition, the accompanying CD-ROM provides print-ready photocopiable worksheets which can be put to immediate use in the classroom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

amazingly practical
This book is practical for several reasons.Most of the activities are excellent for visual reinforcement of language concepts and as most learners tend to be more visual than auditory, they are effective with the majority.Many of the activities offer alternative uses or suggestions for expansion of the activity.There is also a great index which cross references activities according to grammar structure.But I think that what I like most is that the activities are so easy to adapt by either changing the vocabulary or adjusting the level.The fact that this book is not a new publication and still continues to be purchased and used by so many attests to its quality.

The resource book I use the most
I am constantly using and/or adapting exercises from this book for my classes.Like the previous reviewer, my only complaint is in the format.I wish it were larger and spiral bound, as my copy is getting very beat up from the copy machine! An essential in my resource library.

Great for teachers
This book has many activities that can be done. It's a great resource to have in the library of an ESL teacher!

Simple and Useful
Penny Ur's book "Grammar Practice Activities" is a neat little book with some simple, but very effective activities for a good range of grammar forms.

The activities can be used at a range of different levels, and cover everything from pair to group work. Some require some preparation, and they sometimes come with pictures and other materials. There are also some variations you can try for some, as well. They cover a wide range of grammatical forms, and that will keep the book useful for a long time. The activities are fairly focused on forms, and that means students will almost be forced to use the ones that you are practicing.

Perhaps the only problem I have found with the book is trying to photo copy some of the photos or pictures without damaging the spine too much. The small cover size means that the spine is pretty stressed when flattened out in a photocopier. If it is a heavily used book, you might want to keep a "master copy" of such materials to prolong the life of the book.

This book is simply a very useful, easy-to-use book. Ur has done a great job of presenting some nice activities that are easy to set-up, and very effective for the students. This is a wonderful little book that should be on any shelf.

A Helpful Resource
This book is packed full of useful grammar activities.They are easily classified according to grammar point and can be easily searched for use.I've used the activities numerous times, and there are a lot of great ideas in this book.The only thing that isn't so great is that the pictures have a late 70's or early 80's look, but it's not such a big problem since you can easily get pictures out of magazines or other such resources.Also, the English featured here is British English, so if you're teaching American English, you have to adjust some of the phrases or vocabulary.Other than that, it's great.Check it out. ... Read more

Product Description
This book features eighteen articles addressing issues such as: how language is learned, and teaching grammar through writing, across the grades. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not the best, but definitely not the worst.
As a textbook, the organization and presentation of the topics could be better; however, the book contains some good ideas.

brilliant
constance weaver knows what she's talking about. these ideas have worked wonders in my classes. ... Read more

Product Description
Helping students understand the power of grammarfrom the inside out has the potential to transform theirwriting—and develop their lifelong love of with language.?? Angellilo shows how to teach students all the essentialskills they need related to grammar through deeply engaging inquiry study including strategies such as “mentorsentences” from well-loved literature as a way to teachstudents the “sense” or “cadence” of a complete sentence?? The author identifies mentor texts perfect for minilessonsthat support smart grammar study ?? Includes instructional strategies that build on the mentor texts ???? Helps teachers understand the grammar skills students need to thrive B78 and how best to introduce them over the course of school year ... Read more

Product Description
A Spanish Grammar Workbook contains 500 grammar exercises that vary in difficulty from simple tests and puzzles to multiple choice tests and realistic dialogues as well as communication exercises which function as prompts to the oral practice of the grammar in representative contexts.

• Includes 500 grammar exercises varying from simple tests and puzzles to multiple choice tests and realistic dialogues which contextualize Spanish grammar in everyday speech.
  
• Indicates difficulty level of each exercise and includes an extensive answer key.
  
• Complements and is cross-referenced with Blackwell's A Comprehensive Spanish Grammar by Jacques de Bruyne (with additional material by Christopher J. Pountain).
  
• Helps language learners understand grammatical functions naturally by putting theory into practice.

Customer Reviews (1)

Calder's Grammar -worth having, but not for beginners
Calder's grammar is well worth having for the advanced student of the language; It has a great deal of useful information that is not easily found in other sources. It is, however, rather difficult to read for both typographical and organizational reasons. The coverage of grammatical structure is very detailed, and has many examples. Calder assumes that the reader already has a fairly good knowledge of the language; A beginner would find this book extremely difficult to use. The grammar books by Michel Byrne would be a better choice for a beginner. ... Read more

Product Description
Who swiped Mr. McGillicutty's prized poka-dot socks? Ace reporter Steve Scoop uses the tools of his trade-his trusty notebook and quotation marks-to solve this hilarious whodunit.This is a super-funny story designed to help kids grasp the essential rules of quotation marks. ... Read more

Product Description
Comprehensive, accurate, complete and scholarly, and contains sufficient reading matter to enable the student to handle the language for himself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Old hat(kolah ye kohne)
Of great interest to a philologist, handy if you plan on restricting your reading to the Shahnama, but don't waste your money on it if your aim is to learn modern Persian, either written or spoken.Buy Mace first and follow that with Thackston, and you'll be off to a good start.If you want a Lambton cheap, I'll sell you mine.

Interesting use of a classic grammar
m_jawza put in a bit of time to do a useful review of this book, which he has sadly since deleted. He'd used the book to try to learn to read and write Persian as a US-born native speaker.

He starts: "Take it from a fluent speaker [...] Lambton's book is probably NOT what you should be looking for if you want to start learning the language." And if you want to speak Persian, I agree!

Lambton's Persian Grammar is an excellent book on literary Persian. It is an academic work of the nineteen-fifties. It describes sounds well to anyone who can follow the standard linguistic descriptions (yes, it could be more accessible). It is hardly surprising that forms like 'bachegan' - traditionally the plural of 'bache', child - might confuse a speaker who doesn't know literary Persian since they no longer appear in the spoken language. But the book is teaching literary Persian, and if plurals in '-gan' aren't in, you're going to be very confused when you come to any pre-modern or very formal writing. And Lambton does indeed say that plurals in '-an' can always be replaced by plurals in '-ha' and almost always are in speech.

I think, though, that m_jawza's biggest problem is going to be that the book is fifty years old. Persian has changed a bit in the last fifty years! But by the time he finishes, he'll be able to pick up a ninteenth-century book and have a chance of understanding it (with a copy of Steingass - or the Loghat-name -for all those Arabic and out-moded words). I'm not so sure about writing, though. I wasn't very impressed with the handling of syntax. I think for that, he'd do better to use Wheeler Thackston's 'an Introduction to Persian'.

By the way, I certainly agree that she packs a lot in one lesson. I too found the definite/indefinite description unclear. Lambton's book is a very traditional teaching grammar that can double as a basic reference grammar - indeed, it is the standard grammar of written Persian. I really preferred Wheeler Thackston's approach. But I use Lambton as a reference, and it is very good for that.

If you are wanting to use Lambton for self-tuition, two points, one good and one bad. She does have a key to the exercises, which Thackston doesn't. But she doesn't have a glossary - that, expanded, is published as a different book, Persian Vocabulary. Both volumes, by the way, are available at a considerably lower cost in paperback editions published by Chand of New Delhi that are actually better bound than the current Cambridge editions.

BTW, m_jazwa, please do come back to your review when you've used Lambton a bit more - I for one would like to know how you get on!

For someone wanting an introduction to Persian don't bother.
For a scholarly detailed and obscure grammar look no further. If you wanta guide to how Persian was written in the 10th century your on to a winner.For those who know Arabic, this work is comparable to Wright's grammar withlittle excercises and unbearably long vocabulary lists at the end of everysection, followed by a collection of largely unannotated prose passages atthe end of the book. The last half of the book is dedicated exclusively toexplaining Arabic grammar that the student of the modern language scarcelyneeds. Alas I have never got that far. Every time I've picked up this tome,I've put it down again before completing Chapter 10. This book is for theadvanced student only, and the more pedantic one at that. Beginners useThackston, you won't regret it.

Excellent, but consider other titles too.
Ann Lambton's grammar is the standard in English, and its status is well deserved.However, it was written for scholars of Persian language and literature.The second half covers Arabic grammar as it is used inliterary Persian, and there is a companion volume of vocabulary for theexercises.If the student wants to do research in Persian, this is thebook to use.

Those whowant to learn modern spoken and written Persianbut do not plan a life of scholarly research should look at the book byWheeler Thackston or at the second-best "Spoken Persian" (one ofthe Spoken Language Series).Both have sound recordings for pronunciationand both will prepare the student for conversation, newspapers and modernliterature.

Do not let the price frighten you away, it is well worth it!
Not my first book on Persian Grammar but definitely my favorite for sure.I had great expectations for this book and ordered it unseen but new just from the publisher being Cambridge University Press that it would beexcellent and scholarly.I was not disappointed at all.The author takesyou through each letter of the Persian alphabet one by one. This gives youa grasp of words using each letter and then how to form small phrases andsentences, building as you go.I was most impressed by the texts' layoutwhich teaches you not only the letters of the alphabet, one by one andwords made from them along with their meanings.But it also teaches youhow to read and write the letters and words as well in the Persian script. So you are not simply memorizing words or phrases but actually learning howthey are written and spoken at the same time.I highly recommend this textfor anyone seriously wishing to learn the Persian language also know asFarsi. ... 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
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language is the first comprehensive descriptive grammar of English to appear for over fifteen years, a period which has seen immense developments in linguistic theory at all levels. The principal authors, Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey Pullum, are among the world's leading scholars in this area, and they have benefited from the expertise of an international team of distinguished contributors in preparing what will be the definitive grammar for decades to come. Each chapter comprises core definitions, detailed analyses, notes explaining alternative interpretations of difficult or controversial points, and brief notes on usage and history. Numerous cross-references and an exhaustive index ensure ease of access to information. An introductory section offers guidance as to how best to use the book is provided. Rodney Huddleston was until recently Professor in the Linguistics section of the Department of English at the University of Queensland, Australia, and has been publishing important books and papers on English grammar for thirty years. Geoffrey K. Pullum is Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is the author of 200 articles and books on English grammar and a variety of other topics in theoretical and applied linguistics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Terrific book
Amazon's reviews suggest that this remarkable tome is one of the most comprehensive English grammar texts available, and I wholeheartedly agree. I haven't yet had time to delve into the text in any depth, though I have a grammar-based graduate literature class in the fall, and I'm sure that it will enhance my semester's studies in American English grammar.

Thank you to the editors at Cambridge for such terrific work!

For an in-depth review
For an in-depth, scholarly review see http://www.ling.ohio-state.edu/~culicove/Publications/CGEL_Review.pdf
If this link doesn't work, you can do a search of "Culicover "Cambridge Grammar" "

Magesterial
This excellent descriptive grammar is currently the most comprehensive and up-to-date account of English grammar available. For someone familiar with an older generation of English grammars, even grammars written by linguists, this work represents a significant rethinking of they way English is described. It incorporates a large body of research that has occurred since the last major grammar of English, A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language by Quirk et al.

Unlike that earlier book, Huddleston and Pullum are more explicitly theoretical, but they are not wedded to any particular school of syntax and the writing is always accessible to the interested non-specialist. You don't need advanced training in linguistics to understand what the authors are saying. Their analysis explicitly challenges many older ideas about English grammar, and in almost every case they provide clearly reasoned arguments in favor of their position. For example, they argue that many words which have traditionally been understood as adverbs or subordinating conjunctions are better explained as prepositions.

The most detailed arguments, intended for specialists, are clearly set off in blue boxes, so you can avoid the minutiae unless you're interested.

I have noticed a handful of cases where the analysis or terminology seems arbitrary,but in these cases, the authors' decisions are internally consistent. There is only a problem if you are comparing this work to other grammars. For example, Huddleston and Pullum use the terms "determiner" and "determinative" in exactly the opposite way that Quirk et al. do, and do not give any reasons for their switch. Similarly, they treat the perfect as a secondary tense rather than an aspect (the approach taken in many earlier linguistically-based grammars) without explaining why one should prefer one analysis to another.

But such problems are minor in comparison to the vast insight that the work brings to the structure of English. Even if you think you have a good understanding of English grammar, this work will likely open your eyes.

I highly recommend this work if you need a thorough reference grammar and can afford the price. Indeed, if you plan to write a textbook on English, this work is required reading. If you are a student looking for a good introduction, I instead recommend A Student's Introduction to English Grammar by the same authors.

Greatness marred by false economy
This is a great book that I anticipate reading and utilising for the next twenty years or more. However, it is unforgivable that the binders should fail to section sew rather than perfect or notch bind this volume. My copy is already showing signs of wear after only a fortnight of use.

Incredýble Grammar Reference
I first saw this book in the library of my university... And I wanted to borrow it but I was told that reference books can't be borrowed... Then I decided to purchase this book... Now I have one and I am soo happy to have a reference book on English grammar like it that every time I see it on my desk I feel that one day in the future I will be speaking and writing English almost excellent,if not as excellent as a native speaker of English (especially writing part is too important for me...). Although I am a non-native speaker of English, I do my best to handle incredibly comprehensive and detailed coverage of English grammar offered in this book... But I would like to remind those who are "to-be" owners of this book that you had better have an English grammar dictionary first, have a great control over all the grammar generally and its terminology before opening this book... As a last sentence on this book; "IT INCLUDES MORE THAN YOU EVER NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ENGLISH GRAMMAR.... I AM SERIOUS, TRUST ME..." ... Read more

Product Description

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar is an innovative reference guide to Mandarin Chinese, combining traditional and function-based grammar in a single volume.

Divided into two sections closely linked by extensive cross-references, it covers:

• traditional grammatical categories such as phrase order, nouns, verbs and specifiers
• language functions and notions such as communication strategies, giving and seeking information, expressing apologies, regrets and sympathies.

With all grammar points and functions richly illustrated with examples, and a strong emphasis on contemporary usage, the main features of this Grammar include examples in simplified characters, traditional characters, and romanization (Pinyin) as well as an emphasis on areas of particular difficulty for learners of Mandarin Chinese.

This is the ideal reference grammar for learners of Mandarin Chinese at all levels, from elementary to advanced. No prior knowledge of grammatical terminology is assumed and a glossary of grammatical terms is provided. Featuring related exercises and activities, this Grammar is accompanied by the Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar Workbook.

Customer Reviews (19)

The New World Order
The item was a quintessential quality of a book. It was in optimum conditions and it was well-packed.

Quite a deception...
To be honest, I must confess that, after reading the other customers' reviews, i found this book (as well as its exercise book) to be way below my expectations. It "explains" things in a very simple and undetailed way, at least for someone whose professional area is not linguistics. It introduces some new vocabulary while it tries to show you the grammatical rules of the language. That didn't help me, however, it just confused me more, as I had double work trying to figure out the new vocabulary and then trying to understand the Chinese Grammar (which, by the way, is not logical at all, at least to me). If you're a beginner in Mandarin, like I was, try to get a less complicated book. This one really didn't help me.

Excellent Resource; Three Minor Gripes
I've been studying Chinese for a few years in a once-a-week night school program at our high school.So, I'm not the most serious student; it is a hobby for me.

This book is the best resource I've found for understanding Mandarin grammar.I refer to it constantly.

That said, I have three minor gripes:

1.Index

The index is too short.Often, if you look up a Chinese word for a concept you will find an entry but the corresponding English word for the concept is not listed.The simple truth is that the index is not sufficient for beginning students who don't know enough to use the precisely correct Chinese word for what they seek.I presume that advanced students would have no problem with the index.


2. Typography

Pinyin text is boldfaced and I find this very distracting as I read.The boldface type of the Pinyin just grabs my attention away from the characters.I wish that the author had used a different typeface or italics for the Pinyin so that it doesn't stand out so much.


3. (Paperback) Binding

This is a reference book and as such the binding should stand up to repeated use over a long period of time.It doesn't.It is NOT a stitched binding, just glue holding the pages together.The glue cracks and the pages are not going to hold together for a long time.The binding for this book should be as durable as for a dictionary; it isn't.Yes, I could have bought the hardcover which presumably has a stitched binding.(I've never seen the hardcover book so I don't know what kind of binding it has.)But the cost of the hardcover was just too much for me, especially since I didn't know anything about the paperback binding.

Overall, I give the book's content five stars and take one away for the poor binding and index.

Hopefully, the author/publisher will address this shortcomings in a future edition.

Good layout, but not enough review or examples.
Like a previous reviewer, I had had the Schaums book earlier and left it in another state, so picked this up to replace it based on the positive reviews, along with the workbook.All in all, I'd have to say I liked the Schaums better because the chapters built on each other and the examples and questions were substantially more intense.This book takes the path of explaining each topic independently.However there's very little in terms of building up to something greater.You see something once, you see one or two example sentences, you do a couple trivial questions in the workbook, and then you never see it again.I found it hard to really remember much (and in general with foreign languages, find it hard to remember much) if there's not constant building, repetition, and review.Some people might like this format, but it wasn't to my liking.

Personally I'd say the New Practical Chinese Reader series is the best, as it has grammar, vocab, and interesting dialogs to help you understand intuitively how the language is really used.

The best of the market!!!!!!!!
I give this book a 5 star rating not because it is perfect but because
it is the best of 37 books that I have on Chinese language. This book has all the relevant grammar structure necessary to be functionally fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Claudia Ross's books are all outstanding. She reinforces my belief that the worst books are written by the Chinese born and the best by those who learned in the language of their students.

This is not a "ni hao ni hao" book. This book establishes the fundamentals of Mandarin Grammar and builds on it in a logical fashion.

Ross' current work books are further examples of her outstanding work. I hope that she continues to pump out her work.

Several Amazon clients have criticized my focus on writing critiques for some of the crap available online.

Well,here it is, my opinion of the best that is available.

Dr. Michael Howatt

Author of;

Hanzi and the Kangxi Radicals 978-0-9810576-0-6

The Rules of Chinese Characters and Mandarin,
Book 1A 978-1-926564-15-9

425 Easy Chinese Characters 978-0-9810576-2-0

101 Easy Chinese Characters 978-1-926564-12-8

300 Easy Chinese Characters 978-1-926564-16-6

425 Intermediate Chinese Characters 978-0-9810576-6-8

425 Advanced Chinese Characters 978-0-9810576-8-2

425 Chinese Characters Using 1-5 Strokes 978-1-926564-00-5

The 1st 251 Common Chinese Characters 978-0-9810576-4-4

The 2nd 251 Common Chinese Characters 978-1-926564-02-9

The 3rd 251 Common Chinese Characters 978-1-926564-03-6

The 4th 251 Common Chinese Characters 978-1-926564-04-3

The 1st 1000 Common Chinese Characters 978-1-926564-05-0

The 2nd 1000 Common Chinese Characters 978-1-926564-06-7

The 3rd 1000 Common Chinese Characters 978-1-926564-07-4

A Merciful Introduction to Chinese Grammar
978-1-926564-08-1

Generally Clever Things to Say in Standard Mandarin Chinese 978-1-926564-10-4

Chinese Grammar for the Keener 978-1-926564-09-8
... Read more

Product Description
This textbook can be used in grades 4 to 6. A language study done in three parts with composition woven throughout, this text begins with words, moves to simple sentences and later to complex sentences, easing the child into grammar along the way. The eight parts of speech are studied as well as punctuation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Collector's Piece, but...
It is not much help in teaching your kids grammar -- not even with the answer keys.I love old grammar books, but this one was meant for teachers who had other supplemental material to go with it.There is not any review at all.Great for nostalgia, near-worthless for teaching.

Great Old Resource
Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition is an excellent resource book.Plenty of information and exercises to test your knowledge.The hc book is beautifully bound and finished which makes an handsome addition to any bookshelf.A lovely collectors piece. ... Read more

Product Description

Turkish: A Comprehensive Grammar is a complete reference guide to modern Turkish grammar. Concentrating on the real patterns of use in modern Turkish, it presents a detailed and systematic description of the structure of language at every level:sounds, words and sentences and will remain the standard reference work for years to come.

Drawing upon a rapidly growing body of scholarly research on Turkish, this well-presented Grammar is a stimulating and up-to-date analysis of the complexities of the language, with full and clear explanations and examples throughout. A detailed index and extensive cross-referencing between numbered subsections also provides readers with easy access to the information they require.

Features include:

• detailed treatment of common grammatical structures and parts of speech
• extensive use of examples, all with English translations
• particular attention to areas of confusion and difficulty
• comprehensive glossary of all grammatical terms.

The Grammar is an essential reference source for intermediate and advanced learners and users of Turkish. It is ideal for use in schools, colleges, universities and adult classes of all types.

Customer Reviews (3)

The book is valuable but ...
Turkish uses different sentence and work construction than English. Even with a reasonable vocabulary I have found it difficult to read a newspaper or almost any other article and understand the context. The classic book by Geoffrey Lewis on grammar was useful, but I found it irritating to have such ponderous examples, some of which I had trouble even reading the English. Everything necessary to know seemed to be there, but it was poorly organized and somehow archaic.His literal translations were particularly artificial.
Do not be mislead, this book by Asli Göksel and Celia Kerslake is truly ponderous. The academic approach to grammar can be overwhelming. I jumped into the book halfway through to where I felt I needed the most help and had to stop and go back to the beginning to become familiar with the authors' approach and terminology. It is not enjoyable reading by any means. But I think the book is a necessary addition for a complete understanding of Turkish. The hundreds of examples are well chosen with a typical spoken English translation. It is seldom necessary to look up a word while reading an example. The examples are often engaging, requiring a bit of thought to see how the English and Turkish relate.Many examples also indicate the suffixes, which helps overcome a huge stumbling block because of the multiple uses many have.
I would definitely recommend the book, but expect to spend many days working through it for the first time, and then again. It is not your drag along phrase book, or one you should buy a couple weeks before your vacation to Turkey.

Quality and Service ---
The product I received was well packaged, shipped promptly, and in excellent condition!I was totally satisfied with both quality and service!

Excellent, but not for everyone
This just-published reference grammar of Turkish is excellent, but it is not for everyone.It will be most useful to advanced students of Turkish who are comfortable with modern linguistic concepts and terminology.

This is the newest and most comprehensive grammar of Turkish available in English, or for that matter in any language, and contains a wealth of insights into the language for foreign learners.It is a rather dry read, though, and will probably not be of much use to those who are still struggling to assimilate basic Turkish grammar.

For beginners, the old "Teach Yourself Turkish" book by Geoffrey Lewis, first published in 1953, is a gem of clear exposition and will likely be the best reference grammar for people first starting out in the language, even though it is arranged as a series of lessons rather than a reference grammar per se.(Later editions of "Teach Yourself Turkish" by other authors will not do the trick; you should search used book sources for the original.It won't bring you to fluency, and some of the vocabulary is a bit outdated, but it will explain the basic grammar more clearly than anything else at the elementary level.) For intermediate learners of Turkish, Lewis' larger "Turkish Grammar" is a marvel of clear exposition that's a joy to read; while probably a bit too demanding for beginners, this is a book that everyone student of Turkish should get if they are even half-serious about attaining reasonable ability in the language.A (traditional) reference grammar rather than a textbook, it explains almost everything in the grammar with great clarity, using many example sentences.This has been the "standard" Turkish grammar used by foreigners studying Turkish for many years, and it retains its value as the best and clearest exposition of the way the language works.

For truly advanced learners of Turkish, "Turkish: A Comprehensive Grammar" is a goldmine of insights, but it is quite heavy going.The explanations are very explicit, the examples are very up-to-date, and the two co-authors have addressed a good many aspects that are simply not given much coverage in most books.The section on tense-aspect-modality of verbs, in particular, is an outstanding treatment of a very confusing topic.But much of the book will be "above the heads" of readers who do not already have a fair grasp of Turkish, or who are not prepared to wade through some pretty abstruse verbiage to comprehend the points made.This is not a weakness of the book, but rather a reflection of the authors' approach, which is grounded in modern linguistics.

Two examples:

(from page 169, on the noun phrase):"A noun phrase that is unmarked for number, i.e., whose head does not carry the plural suffix and which does not have a numerical or other quantifying determiner among its modifiers, may be either singular or transnumeral (number-neutral) in meaning.If it has definite status it will have singular meaning, but if it has generic or categorial status it will have transnumeral meaning."

(from page 444, on syntax):"The crucial difference between this strategy for relativizing a non-subject possessor and the one with -(y)An described above in 25.1.1.1 (ii)b is that while the latter permits only non-definite subjects, the use of -DIK/-(y)AcAk allows definite subjects, such as usta `the engineer' in (28), "I" in (29) (expressed by possessive markings on the verb), and kopru"the bridge" in (30)."

Language of this type fills the book, and while it very appropriately describes the phenomena under discussion, it will likely prove very heavy going indeed to people who have not studied linguistics.The Lewis books cited above, however, do not read this way, and thus most learners of Turkish should probably have recourse to them before tackling "Turkish: A Comprehensive Grammar".

That said, however, I have to say that this is an excellent book, with many insights into details not covered in other grammars, for readers with the background to benefit from it. ... Read more

Product Description

Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar: A Practical Guide is an innovative reference guide to Brazilian Portuguese, combining traditional and function-based grammar in a single volume.

The Grammar is divided into two parts. Part A covers traditional grammatical categories such as agreement, nouns, verbs and adjectives. Part B is carefully organized around language functions covering all major communication situations such as:

• establishing identity
• making contact
• expressing likes, dislikes and preferences.

With a strong emphasis on contemporary usage, all grammar points and functions are richly illustrated with examples. Main features of the Grammar include:

• clear, jargon-free explanations
• emphasis on the language as it is spoken and written today
• extensive cross-referencing between the different sections.

A combination of reference grammar and practical usage manual, Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar is the ideal resource for learners of Brazilian Portuguese at all levels, from beginner to advanced.

John Whitlam is a freelance writer, university lecturer and lexicographer based in Rio de Janeiro. He has authored a number of language teaching books and project coordinated and co-authored three of the best-selling bilingual dictionaries of Portuguese and English.

Product Description
At last, a guide that explains points of French grammar and structure simply, then clarifies each with concrete examples. The examples use the language of real-life situations. This new edition also makes difficult topics, like the difference between mood and tense, even easier to understand. Numerous fill-in-the-blank and other exercises with delayed answers help cut down the time it takes readers to gain proficiency and confidence communicating in French. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

French Grammar that I do not recommend using
I teach French and this book sucks. I bought it used for like 50cent, which is good, b/c I have not been able to use it for my classes. The grammar is disorganized and coupled oddly. Also - while it has some first year concepts/grammar, it uses 2nd/3rd year vocabulary.

A Great Source
Schaum' Outling is simply a perfect book which has everything inside including tons of exercises. Once you finish this book like I did you will see that other books are not that necessary to do because this one is enough. It is written every possible detail that you can imagine so it makes sure that you dont skip any exception. I suggest this book to everybody however I believe that you would better profit from this book if you know just a little bit basic french but thats all. Now I can write and say whatever I want and I can communicate and live easily in a francophone country. Thank you Schaum!

A must have for serious or semi serious French students!!
I have used Schaum's Outline for Spanish, Italian and now French. They are the best. Not for the casual grammarian however.

Good review book
This book is a good, comprehensive review of grammar for intermediate and advanced French speakers; without prior knowledge of French, it might be a little hard to understand.

Excellent book for learning French grammar
Schaum's Outline is an excellent resource for learning grammar, one of the best I've used by far. I'd definitely recommend this as a resource to someone with at least a basic knowledge of French who wants to learn/improve their grammar.

I study French at university and use this book alongside my classes even though it isn't a set text. It's in-depth, and there are plenty of exercises with answers at the back of the book to hammer the new concepts in with. It is less of a reference book and more of a 'learning' book. I particularly liked the fact that I was learning vocabulary while completing the exercises in the book, as translations to example sentences are included.

Five stars for good layout, easy to understand explanations, and plenty of exercises with answers! ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Keeping technical terminology to a minimum, this comprehensive handbook provides a detailed yet accessible overview of Arabic wherein its phonology, morphology and syntax can be readily accessed. Accompanied by extensive examples, it will prove an invaluable practical guide for supporting students' textbooks, classroom work or self-study, and a useful resource for scholars and professionals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Amazing and Simple Reference Grammar
This book spells it all out for you and covers what you need to know and what the nerds want to know.It's easy to read and clear and i've lent it out to many of my friends who studied/study Arabic and I recommend it as an essential if you care to take your studies of Arabic past the second year. I'm soon going on to graduate studies in Arabic and still always have it handy.Once you have your grammar down, learning Arabic becomes an entirely different process and being able to use your knowledge of grammar just makes the seemingly infinite number of words and morphological variations present in Arabic not so daunting because you're able to dissect every word and you pretty much only need your Hans-Wehr. And when a dictionary is the only thing you need left when studying a language, you're pretty well off.

In love with a book
This is a nice big book, I didn't expect it to be so big like half the size of a phone book, but it just makes it that much better. Now I know a lot of people like to write "Not for beginners", "Advanced linguists", and so on, I tend to see that as rather cocky, but I will say the terminology used in the book isn't for a novice, not to say a beginner cannot pick up the book and learn a whole lot but rather it will take some getting used to. Now, like others said I will reiterate, you cannot 'learn Arabic' from this book, it's a reference guide, meaning you should be learning Arabic (i.e., Vocab, Numbers, Oral Communication, Culture) elsewhere, and using this to reinforce and answer a lot of the questions you'll probably have regarding the peculiarities of Arabic. I haven't gotten through the whole book, I'm over 100 pages in and Already learned a lot in sections I thought I know a lot about like Nouns, there's a lot of nitty gritty other books wont tell you that this one does. The book covers basically all the fundamentals of Arabic speech, from Nouns, Adverbs, Adjectives, Verbs, and a lot more, and it'll keep you busy for a long time.

The most important thing to state with this book is, don't make it your ONLY book. It's long, detailed, but will not give you fluency, it's meant to explain the everyday things in Arabic speech. The first 200 pages are going to be rough since the book is so big, that you need to hold it open or else it will shut, but when you get to the middle of the book it'll hold itself open, over 700 pages is a lot plus it's measurements are pretty big too so keep that in mind.

All in all, perfect solution for grammar, you wont need much else, as long as you're following some kind of language learning system be it at school or self teaching this will boost your knowledge of FusHa al Asr 100x.

Excellent Reference Guide
This is an excellent reference guide for the intermediate to advanced student. No need to restate what the other reviewers have already pointed out, just wanted to add my support. Great book, great index, and if you still need more information, her footnotes and list of references should cover you.

What you want in a reference
If you are taking university Arabic courses and the points of grammar are not fully explained, this is an excellent reference as there are plenty of examples. The only thing it is missing for the student is the I'raab. The inflections are missing in the examples, but made up for in the transliterations.

If you've never explored a grammar book before, Ryding does a good job of reiterating how the Arabic language works to form structure, the grammar terms will become familiar over time as you gain experience using the book. Don't be intimidated. The table of contents is clear and straightforward following all major forms that you'd be familiar with: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and then breaks them down into their respective parts.

Again, this is a reference, if you use it as such, it will a great aid.

Well.-organized Arabic study
In this book of more than 700 pages, Ryding presents the essential details of the Arabic language's complexities. The work is well-organized, systematic and thorough and the index facilitates its use.

Joyce Akesson author of The Complexity of the Irregular Verbal and Nominal Forms & the Phonological Changes in Arabic ... Read more