Product Description
My latest book Spanish Verb Tenses discusses all the tenses in Spanish. There is a little bit of overlap between this book and my other book. If you want information on verb tenses in general, get Spanish Verb Tenses.goes into greater detail on ser and estar, the past tenses, and the subjunctive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Kindle version is unformatted, not useable
I downloaded Spanish Verb Tenses: Conjugating Spanish Verbs on my Kindle this morning after viewing it in paperback form using "Look Inside".It had lots of simple but useful charts and tables in the paperback edition, similar to other things I have downloaded for Kindle.Nothing more complicated than I have seen in other electronic books.

I was very disappointed to find out that this book is almost completely unformatted in Kindle form.For example, the contents of tables are just run together in a paragraph so that there is no way to determine the headers or row or column structure. I was impressed by the clear and simple layout of the paperback version.Much of the usefulness of the book comes from that layout.Most of that is lost in the Kindle version.

For example, the clear and simple chart of pronouns near the front of the book is rendered like this:

yo I nosotros(as) we
tu you (inf. sing) vosotros(as) you-all(inf) usted you(for. sing.) ustedes you-all (for) el he ellos they (m or m/f) ella she ellas they (all f)

You get the idea.Not particularly useful.

A Pragmatic and Well Thought-Out Book
Most of us like to read in the little bit of "downtime" we have -- commute to work, standing on a supermarket line, waiting for someone at a restaurant, etc.Those of us actively learning a language would like a thin and light no-nonsense book to study from.Clearly, textbooks are too clunky and heavy to stuff into a handbag.On the other hand, reference books have too much detail and not enough information.This book is the *perfect* compromise between the two.

There's a long period of time between reading information and assimilating information.The key for most of us is practice, practice, practice.This book is perfect for those of us who have read about the various Spanish verb tenses, but still need the clarification, repetition, and reinforcement that is required to master a language.The book is a reference in the sense that it contains lists and data.Yet its more than a reference in the sense that it covers the material needed to communicate in Spanish effectively without covering the exotic material that would only obscure the goal of becoming proficient at knowing and using verb tenses.Coupled with the low price, it is truly a remarkable little book that deserves space on every Spanish student's bookshelf.

Brandon Simpson's pedagogy is spot-on.He refuses to call any verb that is predictable via some kind of pattern an "irregular verb".This is the "can do" approach to learning.While most professors would call "tener" an irregular verb, Mr. Simpson explains in very simple language why it is NOT irregular.In his view, there are really not many irregular verbs, so the reader spends less energy stressing over "why are there so many irregular verbs" and more time learning.

There are tons of analogies, mnemonics, explanations, etc to help make Spanish verb tenses easier to master for the Spanish student.This book is highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

Master American English and communicate with confidence

As an experienced student of English, you know the language can be a tricky one to learn with its complex grammar and its many "exceptions to the rule" rules.

Written by ESL guru Mark Lester--author of Grammar and Usage in the Classroom--this authoritative reference unravels these mysteries so you can take your English-language skills to the next level. You'll gain the confidence to speak English in any setting: in the workplace, at school, in social situations, and at home.

Master those troublesome subjects that baffle even native speakers of English:
articles * determiners * predicate adjective complements * post-noun modifiers * conjunctions * word order * verb tenses * modals * noun clauses

Customer Reviews (3)

yet another terrific book by Mark Lester, Ph.D.
ESL grammar is quite different from the traditional English grammar that Americans get--it uses different terminology, covers different subjects, and it is much more thorough.This becomes evident quickly when nonnative speakers ask native speakers grammar questions about determiners or phrasal verbs, for example.This book covers all the important subjects in detail, and it would be very good for intermediate/advanced ESL students as well as ESL tutors who need a quick reference guide with concise and clear explanations.The Introductions says "This book is for nonnative speakers of English who have already attained extensive fluency is classroom English. It is designed to help you move to the next level of functioning comfortably in a fully English-speaking environment . . . . The most important feature of this book is the immense amount of information about English grammar in general and about four specific areas of English grammar that are mostly likely to cause difficulties:
*Areas of unusual grammatical complexity.
*Areas of unusual irregularity.
*Areas in which native speakers routinely use special forms in conversational English.
*Areas in which both native and nonnative speakers of English often make mistakes."The book is divided into three sections: Noun Phrases, Verb Phrases, and Sentences.Like his other books, this one reads well, the explanations are in depth and clear, and there are hundreds of sample sentences to clarify the concepts.(The tone isn't as zaney as his previous books--no example sentences about Senator Fogg or the Seven Dwarves here, sorry.)Lester packs a lot in these 340+ pages.I keep looking for the One True Grammar Book handed down from on high that covers all contingencies, but there is no such thing.But this book does a pretty good job, considering its affordable price and small size.The truth is that educators need many different weapons in their arsenals, and this is a good one.

Fantastic grammar guide even for non-ESL students
I am not an ESL student; I am an English speaking US citizen. I was looking for a grammar refresher, and could not find a decent book that went through the grammar structures I was looking for.

I started to look at ESL grammar books that helped ESL students, because I am about to take a Spanish immersion class and needed to know very specific grammar structure definitions to translate into Spanish.

For example, I needed to know the verb type infinitive, future perfect, etc, and I could not recall what those meant from my earlier years.

I couldn't find a single decent American guide out there.But the ESL guides cover them all in great detail.

If you are looking for a great grammar guide and are not even an ESL student, I highly recommend the ESL Grammar guides.This one in particular is fantastic.

I wish I could have purchased this in physical format, but I don't have the room to take it with me to Mexico.But on Kindle, I can do searches, etc, so it works out great for me.

ESL Grammar by Lester is a real gem!
The author is a Professor of Linguistics who has written several successful textbooks and has taught English grammar to both college students and teachers. He thoroughly knows the subject and has a gift for creating sample sentences that are clever, entertaining, and clearly illustrate the points he wants to make. A highly recommended book for serious students of English! ... Read more

Product Description
The Regular Verbs program is divided into two main parts because the learning prerequisites of verbal and written language involving the regular past tense verbs are so different. Part One: Involves verbal communication. Part Two: deals with written communication. Homework sheets and activities are included for each section. These are use to inform parents of what the child is learning and to encourage active participation in home practice. The eighty Irregular Verbs program has been divided into four groups for easily establishing criteria and ensuring retention of verb spellings. Includes a picture book and appendix. ... Read more