Handbuch Zur Deutschen Grammatik

by Larry Wells, Jamie Rankin, Larry D. Wells

Book Overview

This intermediate, modular approach to German grammar serves as both a reference handbook and a practice manual. There are a total of 30 chapters. The 24 regular chapters provide a presentation of new... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1439082782
• ISBN13: 9781439082782
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Cengage Learning
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 1.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A Great Reference

This was the textbook for the German class I took. It is useful if you have an instructor to explain and clarify what is in the chapters, but I would not use it if you're trying to teach yourself. However, it is a fantastic reference book. The concepts are all arranged fairly intuitively, and it's a great resource to use when you need to write something in German and can't quite remember some small but important detail about a particular grammar concept.

Excellent grammar primer.

This book is excellent for the moderately fluent German student. Mine is dog-eared from continual use, and it is the only grammar reference I ever use now. Almost everything else is too complex/insufficiently explained. The section on adjectival endings is poor, I admit, for which one can consult The Essentials of German, published by REA and written by Linda Thomas. Pages 58 and 59 will give you all the adjective endings you will ever need.

Essential for any serious student of German

I have explored a number of German grammar books and have found this one to be the only one that's actually useful. The modular approach is fantastic and allows quick review of specific topics that are troubling you. It is not meant for beginners, as each chapter assumes an understanding of basic grammar -- so, even though there are specific chapters on adjectival endings, passive voice, and the varying cases, those grammatical points are used in examples in all of the chapters. As another reader has said, the great thing about the explanations is their size. They are concise, but not too short. Sometimes, readers looking for lots of examples on the finer points will be disappointed. But, in general, there are enough grammatical explanations to keep you coming back and learning for a long time. As for shortcomings: as the reader below noted, the chapter on adjectival endings is absolutely horrendous. You will have to consult another source for that material (which is very important to learn!), because the explanations for that topic in this book are extremely vague and confusing. Although this book will also be useful to advanced students, more capable speakers might also want to check out "Modern German Grammar" by Ruth Whittle. It is organized by conversation topic and serves as an excellent guide for saying the same thing in different ways. The tons of examples are great, although they make the reading quite slow. But it's another good book for your German bookshelf. If you have to choose between the two, buy Handbuch zur Deutschen Grammatik -- you can cover more ground in the same amount of time.

Indispensable

If you are a serious student of German, then this book is worth the money. It is a thorough overview of German grammar, written in a not too difficult, but not too "easy", way. For me, it is the only book that covers almost all aspects of German grammar in depth without being too complicated. I am currently studying in Germany and this is the one book I bothered to bring with me from home, because it is just so useful. It is well-organized, easy-to-navigate, and accurate. In addition to detailed grammar explanations there are plenty of varied writing exercises for you, the student, to practice what you've learned. It is definitely not for total beginners, but intermediate and advanced students will find it a wonderful resource for learning the complex structures of German grammar. It would also serve as a great review for someone who completed several years of German but needs to brush up on the formal aspects of the language, as well as those preparing for German language exams.

What I liked about this book and my recommendation

This is an excellent reference for intermediate and advanced students of German. Rules are explained thoroughly yet not too short and not too long. Not intended for beginners, this reference manual is very convenient for the user because of its modular approach. Modules can be approached in any sequence as they are complete self-contained units independent of eachother. In cases where the grammatical topics of one module influence another, the author was sure to add references for the reader in order to go to the appropriate module for supplementary grammatical guidance. In order to improve this book, I recommend providing answers to exercises so that students can check themselves.