A Comprehensive Spanish Grammar (Reference Grammars)

Rating:
Summary: Spanish Grammar Goldmine
Review: This is an absolutely fantastic grammar. First of all, the way the table of contents is set up makes it easy to find the sections that explain the grammar. The explanations themselves are easy to understand (not grammar-jargon), and the book provides examples to illustrate how each part of the grammar functions in context. I consider this to be one of the best Spanish-materials investments I have made. This book would be a tremendous help to any serious Spanish student and an invaluable resource to any instructor.

Rating:
Summary: A wise choice if your serious about the Spanish language
Review: This useful book is the best I could find on the Spanish language written in English. It has 685 pages and was written by a member of the Royal Spanish Academy and Director of the Carlos V Department at the University of Gent, Belgium and Director of the Institute of Hispanic Studies at the University of Antwerp. If you are put off by the price, consider that you would probably spend the same amount on other books that are not as comprehensive as this book is. This work shows a wide range of usage. Covers the usage of the verbs ser/estar which are difficult for the English learners of Spanish and the verb 'to become', the correct use of por and para, and has a good section on suffixes. I highly reccomend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Spanish Grammar Goldmine
Review: Though this thick grammar is a translation of a Dutch work, it is the best thing I could find on Spanish. The length may put off those who are only casually interested in the language, but others will appreciate getting such minor questions as how to say numbers ( 'mil quinientos' and never 'quince cientos' ) answered. The book is linguistically sound, and sentences from novels and newspapers are used as evidence to support the grammatical rules. Conversely, the book does not waste space. The treatment of irregular verbs uses easily learned patterns rather than a brute listing of forms.

Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive is right
Review: Though this thick grammar is a translation of a Dutch work, it is the best thing I could find on Spanish. The length may put off those who are only casually interested in the language, but others will appreciate getting such minor questions as how to say numbers ( 'mil quinientos' and never 'quince cientos' ) answered. The book is linguistically sound, and sentences from novels and newspapers are used as evidence to support the grammatical rules. Conversely, the book does not waste space. The treatment of irregular verbs uses easily learned patterns rather than a brute listing of forms.