Oxford Russian Grammar And Verbs

Rating:
Summary: EVERY point of basic Russian grammar contained in this book.
Review: Despite its size, Oxford Russian Grammar and Verbs can be VERY daunting, as it contains EVERY aspect of Russian grammar in its 250 pages. This book is probably best suited for intermediate/advanced learners, but it can also be VERY beneficial for beginners as well if they take it slow. Russian grammar is very complicated with a number of cases, and having it all laid out in one book has been more than just helpful to me. I have been doing the Pimsleur audio Russian courses, which offer little to no grammatical explanation. Upon completion of these kinds of audio courses, you will be able to speak within the confines of what you have learned, but you would not be able to predict which forms to use at what time. The audio courses explain what words mean, but not the underlying grammatical concepts.

Take, for example, the word 'DOKTOR' (doctor)...the audio tapes have told me that when I say 'I'm looking for a doctor', I have to use 'DOKTOR-A'. What they DIDN'T tell me, however, is that 'DOKTOKR-A' is the GENETIVE form of the noun, and that the genetive must always be used with verbs expressing 'seeking'. This book has been the key to unlocking the mysteries that the audio tapes wouldn't fill me in on. In it, they explained about this use of the genetive, as well as other uses, and all the other cases as well. Detailed sections on each part of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, particles, etc.) clearly explain the different cases and genders, and how they are used with and affect the meaning of each part of speech in question. Some linguistic foreknowledge is probably necessary to get the full benefit of this book, but fortunately a linguistic glossary in the back can allow learners to 'catch up as they go'. Believe me, I would be VERY frustrated with the audio series by now if not for this book.

'Grammar' is a catchphrase that usually makes people recoil, but trust me, the ONLY way to be able to proficiently use ANY language is to have a CLEAR understanding of the underlying concepts of its grammar, and be able to call upon them at any time. Don't expect this book to hand-hold you through its explanations (there's WAY too much information for that) - you can easily spend 30 minutes flipping back and forth just trying to figure out one page. But this isn't any fault of the book...this kind of difficulty is inherent in any language that has - at times - grammar that is VERY unfamiliar to us. Once the concpets are learned, though, the knowledge can be called forth, and that is when REAL leaps in language ability begin to be seen. For serious learners of Russian (and I suspect many other languages too), the Oxford grammar books are worth their weight in gold.