750 French Verbs and Their Uses (750 Verbs and Their Uses) [Paperback]

Jan R. Zamir (Editor), Sonia Nelson Zamir (Editor), Jean-Philippe Mathy (Editor), Rosemary McCluskey (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471545899 | ISBN-13: 978-0471545897 | Publication Date: August 7, 1992 | Edition: 1

Essential grammar taught simply and directly. 750 French Verbs and Their Uses gives you the backbone of language study -- correct verb usage -- by showing verb conjugations in their contexts. To understand the value of such an approach, consider the English verb "to hold," the meaning of which can change dramatically when used in expressions such as "hold on," "hold up," "hold off," and "hold down"; in French, as students of the language have perennially learned to their frustration, the changes are far broader and apply to many more verbs. Now you won't have to guess how a verb is used in a sentence: 750 French Verbs and Their Uses gives you all the correct variations and grammatical interrelationships. Correct usages are illustrated in common phrases and idiomatic expressions. Unusual or troublesome expressions are emphasized throughout. And special attention is given to reflexive verbs (often difficult for English speakers) to make their usage clear. Perfect for students and travelers, ideal as a text, a grammar book and a reference, 750 French Verbs and Their Uses will help you not only to conjugate verbs, but also to use them correctly and comprehensibly. Series Editors: Jan R. Zamir, PhD, and Sonia Zamir, MA Also available in the series: 750 German Verbs and Their Uses and 750 Spanish Verbs and Their Uses.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

These three volumes present a systematic compendium that will help readers overcome one of the trickiest obstacles to acquiring a foreign language: learning its verbs in context with the right preposition(s) (e.g., hold down , hold off , hold in ). Each volume lists alphabetically its language's most frequently used verbs with their respective prepositions and then for each verb gives several examples illustrating contemporary usage, including idiomatic expressions. A handy reference grammar is provided at the back of each book for quick review. Especially recommended for language learning and review; these are too comprehensive and unwieldy for tourist use.
- Edward B. Cone, New York
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English, French

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 7, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471545899
• ISBN-13: 978-0471545897
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #999,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Improved my French beyond any doubt, April 14, 2000

By 

"cthd" - See all my reviews

This review is from: 750 French Verbs and Their Uses (750 Verbs and Their Uses) (Paperback)

The are many books on French verbs but the emphasis is usually on conjugations. What distinguish this book from others is that it is focused on how to actually use those verbs. I am surprised to find that I am the first person to review this book because it is so useful. Before I had the book, there were many verbs which were only in my "passive" vocabulary -- i.e. when I read or hear them, I would have a sense of what they mean. After reading this book, however, many more verbs have become part of my "active" vocabulary. This means that I can now actually use them in a conversation. The examples given in the book have helped me to have a much better grasp of how and when to use those. I am very pleased with the improvements I have made. What I do with the book is that everyday I would read a couple of pages at random. After reading the examples given for a particular verb, I would imagine myself in situations where I can use the verb. This has proven to be a very effective way to integrate the words learned into my vocabulary.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for an Intermediate to Advanced French Student, September 16, 2001

By 

MaryJosephineHart "MaryJosephineHart" (Fresno, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 750 French Verbs and Their Uses (750 Verbs and Their Uses) (Paperback)

As the title indicates, the book lists 750 verbs and demonstrates their uses with sample sentences. It is not the same as the usual verb book which lists and conjugates many of the most basic verbs, but instead it concentrates on the meaning of more advanced verbs and supplies sample sentences. The book is intended for someone who already has a basic knowledge of French. In the main text, the verbs are not conjugated, but there is an appendix at the end of the book of grammatical tables in which verbs are conjugated. The author assumes that the reader already has a knowledge of basic verbs such as "to be", "to speak", "to go", etc. but instead dwells on more advanced verbs, such as s'insister pour que (+ the infinitive) meaning to insist on or opter entre quelque chose meaning to choose among a group of things. The book does demonstrate more complex usages of some of the simpler verbs - for example, parler dans quelque chose meaning to speak into something such as a microphone, or laisser quelque chose meaning to leave something (somewhere or for someone). Sentences are given for each verb which I found extremely helpful, although it is necessary to go to the appendix if you are not sure of the conjugation of the verb.
Overall, I believe this book would be very helpful in improving the grammar and vocabulary of an intermediate to advanced French student.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent...not not for everyone., June 4, 2006

By 

Nicholas Mestas (New York City, U.S.A) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 750 French Verbs and Their Uses (750 Verbs and Their Uses) (Paperback)

This is an amazing book, but it will be of little use to you unless you have AT LEAST an upper-intermediate level of French. It really digs into the full use of verbs to enhance usage in written, and eventually spoken, French. A must-have for upper-level learners.