Arabic Verbs and Essentials of Grammar: A Practical Guide to the Mastery of Arabic [Paperback]

Jane Wightwick (Author), Mahmoud Gaafar (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0844246050 | ISBN-13: 978-0844246055 | Publication Date: August 11, 1997 | Edition: 1

This concise, two-in-one book provides an accessible introduction to Arabic grammar and a comprehensive explanation of verbs in their various forms.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Arabic

About the Author

McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (August 11, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844246050
• ISBN-13: 978-0844246055
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,129,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good "quick and dirty" guide to Verb formation, February 21, 2003

By 

S. Kelly "sk55408" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arabic Verbs and Essentials of Grammar: A Practical Guide to the Mastery of Arabic (Paperback)

This is a nice outline of Arabic verb structures, but is not by any stretch of the imagination what the back cover suggests that it is (i.e. something to the effect that it is a "one-stop-shop" for Arabic Grammar). It should be noted that it does absolutely nothing with noun structures (cases etc.)

If you already have a grasp of verb structures and just want a basic-review / memory-refresher in one slim volume, this is the book for you.

For someone who is newer to the language, but has the alphabet down already, I would look to Schulz's "Standard Arabic - An Elementary-Intermediate Course" [these guys really cut to the proverbial chase and get going quickly, I reccomend this one more for folks with an existing background in linguistics and who already speak at least one other foreign language] or Brustad's "Al-Kitaab" series [the latter goes at a slower pace that many will find more digestable, especially if one doesn't have some background in linguistics jargon]. With either of these, I cannot reccomend strongly enough that you get the accompanying audio materials.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars decent but sloppy, November 19, 2002

By 

Benjamin P. Wing "saudade seeker" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arabic Verbs and Essentials of Grammar: A Practical Guide to the Mastery of Arabic (Paperback)

this book is very small -- 125 pages, large print. considering this, it's well organized and gets the basics across. however, there is not that much more information than you find in the section on verbs in the back of "teach yourself arabic", and the "essentials of grammar" part [apart from the verbs] is practically a joke, since there's so little information. even worse, this book is just rife with editing mistakes, both in the english and especially the arabic. for a reference book, especially a basic one like this, this is inexcusable.

in my opinion, someone who is ready to use a book like this would not be satisfied, as they'd find it little more than a rehash of what already appears in their textbooks. instead, buy the other arabic verbs/grammar book by john mace, which is more thorough and has far fewer errors in it.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suitable for beginner and intermediate level, practical, April 18, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Ramallah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arabic Verbs and Essentials of Grammar: A Practical Guide to the Mastery of Arabic (Paperback)

This book is easy to use, well structured. Arabic verb system is rather complicated, but with this aid you can even study on your own

Transliteration is good, too. Doesn't matter if you are native English speaker or not. It is an absolute pleasure to have a book which shows the Arabic vowels - no more guessing. This book should be used from beginner to intermediate level. The essentials of nouns, adjectives, prepositions etc. in the end make you wish there were another book covering those parts of Arabic grammar just like this book covers verbs.

Good cross-references help reader to find more information on specific topics. This book is a must, if you plan to study Arabic or have just started.