Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This is the one book you will return to again and again. It's user friendly, concise, and offers solid examples of usage. It's the reference book that is so simple yet needed. I brought this to class one day and a few people asked to look at it. Now over half the class has bought one.

The problem with many Arabic textbooks is they don't offer an explanation for the grammar, structure or usage. The philosphy is students will pick it up and figure it out. I like knowing why things are the way they are and how it all compares to English.

This is one of a couple of books that anyone who is serious about learning arabic needs. It makes things less confusing and can be used as a quick reference when no one offers an explanation.

As a beginner to the Arabic language, I was grateful to find this book. In the past, I've been subjected to dry-as-toast Arabic grammars that made NO sense whatsoever (because they often used jargon that would only be familiar to Arabic scholars with PhDs, probably). Wightwick and Gaafar's book is a nice, slim reference for basic Arabic grammar. What is particularly nice for the elementary student is that while grammar is shown in Arabic script (in my opinion, this is necessary for any Arabic guide worth its salt), the words are also transliterated so that the reader can accurately learn the pronunciation of a word.

HOWEVER, it should be pointed out that the subtitle is a little misleading. This is NOT a practical guide for the "mastery" of Arabic. While a great desk reference, it is still a good introductury Arabic grammar. There are other books for advanced grammar. This isn't it.

Also, this book is not for the absolute beginner. You should have a foundation in the Arabic alphabet and some basic vocabulary. This book teaches none of those things, just how a sentence fits together and various verb tenses.

Looking back on this review, I have to amend a few things. I began studying Arabic with a tutor and would add that while the pronunciation used in the book is close, sometimes it's inaccurate. Really, you need to use this book in conjunction with an Arabic course, because you won't be able to teach yourself. You NEED to hear the language firsthand, and flat words on paper aren't going to give you that.

Honestly, I recommend this more: A Reference Grammar of Modern Standard Arabic (Reference Grammars). This is a fuller, more complete picture of the Arabic language (so why waste your time on a very skinny intro grammar that occasionally makes transliteration mistakes?). Wightwick's book is a decent reference but really, for your time and money, you can do better.

I'd change the stars on my original review but unfortunately the edit option doesn't seem to allow me.

If you have no experience in Arabic grammar (like me), but you're serious about learning to read and write the language (like I'm trying to do), this is a good supplement to your other learning materials. If a grammatical question arises in your studies, it's probably answered here, but I wouldn't try using this book alone to learn to read and write Arabic. Mah Salama.

In this book, the author does an excellent job of explaining the essentials of grammar without all of the fluff--very straightforward. Not for the beginning student -- although a great review for beginning students after their first full grammar course -- a gauge for what they have learned thus far. For students coming back after being away -- it is perfect. This author's other book, Mastering Arabic, while not perfect, is the best manual for learning Arabic that I've found (and I do a lot of looking).

This book is a reference manual. It is packed full of information about Arabic verb conjugations and other grammatical information. The information is very spartan (the basic tenses, past and present, are pages 13-18), but it will show or remind the reader how things are supposed to work. It is an excellent companion to learning Arabic, or good for those with a background in languages who are curious "how Arabic works". However, if you are just starting other books like "The Arabic Alphabet" or "Teach Yourself Arabic Script", this book will go right over your head. It is a reference, not a grammar or primer in Arabic.

I use this book every day to supplement my Arabic language text. It simply and in an organized fashion explains grammatical details. It especially helps those who lack excellent English technical grammar skills, "translating" difficult terms (what's a subjunctive?) into simple English.

Very easy to read and understand...as someone else said...it is Arabic grammar at an English pace. The chapters are easy to follow and will assist both beginning students and those in higher levels of study. If you are taking Arabic at the University level (which is still basic--even at the 300 level) get this book.