Hammer's German Grammar and Usage [Paperback]

Martin Durrell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0071396543 | ISBN-13: 978-0071396547 | Edition: 4th

This much-awaited new edition of Hammer's German Grammar and Usage--the pre-eminent, most authoritative German grammar reference in the English language--has been extensively revised with new German spelling changes and new usage examples. Instead of getting bogged down in idealized rules, Professor Durrell focuses on how Germans really speak. Included are clear and concise explanations, many examples from everyday life, and comprehensive cross-referencing and indexing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

If you study German at university it HAS to be on your shelf! This book got me through Oxford and was always my trusted companion in language exercises. Clear, to-the-point and comprehensive, it's full of great examples to illustrate grammatical principles and covers regional/non-standard usage to boot. If you are serious about studying German, get it now! -- Richard West, student of German, Oxford University --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

"Durrell's third edition of Hammer gave teachers and students of German an excellent, comprehensive, up-to-date, and user-friendly account of German grammar. The completeness of the survey, with its sound and imaginative explanations and its incorporation of new spelling and punctuation reform, will make this edition an even more indispensable guide to the advanced German learner in English-speaking countries than its predecessor and an invaluable reference work for the general linguist."
--Professor Michael Clyne, University of Melbourne, Australia

Considered the preeminent English-language grammar reference for the German language, Hammer's German Grammar and Usage will aid your learning of the language as it is spoken today. Professor Martin Durrell avoids encumbering you with prescribed rules and instead bases his coverage on current usage, including regional variations and registers of the modern standard language.

Thoroughly revised and updated, the fourth edition includes new spelling and punctuation that reflect the German grammar reforms, updated examples, expanded tables summarizing basic points, and a glossary of the grammatical terms.

Its dual role as a grammar reference and manual of current usage makes this book an essential part of your language-learning library. If you are an intermediate or advanced level student, a teacher, or a reader of German in need of a refresher, you will find Hammer's German Grammar and Usage invaluable to your understanding of the language.

Also available from McGraw-Hill as a companion to this book, Practicing German Grammar: A Workbook, Second Edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 4th edition (July 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071396543
• ISBN-13: 978-0071396547
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #690,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for All Intermediate and Advanced Students, December 1, 2006

By 

W. O. Taylor (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hammer's German Grammar and Usage (Paperback)

I'm a grad student who teaches elementary German. Born and raised in the U.S., I learned German as a second language. I've exhausted the grammars I own, but I know that there are still many constructions and subtleties I've never learned. This has become more apparent as I've worked in a department filled with Muttersprachler.

The reviews for Hammer's grammar made it sound perfect for my needs. They were right on! This grammar is 550 pages of DETAILED explanations illustrated by many helpful examples. I've only just begun the first chapter (less than ten pages) and I've already learned invaluable information.

Did you know, for example, that the gender of 80% of all German nouns can be determined just by looking at the form and/or meaning of the noun? I knew of a dozen or so clues, but after working through these first pages I have learned many, many more and am much more confident with using nouns I know for which I've never memorized the article. Only 20% of nouns actually need to have their gender memorized. I'm now working through similar tips for determining the plurals, which are equally easy to determine just by looking at the noun - once you know how.

There is also a small section tucked away in a corner that explains how to determine whether one uses an, auf, in, zu, or nach as a preposition to indicate going "to" a location. I thought these also just had to each be memorized for each possible case. Nope, it's very logical and this book will explain it to you along with countless other details that will bring your German much closer to a native level (like whether to use genitive, "von", or apposition in measurement phrases).

Now, if this is nothing new to you, Hammer might still be helpful (though if your German is really great and you only have problems that natives have, you probably just need to work through the various volumes put out by Duden). I know I've never learned this stuff, and I certainly don't teach it in my college courses. Hammer's grammar is likely too much for beginners (a bit like drinking out of a fire hydrant), but its perfect for intermediate and advanced learners who have questions that have just never been answered by their textbooks or by the grad students who teach them.

Also, the workbook is the newest edition, matching the grammar, even though the image here on Amazon is from the older edition (at least at the time that I am writing this). It has excellent exercises, and I do recommend it. For rounding out your vocab, I recommend Cambridge UP's "Using German Vocabulary." It is far more exhaustive than the vocab books by Baron and others.

EDIT: I wrote this review in December of 2006 and it is now November of 2009. This grammar has proven to be indispensable. I have read it cover to cover multiple times now and refer to it consistently as both a student and teacher of German.

As far as the discussion on the index and cross-referencing here in the reviews is concerned: I think they are both great. They make it so easy to find anything I have a question about quickly. In three years, I have not yet been let down by the index and can find what I need in at most 30 seconds. The table of contents has also proven to be useful as I've gotten more familiar with the book and need to find a specific point quickly.

Hammer's has also proven to be very useful for producing translations in my academic writing. The section discussing all of the subtle shades of meaning added by modal particles has been especially useful in accurately rendering the nuances of the original (modal particles are words that add expression or attitude like auch when it doesn't mean "also," ja when it doesn't mean "yes," or doch; there are 36 of them). In many other respects Hammer's helps me produce accurate translations when unabridged dictionaries let me down.

I've only grown in appreciation of Hammer's thoroughness and its clarity. Every serious student of German should own a copy.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Useful and Comprehensive Reference, January 19, 2002

By 

Jeff Barnes - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hammer's German Grammar and Usage (German Edition) (Paperback)

This book is an excellent reference material for intermediate to advanced students of German. To be more precise, I would recommend it for those who have studied German in high school or college for a year or more. In 542 pages, it covers all the major areas of German grammar in considerable depth. Extensive examples and exceptions are provided. The organization of the book is logical and understandable, and the table of contents helps one to find what one is seeking. My main qualm is with the index. It is split into three parts: a German word index, an English word index, and a topic index. The German word index is for finding notes and examples on the use of specific German words. The English word index is for finding ways to express English concepts in German. The topic index is supposed to be much like a conventional index as you would find in any reference book. The problem is that the indices are poorly organized and not particularly useful. I almost never find myself using the word indices, as they usually don't point to particularly useful or applicable information. (A much better resource for looking up the usage of specific German words is Langenscheidts DaF Großwörterbuch, and any good English-German dictionary, such as Harper Collins College Dictionary, is quite suitable for looking up ways to express English concepts in German.) The topic index is OK, but needs more entries and more depth to be of much use. In a reference book such as this one, indices are quite important, and more attention should be paid to them here. Nonetheless, the book is well worth the list price of 29.95 USD or 41.95 CAD.

54 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brauchen Sie mit Grammatik helfen?, September 22, 2002

By 

Faulknernut "Faulknernut" (atlanta, georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hammer's German Grammar and Usage (German Edition) (Paperback)

As as German minor, I figured it would do me a bunch of good to have something on hand that can answer my "quick" German grammer problems. Wow! Was I in for a treat when I got this book. It is absolutely great! Not only does it explain almost any problem that you could ever encounter, but it also gives great examples, so you don't struggle to figure out how to use it correctly based on the definition alone. The index is super! You can look up a word such as "neben" and it gives the exact local of it. I assumed the index would be a bit more ambiguous (I guess that is the appropriate word in this case), but it is so precise that it makes finding any problem easy. Each chapter is labeled and classified, so if you are having problems with pronouns, per say, then you can simply turn to the section and have at it. There are charts throughout, too, which help if you are in a hurry. However, I would definitely NOT depend on this book if I had no idea what I was doing in German to begin with. The grammer problems/solutions are quick and to the point, so if you don't know what you are doing to begin with, then this will just confuse you more. This is definitely a book for those intermediate or advanced in this language. I classify this book as a MUST for any serious learner of German.