Customer Reviews

Handbuch Zur Deutschen Grammatik: Arbeitsheift

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

 

 

This is the workbook that I used extensively when studying for the AP German Language exam in high school. It does a great job at challenging the student to learn the material presented in the book and helps the student practice and build confidence. Having passed swimmingly, this book must have done something right.

BE AWARE that this is for the Fourth Edition "Arbeitsheft" or work notebook.

The Amazon item heading fails to notate this, and in certain instances the picture also loads incorrectly.

This is not for the fourth edition of the whole manual.

Caveat emptor.

I've been using the Handbuch all year for German at the college level. It has proven to be the most helpful book i've ever owned! I have been in German for five years and have yet to find a book that makes it easier to absorb the information or navigate. Even if you do not need this for class, buy it. German grammar becomes increasingly difficult as you get to the higher levels.

What I like about this book:

This is a mid-level German grammar - that is, it assumes some knowledge, but essentially begins again from the beginning. It is appealingly laid out. The summaries at the end of the chapter capture the information well, the vocabulary sections help differentiate several similar words, and it often has some incidental insights that other books do not offer (eg: on p.331 "In present time, the indicative is used instead of the subjunctive if in the speaker's view, the impression is the correct one. - Er sieht aus, als ob er krank *ist*." I have not seen this comment in any other text.) As a mid-level comparative German-English grammar it does well enough.

What I dislike about this book:

The exercises at the end of each chapter are fairly pedestrian - they are simple form exercises, have neither interesting content nor hidden tricks that teach you things not directly related to the supposed point of the exercise. If interesting content in exercises is what you are after, then Practising German Grammar has much more inspiring tasks and texts. If you want exercises that go beyond simple form practice, have a look at Sag's Besser. The answers are also not included in the book, which is a real menace for self-directed learners. Nor are they sold separately, but are gained via access to a website that you have to pay for. Not very useful if you are working at your desk and have to go off to the computer to check each answer. Finally, the content. is simply not worth the price. Nowhere have I seen this book under $100US. Not worth anything near that.

Where to from here:

If you want a low-mid level German-English comparative grammar with lots of incidental insights but a rather uninspiring body of content, perhaps this is worth a look. There is more detail than, say, Schaum's Outline but in even mid-level grammatical points, this book lacks detail. And the pricing is unrealistic.

I have been studying German for over five years and have used so many resources to try and learn one of the toughest elements of any language: the grammar! We are currently using this text in my class and I would highly recommend it to anyone who desires to learn the essentials of German grammar in a fun, approachable manner. The author uses repetition and a variety of authentic German texts to illustrate the rules of grammar that are being examined. The newest edition also contains current terms, like texting and Facebook, so younger reader's interests will be peaked. You won't want this book to leave your shelf, even after the class is finished!!

Quality of textbook is decent. Provides exercises for basic grammar though the accompanying text book is lacking and doesn't do a very good job explaining the grammar.