Norwegian Verbs And Essentials of Grammar [Paperback]

Lousi Janus Louis / Janus (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 084428596X | ISBN-13: 978-0844285962 | Publication Date: January 11, 1999 | Edition: 1

This compact volume offers an integrated guide to both Norwegian verbs and the basics of grammar. All the major verbal and grammatical concepts of the language are presented.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Norwegian

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: 176 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (January 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 084428596X
• ISBN-13: 978-0844285962
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Norwegian
  • #4 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Scandinavian

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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 Nicely done, July 9, 2005

By 

MPR "MPR" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Norwegian Verbs And Essentials of Grammar (Paperback)

Let me start by saying I came from a beginning Norwegian language class where the textbook was entirely in Norwegian; the index, instructions, EVERYthing. Does that make sense to speak a language to someone who doesn't know it and is trying to learn? I understand the theory behind it, but it's just not practical. So naturally I looked for outside help.
I found that help with this book by Janus. He has a great way of laying out, in an easy-to-read-and-follow format, just EXACTLY how something is said and WHY it's said that way.
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The Format:
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Each area covers every aspect of formal and informal grammar starting with a paragraph or two about what a given funtion or part of speech means (ex: The present participle are adjective forms based on verbs such as the "ing" in thinking)
Then you'll get examples and the book backs EVERYthing up with its English translation right next to them for immediate reference and confirmation.
What struck me about this book was that you don't even have to be a student of the Norwegian language and you could still thumb through it in order to see how Norwegians speak, just out of curiosity. It also has several sections for reference like numbers, a healthy list of verbs and their tenses, and even a section listing the 100 most popular names for males and females.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Could have been good - but full of errors, October 1, 2008

By 

M. Nome (Oslo, Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Norwegian Verbs And Essentials of Grammar (Paperback)

The idea behind this book is good, as well as its structure. It packs a punch information wise, compared to its size and price.

It is, however, NOT a good book. It seems to have been compiled in haste, and the result is that it's crammed full of errors. Some are not very serious, simply sentences that, although gramtically correct, are put in a way no Norwegian would ever put it. The list of verbs also include strange forms that I have never encountered, and I have read a lot more words than the average Norwegian. Learning something that might be correct by the dictionary, but that 99% of Norwegians themselves would take as an error, is really worse than a waste of time. (To its credit, it doesn't push the outdated De-form, which some books still do, decades after its use ended.)

Many others mistakes include clear cut errors and misspellings, I have counted many dozens - far, far to many for a book this size.

98% of the content is correct. Still, learning a a language from scratch is hard work, and I for one would find it very annoying to spend time getting confused and misinformed because nobody bothered to get this book proof read. Also, it is clear that the author does not have a "native feel" for the language.

I've found clear cut Norwegian language errors on pages 27, 28, 42, 43, 44, 61, 66, 74, 78, 79, 80, 94, 97, 102, 104, 105, 112, 113, 114, 115 and 125, as well as half-errors/unnatural language on pages 32, 46, 52, 60, 62, 69, 70, 71, 72, 78, 82, 106, 107, 116, 118, 120, 122, 123. And this doesn't even include the verbs at the end. The explanatory texts are generally in better shape than the examples.

For the record, I am a native Norwegian who writes for a living.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most helpful Norwegian grammar book I have encountered., December 13, 2001

By 

Lee Miller Atkinson (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Norwegian Verbs And Essentials of Grammar (Paperback)

I have been studying Norwegian for a long time, and Mr. Janus' book is one of the best I have found. It is easy to find answers to questions, and the verb list is amazingly complete and helpful. If you can't take an extended trip to Norway, and aren't blessed to live in Minnesota, then you should buy this book.