Persian Grammar: For Reference and Revision [Paperback]

John Mace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0700716955 | ISBN-13: 978-0700716951

This is a book for reference and revision, especially for those in the early stages of studying the Persian language. It uses the official reformed spelling, and gives attention to handwriting, educated standard and educated colloquial pronunciation, and the important polite forms. The grammar is explained with copious examples, all shown both in Persian script and in Roman transliteration. The grammatical themes are grouped logically, and there are cross-references, appendices and a subject index to facilitate the search for the right form.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Those interested in learning Farsi will find the book 'Persian Grammar' by John Mace a key resource in their learning activities. It offers support to student both in the early and intermediate stages… The author offers detailed explanations and many examples, all shown both in Persian script and in Roman transliteration, to help students to learn this language. Those who master this language will have the reward of enjoy the pleasure of reading the wonderful poetry of Hafiz, Rumi, Omar Khayyam, Attar and Sa’adi, among others, in their original language." -- Patricia Ordóñez de Pablos, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain (International Journal of Asian Business and Information Management, April-June 2011)

Language Notes

Text: English, Persian --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (October 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0700716955
• ISBN-13: 978-0700716951
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book with grammar in terms we can understand!, June 30, 2003

By 

foodieman (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Persian Grammar: For Reference and Revision (Paperback)

This is a spectacular beginner to intermediate book to use in conjunction with a course-based text. This book cannot actually teach you persian all on its own, but as a reference it is indespensible. While your course book may lightly delve into grammatical topics, this book travels a little deeper but without assaulting you WITHOUT INCOMPREHENSIBLE GRAMMATICAL TERMS. It gives you a full understanding of any part of Iranian Persian (Farsi) Grammar.

The book is a well organized, modern, and not painful to the eyes to read. In addition, this text contains modern colloquial forms on the side. Also, uniform Latin transcription, definitions, Persian text are included for EVERY persian word referred to!

I definitely recommend this book, especially over Persian Grammar by Ann K.S. Lambton for students not interested in delving deeply into literary Persian. Lambton confuses you with advanced english grammar terms time an again while Mace's book uses a few of these terms and offers generous examples to back it up.

The bottom line: Buy this book if you want to have a good grammatical backing for your course oriented book for beginner to intermediate modern persian students.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great grammar book for beginning and intermediate study, December 15, 2004

By 

T. D. Boyle "Aging Student of Life" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Persian Grammar: For Reference and Revision (Paperback)

This is the grammar book I wish I had found first. I bought another grammar text as well as word lists and colloquial speaking primers only to face several months of painful struggle. I allow that some early chapters here were easier by virtue of that struggle but life would have been much easier with this clear, well organized volume. It surely will not take the work out of foreign language study and cannot replace conversation tapes, vocabulary, story primers and human conversation; it will however, make all those more comprehensible in the early going. And if you read "How to learn any language" and plan to follow the advise to read five chapters of a grammar book, make it this one.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Learning Aid, August 17, 2007

By 

Kiro (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Persian Grammar: For Reference and Revision (Paperback)

This is one of the best texts available for Persian grammar,and quite inexpensive for the content (now that it is in paperback). All example sentences appear with translations, and perhaps 95% of them also with transliterations. Stress is unmarked except in certain examples, but there is a thorough chapter devoted to the stress rules. This is not a text which is divided into lessons, and it uses a minimal amount of vocabulary in the examples (there are no excercises or readings). However, the topics do procede in a logical fashion, with the script and pronunciation chapters in the beginning, and with syntax and formal/arabic constructions towards the end. There is an index and an excellent internal reference system, but no glossaries (as it is not a lesson-text).

I should also add that Mace takes great pains to explain grammatical concepts with little linguistic (read: normal) terminology. Personally, I had expected the book to use accepted linguistic terms for everything. The only section of the work in which this decision proves problematic, though, is in pronunciation, which is very vague and English-comparative. One would expect a more appropriate treatment from a Routledge Publishing grammar.

Lastly, Mace makes amends for many of the outdated forms in his "lesson" book which he wrote for the TY series, this time pointing out forms that are outdated and ones which are standard literary. Where differences between literary and accepted colloquial occur, mixed examples are given from the start. I have not found the same frequency of errors and typos, either.

In summation:
-clear, large-type examples in script/transliteration/translation
-includes a section on Persian handwritten styles
-several lovely photographs included with captions (also translated)
-irregular verb forms treated in an appendix
-layman's terminology
-very easy (if idiosyncratic) reference system between sections of the grammar