Customer Reviews

Schaum's Outline of Spanish Grammar (4th edition)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This workbook is for serious review, but definitely not for casual or superficial reading. With virtually zero Spanish background I used it as a supplement to a 1:1 language immersion course prior to starting an expat assignment in South America. I've been on assignment for a year and continue to use it to ensure that my grammar is correct and to help me master additional aspects of the language. It has extensive coverage of grammar principles, numerous exercises to reinforce learning, and includes answers in the back, making it an excellent tool for independent study. My wife has tried various other methods (books, tapes, tutors) and has just asked me to order a fresh, unmarked copy for her.

This workbook is stellar if you are looking for a good review of Spanish grammar at a high Intermediate/ Advanced level. The books cover all the essentials of Spanish grammar and if mastered, one can speak concise Spanish with optimum grammar control. This book was designed to emphasize the fundamentals. Of course, Spanish grammar goes way beyond the scope of this workbook however, it's true to it's objective and it does clarify key grammar points that can enhance one's writing and speaking abilities. I believe workbook is a great supplementary study aid to classroom instruction. It has ample practice exercises and an answer key which is vital when learning a language. The workbook is a worthy purchase.

This is the best book I have found for review of the basics -- especially those who may have studied Spanish in school but not used it since. The grammatical rules and exercises are very effective. I recommend this book as an excellent way of recapturing once-forgotten language skills.

I agree with the reviewer from New York. I have been struggling with Spanish for two years and this book has taught me more about the language in just one month. Or maybe I had lousy teachers before! Do all the exercises and you must improve.

I have found this book to be an excellent study aid. It is well organized, and covers all the fundamentals of Spanish grammar (Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives and Verbs, etc). Each topic is reviewed and drilled thoroughly. The book promotes retention of material through the use of many exercises.

There is an answer key in the back of the book to check your progress. Also, there is a solid review of those difficult areas: the use of "Ser" vs. "Estar" and the uses of "Por" and "Para". The book reviews the special uses of some verbs in this lovely language.

The value received for the money paid is good. While the book is not covered with glossy pictures, the content is logically organized. There is no wasted detail. To me, this aspect of the book is actually very refreshing.

I have been studying Spanish at the local University's Continuing Education Department for some time, and I have found this book to be an excellent addition to my Spanish language study tools.

While I would not necessarily recommend this book as a primary learning tool for a novice student, I would definitely recommend it to those individuals who whish to review the language, and who wish to improve their skills at the beginner to intermediate level.

I have used it as a supplement to a regular beginning Spanish textbook to look up grammar points and have used the book by itself to review grammar and do the workbook-type exercises, and found it very helpful both ways. Also, I appreciate the fact that the book is very inexpensive compared to regular Spanish language textbooks - I have paid [more] for books that weren't as helpful as this one.

I had 4 years of high school Spanish many moons ago, and I recently made the decision that I would like to re-familiarize myself with this lovely language.

Schaum's Outline of Spanish Grammar is an excellent resource if you desire to quickly and efficiently regain your lost Spanish. This book is so user friendly, and so logically and clearly laid out, I am very surprised there aren't more reviews.

I am using this book in conjunction with "Spanish The Easy Way" by Ruth Silverstein, and I am very confident that I will be at or near an Intermediate level within 6 months time.

I own the Russian Grammar of this series and I absolutely love that book. I bought this one for helping my fiance to learn my language (I live in Santiago, Chile) expecting to get a very good grammar book. I was very disappointed when I flipped through the pages; although they cover mostly all the notions of Spanish grammar I found that the explanations weren't deep enough on some complicated parts of grammar, specially some verbs and usage of personal pronouns like "lo, le, les". I know how to speak my language of course, but if you ask me "why is this like this way and not like this?" I would have some trouble explaining some things and was the reason why I bought this. I guess it's ok for someone just beginning with the study of Spanish, but I believe it leaves too many things unclear making necessary to buy a better researched book if you want too deepen your understanding of Spanish grammar.

This is a really great Spanish book for students of beginning, intermediate, and early advanced Spanish. For advanced students in Spanish 4, AP Spanish, and beyond, this book will serve as a very valuable review book. This book, though, may not be for everyone and is definitely not all-purpose.

Your current proficiency in Spanish determines how helpful this book will be. For students who are comfortable with learning Spanish at a faster rate and understands examples quickly, this might be the perfect book for them. But other people who have trouble with Spanish and are struggling with the language at the beginning level may find this book not thorough enough. A lot of exercises are presented here with answers at the back of the book, and whether these exercises are too hard or too easy for you depends on your current level in the Spanish language.

Despite a big section on verbs and really good explanations of adjectives and pronouns, this book seems to be lacking on a lot of topics. For example, there are no chapters on word usage and prepositions. This information, instead, is scattered in several chapters. Also, this book is too incomplete to serve as a comprehensive grammar handbook. The verb chart section is only a few pages and very brief, and there are hardly any appendices. Some students studying advanced Spanish or native Spanish speakers may find it to fall short of their expectations.

In this Schaum's Outline, the differences between "por" and "para" and also "ser" and estar" are clearly explained. But other than that, there is nothing on other words, like "en."

Overall, this book does a prettty good job of explaining Spanish grammar. This book is aimed to help students perform well in class (at Spanish 1, 2, 3 levels), but it probably won't serve as a very good reference guide for a more demanding reader. Again, it depends on your needs.

I think after a few more revisions this book will be a great study aid or refresher for those of us studying Spanish. Right now, the exercises are not thorough. If you are self-teaching yourself Spanish you will need more practice than this book provides.