Simplified Russian Grammar [Hardcover]

Misha A. Fayer (Author), Mischa Fayer (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company (December 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844242314
• ISBN-13: 978-0844242316
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,241,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Adequate basic text, poor reference grammar, August 23, 1998

By 

David A. Appling "polkovnik" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simplified Russian Grammar (Hardcover)

This is a "traditional" language text oriented to the would-be-reader rather than the would-be-speaker. It covers the territory quite well. However, it defers for far too long constructions and vocabulary needed early on by the would-be-speaker, e.g., the numeral and time systems. And although participial adjectives are used early on, their verbal nature is left for Lesson 38. A more serious weakness is that the reader is left to pick up key usage points by osmosis. As one example, there is no discussion at all of word order. As another, the difference between Russian's two words for "why" is nowhere explained; the reader is expected to pick this up by osmosis. Perhaps the most serious weakness of the book is its total inadequacy as a reference grammar. You can't *find* anything -- at least not without a lot of page thumbing and trial and error. The serious student should use this text together with a serious reference grammar, such as Wade's excellent _A Comprehensive Russian Grammar_. I have been pretty hard on this text, but I suppose all reviewers tend to focus on weaknesses. The book really does have many virtues. The explanations are clear, the exercises are good, and the supplemental reading materials included in the book are excellent. Recommended for the student who wants a basic reading knowledge only -- or has time to finish all 41 lessons before ever having actually to use the language.