29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book.... but deceptively marketed!, April 27, 2008
This review is from: Spanish Grammar Drills (Paperback)
Okay, based only on the contents, I would definitely give this book five stars. I'm subtracting a star, however, for its mis-marketing and mislabeling. It is marketed as a beginning/intermediate workbook. And it's just not. The contents are actually more appropriate for high intermediate or advanced students of Spanish, I would say.
The book is interesting in that it covers many of the more sophisticated topics that beginner/intermediate grammar workbooks do, but it covers them at a higher level. It's more of a "sticky point" clarification/practice grammar workbook. From the very beginning, the book assumes that you have a good knowledge of the entire verb system (both simple and compound tenses) and a pretty extensive vocabulary. It does hold off on the subjunctive for a time, but it goes right into some pretty sophisticated sentence constructs from the start.
One reviewer mentions that the book is confusing--it's not confusing if you're fairly comfortable with Spanish grammar. It's challenging, but not confusing. HOWEVER, if you don't have a command of elementary grammar, I can tell you that you will definitely be confused and/or really stretched early in the book. You probably won't be ready for this one.
However, if you've been through some of the other grammar workbooks and are looking for something more challenging and sophisticated, this might just be the ticket. As for the content, I'd say it is excellent practice--but then again, I'm pretty comfortable with Spanish grammar. Even at that, I was stretched at times. I like the way this book starts right off with more advanced sentence structures than I've seen in any of the other Spanish grammar books I've gone through (and I have gone through quite a number of them). It also works into some things that I've not seen at all in other Spanish grammar books. It's an excellent book, just be aware that it's not really appropriate for a beginner as the books cover mistakenly indicates.
PS: For those of you who are a bit more advanced, this same author (Vallecillos) has just released "Advanced Spanish Grammar" that you might also consider to supplement this one. It looks to be a great book. I just got it and will write a review when I get into it a bit more.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
NOT FOR BEGINNERS, August 2, 2008
This review is from: Spanish Grammar Drills (Paperback)
I am a beginner and this book says "Perfect for beginners" on the front. No way! There are no English translations, the vocabulary is very difficult, even using a separate spanish dictionary i couldn't get the right answers for many questions, or find definitions for some words. I thought it must be supposed to go along with a text book or something because there is an answer guide but no explanation of how to get the answers yourself. I'll try again in a few years!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Book but Not for the Kindle, May 6, 2010
This is a good book for drills. It covers a lot of confusing grammar points well. However, this is not a book for the kindle. The answer key is in the back and even when you bookmark it, it is difficult going back and forward. I would buy this book in paper form.
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