Using extensive examples from modern spoken and written Spanish, this outstanding reference is the most accurate and up-to-date basic grammar dictionary of its kind. This handy guide is based on international Spanish, avoiding the problem of standardization which uniquely affects the Spanish language--a language spoken in twenty different countries. Attractive and easy-to-use, this dictionary contains explanations of current usage (including coverage of Latin American Spanish) with hundreds of helpful examples taken from everyday speech, newspapers, and magazines. Short, simple, and easy to follow, Spanish Grammar also includes sections on translation problems and pronunciation traps, in-depth verb tables and a list of irregular verbs, a complete glossary of grammatical terms, special sections on prepositions and their use, and an easy-to-use index for swift reference. From the student to the business person to travelers brushing up on their Spanish for a coming trip abroad, this is an essential reference for anyone hoping to perfect their language skills.
John Butt was born in South-West London, UK, in 1943. After eight years secondary education in a rural boarding school, where he developed a lifelong love of the countryside and a deep dislike of all forms of sport, he went on to study Modern Languages at Trinity College Cambridge. In 1965 he became a lecturer in Spanish at King's College, University of London, where, in 1969, he completed a Ph.D. thesis on the political thought of the young Miguel de Unamuno.
He spent all his working life in the Spanish Department of King's College, where he eventually became Professor of Modern Hispanic Studies.
He retired in 2002, and now lives in Marylebone, London. His interests are linguistics, computers, literature, politics, history, and his hobbies are walking and reading.
