Spanish Verbs: Ser and Estar (Hippocrene Language Studies) [Paperback]

Juan Serrano (Author), Susan Serrano (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1992 | ISBN-10: 0781800242 | ISBN-13: 978-0781800242

This book is the definitive demystifier of the Spanish verbs SER and ESTAR. The beginning to the advanced student will discover all of the subtleties and nuances of the two 'to be' verbs, as well as dozens of lively dialogues to reinforce appropriate usage. Written in a clear and entertaining style, the book has invaluable information for all students of Spanish from the beginner to the fluent speaker.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Juan and Susan Serrano

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Hippocrene Books (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781800242
• ISBN-13: 978-0781800242
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #300,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lesson in spanish cultural understanding, June 8, 2000

By 

Rebeka (Los Estados Unidos) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spanish Verbs: Ser and Estar (Hippocrene Language Studies) (Paperback)

I am of hispanic decent and this book explains the spanish speakers way of thinking in a nutshell. Written by two hispanics, this book is the only book you'll ever need to understand how to think when thinking in spanish. I as a high school student was mistaught like everyone else in my class on the two verbs Ser and Estar...and to my surprise the first pages referred to the often misteachings of these two verbs right from the start and retaught me what my 4 years of high school spanish never did teach me. If you are a serious spanish learner...buy this book. For $9 you can't take the chance not to. I have it in front of me now and I high light many spots in the book to refer to for future use...buy it. :)

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The logic in this book is amazing, December 3, 2001

By 

"lcdmccullough" (Hampton, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spanish Verbs: Ser and Estar (Hippocrene Language Studies) (Paperback)

The way this book explains the difference between ser and estar makes it so much easier to remember. It seems much more intuitive and logical when I think about why I am using one over the other. I struggled with this concept before this book and I would highly recommend this to anyone who is learning spanish on their own.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ser and Estar thoroughly reviewed, May 26, 2003

By 

Marianopolita2005 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spanish Verbs: Ser and Estar (Hippocrene Language Studies) (Paperback)

This book will successfully clarify any queries that you have with regards to the correct usage of the verbs ser and estar, which traditionally present difficulty for learners of the Spanish language. When I bought this book a few years ago I was quite surprised with the level of detail and the approach of the authors used to clarify this grammatical difficulty. The explanations are in English with examples in Spanish. The approach of the logic of usage is from Spanish to English rather than from English to Spanish which most textbooks use and perhaps that's where the confusion begins. It does clarify the notion that Ser and Estar are sometimes interchangeable (and they are not) and using one or other will definitely change the meaning of a phrase. This is the only book that I have come across thus far dedicated to the analysis and usage of these two verbs. If you are looking for an accurate and concise clarification of the usage of these verbs this book is highly recommended and not to mention is very economical.