The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice: Mastering Spanish Grammar for Confident Communication [Paperback]

Ronni Gordon (Author), David Stillman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0658000756 | ISBN-13: 978-0658000751 | Publication Date: September 1, 1999 | Edition: 1

A good grasp of grammar enables the foreign-language learner to build skill and confidence in communication. Here's the "ultimate," painless way for intermediate and advanced learners to brush up on the rules. Each grammatical concept is explained and then illustrated with lively sentence examples; extensive exercises offer practice at applying this knowledge in everyday conversation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ronni Gordon, Ph.D., is an education consultant specializing in curriculum development in foreign languages, literature, and history. David Stillman, Ph.D., teaches Spanish, French, Italian, and Hebrew at The College of New Jersey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0658000756
• ISBN-13: 978-0658000751
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #310,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

263 of 266 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spanish Learning Made Easy, December 26, 1999

By 

A.T.S., International Consulting Group (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice: Mastering Spanish Grammar for Confident Communication (Paperback)

I have studied Spanish at the college level before, but since then have not had the opportunity to practice speaking or writing except in informal settings with friends, while traveling, etc. So when I needed to speak with a Spanish client for business, I found my conversation and writing skills somewhat lacking. I turned to "The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice" after having it recommended to me by a few business associates. After one month of working intensively through the book, I feel much more confident in my formal Spanish skills. The book is well thought out, organized into 28 chapters, each focusing on a different topic. Starting with the present tense of verbs and other basic language topics and progressing through the subjunctive and other advanced forms, it provides a comprehensive text to learn and perfect both oral and written Spanish. The explanations and examples of each topic are very clear, and the exercises provide a challenging test of the subject matter presented in each chapter. The short and lively cultural notes add an authentic touch to the language, and provide interesting observations of Spanish and Latin American culture. I found Part IV particularly helpful as it included chapters on common idioms and frequently found errors that have helped my conversation skills measurably. Although targeted at intermediate and advanced learners, I can see the text helping beginners as well, and I have recommended it for associates and friends. In sum, this is a very helpful and comprehensive review of Spanish.

144 of 147 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough review and great practical exercises, February 16, 2002

By 

Marianopolita2005 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice: Mastering Spanish Grammar for Confident Communication (Paperback)

As a Spanish teacher I was delighted to find such a grammar gem on the market for Spanish students at all levels. I bought the book with the intention of using it as a guide and review of many difficult grammar concepts in Spanish and I definitely was pleased with the grammar material and brief cultural readings that are included in the book. The book covers all key grammar concepts that must be mastered in order to speak Spanish confidently and with superior grammar control. The book contains twenty-eight valuable chapters in which key grammar concepts such as verb conjugation and verb usage, tenses and moods of verbs, the passive voice and other key elements are analyzed. The heavy emphasis on verbs and verb usage is indicative of the quality of this book especially since the ability to conjugate and use verbs correctly are the key to mastering any language. The practice exercices are also very valuable and readily force the student to apply the knowledge learned in the chapter thus understanding the practical use of verbs, prepositions, idiomatic expressions or whatever the grammatical concept may be. This book is definitely one of the most handy Spanish grammar tools available and can always be used as a reference for clarification of one's queries in Spanish be it a written grammar concept or an oral query. The purchase of this grammar book will enable you to fortify your Spanish and clarify many grammatical queries. A highly recommended purchase.

62 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lot of Book for the Money., May 17, 2001

By 

Steve Irons (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice: Mastering Spanish Grammar for Confident Communication (Paperback)

If you have already studied Spanish and want to strengthen your skills, this is the book for you. It would also be a good supplementary text for first, second and third year students of college level Spanish. Better than most books that cost twice it's price, it not only gives you clear, well thought-out, and well organized descriptions of all the essential grammar points in Spanish, it also includes copious exercises to drive the points home. This "workbook" aspect of the book is an invaluable asset, since once you have understood the grammar point, you still need to practice it a bit make it second nature. I guarantee that if you work you way through this whole book and absorb its contents, you'll have a very good grasp of Spanish indeed. Coupled with something like the Pimsleur courses, a person could get quite fluent is six months of solid daily study.