Product Description

Hammer's German Grammar and Usage has long occupied a pre-eminent position in the field of German studies. Unrestricted by the formal written language, it is firmly based on current usage rather than prescription, covering all the main grammatical phenomena of German and embracing regional variations and registers of the modern standard language. The combination of reference grammar and manual of current usage has proved invaluable for students and teachers of German at intermediate and advanced level.



This new edition continues to build on the book's reputation for accessibility and comprehensiveness. The fourth edition has been revised in accordance to the new spelling and punctuation reform and all examples have been updated. With special attention to student needs, the tables summarising basic points have been expanded and the book's layout modified to make it even more accessible. A new glossary of grammatical terms has been added and the three separate indexes have been combined into one.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #56073 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 600 pages

Review
If you study German at university it HAS to be on your shelf! This book got me through Oxford and was always my trusted companion in language exercises. Clear, to-the-point and comprehensive, it's full of great examples to illustrate grammatical principles and covers regional/non-standard usage to boot. If you are serious about studying German, get it now! (Richard West, student of German, Oxford University )

About the Author
Martin Durrell is Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester.

Customer Reviews

Hammer's German Grammar and Usage
Martin Durrell's Hammer's Grammar and Usage goes from strength to strength. This book is easily the best German grammar book in the English language on the market. Furthermore, if you aspire to be a translator, then this is the book for you. The book is divided into 23 chapters, dealing with some of the most complicated grammatical issues in the German language. First of all, Durrell explains very well the compicated 'Konjunktiv I' and 'Konjunktiv II', a grammatical issue which many native English speakers find difficult to understand. To make it easier for the reader to understand the gramatical issues and the contexts in which they are used, he has taken examples from books and newspaper articles. Furthermore, Durrell translates the examples which he has taken from these articles into English, which helps the reader immensely. In this way, the reader can refer to the book and the particular example when translating a text. Finally, Durrell explains exceptionally well the modal particles, which before buying this book, I had great difficulty in understanding. Plus, the author points out the pitfalls, the 'do's and don'ts' in German. In conclusion, this book is very well put together and a great resource for students of German and aspiring translators. Durrell deals with every grammatical issue in German, whether easy or difficult. I recommend this book very, very highly.

Good, but a bit dry
I've used this book for a couple of years and it is indeed very comprehensive, with full explanations of vitually all aspects of German grammar, from the basic to the extremely advanced. The examples are useful and in most cases the temptation to slip into linguistic jargon is avoided. It is not an easy read however and a reasonable knowledge of the grammatical terms is definitely required, although factual it is very dry and pretty hard-going.

Comprehensive and very useful
I would agree with the other posters that this is not for the novice, but it does have a glossary which is very useful. It does seem to be quite tough to understand at times, but usually coming back to it after a day or two away makes it sink in. There are a vast number of rules, and these can get a touch ridiculous at times (as someone pointed out it isn't THAT essential that German girls would say such and such on the last Thursday of October if they had been to university in Munich.

I would also recommend the shorter version, The Essential Grammar.