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46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Indispensable, 23 Aug 2001
By A Customer
Haywood and Nahmad's "A New Arabic Grammar of the Written Language" is a fully comprehensive and utterly indispensable grammar for the English or American student of Modern Standard Arabic.It's size may be off-putting for some people, but really it oughtn't to be. It's a reference book, and as such is supposed only to be dipped into in order to consult the pertinent points required for one's use. If it were any less voluminous it would not be as useful. I suppose this goes without saying: as with most reference books, the more content, generally the more worthwhile they are, but with "A New Arabic Grammar" it really holds true. It's impossible to try and learn a language without a good grammar and this is certainly the best grammar that's currently around. Believe me - I've looked! A wealth of explicatory notes, with practice exercises interlaced between the different grammatical features examined and explored, means that Arabic grammar is dealt with in its entirety and in a really engaging way. You don't just have to read and try and absorb. Haywood and Nahmad have designed it so that you practise the language as you go along; gradually progressing in difficulty, which means that you're more likely to be able to retain what you have learnt. This quasi-"interactive" approach is brilliant for both teacher and student. This may seem daunting - a huge tome covering all of Arabic grammar, how couldn't it scare you? Don't be daunted. Truly, it's a treasure and for anyone who is really serious about getting to grips with Arabic, it's a fundamental text.
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by John A. Haywood
by Hans Wehr
by Gilles Kepel
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