Oxford Italian Grammar and Verbs

The best concise grammar I've come across in any language. (I wish there were a Portuguese equivalent.) It doesn't cover all the ins and outs of course but gives a strong basis for understanding. Anyone who thinks grammar learning spoils the language acquisition process should see this book. The main irregular verbs are presented clearly and neatly with two per page. 1000 or so other irregular verbs are listed and given with meanings and a reference to the verb in the main list which should serve as a model. One very slight quibble: anyone experienced in learning European languages realises that full and exhaustive verb conjugation tables running into the several hundreds of pages are daunting and counterproductive; if you learn the conjugation endings for each tense you have the basis for all but the most irregular verbs; then you only need to learn usually between three and six particular forms of a verb from which you can work out its entire conjugation pattern; it's a pity that this book does not pick out these 3-6 key forms in bold. You can of course work them out for yourself. As I say, however, it's a minor point.

This recently published handbook (2002) is an excellent guide to the Italian language (grammar and verbs), and it also fits into your pocket for portability and easy access.Some of the topics included are: Spelling, Nouns, Adjectives, Pronouns, etc. with sections on Counting and Measuring, Talking about time and places. Verbs are covered in two sections - regular verbs and a large list of irregular verbs at the end of the book.Examples are clearly marked in bold. An example from the section on Imperatives, the Italian and English are displayed as: <Vendi> la macchina! / <Sell> your car! (The <..> are to show the bold words in the text. These characters do not appear themselves).Another example in the same section on Imperatives is the form for Suggestions - <Andiamo> a casa / <Let's go> home.All in all, a most useful guide and highly recommended.

I bought thiss for my mother and it has proved to be excellent helping her reestablish her Italian language skills

Really essential who is a real beginner in earning Italian

I have this already, but it was admired by a French friend who is also learning Italian. This was bought as my present for the hostess when I recently stayed with her.

Condition was very poor - ex Brooklyn Library, obviously very well used. Have got a brand new one from Blackwell cheaper!

I like in particular the way this grammar is set out. It is very clear and starts from basics. For instance it does not assume any knowledge of grammar and explains to you the parts of speech as in: "What is a noun?" This attention to basics makes it a useful tool if you are learning the language on your own. In September I shall be starting my fourth year of Italian, but this handy and modestly priced grammar is not being given to an Oxfam bookshop for a long time yet!

Good dictionary

This is a useful grammar book. It presents a good overview and is easy to use. A good supplement to a course, not self sufficient on its own. The course could be from a school text, or an on line learning experience such as duo lingo.

I always find a quick, concise answer to my grammar questions in this little book and highly recommend it.

The problem with 'small books' like this one is that they don't include all that you need to know. I also find that the organization of the book is poor, and it requires you to jump around a lot. I think that makes using the book difficult. It can be a good reference, but there are some better ones to use. Sometimes bigger is really better, and I think that it is the case with this book. There is a book written by an Italian author that is about the same size that is better organized.I also disagree with one review who said Prego was 'bloated' -- Prego is probably the best book to use as a beginner hands down. Grammar is explained concisely and in a way that is conducive to learning. It's expesnive, but I'd try to save up for it and buy it.