Hammer's German Grammar and Usage

 (31 customer reviews)

I'm a grad student who teaches elementary German. Born and raised in the U.S., I learned German as a second language. I've exhausted the grammars I own, but I know that there are still many constructions and subtleties I've never learned. This has become more apparent as I've worked in a department filled with Muttersprachler.

The reviews for Hammer's grammar made it sound perfect for my needs. They were right on! This grammar is 550 pages of DETAILED explanations illustrated by many helpful examples. I've only just begun the first chapter (less than ten pages) and I've already learned invaluable information.

Did you know, for example, that the gender of 80% of all German nouns can be determined just by looking at the form and/or meaning of the noun? I knew of a dozen or so clues, but after working through these first pages I have learned many, many more and am much more confident with using nouns I know for which I've never memorized the article. Only...Read more

This book is an excellent reference material for intermediate to advanced students of German. To be more precise, I would recommend it for those who have studied German in high school or college for a year or more. In 542 pages, it covers all the major areas of German grammar in considerable depth. Extensive examples and exceptions are provided. The organization of the book is logical and understandable, and the table of contents helps one to find what one is seeking. My main qualm is with the index. It is split into three parts: a German word index, an English word index, and a topic index. The German word index is for finding notes and examples on the use of specific German words. The English word index is for finding ways to express English concepts in German. The topic index is supposed to be much like a conventional index as you would find in any reference book. The problem is that the indices are poorly organized and not particularly useful. I almost never find myself using the...Read more

As as German minor, I figured it would do me a bunch of good to have something on hand that can answer my "quick" German grammer problems. Wow! Was I in for a treat when I got this book. It is absolutely great! Not only does it explain almost any problem that you could ever encounter, but it also gives great examples, so you don't struggle to figure out how to use it correctly based on the definition alone. The index is super! You can look up a word such as "neben" and it gives the exact local of it. I assumed the index would be a bit more ambiguous (I guess that is the appropriate word in this case), but it is so precise that it makes finding any problem easy. Each chapter is labeled and classified, so if you are having problems with pronouns, per say, then you can simply turn to the section and have at it. There are charts throughout, too, which help if you are in a hurry. However, I would definitely NOT depend on this book if I had no idea what I was...Read more