Italian Grammar Drills

I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The grammar is explained in a clear and concise way -- not only with explanations but with plentiful examples too. My favorite sections of this book are the adjective and adverb sections which provide lists of common adverbs, how they are used, etc. Both chapters taught me things that I didn't know, and I learned some things in this book that I never learned in any classroom situation.

Complex grammatical situations are not dumped onto the student in one go but explained through small subsections. As you learn and practice one grammatical area, you proceed to the next one, hitting more complex grammatical concepts as you progress - this is evident in the section where the author explains the various usages of the prepositions, starting off first with the English equivalents and then branching out into more idiomatic examples. This concept is repeated in all the chapters of the book and provides an excellent model for the rest of the book.

I'm really impressed by the author's ability to communicate effectively to her readers. What makes this book standout is that not only are you reading about the grammar but you have the chance to practice it too with the hundreds of exercises (and answers) included in the book. It's hard to find any fault with this book which does its job well. With a class or on your own, you can't go wrong with this book which functions not only as a workbook but also an excellent desk side reference. For those studying Italian on your own, this book works best when coupled with an audio tape course, like Pimsleur or something like Rosetta Stone or any other of the many online sites and tools out there that help you HEAR the language. This book won't help you to learn to speak Italian (there's no CD accompanying this book), but it will help you to learn and/or improve your grammar to become a better speaker and listener in Italian.

Perfect for beginners and also strong review for intermediate and advanced students. You'd be surprised what you will learn!