Essential Russian Grammar

I wish I had discovered this little guide earlier; it would have saved so much work.

Intended as study aid & reference, it excels at precisely that. Deceptively slim, it packs all the essentials in an accessible form. The section on propositions (which are used very idiomatically in Russian) demystifies with hand-slapping-forehead clarity. Similarly for (im)perfective verb moods. And it is nice to have declension & conjugation tables handy without having to carry a full-sized textbook. My only complaint: make it pocket size!

The other reviews I had read here were somewhat negative but given the low price I thought I would take a chance. When the book arrived I was surprised at how short it was and therefore had low expectations. However when I started reading it was was pleasantly surprised at how complete it was. I would not recommend it as a first or only book but as a handy guide or refresher to look up common grammar stuff it's great. If you are like me and have made a folder of notes for the common stuff to save wadding through reference books then this could be a handy alternative.

I've been studying Russian for 4 years and have bought a host of books to support my endevours. This simple, compact, accessible book is a real gem and one of the most useful I've ever seen. It's written in a simple and straightforward manner with just enough examples to illustrate each new concept (it seems that so many language books bury one in endless exercises following every new grammatical concept ...). Additionally it's handy and convenient to carry around on travels, on walks, in the metro, the gym, and all those other places where language revision gets squeezed in. If I were to buy only one book on Russian grammar, this book would be it.

This book serves an as excellent reference guide. I agree with another reviewer, I've had several "ah ha" moments myself. In particular were the rules for the formation of active and passive participles. I'm not saying that it makes them any easier, just understandable.

The book itself is very helpful and well organized. It has all the grammar rules and plenty of examples in a clear, concise format. A must have for anyone serious about learning Russian.