French Grammar and Usage

I originally checked this out at my local library and it was so helpful and chuck full of information I decided to buy the book. If you are serious about learning French the correct way this is the book for you. It is very easy to find the information and material that you need. It is down to earth and in simple language with tables and examples so you will completely understand what you are reading. I can't say enough about this book it is simply amazing and should be on everyone's bookshelf.

Hawkins and Towell is a very good reference grammar of written and, to some extent, spoken French. It is best suited to intermediate or advanced levels, although curious and motivated beginners would also profit. The second edition is a definite improvement over the first. Remember "reference"--it is not a standalone self-teaching grammar. If you are studying on your own and you are a beginner, you will want another book to walk you through French grammar from the basics up. However, the clarity and the organization of Hawkins and Towell make it a superb companion to the solitary student who may not find things explained fully in a step-by-step grammar.

Simply put, this really is the very best book on French I've ever come across, so much so that I bought it on the spot, which is something I very rarely do. It is well-organized, has wonderful examples, and has a particularly good section on adverbs. Although most grammars are simply grammars, I think this is a wonderful book for vocabulary expansion because of all the examples provided, and for the most part translations are provided for both phrases and individual words. It also has a very good index, which is always good in a book, especially so thorough a book. One of the best and most easily-overlooked conveniences is that the formal or colloquial usages are noted right alongside the rest rather than being put in seperate formal or colloquial chapters which would complicate things too much for the student.I'm not sure how the beginning student would find this book though, but I think I would've liked to have it when I first started out. Perhaps some pronunciation guides would help, but I really don't think that the lack thereof is particularly detrimental.

I'm glad I've finally a decent grammar book for French. It's an extremely helpful reference. The earlier review mentioned that the cover is hideous but I have to say, the cover is *not* a problem.There are notes on the differences between "written" and "spoken" French. Overall, this is a great book. Easy to use. Even if you're a complete beginner, you shouldn't have a problem.

This is an excellent grammar for English speakers. It has a thorough review of preposition usage, an excellent guide to the subjunctive and pretty much everything else I usually get wrong ;-) I browsed for a couple of hours in Borders on Oxford Street and couldn't find anything better. Nicely type-set as well. The only problem is the hideously ugly cover.