Schaum's Outline of French Grammar, 5ed

French grammar is hard to learn because although there are rules there are more exceptions than rules. This book does a great job of organizing things in a way to deal with all the expections. I especially like the way it presents the verbs. I own quite a few books on French grammar but the way this book groups the verbs is really much better. In terms of reviewing for a test (or for real life if you live in France) a book like this is essential, since most normal French text book are just too disorganized to find what you are looking for. Also it helps me to see all the rules about a certain topic in one place at one time. There are lots of exercises and the answers are in the back of the book to check yourself. Learning French grammar isn't ever going to be easy, but if you use this book it will be a lot easier than if you don't. Highly recommended.

I don't have to describe the content in detail as the self-explanatory nature of the title. I studied French in L'Alliance Francais for some time. Their communicative approach almost makes me paralysed until I have this book. I can't imagine how a middle age person can learn a new language by merely listening and imitating the sound of teachers. On the contrary the grammatical approach in this book systematically illustrate every single bit of grammar detail for beginner (and intermediate level student). By reading and reviewing the explanation as well as practising the exercise, I can make a lot sense in French now. And I am not just fantizing it. The most exciting piece of news is that my progress is noticed by both my French teacher and my classmates. The mastering of basic is so satisfying and giving me advancement and enjoyment.

This book is great in that it can be used by a beginner or someone who is familiar with French but wants to improve their French grammar. Organized in coherent sections, you can easily find your area of concern, such as the imparfait tense, articles, etc. There are also exercises you can do, and (the major advantage) there are also answers in the back. Definitely worth your money!

If you are seriously trying to learn French, you will eventually find that the cute stuff doesn't work. ( I know, I tried several "Learn French this weekend while doing your ironing" approaches first. )There is simply no substitute for spending a lot of time listening to recordings of native speakers, shuffling vocabulary flash cards, and doing grammar drills. Period. The cute stuff is like trying to burn calories by watching an exercise video. Sooner or later, you have to get on the treadmill and get all hot and icky. But that's what works. When you are ready to get serious, buy this.