Essential German Grammar

This is the first German grammar which has been specifically designed for the adult with limited learning time who wishes to be able to express himself with reasonable accuracy, yet does not wish to be burdened with archaic, highly literary, or seldom used forms. It covers the most important points of German grammar in the clearest possible manner, stressing regularities rather than irregularities and concentrating upon the constructions and expression-modes that you would be most likely to use. It has been created for readers who prefer the phrase-approach, and all grammatical points are illustrated with phrases and sentences that you can use immediately. Hints are included throughout the book on replacing difficult constructions with easier ones.

The basic presentation technique has been able to evoke the strong similarities between English and German, rather than the differences. As a result it is easier for you to understand and imitate German speech patterns. Among other unusual features of this grammar are: a means of avoiding most of the intricacies of noun declension; a logical, easily followed presentation of verbs compounded with separable or inseparable prefixes; a statement on word order that enables you to see English parallels; and an immediately useful presentation of basic German grammar.

This grammar does not assume knowledge of grammatical terms (a supplement explains English grammatical terms) or of German grammar.