Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Hungarian Verbs And Essentials of Grammar by Miklos Torkenczy ISBN: 0844283509 Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books Pub. Date: 11 September, 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.86
Rating: 5
Summary: No, It's NOT Complete, Nor Is It High-Level
Comment: I couldn't disagree more with the previous reviewer, who criticizes this book for its alleged inaccessibility. As a beginning Hungarian student, I've been consulting this grammar from day one and have gotten quick answers to the questions raised by Teach Yourself Hungarian, which generally eschews the grammar approach. (I'll admit I have studied a number of foreign languages, but a person serious about Hungarian will need to learn some grammar early in the process or risk learning nothing at all.)
Torkenczy's book is clearly organized and concise. In fact, it is at times a bit too concise, leaving the reader with the impression that the writer has not explained the more subtle grammatical points of the Hungarian language. Nevertheless, for a BEGINNER (not the expert), the book is most practical. The EXPERT (not the beginner) would be better served by Hungarian: An Essential Grammar (Routledge Grammars) by Carol Rounds.
Rating: 4
Summary: A complete, but high-level outline of Hungarian grammar
Comment: NTC's HUNGARIAN VERBS AND ESSENTIALS OF GRAMMAR is much like other books in the same series, giving of course first an explanation of verb conjugations and voices, and then an outline of grammar. This book is organized in a very logical way, and is very comprehensive.
However, as other reviews have shown, HUNGARIAN VERBS AND ESSENTIALS OF GRAMMAR is not for the beginner in the Hungarian language. This book is written as a reference guide for professional linguists or those who already speak the language. NTC also publishes a series of grammar guides geared towards students, but unfortunately there has yet to appear a Hungarian entry in that series.
Bottom line: if you're serious about Hungarian, HUNGARIAN VERBS AND ESSENTIALS OF GRAMMAR is worth buying. However, it provides only limited help to beginners because of its high-level style.
Rating: 3
Summary: Excellent as far as it goes
Comment: As a reference grammar for someone with either a grammar background or a decent linguistics background this book really cannot be beat. I don't know of any clearer explanations of the formal aspects of Hungarian morphology and elementary syntax,
On the other hand the subtitle "A practical guide to the mastery of Hungarian" is somewhat misleading. The book is primarily useful if you, (a) already speak Hungarian and just need some clarification on grammar points you may not know or have forgotten, or, (b) are one of those people who like to approach a language through a grammar-based approach.
This book would be somewhat difficult to use for those not used to grammar-based approaches. Inasmuch as grammar-based approaches have become less popular in language-training circles (possibly because they demand more of the students and teachers than do "sit-around-the-circle-and-sing-folk-songs" approaches) most language students looking for an introduction would be better off with _Teach Yourself Hungarian_ or some such book. Get this book after you have some basics under your belt.
Based on this I give the book three stars because I feel its actual usability for many is limited, even though for my own use I find it hard to imagine a better reference book of its sort.
 |
Title: Hungarian-English/English-Hungarian Concise Dictionary (Hippocrene Concise Dictionary) by Geza Takacs, Gene Takacs ISBN: 0781803179 Publisher: Hippocrene Books Pub. Date: August, 1996 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
 |
Title: Hungarian: An Essential Grammar (Routledge Grammars) by Carol Rounds ISBN: 0415226120 Publisher: Routledge Pub. Date: August, 2001 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
 |
Title: Hungarian: A Complete Course for Beginners (Teach Yourself (Book and Cassette)) by Zuszsa Pontifex, Teach Yourself Publishing, Zsu Z. Pontifex, Zsuzsa Ponifex ISBN: 0844238643 Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books Pub. Date: October, 1994 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
 |
Title: Hungarian With Ease (Assimil With Ease) by Assimil ISBN: 2700513738 Publisher: Assimil Gmbh Pub. Date: September, 1997 List Price(USD): $62.00 |
 |
Title: Hungarian Phrase Book & Dictionary (Berlitz Phrase Books) by Berlitz Editorial Staff, Berlitz Publishing Company ISBN: 2831577357 Publisher: Berlitz Travel Guide Pub. Date: September, 2000 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
