So, I started learning German yesterday and my goal is to clear A1 level exam in Mid March. I am looking for books that I can use to understand German grammar rules. So, yeah, I am here looking for recommendations.
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I have the Talk German Grammar book produced by the BBC, I find it very clear and easy to use. It is also cheap and compact. I agree with Steve Kaufmann that grammar is best learnt from comprehensible input, and a book should only be used when you get stuck.
I also have a Collins Complete German book. Avoid it at all costs, I find it impossible to locate the item of grammar needed, it is hard to understand and I’m sure some bits of grammar are missing. It’s a horrible book.
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I recently downloaded German in Review book by Kimberly Sparks and it seems great to me with a lot of exercises for practice. You can check that as well.
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So much depends on how far you want to go with this!
I agree with the earlier advice that you should rather go for the “compelling, comprehensible input” approach of Krashen and Kaufmann and let the grammar just come along later when you want to achieve “mastery”.
Sadly it is so easy to slip into “grammar paralysis” with any new target language, so the best advice is to adopt the KISS principle [Keep it Simple and Straightforward] at first. At A1 level definitely go for the “shortest grammar book you can find”, as often advised by Steve Kaufmann. And that definitely applies to German where things can quickly get very tangled and constricting.
Assimil German is a reasonably straightforward approach to the basics if you want a book, so that you can do something on a daily basis in “bite size chunks” and the grammar explanations are very good.
But if you are heading for C2, and have considerable tenacity and endurance to focus on the grammatical “rules” (and all the exceptions in German!), then “reach for the ultimate” with Professor Martin Darrell’s “Hammer’s Grammar and Usage”. But be warned that this is a mighty long and arduous journey!
The better advice is probably to look at the free YouTube videos from Julia Brodt of the “Lingster Academy”, which is a considerably less painful route. She is a self-confessed grammar fan. But she has some excellent advice.
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Since your exam contains grammar drills to solve so it is better to find a book that contains such grammar drills systematically.
This book also offers an answer key so you can check your answers,
German Grammar Drills: Perfect for Beginning and Intermediate Learners!
if you look hard enough online you may even find a free copy as well.
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Thanks, I downloaded this book in pdf form!
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Thanks I downloaded the book you mentioned in pdf form!
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That seems a little ambitious, but depends on how much time you have. Good luck!
First of all, I’d probably check out Nico’s Weg A1 course.
Each lesson will have a grammar section that goes over grammar, and then obviosly you can do the exercises and of course watch the videos for each lesson.
There is also a complete grammar overview:
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/grammar
But I think it may cover the entire course…A1, A2, B1
Teach Yourself Complete German should have the basic grammar. Or Assimil German.
For future long term reference, the most exhaustive grammar is Hammer’s Grammar and Usage. Way too much for A1 level and it would be difficult to pinpoint A1 grammar points, but it’s a great book for grammar overall and definitely worthwhile add if you continue German long term.
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Thank you so much.
Thank you so much plus.
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hey, thanks for these links! All the best to you as well!
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Typo alert: Professor Martin Durrell, “Hammer’s German Grammar and Usage”.
Martin Durrell also led a team to produce a more compact version in “Essential German Grammar” (Routledge, second edition 2015).
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If you really want to learn the old-fashioned (or more accurately “artificial”) way, I would advise you to use Duolingo. It will at least offer you some comprehensible input.
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Can you elaborate a bit on this Duolingo thing?
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