A New Arabic Grammar of the Written Language

The best Arabic grammar book available in the English medium and better than many Arabic ones too. For serious students, not tourists. Lesssons build upon one another. The only criticism is that the answer book for end-of-chapter tests comes separately.

Unmatched (1/1 people found this helpful)

This was our standard textbook back in the 70s, when I started learning Arabic (from the greatest teacher of the language, Pierre Cachia). It compared wonderfully well with Wright (brilliant in its own way as a reference text for the really obscure stuff, but not much use for teaching/learning) and still compares well with any more recent grammar I've seen. You can't pick up Arabic without a solid knowledge of the grammar (which can be much enhanced by studying the classical Arab grammarians, who have a totally different take on the language). Much recommended.

Very difficult unless you have studied English Grammar (4/8 people found this helpful)

I bought this book and have tried several times to use it. Its main problem is that it uses technical English grammatical terms (e.g. nominative, subjunctive etc) assuming you know what they mean. You basically have to study English grammar to understand this book.

I have realised it provides little value to those who want to read the Quran with understanding as it doesn't seem to get anywhere near the level required to be able to understand the many complex verses in the Quran.

Also, the answers to the exercises are in another book which you then have to buy, which you obviously don't realise when you buy it - very annoying!

After trying to use this book a few times, I gave up and decided to just study Arabic Grammar using the concepts that Arab Grammarians have developed, instead of trying to study English Grammar and then trying to apply that to Arabic. It turned out simpler to just study Arabic Grammar from the start!

Good for western students (4/4 people found this helpful)

This book is hard work, but probably the best available for any serious western student. The book has is a simple structure with plenty of questions at the end of each of the sections.

Remember to get the key for the book as the answers to the questions are not published to in this book.

An excellent old fashioned grammar approach. (15/17 people found this helpful)

For those fed up learning a language my memorizing touristy phrases, or these new 'wonderfully crap' methods then check out this book. What appealed to me about Hayward & Nahamd was its grammar orientated approach to understanding Arabic. The book's approach reminded me my schooldays of learning Latin: declining nouns, conjugating verbs and translating texts. It is worth noting that it was the Arabs who pioneered the most to the dicipline of understanding grammar, building on the preliminary work of the ancient Greeks; resulting in the classically famous books of Arabic grammar as Al-Ajroomiyyah, Qatr an-Nadr and the Al-Affiyyah.

If you want to learn Arabic, or any other language for that matter, do it properly instead of pithy little books/courses that seems to eminate from certain institutions.

John A. Haywood, H.M. Nahmad

Reader Reviews:

The best Arabic grammar book available in the English medium (1/1 people found this helpful)

Unmatched (1/1 people found this helpful)

Very difficult unless you have studied English Grammar (4/8 people found this helpful)

Good for western students (4/4 people found this helpful)

An excellent old fashioned grammar approach. (15/17 people found this helpful)

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