Others say...

"A Must for All Intermediate and Advanced Students"
I'm a grad student who teaches elementary German. Born and raised in the U.S., I learned German as a second language. I've exhausted the grammars I own, but I know that there are still many constructions and subtleties I've never learned. This has become more apparent as I've worked in a department filled with Muttersprachler.

The reviews for Hammer's grammar made it sound perfect for my needs. They were right on! This grammar is 550 pages of DETAILED explanations illustrated by many helpful examples. I've only just begun the first chapter (less than ten pages) and I've already learned invaluable information.

Did you know, for example, that the gender of 80% of all German nouns can be determined just by looking at the form and/or meaning of the noun? I knew of a dozen or so clues, but after working through these first pages I have learned many, many more and am much more confident with using nouns I know for which I've never memorized the article. Only 20% of nouns actually need to have their gender memorized. I'm now working through similar tips for determining the plurals, which are equally easy to determine just by looking at the noun - once you know how.

There is also a small section tucked away in a corner that explains how to determine whether one uses an, auf, in, zu, or nach as a preposition to indicate going "to" a location. I thought these also just had to each be memorized for each possible case. Nope, it's very logical and this book will explain it to you along with countless other details that will bring your German much closer to a native level (like whether to use genitive, "von", or apposition in measurement phrases).

Now, if this is nothing new to you, Hammer might still be helpful (though if your German is really great and you only have problems that natives have, you probably just need to work through the various volumes put out by Duden). I know I've never learned this stuff, and I certainly don't teach it in my college courses. Hammer's grammar is likely too much for beginners (a bit like drinking out of a fire hydrant), but its perfect for intermediate and advanced learners who have questions that have just never been answered by their textbooks or by the grad students who teach them.

Also, the workbook is the newest edition, matching the grammar, even though the image here on Amazon is from the older edition (at least at the time that I am writing this). It has excellent exercises, and I do recommend it. For rounding out your vocab, I recommend Cambridge UP's "Using German Vocabulary." It is far more exhaustive than the vocab books by Baron and others.

"Your first and last German grammar reference"
I've been using Hammer's Grammar (3rd Ed. and now 4th) since I first began learning German and have never been disappointed. It's extremely thorough and provides crystal clear explanations of all points, though most beginners would probably find it to be a bit of information overload if they were trying to use this as their sole instructional text for grammar.

If you're studying German, you have to purchase this book; there's no debate. Even if you're a beginner and some of it might seem a little "too" detailed, you'll find yourself more and more glad that you have it there as your German improves.

"Dies ist DAS Buch!"
I'm not the most knowledgeable person about other German grammar books in the market, but I can tell you that Hammer's German Grammar and Usage is all what it says it is, and still manages to exceed one's expectations.

If you are serious about commanding German Grammar and fascinated by its complexity, then you must get this book. It comprehends all the topics of grammar, including lots of nuances, as well as usage advice that will help you better communicate with German native speakers. Particularly useful are the chapters on the subjunctive, the word order and the cases.

I've read many not recommending this book to beginners, but I digress. If you begin learning a language from a reliable source, you will spare yourself from getting into bad habits and unwanted learning.

Wenn man Deutsch lernt, dann muss man es gut lernen wollen!


"Hammer's Outclasses all German grammar books!"
I have been a student of German ever since I was a young boy. It
was my grandmother's native tongue, and my father taught me some
at home. I was in the U.S. Army, stationed in different areas of Germany during different European tours of duty throughout my military career.

I have always had problems with German grammar. I would now like to state that Hammer's German Grammar & Usage is by far the very best book anyone could possibly need for improving their German language skills.

It outclasses and outstrips books such as Routledge's "Modern German Grammar", and also "Handbuch zur Deutschen Grammatik" by miles. I found the Routledge grammar book to be way too technical
in many aspects. The Handbuch zur Deutschen Grammatik did not give quite enough information on usage in my opinion.

Hammers is the very best bet when it comes to quality of information, quantity of examples, and most importantly EASE of use! I give this book 5 stars, and if I could personally shake hands with and personally thank the aurthors, I would!

In conclusion, I regard Hammers as the Summa Cum Laude of affordable German Grammar books.

"Can be fatal in the wrong hands!"
This is by far the most comprehensive German grammar book on the market today. That is the same reason why it can also be problematic for many people to use; some aspects of German grammar are explained in unbelievably meticulous detail.

I am studying at a university in Germany so I am enrolled in intensive German courses every semester, and I actually failed my first final exam because I tried to use this book as my only reference. There is no way you can read this book from start to finish because it contains so much information that you are most likely to forget the majority of what you learned. I recommend that anyone who wants to learn German at a university level buy this book, but only as a secondary reference when the "main" textbook overlooks or poorly explains a grammatical concept. The index lists just about every aspect of German grammar is so well organized that I rarely need for than a few seconds to find the page that contains the clarification I am looking for.