Making Sense of Japanese Grammar (Paper): A Clear Guide Through Common Problems

Making Sense of Japanese Grammar explains in a lively and highly informative manner basic principles that underlie a wide range of phenomena in Japanese. Students - irrespective of proficiency level and linguistic training - will find clarification on matters of grammar that often seem idiosyncratic and Japanese-specific, such as avoiding the use of certain pronouns, employing the same word order for questions, hidden subjects, polite and direct forms. Organized for easy access and readability, Making Sense of Japanese Grammar consists of short units, each focused on explaining a distinct problem and illustrated with a wealth of examples. To further enhance their usefulness, the units are corss-referenced and contain brief comprehension exercises to test and apply newly acquired knowledge. A glossary and keys to the exercises are at the back of the book. This volume may be used as a supplementary classroom reading or a helpful reference for students of all levels. Both students and instructors, even those trained in linguistics, will find its accessible explanations of grammatical concepts helpful. Grounded in sound scholarship and extensive teaching experience, Making Sense of Japanese Grammar brings a fresh and liberating perspective to the study of Japanese. Publisher's description: Making Sense of Japanese Grammar explains in a lively and highly informative manner basic principles that underlie a wide range of phenomena in Japanese. Students--irrespective of proficiency level and linguistic training--will find clarification on matters of grammar that often seem idiosyncratic and Japanese-specific, such as avoiding the use of certain pronouns, employing the same word order for questions, hidden subjects, polite and direct forms. Organized for easy access and readability, Making Sense of Japanese Grammar consists of short units, each focused on explaining a distinct problem and illustrated with a wealth of examples. To further enhance their usefulness, the units are cross-referenced and contain brief comprehension exercises to test and apply newly acquired knowledge. A glossary and keys to the exercises are at the back of the book. This volume may be used as a supplementary classroom reading or a helpful reference for students of all levels. Both students and instructors, even those trained in linguistics, will find its accessible explanations of grammatical concepts helpful. Grounded in sound scholarship and extensive teaching experience, Making Sense of Japanese Grammar brings a fresh and liberating perspective to the study of Japanese This book is fantastic for the beginning/intermediate Japanese Student. It is an excellent supplement to your other studies, and will not interfere with your other courses. The grammatical discussion and terminology are kept in plain English. This will be quite helpful for anyone that learned English in American public schools. The book is organized into a series of "things you should know," or "things you might be wondering about" if you are a student of Japanese. A good example is a plain English explanation of when to use "-ga" or "-o." This book has been a great help to me, and I only have had it checked out from the library for about a week. I quickly flipped to those "questions" that I had. It supplies the conceptual knowledge that helps you apply proper grammar to more than just the sentences you have memorized. This book is worth purchasing, as it is pretty good as reference material. But, I imagine after about a year or two, you will probably not need it anymore and could re-sell it.