Preface

This book is designed to introduce the basic grammatical structures of German and give a wide range of examples to illustrate how they are used in practice. As the title Essential German Grammar indicates, it is  not a comprehensive reference work, and the focus is on presenting the most important aspects of German grammar clearly and approachably.Much of the material is given in tables, which use two colours in order  to make it easier to focus on key points and memorize rules. Explanations are intended both to clarify individual points and to develop an appreciation of how German grammar operates as a system. Each  chapter fi nishes with an authentic text that illustrates how the grammar points work in context. A separate section with exercises and answers enables learners to test themselves on what they have learnt.
In principle, the individual chapters are self-contained and are not intended to be worked through in the order in which they are presented in the book. The exception to this is chapter 1, which provides a basic  introduction to how German sentences are made up. It is longer than the other chapters and learners are advised to study it carefully fi rst, before going on to later chapters which generally provide more detail  about the aspects of grammar introduced in chapter 1
The book is intended to be suitable for use as a stand-alone grammar for post-beginners at school or university, i.e. those who have already acquired a basic knowledge of German (e.g. through completing a  GCSE in England or a one-year university beginners course) and want to build on this systematically. This means that it is designed primarily for learners whose command of the language has reached A2 of the  Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or ‘novice high’ by the guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and who are looking to progress to  CEFR level B2 or ACTFL ‘intermediate high’, or beyond.
At the same time, it is designed as a foundation grammar for Hammer’s German Grammar and Usage, by Martin Durrell (5th edition Routledge, 2011). Hammer gives the advanced learner a deeper understanding  of German grammar, and it explains complex areas of the language not covered in this more elementary book. Nevertheless, the learner will still fi nd it useful to keep referring back to the tables and summaries in  Essential

The companion website offers a wide range of additional exercises on all the main areas of German grammar. The exercises are mainly designed for self-study, but can also be used to accompany instructed  grammar courses. As in the book, the exercises are organized by chapter and sub-chapter. Within a sub-chapter, the exercises are normally graded, with the later ones being more challenging. Students are given  the opportunity to familiarize themselves with grammatical terminology via fl ashcards; the audio section gives learners the opportunity to listen to the authentic texts that accompany each chapter in Essential German Grammar; and PowerPoint presentations suitable for classroom use are provided for instructors. These presentations cover the main areas of grammar and include examples. They may be  adapted by teachers to suit their students’ needs or learners may also wish to use them independently. Additionally, instructors will fi nd exercises for download covering the main chapters in PDF format.
The authors would like to thank colleagues and students at the University of Manchester and the University of Oxford, whose questions have helped to shape this book – in particular Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand and  Thomas Despositos – as well as a number of anonymous reviewers in the UK and the USA who provided invaluable feedback. Dr Sonia Brough and Erica Parsons provided many constructive criticisms and helpful  suggestions.The authors must also acknowledge their immense debt to Gudrun Loftus, who was a co-author of the fi rst edition and who sadly died in tragic circumstances in autumn 2010.
Finally, our thanks go to Lesley Riddle, Elena Seymenliyska, Eva Martinez and Anke Ueberberg at Arnold, who were responsible for seeing the fi rst edition through to completion, and to Andrea Hartill, Isabelle  Cheng and Sarah Douglas at Routledge for the enthusiasm and expertise with which they supported the production of this revised edition.