A Reference Grammar of Modern Standard Arabic (Reference Grammars)

What makes Arabic hard? This question is one of the fundamental and repeated queries of the Arabic student. Neophytes may think it's the alphabet, others may think it's the vocabulary, but I believe, and I think that many others would agree with me in saying that the most difficult part of Arabic is grammar. Since many grammar rules are never exposed in most verbal or written texts, it is possible for even advanced students of the language to maintain little more than an elementary proficiency in syntax and grammar. I even remember one Saudi student in Spokane telling me it was easier for him to write papers in English than it was for him to write them in Arabic.So, it became inevitable that I should read a grammar book other than the isolated (although deftly composed) lessons in the Al-Kitaab series. Based on other reviews, I picked up A Reference Grammer of Modern Standard Arabic, by Karin C. Ryding, and I have not been disappointed. Perhaps contrary to the expectations of the author, I read the text straight through and was gratified to see it start from letters and continue on to words, with the most difficult part of verbs and conjugation coming at the end. The mast surprising thin about this book was its accessibility. I read it all in about 4 days, and while it will certainly take me more time to memorize and internalize all the new concepts and words I feel like I have a vastly improved knowledge of Arabic grammar than before I read this book. The most helpful tool for this is the fact that the majority of the 700 pages is devoted to phrase-level and sentence level examples, from form XII verbs to rules governing the seat of Hamza within words. While the book covers all the rules a student would practically want to know, references to other works are made throughout to more detailed analyses. Finally the nearly complete lack of linguistic terminology was a significant boon to my comprehension. In the rare instances that a linguistic term (English) was used, it was always clearly explained before being used by the author.There were three drawbacks to the book, none of which were particularly troublesome . First Ryding has a troubling tendency to state when patterns can be used, not when they cannot. For example in her explanation on adverbs, she say the phase bi-shakal can be used in some cases, and in some cases the adjective in mansoob alone suffices. I still have no clear idea when I should use one over the other. Even explaining the use as idiomatic or that it is difficult to discern would have been more helpful. Also, many rules are repeated through different section of the book, without the addition of any real new information. Finally, the placement of Verbs at the end of the book and the organization of dividing based on pattern (I-XV) rather than verb type, such as hollow or weak, would have been extraordinarily confusing were I not already familiar with the rules via Al-Kitaab.As a reference book or grammar study guide, this book is far more useful than Al-Kitaab, Arabic Grammar by W. Wright, or any of the paperback sized books that cover the main rules but do not give the depth of analysis or the myriad of examples given by a serious reference work like this.

First, the book itself – as many reviewers have already said, it is just amazing in its depth and clarity. It is so good that I’ve bought it both – for Kindle and as paperback. So, regards to the content of the book – please read the reviews here. The only one more extensive and comprehensive I know of is  Arabic Grammar (Dover Language Guides) by Wright , which I also have but it is a grammar book in a class by itself.This review is specifically about the Kindle edition. I have the newest Kindle PaperWhite (2018) model.And the most important issue with this edition is that most of Arabic text is disproportionally SMALL. Where it is small, it is that small that makes it unreadable, alas. See photos attached (be ware I took photos with a smartphone 10 cm away from the Kindle, so they are a bit zoomed in). Now to the “most” part. The Arabic words inside English explanations are large and easy to read. These are mostly grammar terms. The problem is with example sentences and tables. They are, as I said, almost impossible to read.It especially hurts with the Verb Forms (and no - you can't zoom in or scroll them). The book has more than 60 verb tables and you can’t really use them. Again, see the photos attached.Is it still worth buying for Kindle? For me, the answer is yes. As I mentioned I also have the paper version of the book, this way I can reference Arabic text later in the evening. But if it wasn’t the case, I’d have it anyway because the English grammar explanations are comprehensive and are worth reading even without the examples in Arabic. As for the verb, pronouns etc. tables - they can easily be found on the internet anyway.Hope you found this review helpful.Thanks.

This is an excellent reference manual for MSA Arabic. I found it a useful reference for somebody who already has a firm grasp of Arabic and would like to gain a deeper understanding of the language. If you are a beginner, or even intermediate student, this really isn't the right text for you. It is simply too difficult to make sense of without adequate background. I majored in Middle East Studies/Arabic and also lived in the Mid East for a while--and found it just right for me. I selected this book a while after graduating to solidify and deepen my understanding of the extreme complexities of the language. I was not the top student in written Arabic (nor was I the bottom student), so perhaps a more exceptional student academically could make use of it with less experience. Personally, I did much better in spoken Arabic, but less so in written Arabic--so I needed (need) a book like this.The book does build from chapter to chapter, so skipping right to chapter 11, for instance, may be difficult for the average person. If you skip chapters, it assumes that you understand the previous chapters. The amount of material covered in this book is both its strength and it's weakness: if you are ready for over 700 pgs of complicated Arabic grammar (not a page is wasted), go for it. Again, I don't recommend this for any but the VERY serious intermediate student (any student of Arabic has to be serious--I mean serious even for an Arabic student), or advanced skilled Arabic user.I think it is best to look elsewhere if you are having trouble with a particular concept at a functional level. However, if you already understand the concept at a fairly functional level, and want to deepen your understanding, this book may be right for you. For example, verbs. If you in general know how to work an Arabic verb but want to know just how hollow verbs or assimilated verbs (/etc.) works beyond a basic recognition/survival ability, than this is a good choice. If you stumble with simple verbs then this is less useful--it will only confuse you with the level of detail.However, everybody is different--I tend to be much less grammar oriented, and much more "speak to me and I'll speak back--if you look blank I'll try again" type of guy, not the academic guy. I got this book to balance that, and got more than my money's worth. This book is exactly what it says it is, and if that's what you want, get it.

Excellent, with clear explanations, albeit rather technical at times, meaning that unlike what is stated in the introduction it is not really suitable for someone who is not familiar with grammatical terms. Still, anyone studying at this level jolly well ought to be!It appears to be very comprehensive and to cover things that are either not covered, not as well covered or not as clearly explained in other grammar books.This book should be on the bedside table of every student of Arabic!

Excellent serious book.

The book is THE reference book anybody learning Arabic should have in their library.It beats having to search the internet endless and/or bother Arabic-speaking friends who can't explain the grammar very well (like most native speakers in regards to their own mother tongue).

Haven't gone through everything but this book looks concise and thorough. It seems like an essential reference book for anyone learning Arabic.

An excellent arabic grammar, a masterpiece of academic work to the last detail of it, and pleasant to read. I don't know of any arabic grammar so excellent in finition in another western language (say french or german). Nevertheless, its last defect might lay in that it lacks being practical, for being too thick. I'm a professional but arabic isn't my specialty, though I learned it and practice it. And I don't find myself using this book for practice, as a matter of fact.