The Ultimate Review and Practice
What is it?
“The most thorough and practical grammar book you’ll ever use.”
The Ultimate Review and Practice Series come in both Spanish
The French Edition is divided into five parts: verbs, nouns and their modifiers; pronouns, other elements of the sentence, verbs in two clause sentences, and idiomatic usage. The Spanish Edition is divided into four parts: Verbs – forms and usage, nouns and their modifiers; pronouns, other elements of the sentence, and idiomatic usage. It goes through each topic extensively and explains every grammar point very clearly.
There are hundreds of exercises for each grammar topic that give a lot of targeted practice. Also included are lists of vocabulary sporadically throughout the text to both expand your vocabulary and allow you to understand the examples and exercises they use.
Who is it best suited for?
These books are best suited for the intermediate user. They assume that you know some of the language and try to build on that knowledge. It is called the Ultimate Review and Practice because that’s exactly what it is. It is designed to drill you on your grammar so that you don’t forget it and, more importantly, you can use it and understand it on the spot.
It isn’t best for a complete beginner because it is a lot of information at once. If you are a complete beginner, you may want to start with one of the in 10 minutes a day books
How will it help me?
There is no way you could get through this whole entire book having read and studied everything and done all the exercises and not be able to communicate well in the language.
I really like how it is set up. They have a grammar topic explained well, several examples, a few sets of tough examples, and each chapter is finished off with an oral example. There are even reading samples from real world examples throughout the book.
It really makes you think. You have to work hard in order to figure out the exercises. As a bonus, there are tons of new words that you will probably have to continuously look up while simultaneously improving your vocabulary.
When you start an exercise program, do you expect to see the same results from a 20 minute light walk everyday or an extensive, sweat-drenching strength and aerobic circuit training workout? Of course not.
Those who find this book difficult will get the most out of it, but even those who consider it a nice refresher will benefit.
What is its best feature?
The best feature of this book is the practice it gives you. Each title brags more than 400 exercises which will really boost your speaking, writing, and reading comprehension. You could read through every grammar topic in a language there is hundreds of times, but you won’t really be able to use it until you understand how it works and should be used.
How should it be used?
This book should be used as a basic grammar textbook. Study it daily or at least once a week to learn new grammar points. The vocabulary is an added bonus, but you will be able to get even more vocabulary through thematic books and your own reading. As mentioned already, the exercises are fantastic and should all be done for maximum results. You will definitely get an Ultimate grammar review and practice with these books!
How much does it cost?
Probably one of the best aspects of this book is its price. With a college textbook that may not even be as extensive as this, they may charge up to $100 or more. The price of this book is about $13 on amazon. It is a real bargin! The price was one of the biggest reasons why I finally decided to purchase these books and I wasn’t let down.
Is it worthwhile?
I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now, but if not, I will tell you yes, it is worthwhile. It is one of my favorite language books. I can’t think of a better written textbook. I really don’t like calling it a textbook, even though that is really what it is, because it is very user friendly. You shouldn’t fell overwhelmed if you go slowly.
Conclusion
Buy the book. You will thank me. The only complaint I have with this series is that it only comes in two languages. If and when they make it available in more, I will definitely pick them up!