French Grammar and Usage by Roger Hawkins, et al (review)

Reviews 231 Hawkins, Roger, Richard Towell, and Marie-Noëlle Lamy. French Grammar and Usage. 4th ed. New York: Routledge, 2015. ISBN 978-1-138-85110-8. Pp. 444. $50. This new edition is a welcome update to the previous versions. The same quality of information and explanation is included, as well as examples from current media and culture to enhance the presentation of complex grammatical issues. The volume begins by explaining how to best use the text while offering information about the register of language employed in the examples as well as how and when integrations are made of non-standard French. The authors also provide a glossary of grammatical terms which is useful for students who are not entirely familiar with the vocabulary used in the explanations. The main body of this guide includes seventeen sections that explore many of the difficulties and nuances that students encounter when using French language in increasingly complex situations. These include topics like nouns, determiners, relative clauses, numbers, measurements, time, quantifiers, and tense to name a few. The explanations are clear and not overly specific focusing on real issues learners face when they encounter a particular aspect of a grammar point. Furthermore , charts addressing the relevant and well-chosen groupings of topics and difficulties, show how to identify commonalities in the language. The examples reflect current usage of the language and intentionally nuanced explanation of topics that notoriously pose problems. The volume ends with an appendix that thoughtfully includes some tips on capital and lower case letters in titles and other terms often cited in written texts. In addition, there is an accompanying work entitled Practicing French Grammar that follows the points outlined in the aforementioned main text. While this text is presented in a traditional way with many mechanical exercises, they are excellent practice for learners. The selection of exercises represents texts from newspapers and literary excerpts giving them authentic value; students learn best when given real examples that they might encounter. The practice volume follows the updates of the fourth edition and incorporates different types of activities and uses of language. There are additional exercises to accompany these texts on the companion website as well that enhance the information. In sum, French Grammar and Usage is a wonderful reference for students who want to push their linguistic skills and understand the nuances of written language and hone their writing skills. This pair of texts would be highly useful in an advanced grammar course where students work through the difficulties and nuances of language. This would be a nice way to set them up for reading and writing at a higher level and inspiring them to engage in real texts and contexts. Eastern Kentucky University Randi L. Polk ...