This is by far my favorite book on Arabic grammar -- it is well organized, easy to follow, systematic and thorough. This book however is not for people who wish to start learning Arabic, rather it is better suited for students of Arabic who already have a couple of years under their belt and want a one stop reference for grammar.
It is perfect for review and editing - it has come in handy on MANY occasions for me.
The author uses a lot of linguistic jargon and this book is not designed for learning Arabic - it assumes that the reader has a decent grasp of Arabic.

SubhanAllah(Praise be to Allah), not only does this book greatly presents Arabic grammar but also makes you understand the English counterpart also. 2 in 1 deal, even though it is an Arabic Grammar reference but it will also increase you English vocabulary and strengthen you English grammar rules also.

I love, love, love this book, at last all of the mysteries explained. The ista prefix, helping vowels, hamza in detail and a whole page on Waa, all the connectors and more!!!. The downside, it is the size of a phonebook which makes it difficult to handle, I am afraid the binding will break, maybe it should be in two volumns

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. If you understand the concept at some 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.

I have been studying Arabic for two years and this book is MUCH better at explaining Arabic grammar than the Ahlan wa Sahlan series by Mahdi Alosh. Though it is really dry (after all it is a reference guide), Ryding is much more concise and consistent than Alosh. She also presents the material in a sequential order that is more conducive to learning complex Arabic structure. I find this to be the most frustrating aspect of the Ahlan wa Sahlan series. Ryding also provides an excellent guide for Arabic verb structure which is the foundation of the language. Alosh only hits on it occassionally and well after a student of Arabic should be exposed to it.



The reason I am giving it 4 stars, instead of 5 is because she does get a little too technical with the usage of English grammar concepts. However, she does provide a good explanation for why she does this and it does help provide a better understanding of how Arabic relates.



I hightly recommend this guide as a companion to any university Arabic program. Wish I had discovered it two years ago!!

I have been studying Arabic for two years and this book is MUCH better at explaining Arabic grammar than the Ahlan wa Sahlan series by Mahdi Alosh. Though it is really dry (after all it is a reference guide), Ryding is much more concise and consistent than Alosh. She also presents the material in a sequential order that is more conducive to learning complex Arabic structure. I find this to be the most frustrating aspect of the Ahlan wa Sahlan series. Ryding also provides an excellent guide for Arabic verb structure which is the foundation of the language. Alosh only hits on it occassionally and well after a student of Arabic should be exposed to it.

The reason I am giving it 4 stars, instead of 5 is because she does get a little too technical with the usage of English grammar concepts. However, she does provide a good explanation for why she does this and it does help provide a better understanding of how Arabic relates.

I hightly recommend this guide as a companion to any university Arabic program. Wish I had discovered it two years ago!!

Found the book in good condition and on time

In 39 crisp chapters covering more than 700 pages Ryding organizes both the grand lines and essential details of Arabic language structure and grammar. This is a highly readable, easily searched linguistic reference. The index really does the job and her list of references alone is a significant academic contribution. Finally, this gem will make life easier for both students of Arabic and researchers. All my thumbs are up for this once in a lifetime linguistic treasure.