Reading Greek: Grammar and Exercises

I'm a Latin instructor, and I've studied enough Greek to recognize the difference between good and bad Greek textbooks.This is one of the good ones. It focuses on accessibility and multiple method language acquisition. Unlike many Greek texts out there (e.g., I've heard so many students say this of Hansen&Quinn), there's no attitude of "only the best should study Greek, and if you can't adjust to outdated pedagogy then maybe that's not you." This combines the best of clearly presented grammar approach books like Crosby&Schaeffer with the reading and narrative approach of Athenaze.Is it a little annoying to have to buy three books to teach yourself? Yeah, but it's 10000% worth it.(I am submitting the same review for the other two books in the set.)

The back cover of this book boasts: "... the volume has been completely redesigned, with the use of colour."--Well, I own two copies of this useful book, and neither features colour. However, one of my teachers recently shared a photocopy with blocks of pretty blue interspersed between sections of text. My books have only grey, the dull color of cement (sometimes called "Mussolini grey"). And it gives one the feel of a cheap photocopy. We shouldn't be surprised, though; no matter how distinguished and ancient Cambridge may be, they too must obey the laws of profit. They, too, cut corners in order to maximize profits.Another disability is the streamlined, minimalist Table of Contents--It is NO HELP AT ALL!! When I want to review something, there is no information there to help me. Someone, it seemed, sacrificed content for the sake of (some sort of so-called) aesthetic! This book has many peculiarities that interfere with its utility, and it is useful; I reckon they did not have an independent eye actually check it out. The Table of Contents is an abomination, and it actually mentions NO CONTENTS whatsoever; so it is really a sort of CONTRADICTION!!!

Together with the Text and Vocabulary, this book takes advantage of modern language teaching methods. Although the books are geared for reading, the student reinforces reading ability with texts that are easy to visualize and with listening that adds to fluency. The student can further reinforce learning with writing exercises provided and with the student's recording texts in his/her own voice. Apparently the authors realize the limitations of the grammar-translation method for the majority of learners and in these books have achieved what needed to be done.Dr. Eli Ben-Joseph

This review is from the point of view of an adult self learner.WHAT IT ISThis book is part of a three-book set, which includes:1. Reading Greek: Text and Vocabulary2. Reading Greek: Grammar and Exercises3. An Independent Study Guide to Reading GreekThink of the set as one book broken up into three parts, with the Greek practice text from every chapter in book #1, the grammar and exercises in every chapter in book #2, the answers to exercises in book #3. Nutty, but it works.#1 Short passages of Greek text (with vocab lists at the end of each passage). Early passages are modern Dick-and-Jane "easy Greek" written especially to complement parallel sections of Grammar; later passages are simplified (and further on, not so simplified) passages from ancient texts.#2 Grammar theory, forms, and exercises all keyed to parallel passages in the Text. So when you study middle voice verbs in Grammar, you read the accompanying passage in Text, and see how that form works in real Greek sentences.#3 A. Translations of Text #1.B. Answers to exercises in Grammar #2.C. Hints and insights.WHICH TO BUY?This is an integrated set whose whole is much greater than the sum of the parts. You will want all three books. The TEXT complements the grammar, the GRAMMAR makes much much more sense when supported by the text readings. The answers to exercise in the STUDY GUIDE will show you stuff you missed learning--but you won't find that out unless you have book #3 to check your answers.[There are other JACT RG books with short Greek passages from ancient texts. You don't need them now (or ever, IMHO Loebs are better).]BAD STUFF1. In my experience this is NOT a good set for absolute newbies. It was originally designed in the 1970s when students started Greek after a year of Latin, and thus already understood inflected grammars. If you don't understand inflected grammars already, you may get lost. I did. I tried (the old version) of RG as my first learn-Greek-on-your-own book about 18 months ago, and was immediately lost.I'd suggest starting with Dobson's Learn New Testament Greek, them moving on to RG.2. Vocabulary selection is excellent, Attic prose wise, but you're forced to make your own flip cards or memorization list. Because Greek diacriticals are a bitch, making your own computerized flip cards is a major pain. In the internet age, JACT really should have vocab flip cards at their web site.3. Ancient Greek is still hard..GOOD STUFFSince giving up on RG the first time I've been through Dobson's Learn NT Greek and memorized the forms in Mounce's Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar. Now that I've come back to RG it makes much much more sense, and it seems to me the most excellent book.1. Simple Readings Cement Forms.After memorizing all the verb forms in Mounce, I found struggling with Greek text a frustration--passing each word through a memorized translation table. RG's solution is to teach your brain to bypass the form tables and recognize word endings-meanings directly. The reading for the Present Tense chapter is full of simple sentences like: "Dikaiopolis walks on the ship." "Then the captain walks on the ship." and "The sailors walk on the ship." - different word endings in each case. Over and over. Repetition, particularly repetition in the context of a memorable little story, cements recognition. (Of course you do still have to memorize the forms.)This is a whole additional layer of learning that you simply will not get from table-Greek books like Mounce, or tables-and-rules books like Mastronarde's Introduction to Attic Greek.2. Sentence Structure.It's not obvious till you've struggled a while, but ancient Greek has a layer of complexity on top of the alphabet and words. English brains extract word function--subject, verb, direct object--from word order; Greek brains extracted subject, verb, direct object from word endings; Greek sentences used word-order for other purposes. You've got to train you brain to process sentences a whole different way. Again, practice is the key. An RG has lots and lots and lots of text to help.By the time I was through RG chapter 7, I could pick up Loeb's Xenophon's Anabasis and quickly recognize (via case endings) the structure of each sentence (though of course my vocab still wasn't up to an unassisted reading). This was very exciting.Again, this is a whole additional layer of learning that you will not get from table-Greek books like Mounce, or tables-and-rules books like Mastronarde .3. Learn By Reading; Lots Of Readings.RG is not a tables-and-rules book with an expanded Examples section. It is an integrated system of teaching ancient Greek through a graded series of long and progressively complex reading passages. Again, a whole additional layer of learning that you will not get from Mounce or Mastronarde .4. Attention To DetailSomeone spent a long time getting the big stuff and the little stuff right...COMPARING 2008 WITH EARLIER EDITIONS1. The books are physically bigger, better laid out, with larger type and better fonts--much easier to read. A small thing that makes a big difference.2. The Grammar has been entirely redone, and is much much better.3. The Text readings are the same.4. The vocabulary has been moved from Grammar to Text, which makes the readings much easier. (In the old version you were constantly flipping book to book.)..COMPARED WITH ATHENAZENeither RG or Athenaze is perfect, but the both have lots of simple readings that I find most helpful. I've bought and used both, and would again.1. Athenaze also has very good readings.2. Athenaze is slower, with less complex early readings. Athenaze translations are also in a separate, 2d book.3. Athenaze has NO ANSWERS TO EXERCISES. The current 2003 edition of the Athenaze main text has exercises, but the workbook with the exercise answers was created but apparently never released. For me this is the TIE BREAKER. RGs exercises are very hard, but very useful. If you ace the exercises, you understood the material. If you didn't you didn't.

This book is very clearly written and gives explanations of forms and grammar that are quite easy to understand. Highly technical language is avoided which helps the student to grasp the concepts apart from wrestling with complicated nomenclature . The exercisesoffered are continuous and plentiful, offering many opportunities to work on those issues that demand more work.

Great quality of pages. The print is readable and clear. The material is helpful and takes you step-by-step. The problem is the absence of an answer key. It seems deliberate in Ancient-Languages Cambridge books.

This book is very helpful for the New Testament Greek I'm trying to learn. Has basics things that for an old person like me & needed a refresher. Like it very much. Use it every day. Of course, you must spend at least 2-3 hours every day to learn N.T. Greek.........

Good quality. Good delivery. Thank you Amazon!