T?rk?e ??renay? seviyorum!, July 22, 2004

(based on the 1984 reprint edition)

I have been studying Turkish on my own for the past three months and G.L. Lewis?s Turkish Grammar is by far and away the most useful book on the subject I have come across.

My first exposure to the book was when I signed it out from our public library ? and overnight after just glossing through a few sections I felt my understanding of Turkish grammar had doubled compared to what I had learnt in the past couple of months. The layout is such that you can pick things up very quickly.

Turkish Grammar has an excellent layout which allows it to tackle the subject in a quite thorough manner - yet remaining concise with numerous examples with accompanying English translations to prevent the new student from getting buried under a mass of mind-boggling grammatical terminology. The terminology is still there for those who know it ? but not essential knowledge to find one?s way through the book. It is very easy to look up and locate specific details and find a quick answer to any questions or concerns.

Turkish has a notorious reputation for being a difficult language ? where in fact it is so analytical, consistent, regular and logical that (after mastering the basics of Turkish grammar) one has to seriously wonder just how foreigners are able to acquire even a working knowledge of English ? a language overflowing in inconsistencies and irregularity.

My only complaint ? and a minor one, at that ? is that it does examine some of the obscure stuff like the older Ottoman forms imported from Persian and Arabic which have become obsolete or rarely encountered in general daily language since the Atat?rk language reforms in the 1930s. Such material should have just been compiled together and included in a separate reference appendix ? because the general modern student really has no need to know about obsolete Ottoman usages. That all said, but if the book was going to look at the Ottoman language, it would have been interesting to have included for reference the old Arabic script which the Ottomans used. But this complaint is just a minor point and in no way blemishes this outstanding work.

If you only have one book on the Turkish language - this is THE ONE!

THE standard Turkish reference grammar, May 13, 2004
Reviewer: A reader
This is the best reference grammar of Turkish currently available, and has for years been the preferred reference of intermediate to advanced English-speaking students of Turkish. (Note: It is not a textbook, but a reference grammer intended to clarify and expand on what one has learned from a textbook or course. Also, it is a traditional grammar, with little of the jargon or theoretical speculation of "modern" linguistics.)

Its strength is the incredible richness of the material it contains, and the way that this material is explained. Lewis clearly loves the Turkish language, and has been collecting material and thinking about it for many years. He thus covers very many constructions that are simply not dealt with at all in other books. Moreover, he writes beautiful (British) English, and has a particular gift for finding an English expression that parallels the Turkish one so closely that the reader both gets and is able to recall the point.

Beginners in Turkish will likely find this book too much at first, but after getting their bearings in the language and looking to learn more, they will find this one a treasure-chest of information that is a pleasure to read.

Typical British scattered didactic style..., February 22, 2004

This book appears to be quite thorough, but in my view it is significantly lacking in structure that facilitates developmental acquistion of knowledge. It reminds me of a top-rated UK beermaking book I read long ago, which seemed like a random compendium of facts/tips from the master on high. American guides were much better, much more considerate in developing preorganizing schemata for the begining learner.
Nevertheless, it is a good book to slog through if you want to glean very detailed knowledge from the arrogant master.

A godsend if you need a thorough and logical grammar, February 5, 2003
Reviewer: A reader
Excellent grammar book! Mr. Lewis' book is supremely logical without being unnaturally systematic. The book covers the breadth of the lanuguage in a thorough yet extraordiarily concise manner. He, on occasion, will grace the reader with a bit of modest humor while remaining pertinent. Obviously an intelligent man who has an impressive grasp of the language and who from this learned perspective is able to break-down and effectively convey the grammar of the Turkish lanugage. The style is not for the faint of heart, but for those who are eager to grasp the scope of the language. Woe that he has not written a grammar for all the languages I have chosen to study.