An Italian Conversation Grammar, Comprising the Most Important Rules of Italian Grammar, With Numerous Examples and Exercises Thereon, English-Italian Dialogues, Hints on Italian Versification, and Extracts in Italian Poetry, Followed ... #265184

In bringing before the public this grammar, which is arranged in a way different from that generally adopted, I feel it incumbent on me to offer a few words of explanation.<br><br>I have throughout adhered to the deductive method, that is, I do not set any exercise before the student, except on points previously explained. I have always regarded as mischievous the system of setting exercises beyond the knowledge of the student, and in which one-half of the words are translated; these may be called exercises in writing, rather than exercises on grammar, and in doing them the student often loses sight of the very points the grammarian wishes to elucidate.<br><br>I have made the verb the framework of the whole grammar, as it is impossible to form a sentence without, it. I have also discarded the usual method of separating Accidence from Syntax, for it seems to me that such a separation has no existence in reality; I have combined the two parts, and gradually introduced the Syntax as I thought its knowledge would be required by the student.<br><br>Being convinced, as most people now are, that the best way of learning a foreign language is to translate into it from one's own language, I have added to this grammar a Short Guide to Italian Composition, comprising extracts in English prose, with notes to facilitate their translation into Italian.