Customer Reviews:
 Indispensable for a Russian learner April 20, 2008
The last time I learnt a language I choose the Barrons 301/501 guide, but this time I decided to try The Big Silver Book, and I am very pleased that I did.
It's very clearly laid out and has easy-to-understand, but not sub-par or too-basic, descriptions of the different verb types and conjugations at the beginning of the book, as well as an extremely useful 'verbs of motion' index (Russian verbs of motion are far more particular than English - you cannot just say 'go', you must choose a particular verb for your mode of transport, then change the aspect according to whether the journey has been completed already, will be a return journey, or whether it has a specific destination in mind before its commencement).
There are some exercises at the back of the book (not as many as Barrons, but just as good quality), and although the book's title is 555 verbs, it actually contains details on over 2000 verbs in both perfect and imperfect aspect.
There are also example sentences under each verb, as well as proverbs and idioms for each verb, which help to bring the verb to life a little bit, showing it in genuine context (again, Russian verbs can prove complicated in that there are a choice of six possible noun and adjective cases to use after them. However, there are some patterns to this and this book has helped me a great deal to realise what they are).
Highly recommended for learners of any level.
 Nearly Perfect! February 1, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
For a beginner like me this really is an essential book. Each time I sit down to translate Russian into English, I use this book to confirm that the word I am translating is derived from the infinitive of the verb which the dictionary gives me. Why almost perfect? I do not understand the terms subjunctive, imperfect active etc, and would welcome an expanded section at the front of the book which not only explains these terms but gives simple examples, so that when trying to translate into Russian I would know which version of the verb to use.
An essential addition to the collection March 26, 2006
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Learning Russian can seem an immensely difficult task at times, which isn't helped by the fact that 90% of the relevant reference books are far too scholary or lacking. "The Big Silver Book..", however, breaks with this tradition and makes Russian verbs seem somewhat easier to grasp than I could have ever imagined! It covers all the conjugations you'd need to know and there are lots of vital examples to clarify usage. As a beginner/intermediate student, I have found this book very helpful and will no doubt continue to use it for years to come. I can't realistically imagine how a book on Russian verbs could be much better..
The bottom line is- if you are a student of Russian, you NEED this book!
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