[Review] Korean Grammar in Use – Beginning

Over the years, I’ve heard so many good things about the Korean Grammar in Use series but didn’t have a chance to use the books. My friend lent her “beginning” book to me last year to review, and I’m ashamed that I sat on it until now. Cos it’s really good. And I’m quite tempted to get the advanced version.

If you are a beginner in Korean and is looking for a grammar-focused book to complement your main textbook, look no further. I wished the book was published when I started learning in 2008 ): It would have been a great resource to use.

Claiming to cover all grammar points in TOPIK level 1 and 2, the book groups the grammar points into clear themes (e.g. particles, negative expressions, expressions of hope) and it’s very easy to find the grammar point via the contents page. It acts as a mini grammar dictionary for beginners, as the explanations are easy to follow for those who are new to the language.

Clear Structure and Explanation

For each grammar point, the book starts off with several example sentences, followed by a clear and detailed explanation of the meaning and its usage. This is followed by short dialogues (2 liners) to illustrate the use of the grammar point, followed by fill-in-the-blank exercises designed to test your understanding (answers provided). For certain grammar points, there is an additional section on explaining the nuances of similar grammar points.

All example sentences and dialogues come with the English translation, making it easy for the beginner learner.

As a additional resource to complement a main textbook, this is great. Period.

Most definitely recommended.

What I like:

• Clear structure, easy to follow
• Ample sample sentences, explanations are clear and concise
• Useful exercises with answer key
• Section on explanation of nuance differences for similar grammar points

What can be improved: 

• Nil 🙂