About the Book
A second edition of a comprehensive Welsh grammar book for adult learners wishing to use the Welsh language in everyday situations, presented in an entertaining style with cartoon illustrations by a highly experienced teacher, comprising graded sections and useful exercises. Reprint. First Published in 2003.
About the Author :
Swansea-born Heini Gruffudd has spent his life teaching Welsh to children and adults, has for many years been at the forefront of the campaign for Welsh-language education, and is a prolific author of successful and popular materials for Welsh learners. The original version of 'Welcome to Welsh' has sold 70,000 copies since it was first published in 1984. 'Welsh is Fun', by the same author, has sold over 200,000 copies. Other titles include 'The Welsh Learner's Dictionary', 'Welsh Rules' and 'Talk Welsh'. His book 'Yr Erlid' won the Wales Book of the Year creative non-fiction award in 2013.
Review :
English review follows
Cyflwyniad hwylus i ramadeg y Gymraeg, ynghyd ag ymarferion i helpu’r dysgu, sydd yn y llyfr hwn. Mae symbolau’n cael eu defnyddio i nodi’r gwahaniaeth rhwng ffurfiau’r iaith lafar, iaith ffurfiol ac iaith ffurfiol iawn. Mae’r ymarferion yn cynnwys drilio, llenwi bylchau, cyfieithu, newid amserau berfau, a rhai mwy penagored megis ysgrifennu deialog, trafod neu ddadlau. Mae llyfr dan y teitl Exercises for Welsh Rules wedi ei gyhoeddi i fynd gydag ef i roi rhagor o ymarferion i ddysgwyr.
Mae yma 11 o Adrannau sy’n ymdrin â phwnc gramadegol penodol, er enghraifft Treigladau, Berfau, Arddodiaid, y Fannod, Ansoddeiriau, Rhagenwau, Adferfau, Rhifolion a Chymalau. Mae pob Adran yn cynnwys nifer o Gamau. Mae thema benodol i bob Cam, er enghraifft Gwaith Tŷ, Ysgrifennu Barddoniaeth, Teithio, Y Rhyngrwyd, Arholiadau, Hawliau Menywod, Gwarchod Anifeiliaid, Mewn Llys Barn, a llawer iawn yn rhagor. Mae yma hefyd Adrannau ar yr Wyddor yn Gymraeg, a chasgliad o idiomau defnyddiol, a geirfa Saesneg–Cymraeg o eiriau sy’n ymwneud â gramadeg. Mae llawer o hiwmor ynddo, yn y geiriau, mewn cartwnau a ffotograffau.
At bobl sy’n dysgu’r Gymraeg mae hwn wedi ei anelu. Mae’r esboniadau i gyd yn Saesneg. Mae’n dechrau o’r dechrau ac yn addas iawn i ddysgwyr ar bob lefel ar gyfer adolygu ac fel llyfr cyfeirio. Gallai fod o help i ddysgwyr profiadol i ddatrys y gwallau bach hynny sy’n pallu diflannu.
Mae rhestr Cynnwys fanwl iawn ym mlaen y llyfr, ac mae’r Mynegai yn y cefn wedi ei rannu’n ddwy restr, sef mynegai i eiriau unigol a mynegai yn ôl termau gramadegol. Mae hyn i gyd, a’r ffaith bod blociau duon ar ymyl allanol y tudalennau yn dangos lle mae’r Adrannau yn dechrau a gorffen ac yn nodi rhif y Cam, yn ei wneud yn hwylus iawn i gyfeirio ato.
Llinos Dafis
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This book provides a user-friendly introduction to Welsh Grammar, together with exercises to help learners of Welsh. Symbols are used to denote the difference between colloquial, formal and very formal forms of language. The exercises include drilling, filling gaps, translation, changing verb tenses, and more open-ended ones such as dialogue writing, discussing or arguing. A book entitled Exercises for Welsh Rules has been published to accompany Welsh Rules to provide more exercises for learners.
There are 11 Sections that deal with specific grammatical points, e.g. Mutations, Verbs, Prepositions, the Article, Adjectives, Pronouns, Adverbs, Numerals and Clauses. Each Section contains a number of Steps, and each Step follows a particular theme, e.g. Housework, Writing Poetry, Travelling, the Internet, Exams, Women’s Rights, Safeguarding animals, In court, and many more. There is also a Section on the alphabet in Welsh, a collection of useful Welsh idioms, and an English-Welsh glossary of terms relevant to grammar. It is all presented with a great deal of humour, both in the text and in the graphics.
It is aimed at learners of Welsh. All the explanations are in English. It begins right at the beginning and is suitable for learners at all levels both for revision and as a reference book It could be a help for experienced learners to deal with those little mistakes that will not go away.
There is a very detailed list of Contents in the front of the book, and two lists of indices are provided, one to provide an index to individual words and the other to grammatical points. All this, together with the fact that there are black blocks on the outer edge of each page to show where Sections start and finish and to provide the Step number, makes for ease of reference.
