SparkNotes Italian Grammar Study Cards

Guess what! Since I began writing this review, I have learned that these are now out of print. They are, or were, a box of 600 flashcards focusing on grammar rather than the usual vocabulary. I believe I bought them by accident back in 2009 when I was first studying Italian, thinking that they were vocabulary cards.

I hated them instantly at the time, because my attitude was, grammar should be presented systematically and not fragmented into stupid little bite-sized bits of knowledge on small cards. Buy a book, I thought!

As it turned out, though, they were not half bad. Here is a sample question. “Conjugate avere (to have) in the present subjunctive for voi.”

Nonetheless, I still don’t think grammar is meant to be taught on flashcards, and it’s kind of a moot point anyway, since it is getting increasingly difficult to find these grammar cards. At this moment, for example, I can’t find them new online for close to their original $9.95 list price, though they are available used at Textbooks.com for $13.99 and new there for $32.50.

Don’t waste $32.50 on them. Buy a book instead.

By the way, the correct answer to the question above is abbiate.