The primary intention of this book is to provide information on German as it is actually used nowadays, especially on points where conventional grammars and surveys of vocabulary are silent. It aims to help English-speaking learners to communicate effectively and accurately by developing an awareness of the subtleties of the language. It is thus directed at those who have mastered the basics of German, typically after three or four years at school or an intensive introductory course and are venturing into the complexities and subtleties of the language. It is not a comprehensive grammar, but it deals with those aspects of German grammar and usage about which such advanced learners may have questions, and it attempts to answer as many of those questions as possible.

The areas treated in this book can be grouped under two headings. First, there are those which result from variation within the German language itself. Learners can often be confused because everyday conversational German is often quite different from written German and from what they have been taught. German, just like English, has many alternatives and varieties – in pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. One purpose of this book is to explain for the English-speaking learner how modern German usage can differ widely, depending, for instance, on the formality or informality of the situation or on where the speaker or writer comes from.