Best French grammar books for all levels

Learning French grammar is highly beneficial. Firstly, your knowledge of the grammatical forms give you the structure you need to polish your speaking skills. Additionally, you will increase your reading comprehension and get a wider vocabulary.

As this can be a daunting task, I recommend to complete your learning journey with online French lessons. Indeed, a qualified teacher provides a learning space where you can activate your knowledge and use it in everyday life. So, are you ready to immerse yourself into the French grammar ? Here, you’ll get access to the best French grammar books for all levels.

Table of content :

• 7 tips to learn French grammar
• Complete French textbooks for beginners
• French Grammar books for intermediate learners
• Essential Grammar books to lift advanced French learners to fluency

Learning French grammar is a long journey. You should congratulate yourself for this !

While you can find an endless variety of materials, it can also presents challenges. And especially when you don’t know how and where to start. So how do you choose the right method to master French grammar?

• Know your level and your strengths

Before you find yourself stumbling over the nuances of the language, you need to have an idea about your level in French. Doing a quick test enables you to develop a great learning strategy. Do you need to start from zero ? Are you looking for a refresher on a few complex topics ?  Once you know your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll be able to choose the best course of action. And then, you will be able to select the appropriate materials and resources.

• Start slowly with easier tenses and structures

Now, if you are a beginner, try to concentrate on the easiest tenses and grammatical structures. You probably know that we have nearly 20 tenses in French ! However having an idea about the tenses you need to know will make you go a long way.

• Try to write a bit of French everyday

Depending on your leaning style, you could also take notes on a notebook, create cheatsheets or grammar charts. You can immerse yourself in the French language through using any support you find useful.

• Read French blogs, newspapers and magazines

Furthermore, when you read in French, you identify how French grammar works. You see the correct way to construct phrases and you can compare your writing with that of others. The important thing to bear in mind is that the source must be accurate. For example, you can find a great selection of newspapers on this blog.

• Watch videos, movies and series in French

You can also easily find YouTube videos about anything you might be curious about, and French grammar is no exception. From the most complex grammar topic to more cultural themes, you can find helpful content to help you improve your French.

• Download French apps

Finally, learning French grammar comes in all forms. Besides blogs, recipes and series, apps can also be useful for regular practice. There’s also a great selection of apps on the blog, such as Pimsleur, Memrise or Le Conjugueur.

• Don’t give up !

To conclude, my final advice : don’t give up ! You may reach a point where you feel everything is getting mixed up. For example, how come we have so many (confusing) pronouns : il, lui, le, leur, eux,… ? Why some verbs are so similar : ils ont (they go) vs ils sont (they are) vs ils vont (they go) ? I know this is unfair. But I promise you will get there, and we can achieve your goal hand in hand.

Today, you can access any grammar exercise online for free. Still, the convenience of having all lessons in one place is a good reason to invest in a good grammar book. Also, be careful as I find some mistakes or confusing explanations in free online materials. Here is a good selection to start :

Each of the 32 chapters of Grammaire en dialogues débutant provides :

• a dialog of everyday conversations level A1-A2 ;
• a clear grammar rule with examples
• a page of exercices.

Every five chapters you also get a few pages of additional exercises to practice. Plus, you have access to a CD for the dialogs to improve your comprehension skills. For very beginners, the A1 editionis also available.

For me, these are the best books of all times.

Great stepping stone, Easy French Step by Step provides a great introduction to pronunciation and grammar rules. Unfortunately there is no audio provided, so the choice depends on your preferred teaching style. However, this book can give you very helpful explanations and exercises.

Another great book from CLE International is Grammaire Progressive du français. Books level A1.1 (very beginner) or A1 (beginner) are available, as well as more advanced levels. Each edition gives you access to :

• 60 chapters following a clear curriculum
• over 250 exercices
• a CD audio to work on understanding and pronunciation
• 20 tests

Also this is new : the A1.1 version is finally interactive with online materials.

Once you feel confortable with the basics of French grammar, a lot of resources are available to improve your skills. This is the case for intermediate French textbooks. With so many options available, it’s always difficult to know what book will provide you the best value.

So for that reason, I’ve compiled the 3 best intermediate French grammar books. The three of them are great tools to keep practicing your French. Let see the content you can expect to learn.

Pratique Grammaire B1 is organized into 16 thematic chapters treated progressively. Very well structured, you will get a lot of practice :

• The rules: a reminder of the essential points
• 650 exercises with reviews and tests
• Recaps to check your progress
• The answers for an independent use

Once you have completed the B1 level, of course you could try the B2 level. And within this collection, you can also find Pratique Orthographe (spelling), Pratique Conjugaison (conjugation) and Pratique Vocabulaire (vocabulary).

Similarly to beginner textbooks, Grammaire en dialogues – intermédiaire is one of my favorite French grammar books. The book is so easy to use, making French enjoyable to learn. This support is a great supplement to someone who is living in a French country or wanting to improve his/her speaking skills. Really simple to follow and isn’t boring. Highly recommended !

Visual learners, Ma grammaire pour apprendre le français is for you ! This complete and colorful text will help you learn French easily thanks to :

• Simple explanations that adapt to all levels, from A1 to B2
• Lots of diagrams and illustrations
• And commented examples.

The index is well structured and enables you to find the topic you are looking for very quickly. It’s a useful help for individual learning and a good deepening of knowledge already gained.

Now, how can you push yourself beyond advanced French?

A little more formal study might be the boost you need to get you where you’re going. Here, you find top learning textbooks for advanced French learners.

We find there what makes the success of the French Progressive collection:

• A clear organization. You have the theory on the left page, a presentation in context of the grammar points and the exercises on the right page
• Progressive learning: it follows the natural progression of French methods
• Preparation adapted to certifications: effective training to better succeed in exams

You can also find a cultural dimension, a test at the end of each unit and a detailed index. The layout is clear and simple, and the exercises long.

Very thorough book, Les difficultés du français..for English speakers might appeal to learners looking for an original textbook.  It explains everything in French with an interesting layout and a nice use of colours inside. After explanations there are short grammar activities to test the new knowledge. You can also buy separately the answer book.

• The grammar points are grouped in a coherent way into chapters which take up the main grammatical categories ;
• The key phrases of the chapters are placed at the beginning, clearly announcing the issues that are addressed.

As a conclusion, don’t forget that there are many different ways to master French grammar. The best one will suit your needs, teaching style and level. True, I can’t promise you fluency in a few weeks. However, I can definitely help you achieve your goals.

We will build a plan and follow it consistently. And we can always adapt the course throughout the process.

To get started, contact your certified French teacher today !