Basics of Biblical Greek Workbook

Mounce has included many helpful suggestions in the preface for studying Greek, which should be followed. The footnotes throughout the workbook also help clarify and explain various grammatical issues, which arise in translation. Reference is often keyed to the grammar. There are also seven review sections placed throughout the workbook, which are helpful for review and for determining how well one is doing. Lastly, there is at the end of every chapter a helpful summary of grammar.

Occasionally Mounce seems to throw in rather difficult translations given the section which it is found in. Thankfully this does not occur to frequently. Another negative is that in the parsing sections there are not enough words to parse. It would have been helpful to at least double or triple the amount of parsing required in the workbook. The more words to parse the better it is to help in recognizing the form of words.

How should this workbook be used? First, the workbook should be treated as a test. One should carefully study the chapters in the grammar before the workbook is completed. The paradigms and vocabulary should be thoroughly memorized along with obtaining a good grasp of the grammar. Then after such study the workbook should be completed. Translation work can be checked using a good English translation. I found the New American Standard most helpful.

The student should also parse all the words in the translations. It would be helpful to develop a system to differentiate between verbals (verbs, participles, infinitives) and nominals (nouns, adjectives, pronouns). For example, I underlined verbs with two lines and nouns with only one line. Color-coding may also be a helpful method. The desire is for the student to recognize the various parts of speech within the clause.

Most of all it is important to recognize the end of this laboring in Greek. The purpose of studying Greek is to learn the original language of the New Testament in order to know the Bible better to know God better. Therefore studying Greek should be an act of worship. Glorify God in your studying!


A great workbook for a great textbook   May 18, 2000
 49 out of 49 found this review helpful

William Mounce's "Basics of Biblical Greek" grammar is probably the best Greek textbook available. The value of the textbook, outstanding as it is by itself, is enhanced by the quality of the workbook. Almost every chapter in the textbook has corresponding exercises in the workbook.

There's a lot of homework assigned in the workbook for each chapter in the textbook! But it's all worth it. The first part for almost every exercise in the workbook is parsing: declining nouns; parsing verbs. The second is translating selected Greek passages of the Bible into English. After every five chapters or so, there is a review exercise in the workbook testing the material in the chapters just learned.

There is no need to buy an answer key because all the answers to the parsing drills are found in the grammar itself--either in the glossary in the back or in the text of the substantive chapters. For the answers to the translations, any interlinear Greek-English Bible will do or even just an English Bible.

One of the best things about the translation exercises is that they gradually teach you how to do exegesis as you progress through the text. (The second year course--William Mounce's "A Graded Reader of Biblical Greek" and Daniel Wallace's "Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics"--concentrates on exegesis almost exclusively). The copious footnotes give all kinds of interesting theological and etymological tidbits that make translation really fun. This is additional to the sheer joy of being able to translate the Word of God yourself and seeing it in "color" through the Greek text instead of in "black and white" in an English translation.

Both the grammar and workbook are very user-friendly. It is almost as if Prof. Mounce is sitting next to you encouraging and, if necessary, cracking the whip over you. The workbook is a necessary complement to the grammar. I almost did not buy the workbook but am very glad that I did. William Mounce makes learning Greek possible without even having to set foot in a seminary class.


Needed as companion to the text   August 22, 2001
 27 out of 29 found this review helpful

If you are going to learn Koine Greek, it's going to take work. Truly Greek is not easy, but it can be done. This workbook will discipline you as you parse words and make translations. The answers are available on the author's website along with other good information. If you want to learn Greek, I do recommend the book and this workbook as your introductory texts.


Great workbook for a great textbook   May 19, 2000
 18 out of 19 found this review helpful

William Mounce's "Basics of Biblical Greek" grammar is probably the best Greek textbook available. The value of the textbook, outstanding as it is by itself, is enhanced by the quality of the workbook. Almost every chapter in the textbook has corresponding exercises in the workbook.

There's a lot of homework assigned in the workbook for each chapter in the textbook! But it's all worth it. The first part for almost every exercise in the workbook is parsing: declining nouns; parsing verbs. The second is translating selected Greek passages of the Bible into English. After every five chapters or so, there is a review exercise in the workbook testing the material in the chapters just learned.

There is no need to buy an answer key because all the answers to the parsing drills are found in the grammar itself--either in the glossary in the back or in the text of the substantive chapters. For the answers to the translations, any interlinear Greek-English Bible will do or even just an English Bible.

One of the best things about the translation exercises is that they gradually teach you how to do exegesis as you progress through the text. (The second year course--William Mounce's "Graded Reader of Biblical Greek" and Daniel Wallace's "Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics"--concentrates on exegesis almost exclusively). The copious footnotes give all kinds of interesting theological and etymological tidbits that make translation really fun. This is additional to the sheer joy of being able to translate the Word of God yourself and seeing it in "color" through the Greek text instead of in "black and white" in an English translation.

Both the grammar and workbook are very user-friendly. It is almost as if Prof. Mounce is sitting next to you encouraging and, if necessary, cracking the whip over you. The workbook is a necessary complement to the grammar. I almost did not buy the workbook but am very glad that I did. William Mounce makes learning Greek possible without even having to set foot in a seminary class.


Good companion to Mounce's Greek grammar   February 21, 2003
 12 out of 12 found this review helpful

I have only one real gripe with Mounce's grammar: it doesn't have enough (any) examples of real readings. This shortcoming is completely covered by this workbook. Of course, the workbook is almost useless without the grammar - so you need to buy both. This is even explained in the intro to the grammar: The two complement each other, the grammar providing the deductive descriptions of grammar, the workbook providing inductive readings. The two parts together are powerful and compelling.

Thus, the workbook consists primarily of readings - and all from the New Testament. Unlike some grammars, Mounce gives you the NT text right from the beginning. Unfamiliar words are glossed in the text. While this is a little jarring at first, my advice is to get used to it. Even after you graduate from learning Greek (or any language) and move on to "real" readings, you'll come upon lots of unfamiliar words. Even then, it'll be a process to stop reading, look up the word, and figure out how it fits in the sentence. I'm not an expert in Greek, but know Latin reasonably well, and I can tell you that very often I'll have to do this same thing reading "real" Latin texts.

So, I think Mounce's method is to get you used to doing this process right from the beginning. I believe this is a good idea - sometimes I wish my Latin learning had used this method.