On first impression, students of Hausa may view the verb grade system as an invention of formal linguists of no relevance to them. In fact, it is a wonderfully helpful practical tool for learning to speak the language. The grade system is the key to understanding the form, function, and meaning of Hausa verbs. In mastering the grade system, learners automatically expand their functional vocabulary and come to see the connection between related verbs. Moreover, in operating the grade system, students come to appreciate Hausa tone in terms of patterns and tone melodies.

Paul Newman is an American linguist active in the study of African languages. He has taught at Yale University, the University of Leiden, and the Centre for the Study of Nigerian Languages at Bayero University in Kano, among others. Currently he is Distinguished Professor at the Department of Linguistics, Indiana University. A great bulk of his academic work is on Chadic languages, especially on Hausa, e.g. The Hausa Language: An Encyclopedic Reference Grammar (2000), A Hausa–English Dictionary (2007). He is also the founder of the Journal of African Languages and Linguistics, a well-known journal in the field of African-language studies.