1,755 Answered Questions for the topic grammar

05/16/19

Particle に to enumerate things?
I encountered several sentences where に was used—from my deduction of the context—to enumerate things. For example a character about to go somewhere, checks his bag if he has everything he needs :... more
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Grammar Japanese

05/16/19

verb た-form + そう, hearsay or observation?
`Verb る-form + そう` indicates hearsay. >帰るそうだ 'I hear he will go home.' 帰らないそうだ [Negative] `Verb masu stem (i.e. conjunctive form 連用形) + そう` shows information obtained through the senses,... more
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05/16/19

Is there any good book talking about clauses and phrases?
All grammar books I found underplay clauses and phrases; examples they give are simple and easy to understand, but in reality there are lots of long sentences made up of several clauses and phrases... more
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05/16/19

Multiple 'as' (subordinate conjunction) in the same sentence?
> Performance is poor as losses have increased and are projected to remain negative going forward as the company works through problem assets and realizes related expense. Is this sentence... more
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Grammar English

05/16/19

Stacy got to go on a vacation to the beach but it rained every day she was there.
What should the writer do to correct this sentence?Add a comma after "day"The sentence is correctChange "there" to "their"
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05/16/19

What is a noun modifying clause?
This is actually a question that came up when I was studying Japanese. Unfortunately my grasp of the technical language of syntax is very limited, and I never fully comprehended the idea of a *noun... more
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05/15/19

Usage of と at the end of a sentence?
I'm having trouble translating this sentence from a manga. A guy who's already dead is talking to another. He says: 私を殺したあの時と And then the next page, it's only this speech bubble: 何一つ I would... more
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05/15/19

What is the significance of の in 「鳥の詩」?
I've seen it used in many places, and sometimes it feels like a connection between words. For example in 「鳥の詩」 (tori no uta), it looks as if the の is connecting 鳥 (tori) and 詩 (uta), and I would... more
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05/15/19

Varying word order for stylistic effect?
Sometimes, for stylistic or rhetorical effect, one wants to delay mentioning a word/concept until the end of a sentence. For example, it's often best to save the punchline for the very end: > I... more
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05/15/19

How to say "to nothing" with a positive verb in Japanese?
Since なにも seems to only mean nothing with a negative verb if you want to use a phrase for example "The dog barked at nothing" in Japanese how would you express it? Is it 犬がなにもに吠えなかった because that... more
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05/15/19

How many verb endings to express "do this (please)"?
I'm familiar with the て and てください forms of a verb to give a command/request and request, respectively. However, I've run across these other forms and really don't know which to use in what... more
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05/15/19

Is it ok to use ～て下さりました instead of ～ていただきました?
Just to avoid repeatedly saying いただきました too much, can I occasionally switch it with 下さりました or 下さいました?
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05/15/19

What is the difference between "〜がる" and "〜がっている"?
I want to know the difference between `〜がる` and `〜がっている`, and in what situations I can use them. My friend said `〜がる` is used for a regular activity that someone does every day or every week, and... more
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05/15/19

Quando usare "egli", "ella", "esso", "essa", "essi", "esse" invece di "lui", "lei" o "loro"?
Non riesco a capire in quali situazioni è necessario o conveniente usare i pronomi "egli", "ella", "esso", "essa", "essi", "esse" invece di "lui", "lei" o "loro". Potreste spiegarmelo?
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05/15/19

What is the difference between なぜなら、だから、and なので？
I'm trying to get clarification on how to use these three pieces of grammar and whether or not they all hold some kind of "Because" meaning.
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Grammar Japanese Nuances

05/15/19

what's the difference between 話をする and 話す?
I'm trying to understand the nuances between 話をする and 話す. When is one used over the other? I'm reviewing A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, and it has the following example... more
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Grammar Japanese

05/15/19

Why is 楽しみに！wrong?
I was corrected on Lang-8 website that I should write 楽しみ！or 楽しみにしています！instead of 楽しみに！. And I don't understand why. Help please. 教えてくださいませんか。
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05/15/19

What does it mean when この is in front of a personal pronoun?
As in このオレさま and この僕も. I know the literal translation, but I never understood what the intent of it is.
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Grammar Sat

05/15/19

When do adjective clauses require a comma to introduce them?
Sometimes I see sentences in which a comma precedes the adjective clause, as in: The doctor, who treated my illness, has retired. Other times, I see it with no comma, as in: The doctor who... more
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05/15/19

Double negation: unless followed by a negative verb form?
We will not cancel the game if the weather gets better. Replacing "if" with "unless", you end up with either: "We will cancel the game unless the weather gets better." or "We will **not** cancel... more
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05/15/19

Do "direct object を" and "directional を" occupy the same slot?
*A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar* (ADoBJG) lists more than one を particle. In particular: - On page 347, it lists **o**<sup>1</sup>, *a particle which marks a direct object*. -... more
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Grammar Japanese

05/15/19

What is the difference between でなくand ではなく？
This is the sentence I have just read: >外国へ行くとしたら、ただの旅行ではなく、勉強を 目的として 行きたい。 If I ever have a chance to go abroad then I would like to go to study rather than just travel. The は　feels... more
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Grammar Japanese

05/15/19

Typo or am I missing something? 「ドイツ語も勉強しないとですね。」?
Context: I have been chatting with a Japanese girl who is going to move to Germany, and I asked if she had any experience with the German language and told her I had been considering learning... more
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Grammar Japanese Meaning

05/14/19

Is there a subtle difference between 少なくても and 少なくとも？
My sense is that the meaning is identical but that 少なくとも is somewhat more formal than 少なくても. Is that observation valid?
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05/14/19

Should I use " related" or "-related"?
What is **the correct use of the term *"related?"*** For example, should I use it like *computer related*, or is it more proper to use *computer-related* (where the word *"computer"* is just part... more
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