Ｌ10：文法

Question 1

how to ask a questions comparing two items?

Answer 1

AとBと　どちらのほうが（adjective）ですか。
instead of どちらのほう, you can say just どちら.
can also use どっちのほう and どっち. these are less formal

Question 2

how to compare two items? (saying something is more [adjective] than the other thing)

Answer 2

Aのほうが　Bより　（property）。
“A is more (property) than B”
note: the order of A and B may be switched, so it is important to note the suffixes, not the word order, when differentiating between the two

Question 3

how to ask a question comparing three+ items?

Answer 3

(list of items or general category) の中で (question word) が一番 (property)。

Question 4

in what cases is 何 used in questions comparing 3+ items, and when is どれ used?

Answer 4

何： when the question is asking about a general category (like “sports”)
どれ： when items to choose from are listed

Question 5

how to compare 3+ items? (saying that, out of all these things or this whole category, this thing is the most [adjective] out of them all)

Answer 5

(list of items or general category) の中でAが一番（property）。

Question 6

how can we express if we’re unsure if our answer is correct?

Answer 6

use 思います

Question 7

how do we avoid repeating a noun too many times and replace it with “one” (as in: “I have a black sweater. I have a red one too”)

Answer 7

replace the second mention of the noun with の, the indefinite noun. (only used for things, not people).
ex: 私はくろいセーターを持っています。あかいのも持っています。

Question 8

how do we indicate something is someone’s without repeating the noun? (ex: “it this Sora’s bag?” “no, it’s Mary’s.”)

Answer 8

state ownership and just omit the second noun
ex: 
「これはソラさんのかばんですか。」
「いいえ、それはメアリーさんのです。」
メアリーさんのかばん　⇒　メアリーさんの

Question 9

how do we describe what a person is planning/intending to do the future?

Answer 9

verb phrase (short form) + つもりです。

Question 10

how do we talk about an intention we had that did not materialize?
(ex: “we were planning to visit a temple, but we didn’t, because the weather was not good”)

Answer 10

we use the past tense

ex: おてらを見に行くつもりでしたが、天気がよくなかったから、行きませんでした。

Question 11

how do we use なる?

Answer 11

when it followed nouns or adjectives, it means something has become something (either implying absolute or relative change).

い adjectives:
final い　⇒　くなる
な adjectives:
adjective　⇒　adjectiveになる
nouns:
noun　⇒　nounになる

Question 12

how do we specify that the change we are talking about is relative?
(ex: Mary has become better at Japanese than before)

Answer 12

use comparison (like for two items)
ex: メアリーさんは前より日本語が上手になりました。

Question 13

how do we say “something” and “anything” for question words other than 何?

Answer 13

“something/someone/somewhere”:
question word + か + additional particle (if applicable)

“nothing/no one/nowhere”:
question word + additional particle (if applicable) + も
(used with negative)

Question 14

what particles can be used with something/nothing?

Answer 14

anything but は、が、and　を

Question 15

what is a new use of the particle で?

Answer 15

to describe means of transportation and use of instruments

Question 16

how to say: “we eat our meals with chopsticks”?

Answer 16

はしでごはんを食べます。

Question 17

how to say: “I saw a movie on the TV”?

Answer 17

テレビでえいがを見ました。

Question 18

how can we say we will do something somewhere else and will return to our current location (from which we are speaking)?

Answer 18

use て form of a verb + 来る.

Question 19

how to say: “I will get mom a souvenir when I go to a place”?

Answer 19

お母さんにおみやげを買ってきます。