Grammar

Particles

Particles (助詞, じょし, particle) are function words that show the relationship between words in a Japanese sentence. In JFT-Basic conversation questions, the four particles most often tested are で, に, を, and と. Particle で is used after a noun that indicates a tool, means, or method of doing something. The answer to the question 「どうやって行きますか」(どうやっていきますか, how will you go?) is 「電車で行きます」(でんしゃでいきます, go by train). You need to distinguish it from particle に, which marks a destination or time, for example 「会社に行きます」(かいしゃにいきます, go to the office). Particle を marks the object that receives the action, so the question word 「何(なに, what)」 used as the object takes を, as in 「何を食べましたか」(なにをたべましたか, what did you eat?). Particle と marks a person who takes part in an activity together with the speaker, as in 「友だちと行きました」(ともだちといきました, went with a friend). Particle が marks the subject of a sentence and is not used for a tool or an object in this pattern. Therefore, the role of the word before the particle determines the correct answer.

Verb Forms (て形・た形・ない形・辞書形)

Verb forms (動詞の形, どうしのかたち) in these questions consist of the て form (て形, te-form), the た form (た形, ta-form), the ない form (ない形, nai-form), and the dictionary form (辞書形, じしょけい). The て form followed by 「から」 expresses sequence, that is, the first action is done before the second action, as in 「手を洗ってから、食べてください」(てをあらってから、たべてください, wash your hands first, then eat). The pattern 〜てから must be distinguished from 「〜たから」 or 「〜るから」, which express cause. The pattern 〜ておく is used to express preparation done in advance for a later purpose, as in 「資料を作っておきます」(しりょうをつくっておきます, I will prepare the documents in advance). The phrase 「今日中に」(きょうじゅうに, by the end of today) often accompanies this pattern. The differences among the forms can be seen in the following table.