Archive for 'Grammar'
Intention Posted by Ginny on Aug 16, 2010
To express intention, use the short present tense of the verb + つもりだ 1) 町田先生の誕生日にケーキを作るつもりです = I plan to make a cake for Professor Machida’s birthday (まちだ/町田 = Machida. せんせい/先生 = Professor. の = particle. たんじょうび/誕生日= birthday. に = particle. ケーキ = cake. を = particle. つくる/作る = make. つもりで す = intend) There is…
To Become Posted by Ginny on Jul 29, 2010
なる can be used to show a change in state : 彼の娘はどうなりましたか = What has become of his daughter? (かれ/彼 = him. の = possessive particle. むすめ/娘 = daughter. は = particle. どう =how, in what way, about. なりました = became. か = question particle.) When using a noun to show a change in state…
Quote Marker と Posted by Ginny on Jul 11, 2010
Quote marker とcan be used to quote someone’s speech : 勅使河原さんは来週来ると言いました = Mr. Teshigawara said that he will come next week. (てしがわら/勅使河原 = Testhigawara. さん = Mr. は = particle. らいしゅう/来週= next week. くる/来る = to come. と = quote marker. いいました/言いました = said.) The sentence above is an example of an indirect quote. To…
Expressing Purpose Posted by Ginny on Jun 11, 2010
The particle に plus a motion verb can be used to express purpose : レストランにカレーを食べに行きました = I went to the restaurant to eat curry.(Or, I went to the restaurant for the purpose of eating curry. Or, I went to the restaurant in order to eat curry.) (レストラン = restaurant. に = to. カレー = curry…
Probably Posted by Ginny on May 26, 2010
でしょう can be a way to express probability, or a prediction or a guess. あの人が加藤さんでしょう = That person over there is probably Mr. Katō. (あの = that over there. ひと/人 = person. が = particle. かとう/加藤 = Katō. さん = Mr. でしょう = probably) If you want to indicate the possibility of something or someone not…
Please Don’t… Posted by Ginny on May 17, 2010
When you want to ask someone from refraining to do something, you can use the negative short form of the verb with でください. Here’s an example : ここで食べないでください = Please don’t eat here. (ここ = here. で = particle. たべないでください/食べないでください = please don’t eat) If you’re unfamiliar with the short form, maybe this page will…
Te Form + います Posted by Ginny on May 8, 2010
We’ve already talked about the て form + います as being used to express the present progress, but did you know that there are other uses of the て form + います. When verbs of movement like 行く (to go), 来る (to come), 帰る (to return), 出る (to go out), and 入る (to enter) is combined…