N1 Grammar · Test 31

The correct answer is 2 (を思って). ためを思って is a set expression meaning 'thinking of (someone's) sake/benefit.' The sentence reads: 'When parents scold their children, it is something done thinking of the children's benefit, but that feeling is hard to convey.' The structure is 子供のためを思ってのこと = 'things done thinking of the children's sake.' を marks the object of 思う (to think of / consider).

• 1に思って (ni omotte) uses に, which is not the correct particle for 思う in this expression. ためを思って takes を, not に. に思う is not a standard collocation here.
• 3に思っても uses に (wrong particle) and also adds も (even), changing the meaning to 'even thinking of...' which does not fit the sentence's straightforward statement of parental intention.
• 4を思っても (o omotte mo) means 'even thinking of (their sake).' The も adds 'even,' which changes the nuance to a concessive ('even though thinking of them...'), but the sentence is making a simple statement about parental motivation, not a concessive one. The plain form を思って is correct.

• ためを思って（ためをおもって） — thinking of (someone's) sake/benefit; out of consideration for
• 注意ちゅういする — to scold, to caution, to warn
• 伝つたわる — to be conveyed, to get through (to someone)

Option 2 is correct: 疑いようがないものの. The sentence means 'Although his ability as a politician is undeniable, it is still too early for him to become prime minister.' Here, ものの is a concessive conjunction meaning 'although / even though,' which correctly links the two clauses: the first acknowledges his ability (a point in his favor), and the second states that despite this, he is not yet ready. 疑いようがない means 'there is no room for doubt; undeniable,' so the first clause says his ability is beyond question. The concessive relationship is exactly what the context requires — 'Even though he is certainly capable, it's still too early.'

• 1疑いようがないものを uses ものを, which expresses regret or reproach about something that should have been done but was not (e.g., 'should have done X, but didn't'). It does not fit here because the second clause (首相になるにはまだ早い) is not something that should have happened but failed to — it is a judgment/assessment. The concessive ものの is needed, not ものを.
• 3疑わないことはないものを has two problems. First, 疑わないことはない is a double negative meaning 'it is not that I cannot doubt → there is some doubt,' which weakens the acknowledgment of his ability. Second, ものを (regret/reproach) is the wrong conjunction for this context, as explained in option 1.
• 4疑わないことはないものの is grammatically well-formed (ものの = 'although'), but semantically it does not fit. 疑わないことはない means 'there is some doubt' about his ability. If you doubt his ability, that would be a reason AGAINST him becoming PM — so saying 'although there is some doubt, it's still too early' creates an odd logical relationship. The concessive ものの expects the first clause to be a point in FAVOR of becoming PM, which requires acknowledging his ability (疑いようがない), not doubting it.

• 疑うたがいようがない — beyond doubt; undeniable; there is no room for doubt
• ものの — although; even though (concessive conjunction linking two clauses where the second contradicts expectations set by the first)
• ものを — should have ~, but didn't; expresses regret or reproach about an unfulfilled expectation
• 疑うたがわないことはない — it is not that one cannot doubt; there is some doubt (double negative weakening the assertion)
• 首相しゅしょう — prime minister

Option 4 is correct: から言わせてもらえば. The pattern 〜から言わせてもらえば means 'if you would allow me to speak from ~'s standpoint.' Here, 田村 is humbly requesting permission to express his opinion from the sales team's perspective: 私たち営業の立場から言わせてもらえば = 'if I may be allowed to say so from our sales team's standpoint.' The particle から marks the viewpoint/perspective, and 〜てもらえば (conditional of 〜てもらう, 'to receive the favor of being allowed to do ~') shows that the speaker is humbly seeking permission to speak — appropriate for a subordinate addressing a 部長 in a meeting.

• 1に言わせていれば uses に instead of から. The viewpoint particle should be から ('from ~ standpoint'), not に. Additionally, 〜ていれば is the conditional of 〜ている ('to be in the state of ~'), which does not fit the pattern 〜言わせてもらえば ('if you let me speak'). This option is grammatically incoherent in this context.
• 2から言わせてやれば uses 〜てやる, which means 'to do something as a favor FOR someone else.' This would imply the speaker is letting someone ELSE speak from the sales standpoint, which reverses the intended meaning. The speaker himself wants to express his own opinion, not grant someone else the right to speak.
• 3に言わせてあげれば has two problems: (1) it uses に instead of から for the viewpoint, and (2) 〜てあげる means 'to do a favor for someone else,' which, like option 2, reverses the direction. The speaker should be receiving permission (〜てもらう), not granting it (〜てあげる).

• 言いわせてもらう — to be allowed/ permitted to say (humble expression seeking permission to express one's opinion)
• 〜から言わせてもらえば（〜からいわせてもらえば） — if you would allow me to speak from ~'s standpoint/ perspective
• 立場たちば — standpoint, position
• 方針ほうしん — policy, course of action
• 対応たいおう — response, measure, handling

Option 1「間に合いそうになかったら」is correct. The situation: Natsuko's train is delayed, the movie starts at 7, and she says she'll contact Tomoko again. The natural flow is a conditional: 'If it looks like I won't make it in time, I'll contact you again.' 「〜そうにない」means 'looks like it will not ~,' and adding「たら」makes it a conditional ('if'). This fits perfectly — Natsuko isn't sure yet whether she'll be on time, so she promises to update Tomoko if it seems she won't make it.

• 2「間に合いそうになかったから」uses「から」(because), turning the sentence into 'I'll contact you again because it looks like I won't make it.' This doesn't fit the conversational flow — Natsuko hasn't concluded she'll be late yet; she's still uncertain and promising to update Tomoko conditionally, not stating a cause.
• 3「間に合っていなかったのだから」uses the past progressive/perfect「〜ていなかった」(had not been making it in time) +「のだから」(because). This describes something that already failed in the past, but Natsuko hasn't missed the movie yet — the movie hasn't even started. The tense is wrong for this forward-looking situation.
• 4「間に合っていなかったのだったら」uses「〜ていなかったのだったら」, a past counterfactual-style conditional ('if it had been the case that I wasn't making it in time'). This is overly formal and refers to a past state, which doesn't match the real-time situation where Natsuko is still on her way and the outcome is undecided.

• 間に合う（まにあう） — to be in time, to make it (to an event/appointment)
• 〜そうにない — looks like [verb] will not happen (indicates strong likelihood of not happening)
• 〜たら — if/when [conditional]; used here to express a future condition

Option 2, 「といいませんか」 (Couldn't you say that...? / Isn't it that...?), is the correct choice. Speaker B is rhetorically asking for agreement or stating a shared impression: 'Couldn't you say that you feel relieved just by looking at it? It has such a warm atmosphere, and I like it.' This phrasing naturally leads into the following explanation of why they find the design appealing.

• 1「というでしょうから」 means 'because (someone) would probably say that'. This gives a reason, which does not fit the context of expressing a personal impression and seeking agreement about the design's atmosphere.
• 3「というでしょうが」 means '(someone) would probably say that, but'. The conjunction 'が' (but) introduces a contrast, which contradicts the following positive statement about the warm atmosphere.
• 4「といいましょうか」 means 'shall (I/we) say that...?'. This is used when hesitating or asking how to phrase something, which does not fit the confident, appreciative tone of the rest of the sentence.

• ほっとする — to feel relieved, to relax
• 雰囲気ふんいき — atmosphere, mood
• 〜といいませんか — couldn't you say that...? / isn't it that...? (used to seek agreement or state an impression)

The speaker B is the shop owner/staff talking about their own action of serving food to customers, so humble language (謙譲語) is required: お出しする (humble form of 出す, 'to serve/offer'). 〜以上 means 'since/because ~ (and therefore),' expressing a conditional reason: 'Since we serve meals to our customers, we pay the utmost attention to hygiene management.' The combination お出しする以上 correctly uses humble form for the speaker's own action and 以上 for the 'since → therefore' logic.

• 1お出しになる is respectful form (尊敬語), used for the other party's action. Since B is talking about their own action (serving food to customers), respectful form is inappropriate — humble form is needed.
• 2お出しになるうえ has the same wrong honorific direction (尊敬語 for own action) and also うえ alone does not function as 'since/therefore.' 〜うえに means 'in addition to,' which doesn't fit the logical relationship here.
• 4お出しするうえ uses the correct humble form, but うえ alone is not a complete conjunction meaning 'since.' 〜うえで means 'when doing ~' and 〜うえに means 'in addition to ~,' neither of which fits the 'since we serve meals, we pay attention to hygiene' causal relationship that 以上 provides.

• お出しする（おだしする） — to serve/offer (humble form of 出す; used for one's own action toward a superior/customer)
• 〜以上（〜いじょう） — since/because ~ (and therefore); now that ~
• 衛生管理えいせいかんり — hygiene/sanitation management

Option 2 (でしかないことに) is correct. The sentence reads: 「実はそれが世界のほんの小さな一部分でしかないことに気付いていなかった」= 'Actually, I hadn't realized that it was nothing but a tiny part of the world.' The structure is (N)でしかない ('is nothing but / is merely') + ことに ('the fact that') + 気付いていなかった ('hadn't realized'). The speaker is saying they failed to notice that what they saw was only a small fraction of the whole world.

• 1でないことにしか is ungrammatical here. でない is negative ('is not'), and 〜ことにしか doesn't form a meaningful pattern before 気付いていなかった. The sentence needs an affirmative 'is nothing but' meaning, not a negative 'is not.'
• 3にないことでしか breaks the noun-でしかない pattern. にない ('not existing at/in') doesn't connect properly to 一部分, and でしか before 気付いていなかった leaves the clause incomplete.
• 4にしかないことで attempts 'is only at/in' + ことで ('by means of'), which doesn't fit. にしかない modifies a place, not 一部分, and ことで would mean 'by means of,' which makes no sense with 気付いていなかった.

• でしかない — is nothing but, is merely (N + でしかない: emphasizes that something is only/merely N)
• 気付きづく — to notice, to realize, to become aware of
• ほんの — merely, just, only (used before quantities to emphasize smallness)
• 一部分いちぶぶん — a part, a portion

Option 4 (ばかばかしく思えるくらい) is correct. The sentence reads: 「今まであんなに時間をかけてたのがばかばかしく思えるくらい簡単に計算できたよ」= 'I was able to calculate so easily that it makes the time I spent before seem foolish.' The structure is (adverb) + くらい ('to the extent that...'), modifying 簡単に計算できた. ばかばかしく is the adverbial form of the i-adjective ばかばかしい ('foolish, ridiculous'), and 思える ('can seem / can feel') is the potential form of 思える/思う. Together: 'to the extent that it seems foolish.'

• 1ばかばかしい思いをするもので uses the adjective-noun form 思いをする ('have a foolish feeling') + もので ('because...'), which doesn't fit the sentence structure. The sentence needs 〜くらい ('to the extent that') to modify how easily the calculation was done, not a causal explanation.
• 2ばかばかしく思えるもので ends with もので ('because...'), which would make the clause a reason, not a degree modifier. The sentence needs くらい to express 'so easily that...'
• 3ばかばかしい思いをするくらい is closer in structure but uses 思いをする ('have a feeling') instead of the more natural 思える ('can seem'). The key issue is that 思いをする describes one's own experience of having a feeling, while the sentence needs to express that the past effort 'seems foolish' in retrospect, which requires 思える (potential: 'can be perceived as').

• ばかばかしい — foolish, ridiculous, absurd
• 思おもえる — can seem, can feel (potential form of 思う)
• くらい — to the extent that, so... that... (expresses degree)
• 計算機能けいさんきのう — calculation function (a feature of software)

Option 4 (待っていただくわけにはいきませんか) is correct. 木村 (the professor) is speaking to 山中 (the publisher's representative) and needs to ask him to wait 3 more days. 待っていただく is humble language (謙譲語): 'receive the favor of your waiting.' わけにはいきませんか is a soft indirect request: 'couldn't you possibly...?' / 'wouldn't it be possible to...?' Together: 「あと3日待っていただくわけにはいきませんか」= 'Would it be possible to have you wait three more days?' This is appropriately polite for asking a favor from someone who is technically a business visitor.

• 1待っておいでになります is honorific language (尊敬語) for 'waiting,' describing the other person's action respectfully. But it would mean 'you are waiting,' which is a statement, not a request. It doesn't function as asking someone to wait.
• 2お待ち申し上げております is humble language (謙譲語) meaning 'I am waiting (humbly).' This would mean Kimura is the one waiting, which is the opposite of what's needed — Kimura needs the other person to wait.
• 3待たせていただくことにしましょうか uses causative-passive + humble receiving, roughly 'shall I decide to have you let me make you wait?' This is overly convoluted and grammatically awkward for a request. The causative-passive 待たせていただく is not a natural way to ask someone to wait.

• 待まっていただく — to receive the favor of someone waiting (humble: 待つ + いただく)
• わけにはいかない — cannot, must not (here in question form: わけにはいきませんか = 'couldn't you possibly...?')
• 原稿げんこう — manuscript, draft
• 上あがる — to visit (humble: 伺う/上がる — here meaning 'to come to your place')

Option 1 (つもりだったかっていうと) is correct. The sentence reads: 「初めから宇宙飛行士になるつもりだったかっていうと、そうじゃないんです」= 'If you ask whether I intended to become an astronaut from the start, that's not the case.' The pattern 〜かっていうと、そうじゃないんです ('if you ask whether..., that's not the case') is a common rhetorical structure for correcting an assumption. つもりだった ('had the intention') + か (question marker) + っていうと ('if you ask') fits perfectly.

• 2つもりなのかっていわれたら means 'if someone were to ask whether I intend to...' — the いわれたら ('if told/asked') makes it about being asked by someone else, which is less natural than the rhetorical っていうと. Also つもりなの is more colloquial and doesn't match the interview register as well as つもりだった.
• 3つもりじゃなかったのかっていわれたら contains a double negative (じゃなかった + か) that would mean 'if asked whether I didn't intend to...,' which reverses the intended meaning. The speaker wants to deny the assumption that they intended to be an astronaut, not deny that they didn't intend it.
• 4つもりがなかったかっていうと uses つもりがなかった ('didn't have the intention'), which again creates a double-negative structure with そうじゃないんです ('that's not the case'), resulting in 'if you ask whether I didn't intend to, that's not the case' = 'I did intend to,' which contradicts the following sentence about wanting to be a doctor.

• 〜かっていうと — if you ask whether... (rhetorical: introduces a question then answers it, often with そうじゃない)
• つもり — intention, plan (つもりだった = 'had intended to')
• 宇宙飛行士うちゅうひこうし — astronaut