N2 Grammar · Test 34

Option 1 「ことにあったはずだ」is correct. ことにある means 'to lie in / to be (the purpose is to…),' and はずだ means 'was supposed to.' Together: 'The purpose of the meeting was supposed to be to freely exchange ideas for new products.' The pattern 目的は〜ことにある ('the purpose is to…') is the correct grammatical structure, and はずだ expresses the expected purpose that was not fulfilled (contrasted by が、結局…終わった).

• 2「ことにあったためだ」— ためだ means 'because / the reason is,' which does not fit. The sentence is not giving a reason; it's stating what the purpose was supposed to be, then contrasting it with what actually happened.
• 3「のにあったはずだ」— のにあった is grammatically incorrect in this pattern. The correct expression is 目的は〜ことにある ('the purpose lies in doing…'), not のにある. の would make it 'the purpose was in (noun) にあった,' but here a verb phrase (出し合う) precedes, requiring こと.
• 4「のにあったためだ」— both errors combined: のにあった is the wrong pattern (should be ことにあった), and ためだ ('because') does not fit the sentence structure.

• 〜ことにある — to lie in (doing); the purpose is to
• 〜はずだ — was supposed to; should be (expresses expectation)

Option 4 「このままでいいのだろうか」is correct. このままでいい means 'is it okay to stay like this / is it fine as things are.' だろうか expresses self-questioning. Together: 'Is it really okay to keep living like this?' This natural moment of self-doubt — questioning whether continuing the current lifestyle is acceptable — directly motivates the decision to change jobs (転職を決めた).

• 1「このままならいいのではないか」— This means 'Wouldn't it be good if things stay as they are?' which is positive about the status quo. This contradicts the decision to change jobs; someone satisfied with staying as they are would not quit.
• 2「このままがいいのではないか」— This means 'Isn't it better to stay as things are?' — again expressing satisfaction with the current situation, which contradicts changing jobs.
• 3「このままよりいいのだろうか」— This means 'Would there be something better than staying as is?' While this could theoretically lead to job-hunting, the phrasing is unnatural as an internal monologue. The more natural and direct self-questioning that leads to a major life decision is 'Is it really okay to stay like this?' (option 4), not a comparative 'Is there something better?'

• このまま — as things are; like this (without change)
• 〜でいい — is fine with; is acceptable as
• 〜のだろうか — I wonder if…; is it really…? (self-questioning)

The correct order is: 3課の文法の練習問題を [2.解いた][3.ところ][★4.まで][1.で] 終わったよ。『〜ところまでで終わった』means 'we finished up to the point of ~'. Here, 解いたところまでで終わった means 'we finished up to the point of having solved the practice problems.' The ★ position is filled by まで, forming the structure 〜ところまでで (up to the point of ~).

• 1で cannot go at the ★ position. で is needed at the end to form 〜までで終わった (finished at/up to ~). Placing で at ★ would break the grammatical structure.
• 2解いた cannot go at the ★ position. 解いた must come before ところ to form 解いたところ (the point/state of having solved), which is then followed by まで.
• 3ところ cannot go at the ★ position. ところ must directly follow 解いた to form 解いたところ (the state of having just solved). Placing ところ at ★ would separate it from 解いた and break the pattern.

• ところまで — up to the point/state of ~; indicating the extent reached
• 解とく — to solve (a problem)

The correct order is: ひとくちに [4.カレーライス][★2.といっても][1.それぞれの店][3.によって] 材料はさまざまだ。『ひとくちに〜といっても』means 'even though you say ~ in one word / even speaking broadly of ~.' The full sentence means: 'Even speaking broadly of curry rice, the ingredients vary depending on each restaurant.' The ★ position is filled by といっても, connecting カレーライス to the rest.

• 1それぞれの店 cannot go at the ★ position. It must come after といっても and before によって to form それぞれの店によって (depending on each store).
• 3によって cannot go at the ★ position. It must follow それぞれの店 to form それぞれの店によって (depending on each store).
• 4カレーライス cannot go at the ★ position. It must come right after ひとくちに to form ひとくちにカレーライスといっても (even speaking broadly of curry rice).

• ひとくちに〜といっても — even speaking broadly of ~; even though one calls it ~ in a word
• によって — depending on ~; varies by ~

The correct order is: 田中さんはいつも [3.人の][4.やることに][★1.文句を言う][2.ばかりで] 自分では何もしない。『人のやることに文句を言うばかりで』means 'just complaining about what others do.' The full sentence means: 'Tanaka always just complains about what others do, but does nothing himself.' The ★ position is filled by 文句を言う, which connects 人のやることに (about what others do) with ばかりで (just/only ~ing).

• 2ばかりで cannot go at the ★ position. ばかりで must follow 文句を言う to form 文句を言うばかりで (just complaining), which then connects to 自分では何もしない (does nothing himself).
• 3人の cannot go at the ★ position. 人の must come first, before やることに, to form 人のやることに (about what others do).
• 4やることに cannot go at the ★ position. やることに must follow 人の to form 人のやることに (about what others do), which is the target of 文句を言う.

• 文句を言う（もんくをいう） — to complain, to grumble
• 〜ばかりで — just/only doing ~ (with negative nuance, implying nothing else is done)
• 人ひとのやること — what other people do

The sentence expresses a contrast: 'I just ate, yet I'm already getting hungry.' 〜たばかり means 'just did something' (食べたばかり = just ate), and というのに means 'even though.' Together: 食べたばかりだというのに = 'even though I just ate.' This perfectly conveys the unexpected contrast between having just eaten and already being hungry again.

• 1すぐのことだが uses が (contrastive 'but'), which could work, but 食べたすぐのこと is not natural Japanese — すぐ is an adverb and does not naturally modify のこと in this way. The standard expression is 〜たばかり.
• 2ばかりのことだが is not a standard grammatical pattern. 〜たばかり by itself already means 'just did,' and adding のことだが is unnatural and redundant.
• 3すぐだというのに has the same problem as option 1: 食べたすぐだ is not natural Japanese. すぐ is an adverb and cannot directly follow 食べた in this manner.

• 〜たばかり — just did something (indicates an action was completed very recently)
• というのに — even though, despite the fact that
• さっき — a little while ago, just now

The sentence means: 'When deciding on a university, it is important to think carefully about whether you really want to go to that university or not.' 行きたいのかどうか breaks down as: 行きたい (want to go) + の (nominalizer) + かどうか (whether or not). This creates the noun phrase 'whether or not you want to go,' which is the object of じっくり考える (think carefully about). The pattern 〜かどうか is essential for expressing 'whether or not.'

• 1行こうがどうか uses the volitional form 行こう, which is unnatural here. The standard pattern is 行くかどうか or 行きたいかどうか, not 行こうがどうか. This form is not grammatically standard.
• 2行きたいというのは means 'the thing called wanting to go is…' — this would make the sentence mean 'the fact that you want to go to the university, thinking carefully is important,' which is grammatically broken and does not express 'whether or not.'
• 3行こうというのは means 'the thing called trying to go is…' — same structural problem as option 2. It does not express 'whether or not' and breaks the sentence flow.

• 〜かどうか — whether or not
• じっくり — carefully, thoroughly
• 重要じゅうよう — important

The correct option is 3 (誰か). The full sentence is: 「三姉妹の中の誰かじゃないかと思うんだけど、ほかの人もみんな怪しいんだよなあ。」(I think it might be someone among the three sisters, but everyone else looks suspicious too.) The order is 4→1→★(3)→2. The phrase 「三姉妹の中の誰かじゃないか」means 'someone among the three sisters, isn't it?' — a natural guess about the culprit in a drama. The ★ falls on 誰か (option 3).

• 1中の (option 1) belongs in the second slot: 三姉妹の中の (among the three sisters). It cannot be the ★ word because it must come before 誰か.
• 2じゃないか (option 2) belongs in the fourth slot, forming じゃないかと思う (I think it might be ~). It comes after 誰か, not at the ★ position.
• 4三姉妹の (option 4) belongs in the first slot, setting up the topic 'of the three sisters.' It must come before 中の, so it cannot be at ★.

• 三姉妹さんしまい — three sisters
• 怪あやしい — suspicious, dubious
• 〜じゃないかと思う（〜じゃないかとおもう） — I think it might be ~ (expressing a tentative guess)

The correct option is 2 (新しいのが出たりしたら). The full sentence is: 「新しいパソコンが欲しいが、今あわてて買って、何か月もしないうちに新しいのが出たりしたら悔しいから、しばらく様子を見ようと思う。」(I want a new PC, but if I buy one in a hurry now and a new model comes out within just a few months, I'd be frustrated, so I'll wait and see for a while.) The order is 3→4→★(2)→1. The ★ falls on 新しいのが出たりしたら (option 2), which is the condition clause: 'if a new one comes out.'

• 1悔しいから (option 1) belongs in the fourth slot, giving the reason for waiting: 'because it would be frustrating.' It comes after the conditional clause, not at ★.
• 3今あわてて買って (option 3) belongs in the first slot: 'buying in a hurry now.' It sets up the scenario before the time expression.
• 4何か月もしないうちに (option 4) belongs in the second slot: 'within just a few months.' It must come after 今あわてて買って and before 新しいのが出たりしたら.

• あわてて — in a hurry, hastily
• 様子を見る（ようすをみる） — to wait and see how things go
• 悔くやしい — frustrating, regrettable
• 〜たりしたら — if (something like) ~ happens

The correct option is 1 (うまく). The full sentence is: 「お互い感情的になっていると、冷静に話そうとしてもうまくいかないものだ。」(When both sides are emotional, even if you try to talk calmly, things don't go well.) The order is 2→4→★(1)→3. The ★ falls on うまく (option 1), which modifies いかない to form うまくいかない (things don't go smoothly).

• 2冷静に話そう (option 2) belongs in the first slot: 'try to talk calmly.' It must come before としても.
• 3いかない (option 3) belongs in the fourth slot, completing うまくいかない (don't go well). It comes after うまく, not at ★.
• 4としても (option 4) belongs in the second slot, forming 冷静に話そうとしても (even if one tries to talk calmly). It connects the volitional form to the concessive meaning.

• 感情的かんじょうてき — emotional (in a negative sense, acting on feelings)
• 冷静れいせい — calm, composed
• 〜としても — even if one tries to ~
• うまくいかない — things don't go well/successfully
• 〜ものだ — it is the nature of things that ~ (expressing a general truth)