N3 Grammar · Test 1

で marks the means or method by which an action is performed. Here, 着物で means 'by means of/wearing the kimono' — the speaker attended the graduation ceremony wearing the kimono their parents bought them. This is the standard way to express 'wearing X to do something.'

• 1を marks a direct object, but 着物 is not being directly acted upon by a verb here; there is no transitive verb taking 着物 as its object in this sentence.
• 2が marks the subject of a clause, but 着物 is not the subject performing an action here.
• 4に marks a destination, target, or point in time, none of which fit the relationship between 着物 and 出席した.

• 着物きもの — kimono, Japanese traditional clothing
• 卒業式そつぎょうしき — graduation ceremony
• 出席しゅっせきする — to attend (a ceremony/event)

いつのまにか means 'before one knows it / without realizing it.' The sentence describes reading a book and then suddenly realizing 5 hours had already passed — the time slipped by unnoticed. This fits perfectly with the structure 〜たら、いつのまにか〜てしまった ('when I did X, before I knew it, Y had happened').

• 1そろそろ means 'soon / it's about time to,' which refers to something about to happen in the near future. It does not fit the past-tense completion 経ってしまった.
• 2だんだん means 'gradually,' implying a slow, perceptible change over time. But the sentence conveys a sudden realization that time had passed, not a gradual awareness.
• 3ようやく means 'finally / at last,' implying one had been waiting or working toward something. While it can appear with past tense, it does not match the nuance of time passing unnoticed while reading.

• いつのまにか — before one knows it, without realizing it
• そろそろ — soon, it's about time to
• だんだん — gradually, little by little
• ようやく — finally, at last
• 経たつ — to pass (of time)

〜にとって means 'for (someone) / to (someone),' expressing from whose perspective something is judged. わたしにとって今一番大切なものは… = 'For me, the most important thing right now is…'. This is the correct pattern for stating what is important/valuable from a personal standpoint.

• 1〜に対して means 'towards / in contrast to,' expressing an attitude directed at something or a comparison. It does not express 'from someone's perspective.'
• 2〜に比べて means 'compared to,' used for comparing two things. The sentence is not comparing the speaker with anyone.
• 3〜において means 'in / at,' used formally to indicate a location, situation, or context. It cannot express 'for someone's perspective.'

• 〜にとって — for (someone), to (someone) — from someone's perspective
• 〜に対して（〜にたいして） — towards, in contrast to
• 〜に比べて（〜にくらべて） — compared to
• 〜において — in, at (formal; location/situation)
• 飼かう — to keep (a pet), to raise

にしか pairs with a negative verb to mean 'only to (someone).' 山下課長にしかお目にかかったことがございません = 'I have only ever met Section Chief Yamashita (and no one else).' しか always requires a negative predicate, and here ございません (negative polite form of ある) fulfills that role. The particle に marks the person one meets (お目にかかる = humble form of 会う, taking に).

• 1にだけ means 'only to,' but だけ does not pair with a negative predicate the way しか does. にだけお目にかかったことがございません is unnatural because だけ expects an affirmative context.
• 3でしか uses で, which is the wrong particle for marking the person you meet with お目にかかる. The verb requires に, not で.
• 4でだけ has the same wrong particle で and also uses だけ, which does not pair naturally with the negative ございません.

• 〜にしか〜ない — only to (someone) — しか + negative = 'only'
• お目にかかる（おめにかかる） — to meet (humble form of 会う); takes に for the person met
• ございません — polite negative of ある/いる — 'not exist / not have'

ときでも means 'even when / even at the time of.' 図書館が閉まっているときでも = 'even when the library is closed.' The sentence explains that because there is a book post near the entrance, you can return books even during hours when the library is closed. でも attaches to とき to express 'even when.'

• 2ままで means 'while remaining (in that state).' 閉まっているまではで本を返すことができる is awkward and unnatural; まま focuses on something staying unchanged, which does not fit the intended 'even when' nuance.
• 3間だから means 'because during (the time when),' which would give a reason clause. The sentence needs 'even when,' not 'because while.'
• 4ところなら means 'if it is the point/moment of,' which does not fit the context of returning books when the library is closed.

• 〜ときでも — even when, even at the time of
• ブックポスト — book drop / book post (a slot to return books)
• 閉しまる — to be closed (of a building/facility)

The complete sentence is 「一度でいいから会ってみたいと思う人はいますか。」(Are there people who think they'd like to meet (someone) at least once?). The phrase 一度でいいから means 'just once is fine, so…' and connects to 会ってみたい (want to try meeting). The ★ falls in the third slot, which is から (option 4).

• 1会ってみたい belongs in the fourth slot, after から, forming 一度でいいから会ってみたい.
• 2いい belongs in the second slot, forming 一度でいい ('once is fine').
• 3で belongs in the first slot right after 一度, forming 一度で ('with just one time').

• 一度いちどでいいから — just once is fine, so…; if only once
• 会あってみたい — want to try meeting

The complete sentence is 「何という魚かわかりませんが、お刺身がおいしかったです。」(I don't know what kind of fish it was, but the sashimi was delicious). The structure is 何という+Noun+か (what kind of ~). The ★ falls in the third slot, which is 魚 (option 4).

• 1という belongs in the second slot, after 何: 何という (what kind of ~).
• 2何 belongs in the first slot, starting the phrase 何という魚か.
• 3か belongs in the fourth slot, after 魚, forming the indirect question 何という魚か (what kind of fish).

• 何なんという — what kind of ~; what is called
• お刺身（おさしみ） — sashimi (raw sliced fish)

The complete sentence is 「送る写真を今選んでいるところだから、もう少し待って。」(I'm in the middle of selecting the photos to send right now, so wait a little more). The pattern 〜ているところだ means 'in the middle of doing ~'. The ★ falls in the third slot, which is 選んでいる (option 1).

• 2写真を belongs in the first slot after 送る: 送る写真を (the photos to send).
• 3今 belongs in the second slot: 今選んでいるところだ (right now in the middle of selecting).
• 4ところだ belongs in the fourth slot, after 選んでいる: 選んでいるところだ (in the middle of selecting).

• 〜ているところだ — in the middle of doing ~; currently doing ~
• 選えらぶ — to select, to choose

The complete sentence is 「私は料理が苦手で、レシピを見ずに作れる料理はほとんどない。」(I'm not good at cooking, and there are almost no dishes I can make without looking at a recipe). The structure is レシピを見ずに作れる料理は (dishes (I) can make without looking at a recipe). The ★ falls in the third slot, which is 作れる (option 3).

• 1苦手で belongs in the first slot after 料理が: 料理が苦手で (bad at cooking).
• 2料理は belongs in the fourth slot, as the topic of ほとんどない: 作れる料理はほとんどない (dishes (I) can make are almost none).
• 4レシピを見ずに belongs in the second slot: レシピを見ずに作れる (can make without looking at a recipe).

• 苦手にがて — not good at; weak in
• 〜ずに — without doing ~
• レシピ — recipe
• ほとんどない — almost none; hardly any

The complete sentence is 「この島は、空から見ると人の耳のような形にみえることから『耳島』と呼ばれています。」(This island is called 'Ear Island' because, when seen from the sky, it appears to have the shape of a human ear). The structure is 人の耳のような形にみえる (looks like the shape of a human ear). The ★ falls in the third slot, which is 形に (option 1).

• 2みえることから belongs in the fourth slot, giving the reason: 〜みえることから「耳島」と呼ばれています (is called 'Ear Island' because it looks like ~).
• 3人の耳のような belongs in the second slot, after 見ると: 人の耳のような形に (like a human ear's shape).
• 4見ると belongs in the first slot after 空から: 空から見ると (when (you) look from the sky).

• 〜ような — like ~; resembling ~
• 〜ことから — because ~; from the fact that ~ (giving a reason for a name/judgment)
• 呼よばれる — to be called