N3 Grammar · Test 1

1.両親に買ってもらった着物（　）大学の卒業式に出席した。
1. 1 を
2. 2 が
3. 3 で
4. 4 に
Show answer

Answer: 3. で
で'wearing, by means of ~', after a noun for method, material or clothing

両親に買ってもらった着物で大学の卒業式に出席した。
I attended my university graduation ceremony in the kimono my parents bought for me.

出席した means 'attended' and cannot take a direct object, so を is impossible. The 着物きもの is what the speaker wore, and clothing worn is marked with で, as in 着物で出かける. The clue is the intransitive 出席する plus a clothing noun, which calls for means, not destination に or subject が.

Remember
Spot clothing plus a going or attending verb: 制服せいふくで学校に行く, スーツで出勤する. That で is means, not location.
See で Marks the location of an action, or the means or method used →See で Indicates the tool, method, or means used to do something →
Why not the others
- 1を
  を marks the direct object of a transitive verb. 出席する is intransitive and means 'to attend, to be present', so it cannot take を here.
- 2が
  が marks the subject. The subject here is the unspoken speaker, not the kimono, so が would wrongly make the kimono the one attending.
- 4に
  に marks destination, time, or recipient. The kimono is not a destination or recipient of 出席した, it is what was worn, so に fails.
Words
- 両親りょうしんparents
- 着物きものkimono
- 卒業式そつぎょうしきgraduation ceremony
- 出席しゅっせきするto attend
2.本を読んでいたら、（　）5時間も経ってしまった。
1. 1 そろそろ
2. 2 だんだん
3. 3 ようやく
4. 4 いつのまにか
Show answer

Answer: 4. いつのまにか
いつのまにか'before one knew it', for a change noticed only afterwards

本を読んでいたら、いつのまにか5時間も経ってしまった。
I was reading a book, and before I knew it, as much as five hours had passed.

The clue is 5時間も経ってしまった. も stresses the large amount and てしまった shows surprise that time passed without noticing. いつのまにか means 'before one knew it' and exactly expresses noticing only afterwards.

Remember
Use いつのまにか for noticing after, だんだん for change noticed during, ようやく for success after effort, and そろそろ for something about to happen.
Why not the others
- 1そろそろ
  そろそろ means 'soon, almost time to'. It points to an upcoming action, not a completed 5 hours looked back on in surprise.
- 2だんだん
  だんだん means 'gradually, little by little'. It describes a slow change observed while it happens, not a change realized only after 5 hours.
- 3ようやく
  ようやく means 'at last, finally after effort'. It needs a difficult process before achievement, not surprise at unnoticed time passing.
Words
- 経たつto pass (of time)
- てしまうto end up doing (with surprise or regret)
3.A「部長の田中とお会いになるのは今日が初めてですか。」 B「はい。山下課長（　）お目にかかったことがございませんので。」
1. 1 にだけ
2. 2 にしか
3. 3 でしか
4. 4 でだけ
Show answer

Answer: 2. にしか
しか～ない'only, nothing but', particle + しか with a negative verb

山下課長にしかお目にかかったことがございませんので。
I have only ever met Section Chief Yamashita.

お目にかかる is the humble form of 会う and takes に for the person met, so に is required, not で. The verb ございません is negative, and 'only' with a negative is しか, not だけ. Together にしか plus the negative means no one except Yamashita, which explains why meeting Tanaka is the first time.

Remember
しか always needs a negative verb, while だけ for 'only' normally takes an affirmative verb. Verbs of meeting like 会う and お目にかかる take に for the person met.
See しか →See だけ →
Why not the others
- 1にだけ
  にだけ means 'only' and pairs with an affirmative verb. With the negative ございません it cannot express 'only Yamashita'.
- 3でしか
  でしか has しか with a negative, which can mean 'only', but で marks place or means. It cannot mark the person met with お目にかかる.
- 4でだけ
  でだけ combines the wrong particle で with だけ. It has both the wrong meeting particle and the wrong limiter for a negative sentence.
Words
- 部長ぶちょうdepartment manager
- 課長かちょうsection chief
- お目にかかる（おめにかかる）to meet (humble)
- ございませんis not (polite negative)
4.この図書館は、入り口の近くに、返す本を入れるためのブックポストがあり、図書館が閉まっている（　）、本を返すことができる。
1. 1 ときでも
2. 2 ままで
3. 3 間だから
4. 4 ところなら
Show answer

Answer: 1. ときでも
ときでも'even when ~', after a plain clause for a concessive condition

この図書館は、入り口の近くに、返す本を入れるためのブックポストがあり、図書館が閉まっているときでも、本を返すことができる。
This library has a book post near the entrance for returning books, so books can be returned even when the library is closed.

The clue is 閉まっている contrasted with 本を返すことができる. The book post makes return possible despite being closed. ときでも means 'even when' and expresses that concessive condition.

Remember
Use ときでも or ても for 'even when, even if'. Use 間 for duration, まま for an unchanged state, and から for a reason.
Why not the others
- 2ままで
  ままで means 'while remaining in that state', as in このままで. It describes an unchanged state, not a concessive 'even if' condition.
- 3間だから
  間だから combines 間, 'while, during', with から, 'because'. It would give a reason, but the sentence states possibility despite being closed, not a reason.
- 4ところなら
  ところなら combines ところ, a point in time, with なら, 'if'. It would mean 'if it is the moment when closed', which does not express 'even when'.
Words
- 入り口（いりぐち）entrance
- 返かえすto return (something)
- 閉しまるto be closed
- ためfor the purpose of
5.A「今夜は晴れているから星がよく見えるよ。」 B「わあ、本当だ。（　）きれいなんだろう。」
1. 1 ときでも
2. 2 なんか
3. 3 なんて
4. 4 なんでも
Show answer

Answer: 3. なんて
なんて'what a ~! how ~!', exclamation before an adjective plus んだろう

わあ、本当だ。なんてきれいなんだろう。
Wow, you are right. How beautiful they must be.

B says わあ、本当だ, showing surprise after looking at the stars. なんて before きれいなんだろう turns the sentence into an exclamation of admiration. The clue んだろう adds a wondering, emotional tone, which matches praise, not a condition or a list.

Remember
Spot なんて + adjective or noun for exclamation: なんてきれいな. Contrast with なんか to soften and なんでも for anything.
See なんて →
Why not the others
- 1ときでも
  ときでも means even when or even at the time of. It needs a time condition, but here there is no condition, only surprise at how beautiful the stars are.
- 2なんか
  なんか means something like or kind of, used to soften or downplay. It would weaken the praise, while the context calls for strong admiration.
- 4なんでも
  なんでも means anything or everything. It is an indefinite pronoun for a wide range, not an exclamation, so it cannot lead into きれいなんだろう.
Words
- 今夜こんやtonight
- 星ほしstar
- きれいbeautiful, pretty

6.先生「みなさんは、一度 _____ _____ ★ _____ と思う人はいますか。」
1. 1 会ってみたい
2. 2 いい
3. 3 で
4. 4 から
Show answer

Answer: 4. から
一度でいいから'even just once is enough, so', reason clause with から

先生「みなさんは、一度でいいから会ってみたいと思う人はいますか。」
Teacher: Is there anyone you would like to meet, even just once?

The chunk 一度でいいから accepts a minimum condition as the reason for a wish. で marks the condition 一度, いい accepts it, and から gives the reason for 会ってみたい. The final と思う人 shows 会ってみたい modifies 人, so から must come directly before 会ってみたい, which is the star position.

Remember
Spot the set chunk 一度でいいから + wish with たい. The pattern is minimum condition + で + いい + から + wish.
See から →See たい →
Why not the others
- 1会ってみたい
  会ってみたい means 'want to try meeting', using みたい after the te-form. It is the wish verb and must come last before と思う, not in an earlier blank.
- 2いい
  いい means 'good, enough'. It must follow で to make 一度でいい, so it belongs in second position, not in the star before 会ってみたい.
- 3で
  で marks the minimum scope in 一度でいい. It must come first right after 一度, so it cannot be the star before 会ってみたい.
Words
- 一度いちどonce
- 会あうto meet
7.A「パーティーの料理はどうでしたか。」 B「おいしかったです。 _____ _____ ★ _____ わかりませんが、お刺身がおいしかったです。」
1. 1 という
2. 2 何
3. 3 か
4. 4 魚
Show answer

Answer: 4. 魚
何という魚かわかりません'do not know what fish it is', indirect question with か

おいしかったです。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。
It was delicious. I do not know what kind of fish it was, but the sashimi was delicious.

The clue is わかりませんが after the blanks, which needs an embedded question before it. 何という魚か forms that question, meaning what fish it is called. という links 何 to 魚, and か closes the question, so 魚 must come just before か in the star position.

Remember
For 'do not know what X is called', spot the frame 何 + という + noun + か + わかりません.
See という →
Why not the others
- 1という
  という introduces a name or quoted content, as in 何という. It must follow 何 to connect to 魚, so it belongs in second position.
- 2何
  何 is the question word 'what'. It must start the embedded question, so it belongs first, not in the star.
- 3か
  か is the marker that closes the embedded question before わかりません. It must come last after 魚, not in the star.
Words
- 料理りょうりcooking, dish
- 魚さかなfish
- お刺身（おさしみ）sashimi, raw fish slices
8.A「京都旅行の写真を早く送って。」 B「送る _____ _____ ★ _____ から、もう少し待って。」
1. 1 選んでいる
2. 2 写真を
3. 3 今
4. 4 ところだ
Show answer

Answer: 1. 選んでいる
〜ているところだ'in the middle of doing', with 今 to show ongoing action

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 am in the middle of choosing the photos to send right now, so please wait a little longer.

The clue is から after the blanks plus もう少し待って, which asks for a reason in progress. 送る modifies 写真を to define which photos. 今 + 選んでいる + ところだ forms the ongoing action chunk, so 選んでいる must come just before ところだ in the star position.

Remember
Spot 今 + te-form + いる + ところだ + から for 'because I am now in the middle of'. The pattern 送る + noun + を often starts the phrase.
See ところだ →
Why not the others
- 2写真を
  写真を is the object phrase 'photos' plus を. It must follow 送る to make 送る写真を, so it belongs first.
- 3今
  今 means 'now'. It marks the action as in progress and must come before the verb 選んでいる, so it belongs second.
- 4ところだ
  ところだ turns the te-form + いる into 'in the middle of'. It must come last before から, not in the star.
Words
- 写真しゃしんphoto
- 選えらぶto choose
- 待まつto wait
9.私は料理が _____ _____ ★ _____ ほとんどない。
1. 1 苦手で
2. 2 料理は
3. 3 作れる
4. 4 レシピを見ずに
Show answer

Answer: 3. 作れる
relative clause + 料理はほとんどない'almost no dishes that...'

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 am bad at cooking, so there are almost no dishes I can make without looking at a recipe.

The clue is ほとんどない at the end, which needs a noun + は before it. That noun is the second 料理は, meaning dishes. Before it, レシピを見ずに作れる is a relative clause modifying that 料理, so 作れる must come directly before 料理は in the star position. The first part 私は料理が苦手で gives the reason with the te-form.

Remember
When the end is noun + は + ほとんどない, work backwards. Find the noun before は, then find the relative clause before that noun. ずに always comes before the verb it modifies.
Why not the others
- 1苦手で
  苦手で is the te-form of the na-adjective 苦手, meaning 'bad at'. It connects the reason and must come first after 料理が.
- 2料理は
  料理は with は presents the topic 'dishes' for ほとんどない. It must come last after the relative clause, not in the star.
- 4レシピを見ずに
  レシピを見ずに means 'without looking at a recipe', using ずに for 'without doing'. It modifies 作れる and must come before 作れる.
Words
- 苦手にがてpoor at, weak in
- レシピ（れしぴ）recipe
- 作つくれるcan make, potential of make
10.この島は、空から _____ _____ ★ _____ 「耳島」と呼ばれています。
1. 1 形に
2. 2 みえることから
3. 3 人の耳のような
4. 4 見ると
Show answer

Answer: 1. 形に
〜ことから'because, based on the fact that', reason for a name

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。
Because from the sky it looks like a shape resembling a human ear, this island is called Mimi Island.

The clues are と呼ばれています at the end, which needs a reason for the name, and 空から見ると at the start, which sets the condition 'when seen'. 人の耳のような modifies 形, and 形にみえる means 'looks in the shape of'. みえることから turns that fact into the reason, so 形に must come before みえることから in the star position.

Remember
Spot the naming frame: reason + ことから + name + と呼ばれています. ような + 形にみえる often appears inside to describe shape.
See ことから →
Why not the others
- 2みえることから
  みえることから means 'based on the fact that it looks'. It creates the reason clause for the name and must come last before 「耳島」.
- 3人の耳のような
  人の耳のような means 'like a human ear', with ような modifying a noun. It must come before 形に, not in the star.
- 4見ると
  見ると means 'when seen', the conditional form. It must come first after 空から to set the condition.
Words
- 島しまisland
- 耳みみear
- 形かたちshape

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N3 Grammar · Test 1

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