N3 Grammar · Test 11

「〜という点（てん）で」means 'in the point of ~' or 'in terms of ~'. Here, 意志が強いという点でよく似ている means 'We resemble each other in the point that we are strong-willed.' The pattern という links a descriptive clause to the noun 点, forming 'the point that ~'.

• 1「の」cannot directly connect a full clause (意志が強い) to the noun 点. 「意志が強いの点で」is ungrammatical.
• 2「ことの」would require a nominalizer like こと before it (意志が強いことの点で), which is unnatural and redundant. The correct linker for 点 is という, not ことの.
• 4「をいう」is a verb form and cannot serve as a linker here. 「意志が強いをいう点で」is grammatically broken.

• 意志（いし） — will, willpower
• 〜という点（てん）で — in the point of ~, in terms of ~
• 似（に）ている — to resemble, to be similar

「への」connects a destination noun to a following noun. 金閣寺への行き方 means 'the way to get to Kinkaku-ji.' Here, へ indicates direction/destination and の links it to the noun 行き方 (way/method).

• 1「に」cannot directly modify the noun 行き方 in this pattern. 「金閣寺に行き方」is ungrammatical as a noun phrase.
• 2「で」indicates means or location, not direction toward a destination. 「金閣寺で行き方」does not form a proper noun modifier.
• 4「とは」means 'with/as' and does not fit here. 「金閣寺とは行き方」is ungrammatical.

• 金閣寺（きんかくじ） — Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion, a famous temple in Kyoto)
• 行（い）き方（かた） — how to get there, directions
• 〜への — to ~ (particle へ + の linking to a noun)

「と比（くら）べて」means 'compared to ~'. 隣の町と比べて、私の住んでいる町は水道代が高い means 'Compared to the neighboring town, the town I live in has high water bills.' This is the standard comparison pattern.

• 1「として」means 'as ~', e.g. 隣の町として = 'as the neighboring town', which does not create a comparison and makes no sense here.
• 3「にまで」means 'even to ~ / as far as ~', which does not express comparison.
• 4「において」means 'in/at ~ (a place or situation)', e.g. 隣の町において = 'in the neighboring town'. This states a location but does not set up a comparison with the speaker's town.

• 隣（となり）の町（まち） — neighboring town
• 〜と比（くら）べて — compared to ~
• 水道代（すいどうだい） — water bill, water utility cost

「〜たら」is used to describe a completed past action that led to a discovery or unexpected event. 行ったら偶然友人に会った = 'When I went (to the bookstore), I happened to run into a friend.' This is the standard pattern for recounting an unexpected encounter after doing something.

• 1「行けば」is a conditional ('if I go'), which does not fit a past-tense narrative about something that actually happened and led to a chance encounter.
• 2「行くなら」means 'if you are going / if it's the case that you go', used for giving advice or talking about a hypothetical. It does not describe a completed past event.
• 3「行こうと」is incomplete; it would need a form like 行こうとしたら ('when I was about to go'), and even then the nuance ('was about to go but...') does not match the sentence, which says the speaker actually went.

• 駅前（えきまえ） — in front of the station
• 偶然（ぐうぜん） — by chance, coincidentally
• 〜たら — when ~ happened (used for past events leading to a discovery/unexpected result)

「せっかく〜のだから」means 'since I went to the trouble of ~ing / since I have the rare opportunity to ~'. せっかく海外に来たのだから、いろいろな所を見たい = 'Since I've come all the way overseas, I want to see various places.' The pattern せっかく〜のだから expresses making the most of a special opportunity.

• 2「〜ために」expresses cause or purpose, but it does not pair with せっかく. せっかく海外に来たために sounds like the trip overseas caused something (often negative), which does not fit wanting to sightsee.
• 3「〜おかげで」means 'thanks to ~ (a positive result caused by ~)'. It does not pair with せっかく and implies gratitude for an outcome, not 'since I have this opportunity, let me make the most of it.'
• 4「来たかったから」means 'because I wanted to come', which changes the meaning entirely and does not pair with せっかく's nuance of making good use of an opportunity.

• せっかく — with great effort / taking the rare opportunity (used with のだから to say 'since you went to the trouble, you should ~')
• 海外（かいがい） — overseas, abroad
• 〜のだから — since ~ (gives a reason and implies 'therefore you should ~')

The complete sentence is: そちらのいすにおかけになってお待ちください。The receptionist is politely asking Murayama to sit on the chair over there and wait. The order is: そちらの + 3(いすに) + 2(おかけ) + ★4(になって) + 1(お待ち) + ください. Option 4 (になって) forms the honorific expression おかけになって (polite 'please sit'), and option 1 (お待ち) combines with ください to form お待ちください ('please wait'). The ★ falls in the third position, which is になって.

• 1お待ち goes in the fourth slot, combining with ください to make お待ちください ('please wait'). It cannot go in the ★ position because the honorific verb stem おかけ must be followed by になって before another action verb like お待ち can be added.
• 2おかけ goes in the second slot. It is the stem of the honorific verb おかけになる ('to sit down' politely). It must come before になって, so it cannot be in the ★ position.
• 3いすに goes in the first slot, right after そちらの. It means 'on the chair' and specifies where to sit. It cannot be in the ★ position because the sentence needs the location phrase first.

• おかけになる — honorific form of 座る (to sit down); used to politely tell someone to sit
• お待ちください（おまちください） — please wait (polite request)

The complete sentence is: 料理をするのがそれほど得意ではない私でもハンバーグだけはおいしく作れる。('Even I, who am not particularly good at cooking, can make hamburg steak deliciously.') The order is: 料理をする + 4(のが) + 3(それほど得意ではない) + ★1(私でも) + 2(ハンバーグだけは) + おいしく作れる. Option 1 (私でも, 'even I') sits at the ★ position, connecting the relative clause (料理をするのがそれほど得意ではない) to the main clause about hamburg steak.

• 2ハンバーグだけは goes in the fourth slot, right before おいしく作れる. It means 'hamburg steak at least' and is the topic of the main clause. It cannot be in the ★ position because 私でも must come first to establish the subject.
• 3それほど得意ではない goes in the second slot, after のが. It means 'not particularly good at' and modifies 私. It cannot be in the ★ position because the noun 私 must follow this predicate to form a relative clause.
• 4のが goes in the first slot, right after 料理をする. It nominalizes the preceding clause ('cooking'). It cannot be in the ★ position because the entire relative clause must be built before 私でも appears.

• 得意とくい — good at, skilled at
• 〜だけは — at least (this one thing); even if nothing else

The complete sentence is: 思いついたアイデアを忘れてしまわないように必ず持ち歩くようにしているんです。('I always carry it with me so that I don't end up forgetting ideas that come to mind.') The order is: 思いついた + 4(アイデアを) + 1(忘れて) + ★2(しまわないように) + 3(必ず持ち歩くように) + しているんです. Option 2 (しまわないように, 'so as not to end up ~') is at the ★ position. The pattern 〜てしまう ('to end up doing ~') in its negative form 〜てしまわないように means 'so that I don't accidentally/unintentionally ~'.

• 1忘れて goes in the second slot, before しまわないように. It is the te-form of 忘れる ('to forget'). It cannot be in the ★ position because it must precede しまわないように to form the pattern 忘れてしまわないように.
• 3必ず持ち歩くように goes in the fourth slot, before しているんです. It means 'so as to always carry around' and describes the habitual action. It cannot be in the ★ position because the purpose clause (忘れてしまわないように) must come first.
• 4アイデアを goes in the first slot, right after 思いついた. It means 'ideas' (the object of 忘れる). It cannot be in the ★ position because it must come before the verb 忘れて.

• 思おもいつく — to come up with (an idea), to hit upon
• 〜てしまう — to do something completely/unintentionally; expresses regret or completion
• 持ち歩く（もちあるく） — to carry around, to always keep with oneself

The complete sentence is: 昨日の夜、誰もいない部屋から何か音が聞こえた気がした。('Last night, I felt like I heard some sound coming from a room where nobody was.') The order is: 誰も + 1(いない) + 4(部屋から) + ★3(何か音が) + 2(聞こえた) + 気がした. Option 3 (何か音が, 'some sound') is at the ★ position, serving as the subject of 聞こえた ('was audible/could be heard').

• 1いない goes in the first slot, right after 誰も. Together 誰もいない means 'nobody is there' and modifies 部屋. It cannot be in the ★ position because the relative clause 誰もいない must be completed before 部屋から.
• 2聞こえた goes in the fourth slot, right before 気がした. It means 'could be heard / was audible' and is the main verb of the embedded clause. It cannot be in the ★ position because its subject (何か音が) must come first.
• 4部屋から goes in the second slot, after いない. It means 'from the room' and is modified by 誰もいない ('where nobody is'). It cannot be in the ★ position because 何か音が must follow it as the subject of 聞こえた.

• 誰だれもいない — nobody is there (used as a modifier for 部屋)
• 聞きこえる — to be audible, to be heard (spontaneous/intransitive)
• 気きがする — to feel like, to have a feeling that ~

The complete sentence is: 現在、市民運動公園の中に、大小二つの体育館を建設するという案が検討されている。('Currently, a proposal to build two gymnasiums of different sizes inside Shimin Undō Park is under consideration.') The order is: 大小 + 3(二つの) + 1(体育館を) + ★2(建設する) + 4(という案が) + 検討されている. Option 2 (建設する, 'to construct/build') is at the ★ position. The pattern 〜という案 ('a proposal that ~') requires a verb or clause before という, so 建設する must immediately precede という案が.

• 1体育館を goes in the second slot, after 二つの. It means 'gymnasium(s)' and is the object of 建設する. It cannot be in the ★ position because 建設する must follow it, and という案が must follow 建設する.
• 3二つの goes in the first slot, right after 大小. Together 大小二つの means 'two of different sizes' and modifies 体育館. It cannot be in the ★ position because it must come before the noun it modifies (体育館を).
• 4という案が goes in the fourth slot, right before 検討されている. It means 'a proposal that ~' and wraps the preceding clause. It cannot be in the ★ position because the verb 建設する must come immediately before it.

• 大小だいしょう — large and small; of different sizes
• 建設けんせつする — to construct, to build
• 検討けんとうされる — to be considered, to be under examination (passive of 検討する)
• 〜という案（〜というあん） — a proposal/plan that ~