N3 Grammar · Test 17

The correct answer is 2 (って). Here, って is a colloquial spoken form of the quoting particle と. The sentence means: 'He/she said there is no work today.' The structure is (quoted phrase)って/と言う, where the quoted phrase is 今日はない ('there is none today'). In casual speech, って replaces と before verbs of speaking like 言う.

• 1を is the direct-object particle. It cannot be used to mark a quoted clause before a verb of speaking like 言う. You cannot say ないを言っていました.
• 3のを would combine a nominalizer (の) with the object particle (を), but this pattern does not work for quoting speech. ないのを言っていました is ungrammatical in this context.
• 4だ is the copula. Placing it after the adjective ない (今日はないだ) is grammatically incorrect—adjectives like ない already carry tense, so だ cannot follow them.

• って — colloquial quoting particle (spoken form of と), used to mark a quoted clause before verbs like 言う/聞く
• 言いう — to say

The correct answer is 3 (たびに). 〜たびに means 'every time / each time (X happens), (Y happens).' The sentence means: 'Every time I meet Yamada-san, I always think she is a wonderful person.' The pattern is (dictionary form verb)たびに, expressing a recurring event that triggers a recurring reaction.

• 1うちに means 'while (a state continues)' or 'before a situation changes.' It describes a continuous time span, not a repeated trigger. 会ううちに would imply 'while meeting,' which does not fit the 'every time' meaning.
• 2はじめに means 'first of all / to begin with.' It is used to indicate the first step in a sequence, not a recurring condition. 会うはじめに is grammatically unnatural here.
• 4だけに means 'as might be expected / precisely because.' It expresses a cause-and-effect with emphasis, not repetition. 会うだけに does not produce the intended 'each time' meaning.

• たびに — every time, each time (used with dictionary-form verbs to express a recurring event)
• すてき — wonderful, lovely, nice

The correct answer is 4 (いつの間にか). いつの間にか means 'before one realizes / without noticing /不知不觉の間に.' The sentence means: 'I was reading a book, and before I knew it, five hours had passed.' This fits perfectly because the speaker was absorbed in reading and time slipped by unnoticed.

• 1そろそろ means 'soon / it's about time.' It refers to something approaching in the near future, so it does not fit a past-tense sentence about time that has already elapsed.
• 2だんだん means 'gradually / little by little.' While time does pass gradually, だんだん describes a visible progressive change, not the sudden realization that time has passed. だんだん五時間も経ってしまった is unnatural.
• 3ようやく means 'finally / at last.' It conveys relief or effort after waiting. While 'finally five hours passed' is conceivable, it lacks the key nuance of the speaker being unaware that time had passed, which いつの間にか captures perfectly.

• いつの間にか（いつのまにか） — before one knows it, without noticing,不知不觉の間に
• 経たつ — to pass (of time)
• 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

The correct answer is 2 (会う). The pattern 〜ことになっている means 'it has been arranged/decided that…' and it takes the dictionary (plain) form of a verb. 会うことになっている = 'it has been arranged that I will meet.' The sentence means: 'Today I'm supposed to meet a friend at Tokyo Station at seven, so I'll leave soon.'

• 1会おう is the volitional form ('let's meet'). Volitional + ことになっている is ungrammatical. The pattern requires the plain form, not the volitional.
• 3会った is the past tense. 会ったことになっている would mean 'it has been arranged that I met,' which is illogical for a future plan.
• 4会って is the te-form. The te-form cannot directly precede ことになっている; this pattern requires the dictionary form.

• ことになっている — it has been arranged/decided that… (takes dictionary form of verb)
• そろそろ — soon, it's about time to

The correct answer is 1 (やめる). The pattern (dictionary form verb)ように言われる means 'to be told to do (X).' Here, やめるように言われている = 'I have been told to quit (smoking).' The sentence means: 'A doctor has told me to quit smoking, but I just can't seem to stop.' The dictionary form is required before ように when expressing an instruction to perform an action.

• 2やめた is the past tense. やめたように言われている would mean 'I was told in the manner of having quit,' which is grammatically wrong and nonsensical.
• 3やめない is the negative form. やめないように言われている would mean 'I was told NOT to quit,' which is the opposite of the intended meaning.
• 4やめ is the stem (masu-stem) form. While the stem can sometimes connect to other elements, やめように言われる is grammatically incorrect; the dictionary form やめる is required before ように.

• ように言われる（ようにいわれる） — to be told to do something (dictionary form verb + ように + 言われる)
• やめる — to quit, to stop (a habit)
• なかなか〜ない — cannot easily…, hard to…

The correct order is: そんなに [早く(1)] [行っても(4)] [まだ(3)] [開いていない(2)] と思いますよ。The full sentence means: 'The concert starts at 7, so even if we go that early, I don't think it will be open yet.' The ★ is in the third position, so the answer is 3 (まだ). The structure is 〜ても (even if) + まだ〜ない (still not), expressing that going early won't help because the venue won't be open.

• 1早く goes in the first slot after そんなに, forming そんなに早く (that early). It cannot go in the ★ position because the sentence needs まだ before 開いていない to express 'still not open.'
• 2開いていない goes in the last slot, completing the clause 開いていないと思いますよ (I don't think it's open). Placing it at ★ would break the grammar — there would be no predicate for the sentence.
• 4行っても goes in the second slot, forming 早く行っても (even if we go early). At the ★ position it would leave まだ and 開いていない in the wrong order.

• 会場かいじょう — venue, hall
• 集あつまる — to gather, to meet
• 開あく — to open (for business)
• 〜ても — even if〜
• まだ〜ない — not yet〜

The correct order is: 話して [いらっしゃいます(4)] [から(2)] [すこし(1)] [待って(3)] ください。The full sentence means: '(The professor) is currently talking with another student, so please wait a little.' The ★ is in the third position, so the answer is 1 (すこし). The structure is: 話していらっしゃいますから (is talking (honorific) so) + すこし待ってください (please wait a little). いらっしゃいます is the honorific form of いる used for the professor.

• 2から goes in the second slot, following いらっしゃいます to give the reason clause いらっしゃいますから (because he is (talking)). At ★ it would break the connection between the honorific verb and the reason marker.
• 3待って goes in the last slot before ください, forming 待ってください (please wait). At ★ it would leave すこし stranded without a verb to modify.
• 4いらっしゃいます goes in the first slot after 話して, forming 話していらっしゃいます (is talking — honorific). At ★ it would disrupt the reason structure.

• いらっしゃる — to be (honorific form of いる); to go/to come (honorific)
• 秘書ひしょ — secretary
• 研究室けんきゅうしつ — laboratory, research office
• 〜から — because〜 (giving a reason)

The correct order is: かさがなくても [大丈夫(3)] [だろう(1)] [と思って(2)] [出かけた(4)] が、雨に降られてしまった。The full sentence means: 'Both my father and I thought it would probably be fine even without an umbrella today, and went out, but we got caught in the rain.' The ★ is in the third position, so the answer is 2 (と思って). The structure is: 大丈夫だろう (probably fine) + と思って (thinking that) + 出かけた (went out). The 〜だろう + と思って pattern expresses 'thought it would probably be〜.'

• 1だろう goes in the second slot after 大丈夫, forming 大丈夫だろう (probably fine). At ★ it would leave と思って and 出かけた in the wrong order.
• 3大丈夫 goes in the first slot after なくても, forming なくても大丈夫 (fine even without). At ★ it would break the だろう + と思って sequence.
• 4出かけた goes in the last slot, completing the action: と思って出かけた (thinking that, (we) went out). At ★ it would leave the sentence without a main verb.

• 大丈夫だいじょうぶ — okay, fine, safe
• 〜だろう — probably, I suppose (conjecture)
• 〜と思って（〜とおもって） — thinking that〜
• 降ふられる — to be rained on (passive of 降る)
• 〜ても — even if〜, even though〜

The correct order is: 先月 [生まれた(1)] [ばかりの(3)] [ライオンの(2)] [赤ちゃんを(4)] 見ることができました。The full sentence means: 'Yesterday when I went to the zoo, I was able to see a baby lion that was born just last month.' The ★ is in the third position, so the answer is 2 (ライオンの). The key structure is 生まれたばかりの (just born), which modifies ライオンの赤ちゃん (lion's baby). The pattern 〜たばかりの means 'just done〜' and modifies the noun phrase that follows.

• 1生まれた goes in the first slot after 先月, forming 先月生まれた (born last month). At ★ it would break the ばかりの modifier chain.
• 3ばかりの goes in the second slot, forming 生まれたばかりの (just born). At ★ it would separate ライオンの from 赤ちゃんを, breaking the noun phrase.
• 4赤ちゃんを goes in the last slot, serving as the object of 見ることができました. At ★ it would leave the sentence without a proper object marker before the verb.

• 動物園どうぶつえん — zoo
• 生うまれる — to be born
• 〜たばかり — just did〜, only just〜
• 赤あかちゃん — baby

The correct order is: 『わかる』 [という(2)] [ような(4)] [意味だった(1)] [と思う(3)] んですけど。The full sentence means: 'Ah, if I remember correctly, I think it was a meaning like

• 1意味だった goes in the third slot, forming the core statement わかるというような意味だった (it was a meaning like 'わかる'). At ★ it would leave と思う without a proper clause to quote.
• 2という goes in the first slot after 『わかる』, forming わかるという (called/said 'わかる'). At ★ it would break the というような modifier chain.
• 3と思う goes in the last slot before んですけど, forming 〜と思うんですけど (I think that〜, but...). At ★ it would disrupt the sentence structure, leaving 意味だった and と思う in the wrong order.

• 理解りかい — understanding, comprehension
• 確たしか — if I remember correctly, surely
• 〜というような — like the one called〜, of the kind called〜
• 〜と思う（〜とおもう） — I think that〜