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N5 Grammar · Test 1

  1. 1.私は あしたの ひこうき( )国へ 帰ります。

    1. 1 を
    2. 2 か
    3. 3 で
    4. 4 に
    Show answer

    Answer: 3. で

    で'by, with, using' for means or method, after a noun

    私は あしたの ひこうきで 国へ 帰ります。

    I will go back to my country on tomorrow's flight.

    ひこうき names the means of travel, not the destination. 帰ります already shows the destination with 国へ, so the means takes で. This is the same で as in バスで and 電車で.

    Remember

    Spot travel means with で: バスで, 電車で, ひこうきで. Use に or へ for the destination and を for the place you leave, as in 家を出ます.

    Why not the others
    • 1を

      を marks the direct object or the place you leave, as in 家を出ます. ひこうき is not the object of 帰ります, and the destination is already marked by へ, so を cannot show the means.

    • 2か

      か is the question particle, as in だれか and いつか, or the end of a question. It cannot join ひこうき to 帰ります to mean means of travel.

    • 4に

      に marks destination, time or existence, as in 国に帰ります and 7時に. The destination here is already 国へ, and ひこうき is the means, not the destination, so に fails here.

    Words

    • ひこうきairplane, flight
    • 国くにcountry, home country
    • 帰かえりますto return, to go back
    • あしたtomorrow
  2. 2.先週 デパートで かばん( )くつなどを 買いました。

    1. 1 や
    2. 2 は
    3. 3 も
    4. 4 へ
    Show answer

    Answer: 1. や

    かばんやくつなどや 'and' for an incomplete list, closed by など

    先週 デパートで かばんや くつなどを 買いました。

    Last week I bought things like a bag and shoes at the department store.

    など after くつ shows the list is only examples, not everything. や connects nouns when the list is incomplete, while と would mean those are all the items. デパートで already marks the place of the action 買いました.

    Remember

    Use や ... や ... など for examples: パンや牛乳など. Use と ... と for a complete list with nothing else: パンと牛乳を買いました.

    Why not the others
    • 2は

      は marks the topic, as in 私は学生です. It cannot connect two nouns like かばん and くつ, and it cannot pair with など to make a list.

    • 3も

      も means also or too, as in 私も. It adds one item but does not connect かばん and くつ as examples leading to など.

    • 4へ

      へ marks direction of movement, as in 国へ帰ります. 買いました is not a movement verb and くつ is a thing bought, not a destination.

    Words

    • 先週せんしゅうlast week
    • デパートdepartment store
    • かばんbag
    • くつshoes
    • 買かいましたbought
  3. 3.私は 毎朝 7時ごろ 家( )出ます。

    1. 1 に
    2. 2 が
    3. 3 と
    4. 4 を
    Show answer

    Answer: 4. を

    家を出ますを marks the starting point you leave, after 出ます

    私は 毎朝 7時ごろ 家を 出ます。

    I leave home at about 7 every morning.

    出ます means to leave or go out, so 家 is the place you leave, not the destination. を marks that starting point, as in へやを出ます. The time clue 7時ごろ tells when, but the particle is decided by 出ます.

    Remember

    Verbs of leaving take を for the exit point: 家を出る, へやを出る, 学校を出る. Verbs of going take に or へ for the destination: 学校に行く.

    Why not the others
    • 1に

      に marks destination, time or existence, as in 7時に and 学校に行きます. 家 is the place left, not the destination or time, so に fails.

    • 2が

      が marks the subject or doer, as in 父が作りました. The subject here is 私は, and 家 is the place left, so が cannot mark 家.

    • 3と

      と means with or and, as in 友だちと and パンと牛乳. It marks a companion or connects nouns, not the place you leave.

    Words

    • 毎朝まいあさevery morning
    • ごろabout, approximately
    • 家いえhouse, home
    • 出でますto leave, to go out
  4. 4.きのう スーパーで 田中さん( )会いました。

    1. 1 の
    2. 2 を
    3. 3 に
    4. 4 で
    Show answer

    Answer: 3. に

    ~に会いますに marks the person you meet, after the other party

    きのう スーパーで 田中さんに 会いました。

    I met Mr. Tanaka at the supermarket yesterday.

    会いました needs に to show the other person, as in 友だちに会います. スーパーで already marks the place of the action, so the person cannot also take で. The time clue きのう confirms the past meeting.

    Remember

    Learn に会う as a set: 先生に会う, 友だちに会う. Other verbs that take に for the partner are 聞く and 頼む, as in 先生に聞く.

    Why not the others
    • 1の

      の shows possession or connects nouns, as in 私のうち. It cannot connect 田中さん to the verb 会いました.

    • 2を

      を marks the direct object, as in パンを買います. 会います is not used with を for the person met at N5, it uses に for the partner.

    • 4で

      で marks the place of an action or the means, as in スーパーで and バスで. The place is already スーパーで, and 田中さん is the person met, not the place or means.

    Words

    • きのうyesterday
    • スーパーsupermarket
    • 田中たなかさんMr. Tanaka, Ms. Tanaka
    • 会あいましたmet
  5. 5.私の うちの ほんだなは、きょねん 父( )作りました。

    1. 1 を
    2. 2 が
    3. 3 で
    4. 4 や
    Show answer

    Answer: 2. が

    は for topic and が for subject父が marks the doer when ほんだなは is the topic

    私の うちの ほんだなは、きょねん 父が 作りました。

    My father made the bookshelf in my house last year.

    ほんだなは with は sets the bookshelf as the topic. 作りました still needs the doer, and 父が with が supplies it. The time word きょねん shows when the making happened, but the choice is decided by topic versus subject.

    Remember

    When the topic is the thing, as in ほんだなは, use が for the maker or doer: 父が作りました. Remember は introduces what you talk about, が points to who did it.

    Why not the others
    • 1を

      を marks the direct object, as in パンを買います. 父 is the maker, not the thing made, so を would reverse the meaning.

    • 3で

      で marks place of action or means, as in スーパーで and バスで. 父 is a person who made the shelf, not a place or tool, so で fails.

    • 4や

      や connects nouns in an incomplete list, as in かばんやくつなど. It cannot join the noun 父 to the verb 作りました.

    Words

    • うちhouse, home
    • ほんだなbookshelf
    • きょねんlast year
    • 父ちちfather
    • 作つくりましたmade
  1. 6.A「すみません、つぎの _____ _____ ★ _____ まがって ください。」 B「はい、わかりました。」

    1. 1 を
    2. 2 右
    3. 3 に
    4. 4 しんごう
    Show answer

    Answer: 2. 右

    を右に曲がる'turn right at', place with を and direction with に

    すみません、つぎのしんごうを右にまがってください。

    Excuse me, please turn right at the next traffic light.

    The words after the blanks, まがってください, fix the verb as 曲がる. This verb uses を for the place where you turn and に for the direction. つぎの needs a noun, so しんごう comes first to make つぎのしんごう, then the chunk しんごうを右に joins to まがってください.

    Remember

    Spot the set つぎの + place + を + 右に / 左に + 曲がる. The order を then direction + に is fixed.

    Why not the others
    • 1を

      を marks the place of turning, so it goes right after しんごう in second position, not in the ★ third position after 右.

    • 3に

      に marks the direction after 右 to make 右に, so it goes in fourth position just before まがって, not in the ★ third position.

    • 4しんごう

      しんごう means traffic light and follows つぎの, so it goes in first position, not in the ★ third position.

    Words

    • つぎnext
    • 信号しんごうtraffic light
    • 右みぎright
    • 曲まがるto turn
  2. 7.私は 日曜日に 兄 _____ _____ ★ _____ 出かけました。

    1. 1 と
    2. 2 いっしょに
    3. 3 の
    4. 4 子ども
    Show answer

    Answer: 1. と

    兄の子ども'my older brother's child', の joins nouns; と いっしょに: 'together with someone'

    私は日曜日に兄の子どもといっしょに出かけました。

    On Sunday, I went out together with my older brother's child.

    The four pieces make two chunks: 兄の子ども and と いっしょに. の must sit between two nouns, so 兄 の 子ども means 'my older brother's child'. と marks the companion and いっしょに means 'together', so 子ども と いっしょに must come right before 出かけました to say who you went out with.

    Remember

    Spot の between two nouns as one block, and と いっしょに after a person as one block meaning 'together with'. In order questions, build those blocks first, then place them.

    Why not the others
    • 2いっしょに

      いっしょに means 'together' and forms the set phrase と いっしょに after a person. It must go last, directly before 出かけました, not in the middle.

    • 3の

      の links two nouns to show possession, as in 兄の子ども. It must go directly between 兄 and 子ども, so it goes first, not in the ★ position.

    • 4子ども

      子ども means 'child' and is a noun. It completes the noun phrase 兄の子ども and must come before と, so it goes second, not in the ★ position.

    Words

    • 日曜日にちようびSunday
    • 兄あにolder brother
    • 子こどもchild
    • いっしょにtogether
    • 出でかけるto go out
  3. 8.きのう 買った おかしは _____ _____ ★ _____ でした。

    1. 1 色
    2. 2 が
    3. 3 きれい
    4. 4 まるくて
    Show answer

    Answer: 2. が

    まるくて色がきれいte-form links clauses, が marks subject of description

    きのう買ったおかしはまるくて色がきれいでした。

    The sweets I bought yesterday were round and their color was pretty.

    The end でした needs the na-adjective きれい just before it. Before that, が marks the subject 色が. The te-form まるくて comes first to link the round shape to the next description. So the order is まるくて 色が きれいでした.

    Remember

    For describing one thing in two ways, use te-form + 色が + adjective. The pattern は...が often describes a part or feature.

    Why not the others
    • 1色

      色 means color and is the subject of きれいでした, so it goes with が in second position, not in the ★ third position.

    • 3きれい

      きれい means pretty and connects directly to でした, so it goes in fourth position, not in the ★ third position.

    • 4まるくて

      まるくて is the te-form of まるい, round, and starts the description, so it goes in first position, not in the ★ third position.

    Words

    • おかしsweets, snacks
    • まるいround
    • 色いろcolor
    • きれいpretty, clean
  4. 9.駅の _____ _____ ★ _____ でざっしを 買いました。

    1. 1 近く
    2. 2 本屋
    3. 3 に
    4. 4 ある
    Show answer

    Answer: 4. ある

    近くにある本屋でrelative clause with ある, action place with で

    駅の近くにある本屋でざっしを買いました。

    I bought a magazine at the bookstore near the station.

    The words after the blanks, でざっしを買いました, show that 本屋で is the place of buying. 本屋 needs a modifier before it, which is 駅の近くにある. Inside that modifier, にある follows 近く to express existence. So the order is 近くに ある 本屋で.

    Remember

    Spot the chain place + の近くにある + shop + で + action verb. にある modifies the noun, で marks where you do something.

    Why not the others
    • 1近く

      近く means nearby area and follows 駅の, so it goes in first position, not in the ★ third position.

    • 2本屋

      本屋 means bookstore and connects to で to mark where buying happened, so it goes in fourth position, not in the ★ third position.

    • 3に

      に marks the place where something exists with ある, so it goes after 近く in second position, not in the ★ third position.

    Words

    • 駅えきstation
    • 近ちかくnearby, vicinity
    • 本屋ほんやbookstore
    • 雑誌ざっしmagazine
  5. 10.先週 _____ _____ ★ _____ のこうちゃは とてもおいしかったです。

    1. 1 外国
    2. 2 に
    3. 3 もらった
    4. 4 ともだち
    Show answer

    Answer: 3. もらった

    ともだちにもらった外国のこうちゃpast relative clause modifying a noun

    先週ともだちにもらった外国のこうちゃはとてもおいしかったです。

    The foreign black tea my friend gave me last week was very delicious.

    The の before こうちゃ shows a noun modifier ends just before it, so もらった and 外国の come before こうちゃ. もらった is the ta-form ending a relative clause, and に marks the giver in ともだちに. So the order is ともだちに もらった 外国のこうちゃ.

    Remember

    A past ta-form + noun makes a relative clause, like もらった + noun. Look for person + に + もらった before the noun.

    Why not the others
    • 1外国

      外国 means foreign country and with の modifies こうちゃ, so it goes in fourth position just before のこうちゃ, not in the ★ third position.

    • 2に

      に marks the giver after ともだち to make ともだちに, so it goes in second position, not in the ★ third position.

    • 4ともだち

      ともだち means friend and starts the giver phrase after 先週, so it goes in first position, not in the ★ third position.

    Words

    • 外国がいこくforeign country
    • ともだちfriend
    • 紅茶こうちゃblack tea
    • もらうto receive

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