Grammar and Vocabulary
Grammar and Vocabulary tests form and meaning in context: particle choice, verb conjugation and tense/aspect, conditionals, keigo, collocations, and kanji reading/writing. It rewards pattern recognition, not word-by-word translation.
Core rules
- Particles: は marks topic/contrast; が marks subject or new information; に marks time, destination, recipient, or location of existence; で marks location of action, means, or cause; を marks direct object.
- Verb forms: learn the te-form, ta-form, potential, passive, causative, and conditional as sets. 〜ている can be progressive or resultant state; 〜てある emphasizes a state left by someone’s action.
- Conditionals: と = natural consequence; ば = general condition; たら = temporal/conditional when/if; なら = topical condition based on what was said.
- Keigo: 尊敬語 raises the other person’s action (いらっしゃる/おっしゃる); 謙譲語 lowers your own (伺う/申す). Do not double-honorify.
- Vocabulary: study collocations (手紙を書く, 約束を守る) rather than isolated words.
Worked example
Blank: 「友だち___手紙を書いた。」 Options: が / を / に / で Reasoning: 手紙 is the direct object, so it takes を. 書く takes a recipient marked by に: 友だちに手紙を書いた. が would mark the writer as subject, and で would mark a means or location. Correct: に.
Traps
- Choosing は or が by translating wa and ga instead of information structure.
- Confusing に and で for location: 駅に着く vs 駅で待つ.
- Using 〜てある when the sentence describes an ongoing action.
- Overusing させていただきます in formal writing.
- Memorizing kanji readings without compounds.