NAT-TEST 3Q cheat sheet

音読み is the Sino-Japanese reading (often 2+ mora, e.g., ガク), 訓読み is the native reading written with okurigana (e.g., まな-ぶ); many kanji have both.

Okurigana distinguishes homographs: 上がる (あがる, go up) vs 上げる (あげる, raise); the kana tail signals transitivity and reading.

Onbin sound changes: 書く+て→書いて, 待つ+て→待って, 飲む+て→飲んで; the て-form is a reliable clue to the dictionary-form ending.

Voiced/半voiced marks change meaning: か→が, は→ば→ぱ; rendaku (連濁) voices the second element in compounds (人々 ひとびと).

Long vowels and small っ/ゃ/ゅ/ょ alter word identity: おばさん (aunt) vs おばあさん (grandmother); しゅ vs しゅう differ.

Katakana marks loanwords, onomatopoeia, and emphasis; パン, コーヒー, ドキドキ, and technical terms are usually katakana.

Transitive/intransitive pairs: 開く/開ける, 始まる/始める, 落ちる/落とす; the pattern often pairs -aru intransitive with -eru/-asu transitive.

Compound verbs follow V1-stem + V2: 読み+始める (start reading), 書き+直す (rewrite); the second verb carries aspect or direction.

て-form functions: sequence (食べて寝る), progressive (食べている), request (食べてください), and state result (結婚している).

Conditionals differ: と = automatic/natural consequence; ば = general condition; たら = specific/sequential condition; なら = topic-based advice.

Passive forms: godan 書く→書かれる, ichidan 食べる→食べられる, する→される; passive often marks adversity (迷惑の受身).

Causative 書かせる/食べさせる = make/let someone do; causative-passive 書かされる/食べさせられる = be made to do.

Giving/receiving: あげる (I give out), もらう (I receive), くれる (someone gives to me/in-group); てあげる/てもらう/てくれる add benefit.

Particles: は marks topic/contrast, が marks subject/new info, を direct object, に location/time/indirect object, で means/location of action.

Politeness levels: ます/です neutral-polite; お/ご + stem + する humble (お持ちします); られる/お/ご + stem + になる honorific for others.

Quoting and nominalizing: と/って for quotation, の/こと for nominalization; こと is more abstract, の is for perception verbs (見える).

Identify the question type first: 内容一致 (detail match), 理由 (why), 筆者の主張 (author's claim), 言い換え (paraphrase); each has a different scanning target.

For detail questions, locate the keyword in the passage, then read the sentence before and after; answers usually paraphrase, not copy, the text.

Contrast markers しかし, ところが, だが, でも signal the author's real point; the sentence after them usually carries the answer.

Conclusion markers つまり, したがって, 要するに, このように introduce summary or inference statements often tested directly.

Example markers たとえば, 例えば precede supporting detail; do not choose an example as the main idea answer.

Scope words すべて, 必ず, 絶対, だけ, しかない in options are often too strong; the passage usually uses hedged forms like 多く, たいてい.

For 筆者の主張, the answer must reflect the author's stance, not a quoted opposing view; check who says what.

Time management: skim headings and first/last sentences per paragraph, then answer detail questions by scanning; do not translate every word.

Task types: 課題理解 (what to do next), ポイント理解 (key point), 概要理解 (main idea), 発話表現 (what to say), 即時応答 (instant response).

In 課題理解, listen for the action the speaker must take next; distractors are actions already done or done by someone else.

In ポイント理解, a question is given before the audio; note the 理由 (reason) and どの/いつ/だれ question words to filter options.

Discourse markers signal direction: でも/ただし = contrast, だから/ですから = conclusion, ちなみに = aside, ところで = topic shift.

Request forms: 〜ていただけませんか (polite request), 〜てくれませんか (casual request), 〜てもいいですか (permission); match the response function.

In 即時応答, choose the reply that fits the speech act (invitation, apology, request); grammatically correct but pragmatically wrong options are traps.

Numbers, times, and counters (〜時, 〜分, 〜人, 〜枚) are frequently tested; note corrections like いや、やっぱり in the audio.

Note-taking: record keywords, arrows for who-does-what, and symbols for yes/no; do not write full sentences while listening.