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Japaneseness.
JLPT N2 grammar · unit 12 of 33 · review
Name   Date

J12Review J9–J11

Work from memory — don't look back at the earlier sheets. Write each pattern from its meaning, then write what each pattern in part 2 means.

1    Write the pattern from its meaning
Says a physical sensation or desire is unbearably strong. Used for the speaker's own feelings; for others add ようだ or らしい. Common in casual speech.
V-te / i-adj くて / na-adj で + たまらない
Predicts what someone will do based on their known character: knowing him, he'll surely… Almost always used with a person the speaker and listener both know. Conversational.
N(人)の + ことだから
States that something is theoretically possible or impossible. The dictionary form reads うる or える, but the negative is always えない. Formal and written.
V-masu stem + 得る(うる/える)/得ない(えない)
Says something is hard to do because it goes against feeling or judgment, not physical difficulty. Written and formal; limited to verbs like 信じる, 忘れる, 想像する.
V-masu stem + がたい(信じ/忘れ/理解し など)
Means without ever doing something, describing how an action was carried out. A stiff written equivalent of 〜ないで; used in reports, news and formal speech.
V-dict + ことなく
Warns that a bad outcome is quite possible: it could well end up that way. Only for undesirable results. Common in news, warnings and formal speech.
V-masu stem + かねない(悪い結果のみ)
Gives the evidence or origin behind a judgment or a name: from the fact that A, B follows. Objective and written; common in news and explanations.
V / i-adj plain + ことから;na-adj な・である + ことから;N である + ことから
With a potential verb it sets up a wish that is hard to realize: if only I could. With the volitional it becomes a challenge or warning (if you dare). Used in speech and writing.
V-potential-dict + ものなら(願望)/V-volitional + ものなら(挑発)
An exclamation of strong emotion, usually with どんなに, どれほど or 何度: how very! Slightly literary and emotional; common in speeches and writing.
どんなに・どれほど・何度 + V / i-adj plain・na-adj な + ことか
2    What does it mean?
〜ことだ
〜ざるを得ない
〜てならない
〜っこない
〜ずにはいられない
〜かねる
〜ようがない
〜わけがない
〜ことに
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Japaneseness.
JLPT N2 grammar · unit 12 of 33 · answer key
ANSWER KEY

J12Review J9–J11

Answers to page 1. If you would rather work without them, print page 1 on its own.

1    Write the pattern from its meaning
Says a physical sensation or desire is unbearably strong. Used for the speaker's own feelings; for others add ようだ or らしい. Common in casual speech.
V-te / i-adj くて / na-adj で + たまらない
〜てたまらない
Predicts what someone will do based on their known character: knowing him, he'll surely… Almost always used with a person the speaker and listener both know. Conversational.
N(人)の + ことだから
〜ことだから
States that something is theoretically possible or impossible. The dictionary form reads うる or える, but the negative is always えない. Formal and written.
V-masu stem + 得る(うる/える)/得ない(えない)
〜得る / 〜得ない
Says something is hard to do because it goes against feeling or judgment, not physical difficulty. Written and formal; limited to verbs like 信じる, 忘れる, 想像する.
V-masu stem + がたい(信じ/忘れ/理解し など)
〜がたい
Means without ever doing something, describing how an action was carried out. A stiff written equivalent of 〜ないで; used in reports, news and formal speech.
V-dict + ことなく
〜ことなく
Warns that a bad outcome is quite possible: it could well end up that way. Only for undesirable results. Common in news, warnings and formal speech.
V-masu stem + かねない(悪い結果のみ)
〜かねない
Gives the evidence or origin behind a judgment or a name: from the fact that A, B follows. Objective and written; common in news and explanations.
V / i-adj plain + ことから;na-adj な・である + ことから;N である + ことから
〜ことから
With a potential verb it sets up a wish that is hard to realize: if only I could. With the volitional it becomes a challenge or warning (if you dare). Used in speech and writing.
V-potential-dict + ものなら(願望)/V-volitional + ものなら(挑発)
〜ものなら
An exclamation of strong emotion, usually with どんなに, どれほど or 何度: how very! Slightly literary and emotional; common in speeches and writing.
どんなに・どれほど・何度 + V / i-adj plain・na-adj な + ことか
〜ことか
2    What does it mean?
〜ことだ Gives strong advice about the best way to reach a goal: the thing to do is. Used by a teacher, doctor or senior to someone below them, so avoid it with superiors. — V-dict / V-nai + ことだ
〜ざるを得ない Means you must do it even though you don't want to, because circumstances leave no choice. Formal and written; note する becomes せざるを得ない. — V-nai stem + ざるを得ない(する→せざるを得ない)
〜てならない Says a feeling or impression wells up on its own and won't go away. Used with emotion verbs and adjectives; more literary and formal than 〜てたまらない. — V-te / i-adj くて / na-adj で + ならない(感情を表す語)
〜っこない A casual, emphatic no way it will happen. Same meaning as 〜はずがない but spoken only, and used with friends or family, never in formal situations. — V-masu stem + っこない(話し言葉)
〜ずにはいられない Describes a feeling so strong you cannot stop yourself from acting. Spontaneous, not a duty. Somewhat literary; 〜ないではいられない is the softer spoken variant. — V-nai stem + ずにはいられない(する→せずにはいられない)
〜かねる A polite way to say you cannot do something, because it is difficult or against the rules. Very common in business Japanese as 〜かねます, softer than できません. — V-masu stem + かねる(丁寧形:〜かねます)
〜ようがない Says there is no method available, however much you want to act. The problem is a lack of means, not of will. Neutral, used in speech and writing. — V-masu stem + ようがない(ようもない)
〜わけがない States a confident denial based on reasoning: there's no way that could be true. Stronger than はずがない. Used freely in speech; わけない is the casual short form. — V / i-adj plain + わけがない;na-adj な + わけがない;N の + わけがない
〜ことに Puts the speaker's feeling first, before stating the fact: to my surprise, luckily, sadly. Only works with emotion words. Slightly formal, common in written accounts. — V-ta / i-adj い / na-adj な + ことに(感情語のみ)
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