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JLPT N3 grammar · unit 4 of 29 · review
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H4Review H1–H3

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
Verb (dictionary form) + ことができる. Expresses ability or possibility: 'can, be able to'. Slightly more formal than the potential form.
V-dict + ことができる
Verb (dictionary form) + ことがある. Expresses that something happens occasionally or sometimes.
V-dict / V-nai + ことがある
Verb て-form + はいけない. Expresses prohibition: 'must not, may not'. Casual: ちゃいけない / ちゃだめ.
V-te + はいけない (casual: ちゃいけない / ちゃだめ)
Verb (dictionary form) + べきだ (する → すべき/するべき). Expresses what one should do as a matter of duty or good sense: 'should, ought to'. Negative: べきではない.
V-dict + べきだ (する → すべき); V-dict + べきではない
Verb (dictionary form) + こと turns a verb into a noun phrase, like '-ing' or 'to do' in English. Used for general activities, facts, and abstract ideas.
V-dict / V-nai + こと
Verb (dictionary/ない form) + ことになる. Expresses a decision or outcome made by circumstances or others, not the speaker: 'it has been decided that'.
V-dict / V-nai + ことになる
Verb (te-form) + しまう. Shows an action is completed, or expresses regret that something happened. ちゃう/じゃう is the casual form.
V-te + しまう / V-te(ちゃ・じゃ) + う
Verb (te-form) + おく. Means to do something in advance as preparation, or to leave something as it is. Casual form is 〜とく.
V-te + おく (casual: V-te → とく)
Verb (plain form) + の turns a verb into a noun phrase. Often used with verbs of perception and feeling (見る, 聞く, 好き, 忘れる) and for concrete actions.
V-plain + の
Verb て-form + もいい. Gives or asks for permission: 'may, it's OK to'. Also with adjectives and nouns (くてもいい, でもいい).
V-te + もいい; い-adj くてもいい; N/な-adj でもいい
2    What does it mean?
〜ことにする
〜ことになっている
〜わけにはいかない
〜ことはない
〜なくてもいい
〜ていく / 〜てくる
〜なければならない / 〜なくてはいけない
〜てある
〜てみる
〜たことがある
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Japaneseness.
JLPT N3 grammar · unit 4 of 29 · answer key
ANSWER KEY

H4Review H1–H3

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

1    Write the pattern from its meaning
Verb (dictionary form) + ことができる. Expresses ability or possibility: 'can, be able to'. Slightly more formal than the potential form.
V-dict + ことができる
〜ことができる
Verb (dictionary form) + ことがある. Expresses that something happens occasionally or sometimes.
V-dict / V-nai + ことがある
〜ことがある
Verb て-form + はいけない. Expresses prohibition: 'must not, may not'. Casual: ちゃいけない / ちゃだめ.
V-te + はいけない (casual: ちゃいけない / ちゃだめ)
〜てはいけない
Verb (dictionary form) + べきだ (する → すべき/するべき). Expresses what one should do as a matter of duty or good sense: 'should, ought to'. Negative: べきではない.
V-dict + べきだ (する → すべき); V-dict + べきではない
〜べきだ
Verb (dictionary form) + こと turns a verb into a noun phrase, like '-ing' or 'to do' in English. Used for general activities, facts, and abstract ideas.
V-dict / V-nai + こと
〜こと (nominalizer)
Verb (dictionary/ない form) + ことになる. Expresses a decision or outcome made by circumstances or others, not the speaker: 'it has been decided that'.
V-dict / V-nai + ことになる
〜ことになる
Verb (te-form) + しまう. Shows an action is completed, or expresses regret that something happened. ちゃう/じゃう is the casual form.
V-te + しまう / V-te(ちゃ・じゃ) + う
〜てしまう / 〜ちゃう
Verb (te-form) + おく. Means to do something in advance as preparation, or to leave something as it is. Casual form is 〜とく.
V-te + おく (casual: V-te → とく)
〜ておく
Verb (plain form) + の turns a verb into a noun phrase. Often used with verbs of perception and feeling (見る, 聞く, 好き, 忘れる) and for concrete actions.
V-plain + の
〜の (nominalizer)
Verb て-form + もいい. Gives or asks for permission: 'may, it's OK to'. Also with adjectives and nouns (くてもいい, でもいい).
V-te + もいい; い-adj くてもいい; N/な-adj でもいい
〜てもいい
2    What does it mean?
〜ことにする Verb (dictionary/ない form) + ことにする. Expresses a decision made by the speaker: 'decide to'. — V-dict / V-nai + ことにする
〜ことになっている Verb (dictionary/ない form) + ことになっている. Describes an established rule, schedule, or arrangement: 'it is a rule that / it is arranged that'. — V-dict / V-nai + ことになっている
〜わけにはいかない Verb (dictionary form) + わけにはいかない. Expresses that something can't be done for social, moral, or practical reasons: 'can't very well'. ない form + わけにはいかない = 'have no choice but to'. — V-dict + わけにはいかない; V-nai + わけにはいかない
〜ことはない Verb (dictionary form) + ことはない. Tells someone there is no need to do something, often to reassure: 'there's no need to, you don't have to'. — V-dict + ことはない
〜なくてもいい Verb ない-form (drop い) + なくてもいい. Expresses that something is not necessary: 'don't have to, need not'. — V-nai (drop い) + なくてもいい; い-adj くなくてもいい; N/な-adj でなくてもいい
〜ていく / 〜てくる Verb (te-form) + いく/くる. ていく shows change continuing into the future; てくる shows change up to now, or something starting or coming toward the speaker. — V-te + いく / V-te + くる
〜なければならない / 〜なくてはいけない Verb ない-form (drop い) + なければならない / なくてはいけない. Expresses obligation: 'must, have to'. Casual: なきゃ, なくちゃ. — V-nai (drop い) + なければならない / なくてはいけない
〜てある Transitive verb (te-form) + ある. Describes a state that results from someone's deliberate action, e.g. 'the window has been opened'. — Transitive V-te + ある (object marked with が)
〜てみる Verb (te-form) + みる. Means to try doing something to see what it is like or how it turns out. — V-te + みる
〜たことがある Verb (た-form) + ことがある. Expresses past experience: 'have (ever) done'. Negative: たことがない (have never done). — V-ta + ことがある
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