Complete Grammar Lesson

Basic pattern

Use ～ながら when the same person performs two actions at the same time, or when two activities continue in parallel over a longer period.

How to form ～ながら

Use A: Two actions happening at the same time

Use B: Two long-term activities continuing in parallel

～ながら does not always mean two actions are happening during the exact same second.

Very important: both actions normally have the same subject

私わたしは音楽おんがくを聞ききながら、勉強べんきょうします。

I listen, and I study.

Which action is more important?

音楽おんがくを聞ききながら、勉強べんきょうします。

The sentence is mainly about studying. Listening to music is the accompanying action.

勉強べんきょうしながら、音楽おんがくを聞ききます。

Now the sentence is mainly about listening to music, with studying as the accompanying action.

You already know ～ています can describe an action happening right now. In Lesson 28, the important new use is an established habit or routine.

Habit or routine

Past habit: ～ていました

Do not assume every ～ています means “right now”

Basic idea

～し lets you stack several pieces of information together. Depending on the context, it can mean things like “and... and...”, “not only... but also...”, or “because A and because B...”.

How to attach し

Past forms also work

楽たのしかったし、勉強べんきょうにもなりました。

It was fun, and I learned something from it too.

休やすみだったし、天気てんきもよかったので、出でかけました。

It was a day off, and the weather was good too, so I went out.

Use A: listing several qualities or facts

Use B: giving several reasons

You can use just one し

色いろもきれいだし、この靴くつを買かいます。

I'll buy these shoes because the color is beautiful (and there are other reasons too).

Use それに when you want to add another similar fact, quality, or reason. It often appears after a list using ～し.

それで connects what was said first to a result that follows from it.

それで vs それに

安やすいです。それに、おいしいです。

It's cheap. Besides, it's tasty.

安やすくて、おいしいです。それで、いつも人ひとが多おおいです。

It's cheap and tasty. Therefore, it's always crowded.

A natural way to give several reasons

The conclusion can sometimes be obvious

A：どうしてこの店みせによく来くるんですか。

Why do you come to this restaurant often?

B：値段ねだんも安やすいし、魚さかなも新鮮しんせんだし…。

Because the prices are low, the fish is fresh, and...

Place + に with movement verbs

With movement verbs such as 行いきます, 来きます, and 帰かえります, both に and へ can mark the destination.

よくこの喫茶店きっさてんに来くるんですか。

Do you often come to this coffee shop?

会社かいしゃに行いきます。

I go to the company / office.

会社かいしゃへ行いきます。

I go toward / to the company / office.

～とき + particle

時とき behaves like a noun, so particles such as は, に, や, and から can follow it when needed.

～し vs ～て / ～で / ～くて

Both can connect descriptions, but their feeling is different.

安やすくて、おいしいです。

It is cheap and delicious. (simple connection)

安やすいし、おいしいし、この店みせが好すきです。

I like this restaurant because it's cheap, delicious, and so on. (accumulating reasons)

と vs や when listing nouns

パンと牛乳ぎゅうにゅうを買かいました。

I bought bread and milk. (complete/direct list)

パンや牛乳ぎゅうにゅうなどを買かいました。

I bought things such as bread and milk. (examples; there may be other items)

This is conceptually similar to ～し: both can leave the feeling that the list is not necessarily complete.

それに vs そして vs それで

A. Make ～ながら sentences

1. 音楽おんがくを聞ききます ＋ 料理りょうりします
2. コーヒーを飲のみます ＋ 本ほんを読よみます
3. 働はたらきます ＋ 大学だいがくで勉強べんきょうします

B. Habit or “right now”?

Decide whether ～ています means a habit or an action in progress.

1. 今いま、昼ひるごはんを食たべています。
2. 毎日まいにち、昼ひるごはんを12時じに食たべています。
3. 週末しゅうまつはよく映画えいがを見みています。

C. Add し correctly

1. 安やすい → ?
2. 静しずかだ → ?
3. 学生がくせいだ → ?
4. 行いかない → ?
5. 楽たのしかった → ?

D. Choose それに or それで

1. このパソコンは軽かるいです。＿＿＿、速はやいです。
2. 昨日きのうは電車でんしゃが止とまりました。＿＿＿、会社かいしゃに遅おくれました。
3. この店みせは安やすいです。＿＿＿、店員てんいんも親切しんせつです。

E. Translate into Japanese

1. I study while listening to music.
2. I usually exercise every morning.
3. This apartment is cheap and close to the station, so I like it.
4. Why did you choose this company? Because the work is interesting and the salary is good.
5. The train stopped. Therefore, I was late.