Japanese Stage-Step Course: Grammar Textbook

537 Pages·2009·5.653 MB·English

by  Wako Tawa

The Japanese Stage-Step Course
Grammar Textbook
An understanding of grammar is essential for students aiming to achieve a high level of proficiency in
Japanese. Written by an experienced teacher, The Japanese Stage-Step Course: Grammar Textbook provides a
step-by-step guide to Japanese grammar. With clear, accessible explanations and relevant examples to put
each grammatical point into context, the GrammarTextbookprovides a meaningful framework to develop the
key skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
The book is divided into the following four stages:
Stage 1: Building a foundation
Stage 2:Towards more complex structures
Stage 3: Adding sophistication
Stage 4: Referencing
Each lesson is accompanied by detailed vocabulary, conversation practice and reading and writing exercises
in the two separate workbooks to enable students to put into practice what they have learnt and to consoli-
date their knowledge. The course also includes the Writing Practice Book, audio material on CDs or in MP3
format and a companion website www.routledge.com/textbooks/japanese-stage-step-course.
Wako Tawa is professor and director of the Japanese Language Program in the Department of Asian
Languages and Civilizations at Amherst College, Massachusetts.
The Japanese Stage-Step Course is a fully integrated language course from beginner through intermediate
level, combining cohesive grammar instruction with functional examples and practice to build a solid foun-
dation in the four key skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The course materials consist of:
Grammar Textbook
Workbook 1
Workbook 2
Writing Practice Book
CD 1
CD 2
For more information about The Japanese Stage-Step Course and additional resources, please visit the com-
panion website at www.routledge.com/textbooks/japanese-stage-step-course.
The Japanese Stage-Step Course
Grammar Textbook
Wako Tawa
First published 2009
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Simultaneously published in the UK
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2009 Wako Tawa
Typeset in Japan by Komiyama Printing Company
Printed and bound by Edwards Brothers, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or
by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including pho-
tocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tawa, Wako.
The Japanese stage-step course. Grammar textbook / Wako Tawa.
p. cm.
Includes index.
I 1. Japanese language—Textbooks for foreign speakers—English. 2. Japanese language—
Grammar—Textbooks. I. Title.
PL539.5.E5T3929 2009
495.6'82421—dc22
2008033909
ISBN13: 978-0-415-77605-9 (grammar textbook)
ISBN13: 978-0-203-88285-6 (grammar ebook)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-77606-6 (workbook 1)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-77611-0 (workbook 2)
ISBN13: 978-0-203-88233-7 (writing practice book)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-77603-5 (CD 1)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-77787-2 (CD 2)
To my children, Kiko, John, and Liam,
and to everyone they love.
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgements xiii
Stage 1 Building a Foundation 1
Preparatory Stage Beginning the Study of Japanese 3
Stage 1-1 Basic Structures of Japanese 26
Stage 1-2 Question Sentences 46
Stage 1-3 Aspects of Predicates 65
Stage 1-4 Numbers and Counters 84
Stage 1-5 On Verbs 100
Stage 1-6 The World of Adverbs 120
Stage 1-7 Topic, Subject, and Object 142
Stage 1-8 Plain Forms of Predicates 159
Stage 1-9 Bridging Stage 1 and Stage 2 180
Stage 2 Towards More Complex Structures 199
Stage 2-1 Conjunctive Forms and Their Uses 201
Stage 2-2 Adjectival Clauses 220
Stage 2-3 Adverbial Clauses 234
Stage 2-4 Derived Verbs: Potentials and Passives 250
Stage 2-5 Stems and Their Uses 264
Stage 2-6 Complex Words 279
Stage 2-7 Complex Predicates 294
Stage 2-8 も and は 306
viii Contents
Stage 3 Adding Sophistication 321
Stage 3-1 Objective vs. Personal Expressions 323
Stage 3-2 Making Inferences 338
Stage 3-3 Embedded Information 354
Stage 3-4 Sentences of Causation 370
Stage 3-5 Expressions of Simultaneous Events 384
Stage 3-6 Emotive Expressions 395
Stage 3-7 Requests, Commands, and Imperatives 409
Stage 3-8 Overriding Particles 426
Stage 4 Referencing 439
Stage 4-1 Adverbial Clauses 441
Stage 4-2 Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases 448
Stage 4-3 Complex Predicates 454
Stage 4-4 Conjunctions 461
Stage 4-5 Counters 468
Stage 4-6 Honorifics (Summary) 480
Stage 4-7 Media Print Language 493
Stage 4-8 On Words and Vocabulary 497
Grammar Index (Japanese Words) 508
Terminology Index (English) 512
Index of Expressions 515
Conjugations of Verbs, Adjectives, and the Copula 521
Preface
Guide to the Grammar Textbook
This textbook series consists of the following set of texts: theGrammar Textbook(one volume), the
Workbooks(two volumes), and the Writing Practice Book(one volume). The Grammar Textbookand
the Workbooks should be used as follows: before attending class, students should study the
assigned grammatical point in the Grammar Textbook. They can use the Workbooks to confirm
their understanding of the new grammar, asking the instructor for explanation if necessary. They
should then proceed with learning new vocabulary as given in the Workbook. It is important to
maintain the order of this process. If, in the course of the process, it becomes apparent that the stu-
dent does not understand the grammatical points correctly, they should refer back to the Grammar
Textbook to review the explanation.
The grammar and workbooks are presented separately in this course. The Grammar Textbook
should be referred to constantly throughout the learning process; repeated rereading of previously
covered material is very effective in helping to solidify a learner’s understanding of grammar.
Instructors of Japanese tend to teach grammar through verbal explanations in class, but this
encourages passive learning. Presenting grammatical explanations in a form that students can
consult and absorb on their own time is much more beneficial, for student and instructor alike. It
may take practice on the students’ part and patience on the teacher’s, but it will empower students
and allow instructors to use precious class hours for more profitable activities, such as speaking
and reading in Japanese.
A flexible approach should be taken in using the Writing Practice Book. Being able to read as
many kanji as possible in context is important, so Japanese characters—both phonetic syllabaries
(kana) and logographs (kanji)—are used from the very beginning in the Grammar Textbook and
Workbooks. However, writing kanji should be practiced methodically, without rushing; it is also
important to appreciate individual differences in learning when it comes to writing kanji. The
Writing Practice Book is therefore presented as a separate volume from the Workbooks.
Detailed suggestions for using the Workbooks and the Writing Practice Book are included in the
preface of each book. The following is an explanation of the philosophical background behind the
textbook, as well as the “stages” and “steps” referred to throughout the course.
Beliefs underlying foreign language learning
There are many methods of teaching and learning Japanese, and each has its own merits as well
as limitations. In fact, every method can be useful at some point in teaching and learning. In order
to choose the most effective method, learners must clearly understand their goal in studying
Japanese (e.g., for travel, or for scholarly research). For some purposes, learning only spoken
Japanese or expressions used in conversation is sufficient, while for others, learning written