Grammar - Verb Patterns

• Use/Meaning: "By the time..."
• Form: Base 3 (Dictionary) + までに
• Example: この本を読むまでに。。。

(By the time I read this book...)

• Use/Meaning: expresses intention
• Form: Plain form verb + つもり　です
• Note: Indicates intention settled upon, but may or may not have carried out.

(Past tense: implies that something intended did not come to pass.)

• Example: 明日図書館に行くつもりです。

(Tomorrow I intend to go to the library)

• Example: 昨日の晩酒を飲まなかったつもりですが。。。

(Last night, I intended not to drink but....)

• Use/Meaning: "Too much/to excess"
• Form: Base 2 (ます) + 過ぎる
• Note: creates compound verb, 過ぎる will conjugate as V1.
• Example: 昨日お酒を飲み過ぎて今日頭が痛いです。

(Yesterday I drank too much liquor, today my head hurts)

• Use/Meaning: ”Begin doing..."
• Form: Base 2 (ます) + 始める
• Note: creates compound verb, 始める will conjugate as V2.
• Example: 四時半ごろから雨が降り始めました。

（It started raining from about 4:30.)

• Use/Meaning: Do suddenly/Suddenly start doing
• Form: Base 2 (ます) + 出す
• Note: creates compound verb, 出す will conjugate as V1.
• Example: その子は急に泣き出しました。

(That child suddenly started crying.)

• Use/Meaning: Ability/Potential..."Can do/able to do"
• Form: Base 3 (Dictionary) + 事ができる
• Note: clausal verb is in base 3, できる conjugates
• Example: 日本語で手紙を書くできましたか。

(Were you able to write the letter in Japanese?)

• Use/Meannig: Strong suggestion
• Form: Plain form verb + ほうがいいです

          ~Plain past form + ほうがいいです (should do)

          ~Plain negative form +  ほうがいいです (shouldn't do)

• Example: 薬を飲んだほうがいいです。

(You should take the medicine)

• Example: お酒を飲み過ぎないほうがいいです。
• (You shouldn't drink too much liquor.)

• Use/Meaning: Giving or asking for permission/"It's okay to/Is it okay to.."
• Form: Verb ~て form + もいいです
• Example: 試験が終わった人は帰ってもいいです。

(Persons who have finished the test may return home.)

• Example: ここに座ってもいいですか。

(Is it okay to sit here?)

• Use/Meaning: Have done/have exerienced
• Form: Verb た form + 事が有る
• Note: clausal verb is in た form, 有る conjugates
• Example: その映画を見た事が有ります。

(I've seen that movie before)

• Example: フランスに行った事が有りません。

(I've never been to France)

• Use/Meaning: Continue doing
• Form: Base 2 (ます) + 続ける
• Note: creates compound verb, 続ける will conjugate as V2.
• Example: 長い間本を読み続けると目が痛く成る。

(If you continue reading for a long time, your eyes will hurt).

• Use/Meaning: "Finish doing..."
• Form: Base 2 (ます) + おわる
• Note: creates compound verb, 続ける will conjugate as V2.

• Use/Meaning: conditional form
• Form: Verb た form + ら

• Example:  映画を見に行く。

(Go watch a movie.)

• Example: 　荷物を取りに来る

(Come to pick up the luggage.)

• Example: 　家に昼ご飯を食べに帰る。

(Return home to eat lunch.)

• Example: 　薬を買ってきました。

(Went to buy some medicne...and came back.)

• Use/Meaning:  expressing a strong suggestion..."should do"
• Form: Verb た form + ほうがいいです
• Example: 疲れていれば休んだほうがいいです。

(If you're tired, you should rest.)

• Note: can sound pushy, so should not over use

• Use/Meaning: expressing a strong suggestion..."should not do"
• Form: Verb ない form + ほうがいいです
• Example: すうわないほうがいいです。

(You shouldn't smoke.)

• Note: can sound pushy, so should not over use

• Use/Meaning: expressing something not yet done or occurred "not yet"
• Form: Verb ~て form + いません
• Example: 　レポートを書いていません

(Haven't written the report yet.)

• Use/Meaning: ”before..."
• Form: Base 3 (Dictionary) + 前に
• Example: 　日本に来る前に日本語の勉強を始めました。

(Before coming to Japan, I started studying Japanese)

• Use/Meaning: ”after"
• Form: Verb ~て form + から
• Example: 　日本に来てから日本語の勉強を始めました。

(After coming to Japan, I started studying Japanese)

• Use/Meaning: "when..."
• Form: Verb た form + 時　/    Verb + なかった時
• Example: 中国に旅行した時上海に行きました。

(When I travelled to China I went to Shanghai).

• Note: 2nd clause is dependent on completed action of 1st clause.

(ie need to be travelling to China if going to Shanghai)

• Use/Meaning: "when..."
• Form: Base 3 (Dictionary) + 時    /    Verb ない form + 時
• Example: 新聞を読む時めがねをかけます。

(When I read the newspaper, I wear glasses)

• Example: 道が分からない時地図を見ます。

(When I'm lost, I look at a map.)

• Note: 2nd clause is not necessarily dependent on completed action of 1st clause.

• Use/Meaning: "thinking about doing..."
• Form: Base 5 (Volitional) + 思っている
• Example: 　夏に日本に行こうと思っています。

(In the summer, I'm thinking about going to Japan)

• Use/Meaning:  forming indirect questions, "whether or not..."
• Form: Plain form verb + かどうか
• Example:  行くかどうか分かりません。

(I don't know whether I'm going).

私はお母さんが行くかどか分かりません。

(I don't know whether or not my mother is going.)

      (note subject of clause is marked by が)

• Note: can often omit どうか in everyday speech
• Note: for "Wh-" indirect questions, (what/where/who/how) can omit どうか

• Use/Meaning: "Might, may, possibly..."
• Form: Plain form verb + かもしれない
• Example: 明日は雨が降るかもしれません。

(It might rain tomorrow.)

• Example: 明日は雨が降らないかもしれません。

(it might not rain tomorrow)

(Why don't you study more?)

• Note: in casual speech, can be shortened to たらどう or たら.
• Note: may be percieved as critical, should not use unless have been directly consulted.
• Note: not used for extending invitations:：私の家に来たらどうですか。

(Why don't you come to my house). incorrect usage.

• Use/Meaning: describes an action performed in preparation for something
• Form: Verb ~て form + 置く
• Example: 　明日は試験が有るので今晩勉強して置きます。

(Because there is an exam tomorrow, I will study (for it) tonight)

• Use/Meaning: describe something scheduled to take place
• Form: Plain form present tense Verb + 予定です。
• Example: 　私の兄は九月に結婚する予定です。

(My older brother is scheduled to get married this September)

• Use/Meaning: expresses certainty..."certain that/must be.."
• Form: Plain form present tense verb +  に違いない
• Example:  私はお母さんが行くに違いない

(I am certian that mother will go.)

• Example: 私はお母さんが行かないに違いない

(I am certain that mother will not go.)

• Note: に違いない does not conjugate.

• Use/Meaning: expresses certainty..."certain that/must be.."
• Form: Plain form past tense verb + に違いない
• Example: 私はお母さんが行ったに違いない

(I am certian that mother went.)

• Example: 私はお母さんが行かなかったに違いない

(I am certain that mother did not go.)

Note: に違いない does not conjugate.

• Use/Meaning: passive voice " be done (to).."
• Form: V1 Base 1 (ーない）+ れる
• Example: 私の財布は泥棒に盗まれました。

(My wallet was stolen by a thief.)

• Note: from p.o.v. of subject...(subject has something done to them)
• Note: agent of action (doer) is marked by に

• Use/Meaning: passive voice " be done (to).."
• Form: V2 Base 1 (ーない）+ られる
• Example:　私のケッキは弟に食べられました。

(My cake was eaten by my little brother.)

• Note: from p.o.v. of subject...(subject has something done to them)
• Note: agent of action (doer) is marked by に

• Use/Meaning: causative " make (someone) do / let (someone do)"
• Form: V1 Base 1 (ーない）+ せる
• Example: 子供の時お母さんはスーパに行かせました。

(When I was a kid, my mom made me go to the market.)

• Note: from p.o.v. of subject...(subject makes/lets someone do something)
• Note: one made/let to do is marked by に

• Use/Meaning: causative " make (someone) do / let (someone do)"
• Form: V1 Base 1 (ーない）+ させる
• Example: 子供の時お母さん私に野菜を食べさせました。

(When I was a kid, my mom made me eat my vegetables.)

• Note: from p.o.v. of subject...(subject makes/lets someone do something)
• Note: one made/let to do is marked by に

• Use/Meaning: causative "let (someone do)"
• Form: V1 Base 1 (ーない）+ せてあげる　(causative ーて form + あげる）
• Note: from p.o.v. of subject...(subject makes/lets someone do something)
• Note: one made/let to do is marked by に

• Use/Meaning: expresses probability "probably..."
• Form: おそらく + V