Unit 6 - Section 4: Comparing Conditionals
Intermediate Grammar Complete Summary
Master all intermediate patterns. These form the foundation for advanced Japanese conversation and comprehension.
Complete Intermediate Grammar Overview
Unit 1: Verb Form Expansion
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| te-form | Connection | 食べて飲んだ |
| ta-form | Past | 食べた |
| nai-form | Negative | 食べない |
| Compound patterns | Complex meanings | 食べています |
Unit 2: Compound Patterns
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ～てください | Please do | 来てください |
| ～てもいいです | Permission | 座ってもいいです |
| ～てはいけません | Prohibition | 走ってはいけません |
| ～ています | In progress/habitual | 読んでいます |
Unit 3: Giving/Receiving Verbs
| Verb | Meaning | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| あげる | Give (to others) | [Person]に |
| もらう | Receive | [Person]から |
| くれる | Give (to me) | [Person]が |
Unit 4-5: Advanced Verb Forms
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Potential | Can do | 話せる |
| Volitional | Let's do | 話そう |
| Conditional | If do | 話したら |
| Comparative | More than | Aより大きい |
| Causative | Make/let do | 話させる |
| Passive | Be done to | 話される |
Complex Conversation Example
Scenario: Discussing a successful project
Person A: プロジェクトが成功してよかったですね。
[Purojekuto ga seikou shite yokatta desu ne]
I'm glad the project succeeded.
Person B: そうですね。でも、もっと早く終わらせることもできたんです。
[Sou desu ne. Demo, motto hayaku owaraserum koto mo dekita n desu]
Yes. But we could have finished it earlier.
Person A: そうですか。誰が手伝ってくれたんですか。
[Sou desu ka. Dare ga tetsudatte kureta n desu ka]
Is that so? Who helped you?
Person B: チームメンバー全員が手伝ってくれたんです。夜中も働かされたから、みんな疲れています。
[Chimu membā zenin ga tetsudatte kureta n desu. Yoru-naka mo hatarakareta kara, minna tsukarete imasu]
All team members helped. Since they were made to work through the night, everyone is tired.
Person A: 明日は休んでもいいですか。
[Ashita wa yasunde mo ii desu ka]
Is it okay if they rest tomorrow?
Person B: もちろんです。むしろ、少し休まなければなりません。
[Mochiron desu. Mushiro, sukoshi yasumanakereba narimasen]
Of course. Rather, they must rest a bit.
Person A: プロジェクトが成功してよかったですね。
[Purojekuto ga seikou shite yokatta desu ne]
I'm glad the project succeeded.
Person B: そうですね。でも、もっと早く終わらせることもできたんです。
[Sou desu ne. Demo, motto hayaku owaraserum koto mo dekita n desu]
Yes. But we could have finished it earlier.
Person A: そうですか。誰が手伝ってくれたんですか。
[Sou desu ka. Dare ga tetsudatte kureta n desu ka]
Is that so? Who helped you?
Person B: チームメンバー全員が手伝ってくれたんです。夜中も働かされたから、みんな疲れています。
[Chimu membā zenin ga tetsudatte kureta n desu. Yoru-naka mo hatarakareta kara, minna tsukarete imasu]
All team members helped. Since they were made to work through the night, everyone is tired.
Person A: 明日は休んでもいいですか。
[Ashita wa yasunde mo ii desu ka]
Is it okay if they rest tomorrow?
Person B: もちろんです。むしろ、少し休まなければなりません。
[Mochiron desu. Mushiro, sukoshi yasumanakereba narimasen]
Of course. Rather, they must rest a bit.
Study Tips for Mastery
Path to Intermediate Mastery:
- 1. Master one unit at a time: Don't rush through all patterns
- 2. Practice conjugations: Create conjugation tables for new forms
- 3. Create sentences: Write 10-20 sentences with each new pattern
- 4. Listen actively: Identify patterns in Japanese media
- 5. Speak regularly: Use new patterns in conversation practice
- 6. Review previous units: Regularly revisit earlier patterns to maintain
- 7. Combine patterns: Create sentences using multiple patterns together
- 8. Read extensively: Graded readers help reinforce patterns in context
Achievement Level
At this level, you can:
- Hold conversations about various topics with good fluency
- Express complex ideas and relationships between concepts
- Make polite requests, give permissions, and express prohibitions
- Discuss past, present, and future events with detail
- Understand and use passive, causative, and conditional forms
- Engage in problem-solving and discussion-based conversations
- Read and understand intermediate-level Japanese texts
- Comprehend most normal-speed Japanese in familiar contexts
Course Navigation
Study Tips
- Read each example carefully
- Practice pronunciation aloud
- Create your own sentences to reinforce memory
- Finish the section quiz