Grammar: particles, questions, comparison and demonstratives
Use sentence clues to understand who did what, where and in relation to whom.
Exam scope and assessment notes
This is an original mapped starter, not the recommended full course of about 130 guided learning hours. All Japanese examples, translations, grammar explanations, kanji groupings, listening scripts and pronunciation aids require review by a qualified Japanese-language teacher before publication is described as complete. Browser speech is supplemental, not Cambridge audio. Speaking rehearsal and writing feedback are formative and do not reproduce a live examiner or award official marks. The linked vocabulary workbook has not been reconciled word by word.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which approach gives the most reliable Japanese response?
What you will learn
- Interpret common particles and question words in context.
- Compare items and distinguish this, that and which.
Let the particle show the relationship
は often marks a topic; が can mark a subject; を marks an object; に and で have several uses; と can mean “with” or join nouns. Interpret them with the verb and context.
Question words such as 何, どこ, だれ, いつ, いくら and どうして help predict the kind of information required.
Compare precisely
「AはBより大きいです」 compares A with B; 「グループの中でAが一番大きいです」 marks the largest in a group.
Demonstratives distinguish これ/それ/あれ/どれ and この/その/あの/どの. Distance and noun attachment matter.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
In 「駅で会います」 what does で mark?
Worked example
Read 「駅で友だちと会います。駅から学校まで歩きます。」 Where does the writer meet a friend, and how do they get to school?
Show the worked solution
- Read で as the place of meeting.
- Read と as the companion.
- Use から and まで for route endpoints.
Answer The writer meets a friend at the station and walks from the station to school.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
In 「図書館で本を読みます」 identify the place and object.
Give me a hint
Use the particles to identify each relationship.
Compare my reasoning
- Find the noun before で.
- Find the noun before を.
- Match each to the verb.
The reading happens in the library; the book is what is read. Here で marks the action's location and を its object.
Look for these in your work
- Identifies place
- Identifies object
- Uses context
A learner asks 「どちらが安いですか。」 What kind of answer is requested?
Give me a hint
Notice the comparison question and 安い.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify どちら.
- Identify the quality being compared.
- Answer with an option and price evidence.
The learner asks which of two options is cheaper. The answer should identify the option based on stated prices.
Look for these in your work
- Recognises comparison
- Identifies the quality
- Uses price evidence
A room has three bags, one across the room. What must you know before choosing これ, それ, あれ or どれ?
Give me a hint
Consider relative distance and whether a choice is known.
Compare my reasoning
- Locate speaker and listener.
- Compare each bag's distance.
- Use どれ when asking which one.
You need the speaker/listener viewpoint and the object being indicated. どれ asks “which one”; other forms point to relative positions. Have a teacher confirm nuance.
Look for these in your work
- Uses viewpoint
- Distinguishes question from pointing
- Avoids choosing without context
Common mistakes
- Translating a particle the same way in every context
- Comparing without a reference
- Confusing demonstratives
What can you explain now?
In 「駅で会います」 what does で mark?
Compare with the explanation
The place where the meeting happens
The verb and context identify this use.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Explain one idea from memory, answer the checkpoint, and name a Japanese form or reading that needs checking.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.