勉強と仕事Study and Work
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Identify and use vocabulary for school subjects, workplaces, tasks, and skills.
- Recognize plain nonpast and plain negative verb and adjective forms used inside larger patterns.
- Express ability using 〜ことができます.
- Quote what someone said or thinks using と言いました and と思います.
- Build short noun-modifying clauses to describe a person, place, or thing, such as 日本語を勉強している学生.
- Ask about and describe a person's studies, job, and abilities.
- Read and interpret simple school and workplace notices and short reports.
- Recognize, read, and begin to handwrite twelve new Unit III kanji for study, work, and communication.
- Hold a short guided conversation about study, work, and ability.
Communication Scenario
Tom has recovered from his cold and returns to Japanese class. During a break, Yuki asks him about his studies and his part-time job. Tom explains what he is studying, what he can and cannot do yet, and what his manager told him at work. Later, Tom tells a classmate what Yuki said and what he himself thinks about balancing study and work. This chapter follows Tom as he describes his studies and job, reports what people have said, and talks about his abilities.
- This chapter continues Unit III. It introduces plain forms for grammar building, the ability pattern 〜ことができます, quotation with と and と思います, and short noun-modifying clauses.
- By the end of the chapter, you will be able to describe your studies and work, talk about what you can and cannot do, report what someone said or thinks, and describe a person or thing using a short modifying clause.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary covers school subjects, workplaces, tasks, and the language needed to describe skills and report what others say.
School and Subjects
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 学校 | がっこう | school |
| 大学 | だいがく | university |
| 先生 | せんせい | teacher |
| 学生 | がくせい | student |
| 授業 | じゅぎょう | class; lesson |
| 勉強します | べんきょうします | to study |
Work and Tasks
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 仕事 | しごと | job; work |
| 会社 | かいしゃ | company |
| アルバイト | アルバイト | part-time job |
| 働きます | はたらきます | to work |
| 忙しい | いそがしい | busy |
Skills and Communication
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 読みます | よみます | to read |
| 書きます | かきます | to write |
| 聞きます | ききます | to listen; to ask |
| 話します | はなします | to speak; to talk |
| 上手 | じょうず | skillful; good at |
| できます | できます | to be able to do |
You already know 忙しい as an い-adjective pattern from Chapter 9's adjective work, and you have used 〜ます forms of 読みます, 書きます, 聞きます, and 話します receptively in earlier listening tasks. This chapter activates all four verbs for productive use and adds their plain and ability forms.
Script and Kanji Focus
This chapter introduces twelve new kanji for study, work, and communication. Furigana marks each new kanji throughout the chapter, and earlier Unit III kanji from Chapters 11 through 13 appear here with reduced furigana as review.
The kanji 事 is read じ in the compound 仕事 (job) but read こと when it appears alone as a word meaning "thing" or "matter," including inside the pattern 〜ことができます introduced later in this chapter. Learn each word and pattern as its own unit rather than assuming one reading applies everywhere 事 appears.
れんしゅう — Practice: Copy each new kanji five times, saying its reading aloud each time. Then write the words 勉強, 仕事, and 会社 from memory, checking your okurigana against the vocabulary list above.
Pronunciation Focus
The word 勉強 (べんきょう) contains the contracted sound きょ followed by a long う vowel, and 学校 (がっこう) contains a small っ followed by a long う vowel. Tap out each word's morae to keep the timing accurate: べ・ん・きょ・う (4 morae) and が・っ・こ・う (4 morae).
- 勉強 べんきょう — study (4 morae)
- 学校 がっこう — school (4 morae)
Also review the falling intonation used when reporting what someone said with と言いました, which typically completes the sentence with a level or slightly falling pitch rather than the rising pitch of a question.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
1. Plain forms for grammar building
Purpose: to recognize and begin using the plain nonpast form inside larger patterns, without yet using it as an independent polite-style substitute.
Every verb has a plain nonpast form in addition to its polite 〜ます form. From this chapter onward, the plain nonpast form is used inside larger grammar patterns such as 〜ことができます, と思います, and noun-modifying clauses. The plain form is not yet a general substitute for polite 〜ます speech in this volume; it appears only inside the patterns this chapter and later chapters authorize.
- 話します → 話すto speak (polite → plain)
- 読みます → 読むto read (polite → plain)
- します → するto do (polite → plain)
Patterns such as 〜ことができます and と思います attach to the plain nonpast form of a verb, not to the 〜ます form. Because these patterns are useful for describing ability and reporting thoughts, this chapter introduces the plain nonpast form as a building block. A full system of plain-style speech, including plain past and plain negative for independent conversation, develops later in the volume and more fully in Volume II.
2. Expressing ability with 〜ことができます
Purpose: to say what a person is able to do.
Attach ことができます to the plain nonpast form of a verb to express ability. This pattern nominalizes the verb phrase with こと (thing; matter) and states that "doing [verb]" is possible.
- 日本語を話すことができます。I can speak Japanese.話す[plain]+ことができます
- 漢字を書くことができません。I cannot write kanji.
- ピアノを弾くことができますか。Can you play the piano?
Error: Treating 日本語が上手です and 日本語を話すことができます as always identical in meaning.
Correction: 上手です comments on skill level, while 〜ことができます states whether an action is possible at all. A person can speak a language with 〜ことができます without necessarily being described as 上手.
3. Quotation with と, 言いました, and と思います
Purpose: to report what someone said or to state a personal opinion.
Attach と to a plain-style clause, followed by 言いました to report speech or 思います to give an opinion. At this stage, quotations use short, simple clauses that learners have already studied.
- 先生は「明日、テストがあります」と言いました。The teacher said, "There will be a test tomorrow."「発言」+と+言いました
- ゆきさんは忙しいと言いました。Yuki said she is busy.
- 私はこの仕事はおもしろいと思います。I think this job is interesting.
Japanese does not always require a strict grammatical shift between direct and indirect quotation the way English does. At this level, keep quotations short and close to the original wording, using corner brackets 「 」 for a quoted line when useful. More flexible indirect-quotation patterns are studied in later volumes.
4. Short noun-modifying clauses
Purpose: to describe a person, place, or thing using a short clause placed directly before the noun.
In Japanese, a clause that describes a noun is placed directly before that noun, using the plain nonpast (or plain past, once available) form of the verb or adjective. There is no separate word equivalent to English "who," "which," or "that" in this position.
- 日本語を勉強している学生a student who is studying Japanese[clause]+学生[noun]
- 会社で働いている人a person who works at a company
- 先生が読んでいる本the book that the teacher is reading
Error: Expecting a separate word for "who" or "that" between the clause and the noun, as in English.
Correction: 日本語を勉強している学生 — Japanese places the entire descriptive clause directly before the noun it modifies, with no linking word. Practice reading the clause first, then the noun it describes, right to left in meaning even though the text reads left to right.
Grammar Practice
- Give the plain nonpast form of 読みます and 聞きます.
- Say you can speak Japanese, using 〜ことができます.
- Report that the teacher said there is a test tomorrow, using と言いました.
- Say you think this job is interesting, using と思います.
- Describe "a student who is studying Japanese" using a short noun-modifying clause.
Model Dialogue
Setting: During a break in Japanese class, Yuki asks Tom about his studies and his part-time job.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What is Tom studying at university?
- What can Tom do in Japanese, and what can he not yet do?
- What did Tom's manager say, and what does Tom think about studying and working together?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Describe your abilities. Using 〜ことができます, write three sentences describing things you can and cannot do.
タスク２ — Report and describe. Write one sentence reporting something a classmate or teacher said using と言いました, and one sentence using a short noun-modifying clause to describe a person you know.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a clear, moderate pace.
きくタスク — Tom's studies and work
トムさんはだいがくでれきしとにほんごをべんきょうしています。にほんごをはなすことはできますが、しんぶんをよむことはまだできません。アルバイトもしています。マネージャーは「らいしゅう、あたらしいしごとがあります」といいました。トムさんはべんきょうとアルバイトはたいへんですが、いいけいけんだとおもっています。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Draw a simple chart listing what Tom is studying, what he can and cannot do, and what his manager said, then compare it with a partner or check it against the passage.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Quick answers
- 何を勉強していますか。
- 日本語を話すことができますか。
- アルバイトをしていますか。忙しいですか。
コミュニケーションタスク — Interview about study and work
With a partner, interview each other about your studies, your job or part-time job, and your abilities. Report one thing your partner said to a third person or to the class, using と言いました.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Describe your abilities and opinions
Record yourself describing, in five to six sentences, what you are studying, what you can and cannot do, and your opinion about your studies or work, using と思います.
Reading Practice
Read the following school notice and short report, then answer the questions below.
がっこうのおしらせ — School notice
先生は「来週、日本語のテストがあります」と言いました。漢字を読むことと書くことのテストです。学生は今週、たくさん勉強しなければなりません。
アルバイトのレポート — A short report about a part-time job
わたしは会社でアルバイトをしています。日本語を話すことができる人が必要だと、マネージャーは言いました。わたしはまだ上手じゃありませんが、いい経験だと思います。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- According to the school notice, what will the test cover?
- What did the manager say is needed at the writer's job?
- What does the writer think about the experience, even though they are not yet skillful?
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will write a short paragraph describing your studies or work, your abilities, and your opinion about them.
- Choose your topic. Decide whether to focus on school, a job, or a part-time job.
- List your ideas in English first. Note what you study or do, one or two abilities, and something someone has said to you about it.
- Write a sentence describing what you study or do using vocabulary from this chapter.
- Write a sentence about your ability, using 〜ことができます in the affirmative or negative.
- Write a sentence reporting something someone said to you using と言いました.
- Write a sentence giving your opinion using と思います.
- Add a sentence describing a classmate or coworker using a short noun-modifying clause, such as 「日本語を勉強している学生」.
- Revise and check using the checklist below before finalizing your work.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- I described my studies or work clearly using accurate vocabulary.
- I used 〜ことができます correctly, attached to a plain nonpast verb.
- I reported someone's words or thought using と言いました or と思います correctly.
- I built a short noun-modifying clause with the clause placed directly before the noun.
- I used the new Unit III kanji correctly, with furigana.
- I ended each sentence with 。 and organized my paragraph logically.
Culture and Communication
Many students in Japan and in Japanese-speaking communities elsewhere combine study with a part-time job, often called アルバイト, a term borrowed from German and adapted into Japanese. Balancing study and part-time work is a common topic of everyday conversation among students, and expressions like 忙しい and 大変 frequently appear when students describe this balance to friends, family, or teachers.
Expectations around reporting to a manager, the language used with coworkers, and typical part-time job hours vary by workplace, industry, and region. Some workplaces use more formal language toward managers than the plain and polite forms practiced in this chapter; learners preparing for a specific workplace should confirm its particular expectations rather than assuming this chapter's examples apply everywhere.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *話しますことができます。
Correction: 話すことができます。 — 〜ことができます attaches to the plain nonpast form of the verb, not to the 〜ます form.
Error: *先生は忙しい言いました。
Correction: 先生は忙しいと言いました。 — The particle と must appear directly before 言いました or 思います to mark the quoted content or opinion.
Error: *学生、日本語を勉強している。 (intending "a student who is studying Japanese," modeled on English word order)
Correction: 日本語を勉強している学生 — The entire descriptive clause must come before the noun it modifies, with no separating word or punctuation.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Give the Japanese for school, university, teacher, and student.
2. Give the Japanese for job, company, and part-time job.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write any seven of the twelve new Chapter 14 kanji from memory, with their readings.
2. Write 勉強 and 仕事, checking your okurigana.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Give the plain nonpast form of 読みます and 話します.
2. Write a sentence describing an ability using 〜ことができます.
3. Write a sentence reporting something someone said using と言いました.
4. Write a sentence giving your opinion using と思います.
5. Write a short noun-modifying clause describing a person you know.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the school notice in the Reading Practice section. Write two sentences summarizing what the test will cover and when.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Write a short paragraph describing your studies or work, an ability, something someone said to you, and your opinion.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Interview a partner or instructor about their studies and work, and report one thing they said to the class or another partner.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
べんきょうとしごと — Study and work
You will produce a connected spoken and written exchange in which you describe your studies or work, state your abilities, report what someone has said, and give your opinion.
- Written: Write at least eight sentences describing your studies or work, stating an ability with 〜ことができます, reporting a quotation with と言いました, and giving an opinion with と思います.
- Spoken: Perform an interview or conversation aloud with a partner or instructor, including at least one short noun-modifying clause describing a person, place, or thing.
- Interaction: Respond naturally to a partner's description of their own studies or work, asking at least one follow-up question.
- Script check: Hand-write at least seven of the twelve new kanji from memory, and read aloud a short school notice or report furnished by your instructor.
Assessment focus: correctly formed 〜ことができます in affirmative and negative forms; accurate quotation with と言いました and と思います; a correctly ordered short noun-modifying clause; accurate study and work vocabulary; accurate Chapter 14 kanji with furigana; and a natural, followable exchange about study and work.
Answer Key
Grammar Practice
1. 読む／聞く. 2. Model: 日本語を話すことができます。 3. Model: 先生は「明日、テストがあります」と言いました。 4. Model: この仕事はおもしろいと思います。 5. Model: 日本語を勉強している学生。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Tom is studying history and Japanese at university.
- Tom can speak Japanese but cannot yet read a newspaper in Japanese.
- Tom's manager said there will be new work next week; Tom thinks studying and working part-time is good experience, even though it is difficult.
Listening task — Model chart description
Studies: history and Japanese. Can do: speak Japanese. Cannot yet do: read a Japanese newspaper. Manager's words: there will be new work next week.
Reading — Comprehension
- The test will cover reading and writing kanji, and it takes place next week.
- The manager said a person who can speak Japanese is needed.
- The writer thinks it is good experience, even though they are not yet skillful.
Chapter Review — Section A
- 学校／大学／先生／学生.
- 仕事／会社／アルバイト.
Chapter Review — Section B
Open-ended; check against the kanji grids above and the 勉強／仕事 example.
Chapter Review — Section C
- 読む／話す.
- Model: 日本語を書くことができます。
- Model: マネージャーは忙しいと言いました。
- Model: これはいい経験だと思います。
- Model: 会社で働いている人。
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: 日本語のテストは来週です。漢字を読むことと書くことのテストです。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Section E and F
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate written work against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate spoken work against the Performance Task assessment focus.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can describe your studies and work, state your abilities using 〜ことができます, report what someone said or thinks using と言いました and と思います, build short noun-modifying clauses, and read and write simple school and workplace notices using the twelve new Unit III kanji.