学校と職場のプロジェクトSchool and Workplace Projects
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe what stage a task or project is at, using 「るところです」、「ているところです」、and 「たところです」.
- State who is responsible for a task, using 「担当」 and related frames such as 「〜を担当しています」.
- State a deadline, using 「までに」, and distinguish it from a simple time expression.
- Give a reason for a delay or a decision in a meeting or project context, using 「ので」.
- Assign a task to someone and confirm an assignment, using polite request and confirmation frames appropriate to a school or workplace setting.
- Read and write a short progress report that names a task, a person responsible, a deadline, and a reason for the current status.
Communication Scenario
Emma has joined a small group project at her school's community center, preparing materials for an upcoming local event. Yuki is also part of the group. The team needs to divide tasks, agree on deadlines, and check on each other's progress before the event. This chapter opens Unit III, moving from Volume II's everyday problem-solving into connected explanation across school, workplace, media, and opinion contexts.
- Emma and her teammates decide who is responsible for which part of the project.
- The group sets a deadline for the first draft of the materials.
- During a short check-in meeting, each person reports on their progress and explains any delay.
Core Vocabulary
The following vocabulary supports this chapter's focus on projects, roles, deadlines, meetings, progress, and files. All items are productive at this chapter unless marked otherwise.
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| プロジェクト | プロジェクト | project |
| 担当 | たんとう | being in charge (of a task) |
| 締め切り | しめきり | deadline |
| 会議 | かいぎ | meeting |
| 進行 | しんこう | progress (of a project or process) |
| 報告 | ほうこく | report |
| 資料 | しりょう | materials; data; documents |
| 提出 | ていしゅつ | submission (of work) |
| 作業 | さぎょう | work; task (in progress) |
| チーム | チーム | team |
| 役割 | やくわり | role |
| ファイル | ファイル | file |
These items combine naturally with 「する」 or 「している」, for example 担当する (to be in charge), 報告する (to report), and 提出する (to submit). Practice each word in a short phrase before using it in a full sentence.
Script and Kanji Focus
This chapter introduces kanji for project, role, meeting, deadline, progress, and files. These are new to Volume II and keep furigana throughout this chapter. Chapter 6 and 7 kanji continue to appear with reduced furigana where familiar, and Chapter 8 and 9 kanji continue to keep furigana as in Chapter 10.
The word for deadline is commonly written 締め切り with okurigana in everyday writing, and often shortened to 締切 in headers, forms, and notices. This chapter uses 締め切り in sentences and 締切 in table headers and notices, matching ordinary practice. Both forms are read the same way: しめきり.
れんしゅう — Practice: Write each of the eight new kanji above once from memory, then use each one in a short phrase such as 会議の資料 (meeting materials) or 作業の進行 (progress of the work).
Pronunciation Focus
Several new words in this chapter combine a long vowel with a following geminate consonant, a pattern that is easy to shorten if learners are not careful:
- 担当 (たんとう) has a long vowel in the second syllable; keep it distinct from たんと.
- 報告 (ほうこく) opens with a long vowel; compare it with the shorter ほこく, which is not a natural word.
- 提出 (ていしゅつ) contains a small 「ゅ」 combined with 「つ」; keep both morae distinct and avoid collapsing them into one syllable.
- 締め切り (しめきり) has no long vowel or gemination, but is often rushed together; keep all four morae clear.
Practice tapping out the mora count for 担当, 報告, and 提出 before using them in the Guided Practice section below.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter introduces four connected systems for describing project work: stage-of-progress expressions with ところです, responsibility expressions with 担当, deadline expressions with までに, and reason expressions with ので.
1. Describing a stage of progress — ところです
Purpose: to say that an action is about to begin, currently underway, or just finished.
- 今から資料を作るところです。I'm just about to make the materials now.verb dictionary form + ところです → about to
- 今、資料を作っているところです。I'm in the middle of making the materials right now.verb ている form + ところです → in progress
- 資料はさっき作ったところです。I just finished making the materials a moment ago.verb た form + ところです → just finished
Compare these three forms carefully: the verb form immediately before ところです determines whether the action is about to start, currently happening, or just completed.
2. Stating responsibility — 担当
Purpose: to say who is responsible for a task within a project or team.
- 田中さんが資料を担当しています。Tanaka is in charge of the materials.
- この作業の担当は私です。I'm the one in charge of this task.
- エマさんは会議の準備を担当してください。Emma, please take charge of the meeting preparations.
3. Stating a deadline — までに
Purpose: to state a point by which an action must be completed, in contrast to まで, which marks a continuous period up to a point.
- 金曜日までに資料を提出してください。Please submit the materials by Friday.
- 会議までに準備を終わらせるつもりです。I intend to finish the preparations by the time of the meeting.
までに marks a deadline for a single completed action (submit by Friday). まで, reviewed from earlier chapters, marks a continuous span (work until Friday). Confusing the two is a common error covered in the Common Mistakes section below.
4. Giving a reason — ので
Purpose: to give a reason in a way that sounds slightly softer and more explanatory than から, and that is common in meeting and reporting contexts.
- 作業の進行が遅れているので、締め切りを一日延ばしてもらえますか。Since the work is running behind, could you extend the deadline by one day?
- 資料はもうできているので、今、提出することができます。Since the materials are already finished, I can submit them now.
Grammar Practice
- Write one sentence using るところです、ているところです、or たところです to describe a stage of progress.
- Write one sentence using 担当 to state who is responsible for a task.
- Write one sentence using までに to state a deadline.
- Write one sentence using ので to give a reason for a delay or a decision.
- Combine your sentences from items 2 through 4 above into one connected progress report, following the Building Block pattern.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Emma, Yuki, and a third teammate, Sato, hold a short check-in meeting about their community center project.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What is Emma in charge of, and what stage is her task at?
- Why is Emma's task running a little behind?
- What deadline does Emma give for finishing, and what does she promise to do if she is delayed?
- What is Yuki asked to take charge of, and what stage is that task at?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Assign the team. Working from the list of tasks below, write one sentence for each task stating who is responsible, using 担当.
- 資料を作る (making the materials)
- 会場を準備する (preparing the venue)
- 会議の日程を決める (deciding the meeting schedule)
タスク２ — Report the stage. For each task above, write a second sentence describing its current stage, choosing an appropriate form of ところです.
タスク３ — Give a reason. Choose one task that is behind schedule and write one sentence using ので to explain why, followed by a polite request or plan using a pattern from this chapter or an earlier chapter.
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 — A short progress update
今日のプロジェクトの進行について報告します。資料の担当は私ですが、今、作っているところです。ほかの作業が長引いているので、少し遅れていますが、木曜日までに終わらせるつもりです。会場の準備はユキさんの担当で、もう始めたところです。ファイルは共有フォルダに入っています。次の会議は水曜日です。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Note who is in charge of the materials and what stage that task is at, why the task is behind schedule, the stated deadline, who is in charge of the venue and what stage that task is at, and when the next meeting will be.
This script uses ところです in two different stages within the same passage; listen for the difference between ているところです and たところです.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Quick answers
- 今、何をしているところですか。
- その作業の担当は誰ですか。
- その作業の締め切りはいつまでですか。
コミュニケーションタスク — Team check-in role-play
With a partner or in a small group, hold a short check-in meeting for an imagined project. Each person should state which task they are in charge of, describe the current stage using ところです, and, if the task is behind, give a reason with ので and state a new deadline with までに.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Recorded progress report
Record yourself giving a one-minute progress report on an imagined project, similar to the Listening Practice passage. Listen back and check that you used 担当, までに, ところです, and ので correctly and that your long vowels and gemination are clear.
Reading Practice
Read the following notice posted on the community center's project board, then answer the questions below.
プロジェクト進行状況 — Project progress board
資料の担当：エマ（作成中、木曜日までに提出予定）
会場準備の担当：ユキ（もう始めたところ）
日程決定の担当：佐藤（すでに決まったところ）
ご質問がある場合は、次の会議（水曜日）でご報告ください。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- Who is in charge of the materials, and what stage is that task at?
- What stage is the venue preparation at?
- What stage is the schedule decision at?
- What should someone do if they have a question?
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will write a short progress report for an imagined project, following the Building Block pattern from the Grammar section.
- State your task and responsibility, using 担当.
- State a deadline, using までに.
- Describe the current stage of the task, using an appropriate form of ところです.
- Give a reason for the current status, using ので, whether the task is on schedule, ahead, or behind.
- Connect your sentences so the report reads as one short account rather than four separate lists.
- Revise and check using the checklist below before finalizing your text.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- My report clearly states who is responsible for the task.
- I used までに correctly for a deadline, not まで for a continuous period.
- I chose the correct form of ところです for the actual stage of the task.
- I used ので to give a reason, not から, matching the softer explanatory tone of a report.
- I kept furigana on this chapter's new kanji and on Chapter 8–9 kanji, and used reduced furigana on Chapter 6–7 kanji where appropriate.
- I ended each sentence with 。 and used consistent script and punctuation.
Culture and Communication
Short, regular check-in meetings are common in many Japanese schools, clubs, and workplaces when a group is working on a shared project. Team members are often expected to state clearly what they are responsible for and to report proactively on delays, rather than waiting to be asked. A phrase such as 遅れているので、報告します (since I'm behind, I'm reporting it) reflects an expectation of clear, timely communication about progress, though the exact style of a meeting varies by institution, team, and individual relationships.
Words such as 担当, 進行, and 報告 are widely used across schools, community groups, and businesses, but specific institutions often have their own preferred terms for roles, meetings, and reports. A company might use different internal terminology than a school club uses for a similar kind of task. Learners moving between contexts should expect to adjust some vocabulary while keeping the underlying grammar patterns in this chapter the same.
In the Model Dialogue, all speakers remain in polite です／ます style throughout the meeting, even though they know each other. This reflects a common pattern in group or classroom settings, where polite style is maintained during structured meetings and reports even among peers, while more casual plain style might be used in the same group's private conversation afterward.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *金曜日まで資料を提出してください。 (using まで, which suggests continuing an action up to Friday, for a one-time submission).
Correction: 金曜日までに資料を提出してください。 — までに marks the point by which a single completed action, such as submitting materials, must happen.
Error: *資料はもう作るところです。 (using the dictionary form with もう, "already," which contradicts the "about to start" meaning of るところです).
Correction: 資料はもう作ったところです。 — the た form with ところです correctly matches もう, since the action has just been completed.
Error: *私は資料を担当。 (leaving 担当 without する or a copula, so the sentence does not close naturally).
Correction: 私は資料を担当しています。 or 資料の担当は私です。 — 担当 needs する to function as a verb, or です when used as a noun stating who is responsible.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Use 担当, 締め切り, 会議, and 資料 each in one sentence.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write 担当, 会議, 報告, and 提出 from memory, and note that all four kanji from this chapter keep furigana in this chapter's texts.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Write one sentence using each form of ところです: about to, in progress, and just finished.
2. Write one sentence stating who is responsible for a task, using 担当.
3. Write one sentence stating a deadline, using までに.
4. Write one sentence using ので to explain a delay.
5. Explain, in your own words, the difference between までに and まで.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the project progress board in the Reading Practice section. Write two sentences summarizing it in your own words.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your own progress report, following the Writing Workshop steps.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. With a partner or instructor, hold a short check-in meeting reporting on an imagined task.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
プロジェクトの進行報告 — Reporting on a project
Imagine you are part of a small team working on a school or community project. Complete all three components below.
- Written report: Write a short progress report of at least five sentences that states your task and responsibility, a deadline, the current stage of the task, and a reason for that status, using the Building Block pattern from the Grammar section.
- Spoken exchange: With a partner, instructor, or recording, present your report aloud in a short check-in meeting and respond to at least two follow-up questions about your progress or deadline.
- Listening check: Listen to a partner's or instructor's progress report and correctly identify their task, deadline, current stage, and reason for that status.
Assessment focus: accurate and natural use of 担当, までに, the three forms of ところです, and ので; correct kanji recognition with appropriate furigana for this chapter's new kanji; consistent polite register appropriate to a school or workplace meeting; and comprehensible pronunciation with attention to long vowels and gemination in project vocabulary.
Answer Key
Grammar Practice
1. Model: 今から資料を作るところです。 2. Model: この作業の担当は私です。 3. Model: 金曜日までに提出してください。 4. Model: 作業が長引いているので、少し遅れています。 5. Open-ended; check that the combined report follows the担当 → までに → ところです → ので order or a natural equivalent.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Emma is in charge of the materials, and she is currently in the middle of making them.
- Emma's task is running behind because another task has been taking longer than expected.
- Emma intends to finish by Thursday, and she promises to report right away if she is delayed.
- Yuki is asked to take charge of preparing the venue, and she has just started that task.
Listening task — Model summary
The speaker is in charge of the materials and is currently making them. The task is behind schedule because another task has taken longer than expected, but the speaker plans to finish by Thursday. Yuki is in charge of the venue and has just started that task, with the files kept in a shared folder. The next meeting is on Wednesday.
Reading — Comprehension
- Emma is in charge of the materials, which are currently being made and are scheduled for submission by Thursday.
- The venue preparation has just been started.
- The schedule decision has already been finished.
- Anyone with a question should report it at the next meeting on Wednesday.
Chapter Review — Section A and B
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary and Script and Kanji Focus sections above.
Chapter Review — Section C
Open-ended; models follow the patterns shown in the Grammar section above. For item 5, a correct explanation notes that までに marks a deadline for completing a single action, while まで marks a continuous period up to a point in time.
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: 資料の担当はエマで、木曜日までに提出する予定です。会場の準備の担当はユキで、もう始めたところです。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Section E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate written work against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the spoken exchange and listening check against the assessment focus listed under the Practical Performance Task.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can describe the current stage of a task, state who is responsible for it, give a deadline, and explain the reason for a delay or a decision. You can also combine these patterns into a short, connected progress report suitable for a school or workplace meeting.