Speak and Write Language Series

Unit I — 説明と意見 · Chapter 5 of 20 · Unit I Assessment

復習１：説明と意見Unit I Assessment

Extended explanation and opinion assessment · Speak and Write Japanese: Independent Communication and Advanced Expression

Chapter Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Describe and classify a person, place, system, process, service, or cultural practice in detail, using という, ような, 例えば, and 一方 to organize the description.
Explain a cause-and-result chain using ため, せいで／おかげで, 結果, and によって, choosing the connector that fits the intended meaning and register.
State an opinion clearly, support it with a reason and an example, and use べき at most once, softened with と思う.
Concede a point with 確かに〜が or 〜ものの before disagreeing, and soften disagreement rather than stating it bluntly.
Combine explanation, cause and result, and supported opinion into one organized multi-paragraph account.
Read, listen to, and produce integrated explanation-and-opinion Japanese about the domains active in Chapters 1 through 4, using consolidated Volume III kanji with appropriately reduced furigana.
Self-assess register consistency, discourse organization, and pronunciation across an extended spoken and written performance.

Communication Scenario

The discussion group Emma has been posting in is preparing a small collection of member essays about changes in everyday life, and Emma has been asked to contribute one on a topic of her choice. She decides to write about the spread of self-checkout registers at stores near her — a topic that lets her describe what self-checkout is and how it works, explain why it has spread and what results it has had, and give her own opinion about whether the change has been good overall. Before she submits her essay, Yuki reads a draft with her, checking that the description is clear, that the causes and results are explained rather than just listed, and that Emma's opinion is supported and gently expressed rather than one-sided. This chapter's Unit I Performance Task asks you to write and present a similar essay on a topic of your choice from education, work, technology, community, media, travel, environment, or culture, combining description, cause-and-result explanation, and a supported, gently expressed opinion.

The writer clearly describes and classifies the topic before explaining or evaluating it.
The writer explains at least one cause-and-result relationship connected to the topic.
The writer states a supported opinion, concedes an opposing point, and softens any disagreement.

ごい — Cumulative Vocabulary Review

Cumulative Vocabulary Review

This chapter reviews and integrates vocabulary from Chapters 1 through 4: description and classification vocabulary from Chapter 2, cause-and-result vocabulary from Chapter 3, and opinion-support vocabulary from Chapter 4. No new productive vocabulary is introduced in this chapter; the table below groups the most important recurring items by function.

Function	Japanese	Reading	English meaning
Description / classification	種類	しゅるい	type; kind
Description / classification	特徴	とくちょう	characteristic; feature
Cause and result	原因	げんいん	cause
Cause and result	結果	けっか	result
Cause and result	影響	えいきょう	influence; effect
Opinion / stance	意見	いけん	opinion
Opinion / stance	賛成する／反対する	さんせいする／はんたいする	to agree / to disagree
Opinion / stance	根拠	こんきょ	grounds; basis
Opinion / stance	結論	けつろん	conclusion
Advantage / disadvantage	長所／短所	ちょうしょ／たんしょ	strong point / weak point

All items above were introduced in Chapters 2 through 4 and are now expected for independent, connected use.

れんしゅう — Practice: Choose one topic (for example, self-checkout registers, a school system, or a local service) and write four sentences: one classifying or describing it, one giving a cause-and-result relationship connected to it, one stating an opinion about it, and one giving a reason or example for that opinion.

もじ — Script and Kanji Review

Script and Kanji Review

This chapter assesses control of the kanji introduced across Chapters 1 through 4, including kanji for category, feature, cause, result, influence, opinion, agreement, disagreement, grounds, and conclusion. Furigana is reduced on all Chapter 1–4 kanji in this chapter's readings, consistent with this volume's Furigana / Reading-Support Matrix; furigana remains available for names and any unscheduled readings.

特徴

とくちょう

characteristic

Review — Ch. 2

影響

えいきょう

influence

Review — Ch. 3

賛成

さんせい

agreement

Review — Ch. 4

結論

けつろん

conclusion

Review — Ch. 4

Script Strategy — Recognizing families of related kanji

By this point, several Unit I kanji share components that can support memory rather than serve as a decoding rule: 結果 and 結論 both begin with 結 ("to tie together, to conclude"), and 原因 and 影響 both describe forces that produce a later effect, even though their components differ. Reviewing words in these small families, rather than as an unconnected list, can make this chapter's cumulative kanji easier to recall under the pressure of a timed writing or speaking task.

In this chapter's readings, only names, unfamiliar loanwords, and any kanji not yet scheduled in this volume receive furigana; all other Chapter 1–4 kanji appear without reading support.

れんしゅう — Practice: Without looking back at earlier chapters, write the readings for 種類, 特徴, 原因, 結果, 影響, 意見, 賛成, 反対, 根拠, and 結論. Check your answers against the Cumulative Vocabulary Review table above.

Pronunciation Review

Pronunciation Review — Length, gemination, and moraic ん under connected speech

This chapter reviews the long vowels, geminate consonants, and moraic ん introduced with Chapters 3 and 4's opinion and cause-result vocabulary, now inside longer, connected sentences rather than isolated words. Holding these contrasts clearly becomes more important, not less, as sentences grow longer, because listeners rely on them to track word boundaries.

影響 (えいきょう): a long vowel in きょう that must be held for its full length, distinct from a shortened きょ.
結果 (けっか): the geminate っ creates a clear pause in timing before か; compare with 消化 (しょうか), which has no gemination.
賛成／結論: review the long vowel in せい and the moraic ん before ろ from Chapter 4.

Practice reading the Building Block example in the Grammar section aloud at a natural pace, paying attention to these contrasts across sentence boundaries rather than only within single words.

Grammar Review: Explanation, Cause, and Opinion

This chapter does not introduce new grammar. It reviews and integrates the description and classification patterns from Chapter 2, the cause-and-result connectors from Chapter 3, and the opinion-support patterns from Chapter 4 within one extended piece of discourse.

Review: Describing and classifying

Purpose: to introduce a topic clearly before explaining or evaluating it, using という, ような, 例えば, and 一方 from Chapter 2.

セルフレジというのは、客が自分でバーコードを読み取って会計をするレジのことだ。What's called a self-checkout register is a register where the customer scans the barcodes and pays by themselves.Nというのは、〜 — introduce and define a term
従来のレジのような対面式の会計とは違って、セルフレジでは店員と話す必要がない。Unlike face-to-face payment like a traditional register, with self-checkout there's no need to talk to a staff member.Nのような〜とは違って — contrast a new type with a familiar one

Review: Explaining cause and result

Purpose: to connect a cause to its consequence clearly, using ため, せいで／おかげで, 結果, and によって from Chapter 3.

人手不足のため、多くの店がセルフレジを導入している。Because of the labor shortage, many stores are introducing self-checkout.Nのため、〜 — neutral cause
セルフレジが増えたおかげで、レジに並ぶ時間が短くなったという客も多い。Thanks to the increase in self-checkout, many customers say the time spent waiting in line has gotten shorter.Vたおかげで、〜 — positive result

Review: Supporting and softening an opinion

Purpose: to state an opinion, support it, concede a different view, and soften disagreement, using べき, 確かに〜が, 〜ものの, 例えば, and かもしれませんが from Chapter 4.

店はセルフレジの使い方をもっと分かりやすく説明するべきだと思う。I think stores should explain how to use self-checkout more clearly.Vる + べきだと思う — softened recommendation
確かに機械が苦手な人には不便な面もあるものの、慣れれば時間の節約になると思う。It's true that there's an inconvenient side for people who aren't good with machines, but I think it saves time once you get used to it.確かに〜ものの、〜 — concede, then present one's own view

Building an integrated explanation-and-opinion essay

Building Block — An integrated explanation-and-opinion essay

introduce and classify the topic → explain at least one cause and its result → state your opinion, supported by a reason and an example → concede a point from an opposing view → soften your disagreement and restate your conclusion

This five-stage pattern combines the Chapter 2 description-and-classification pattern, the Chapter 3 cause-and-result pattern, and the Chapter 4 opinion-support pattern into one organized piece of extended discourse, and gives this chapter's Unit I Performance Task its underlying shape.

セルフレジというのは、客が自分でバーコードを読み取って会計をするレジのことだ。人手不足のため、最近このようなレジを導入する店が増えている。その結果、レジに並ぶ時間が短くなったという客も多い。私はこの変化に基本的に賛成だ。例えば、私がよく行く店でも、セルフレジができてから会計がずっと早くなった。確かに機械の操作が苦手な人には不便な面もあるものの、店員が近くにいて手伝ってくれれば大きな問題にはならないと思う。それも一つの考え方かもしれないが、店はセルフレジの使い方をもっと分かりやすく説明するべきだというのが私の結論だ。

What's called a self-checkout register is a register where the customer scans the barcodes and pays by themselves. Because of the labor shortage, more stores have recently been introducing this kind of register. As a result, many customers say the time spent waiting in line has gotten shorter. I'm basically in favor of this change. For example, at a store I go to often, checkout has become much faster since self-checkout was introduced. It's true that there's an inconvenient side for people who aren't good with operating machines, but I think it won't be a big problem as long as a staff member is nearby to help. That might be one way of looking at it, but my conclusion is that stores should explain how to use self-checkout more clearly.

Grammar Review Practice

Write one sentence introducing and classifying a topic using というのは or Nのような.
Write one sentence explaining a cause and result using ため or おかげで／せいで.
Write one sentence stating a supported opinion using べきだと思う or と思う with a reason.
Write one sentence conceding a point using 確かに〜が or 〜ものの.
Write a short paragraph following the Building Block pattern above about a topic of your choice.

Model Dialogue

Setting: Emma reads a draft of her essay on self-checkout registers aloud to Yuki before submitting it to the discussion group.

エマまず、セルフレジがどういうものか説明してから、原因と結果を書いて、最後に自分の意見を書いたんだけど、流れは自然かな。 First I explained what self-checkout is, then wrote the cause and result, and finally wrote my own opinion — does the flow feel natural?

ユキうん、いいと思う。説明から意見に進む順番は分かりやすいよ。ただ、意見の部分で「べき」をどう使ったか、もう一度確認してみて。 Yeah, I think it's good. The order of going from explanation to opinion is easy to follow. But check once more how you used "should" in the opinion part.

エマ「店はセルフレジの使い方をもっと分かりやすく説明するべきだ」って書いた後に、結論として一回だけ使ったよ。 I wrote "stores should explain how to use self-checkout more clearly," using it just once as the conclusion.

ユキそれなら大丈夫。反対意見への「確かに〜ものの」の部分もちゃんと入っているし、最後も柔らかく終わっているから、いい構成だと思う。 Then that's fine. The "certainly ~ but" part for the opposing view is properly included too, and the ending is soft, so I think it's a good structure.

エマ発表するときは、この漢字の読み方を間違えないように、もう一度声に出して練習しておく。 When I present it, I'll practice reading it aloud once more so I don't mispronounce these kanji.

ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:

What three-part structure does Emma describe for her essay?
What does Yuki ask Emma to double-check?
How many times does Emma say she used べき, and where does it appear?

Guided Practice

タスク１ — Choose and classify a topic. Choose a topic from education, work, technology, community, media, travel, environment, or culture. Write one or two sentences introducing and classifying it, using というのは or Nのような.

タスク２ — Explain a cause and result. Write one or two sentences explaining a cause connected to your topic and its result, using ため, おかげで／せいで, 結果, or によって.

タスク３ — State and support an opinion. Write one sentence stating your opinion, one sentence with a reason, and one sentence with an example using 例えば. Use べき at most once, softened by と思う.

タスク４ — Concede and soften. Write one sentence conceding a different view using 確かに〜が or 〜ものの, and one sentence softening your disagreement using かもしれませんが or a similar hedge.

タスク５ — Plan your essay. Using the Building Block pattern from the Grammar Review section, outline your own five-part essay: classification, cause and result, supported opinion, concession, and softened conclusion.

Listening Assessment

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 — An integrated explanation and opinion, read aloud

最近、多くの図書館でセルフ貸出機というものが導入されている。これは、利用者が自分で本のバーコードを読み取って借りる機械のことだ。図書館の職員が減っているため、このような機械を導入する図書館が増えているそうだ。その結果、待ち時間が短くなったという声をよく聞く。私はこの変化に賛成だ。例えば、私がよく行く図書館でも、貸出にかかる時間がずっと短くなった。確かに機械の操作に慣れていない高齢の利用者には難しい面もあるものの、職員がそばにいて手伝えば大きな問題にはならないと思う。それも一つの意見かもしれないが、図書館は使い方の説明をもっと丁寧にするべきだというのが私の結論だ。

聞くタスク — Listening task: Identify (1) how the speaker classifies the topic, (2) the cause and result described, (3) the speaker's opinion with its reason and example, (4) the concession, and (5) the final softened conclusion.

This assessment script integrates classification language from Chapter 2, cause-and-result language from Chapter 3, and opinion-support language from Chapter 4, matching this chapter's Unit I Performance Task.

Speaking Assessment

コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Integrated quick prompts

身近な変化を一つ選んで、それがどういうものか説明してください。
その変化の原因と結果を説明してください。
その変化について、例を挙げながら自分の意見を言ってください。反対意見にも触れてから、柔らかく自分の考えを述べてください。

コミュニケーションタスク — Partner assessment exchange

With a partner, take turns presenting a short spoken essay on a topic of your choice, following the Building Block pattern: classification, cause and result, supported opinion, concession, and softened conclusion. The listener should identify each of the five parts and ask at least one follow-up question.

ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: A rehearsed integrated essay

Using your Guided Practice outline, rehearse and record a two-to-three-minute spoken version of your essay for the discussion group's essay collection described in the Communication Scenario. Listen back and check that all five parts of the Building Block pattern are present and clearly connected.

Reading Assessment

Read the following essay from the discussion group's collection, then answer the questions below.

キャッシュレス決済と地域の店 — An Essay on Cashless Payment and Local Shops

キャッシュレス決済というのは、現金を使わずにカードやスマートフォンで支払う方法のことだ。近年、多くの客がこの方法を好むようになったため、地域の小さな店でもキャッシュレス決済を導入するところが増えている。その結果、会計にかかる時間が短くなり、店員の負担も減ったという話をよく聞く。私はこの変化に基本的に賛成だ。例えば、私の近所の八百屋でも、キャッシュレス決済が始まってから、レジの列が短くなった。確かに、機械の使い方に慣れていない高齢の店主には負担が大きいという意見もあるものの、簡単な機械を選べば、その負担はそれほど大きくならないと思う。それも一つの考え方かもしれないが、自治体は小さな店がキャッシュレス決済を導入しやすいように支援するべきだというのが私の結論だ。

This passage integrates classification, cause-and-result, and opinion-support language across all four content chapters of this unit, with furigana reduced throughout on Chapter 1–4 kanji.

ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:

How does the writer classify or define キャッシュレス決済 at the start of the essay?
What cause and result does the writer describe?
What is the writer's opinion, and what reason and example support it?
What concession does the writer make, and what is the final softened conclusion?

Writing Assessment

In this workshop you will draft the written portion of your Unit I Performance Task: an integrated essay following the five-stage Building Block pattern from the Grammar Review section.

Introduce and classify your topic in one or two sentences, using というのは or Nのような.
Explain a cause and result connected to your topic, using ため, おかげで／せいで, 結果, or によって.
State your opinion, clearly marked with と思う, supported by a reason and an example with 例えば. Use べき at most once, softened by と思う.
Concede a point from a different view using 確かに〜が or 〜ものの.
Soften your disagreement and restate your conclusion, then revise using the checklist below.

チェックリスト — Editing checklist:

My topic is clearly introduced and classified before I explain or evaluate it.
I explained at least one cause-and-result relationship with an appropriate connector.
My opinion is clearly marked as an opinion, supported by a reason and an example.
If I used べき, it appears at most once and is softened with と思う.
I conceded at least one point from a different view before disagreeing.
My disagreement is softened rather than blunt.
My paragraphs connect to one another rather than reading as disconnected statements.
I maintained one consistent polite or plain style throughout.
I checked Chapter 1–4 kanji readings without relying on furigana.

Culture and Communication

Culture in Context — Explanation before evaluation

Across the readings, dialogues, and models in Chapters 1 through 4, a recurring organizational pattern has been to explain what something is and why it has happened before offering a personal opinion about it. This ordering is common in many kinds of Japanese-language writing, from discussion-group posts to short opinion essays, and it supports a discussion style that presents shared background before introducing individual stance.

Regional Note — Explanation-before-opinion structures elsewhere

Presenting background and cause before stating a personal opinion is also common in many other languages and academic traditions, though the expected length of the background section, and how explicitly the writer's stance is marked, can differ. Comparing your own writing habits with the pattern practiced across this unit can help you notice which parts of the structure are shared and which are specific to the conventions practiced here.

In a short sentence, a single register slip is easy to overlook. In an extended essay or presentation like this chapter's performance task, register inconsistency — for example, mixing plain-form endings into an otherwise polite です／ます essay — becomes more noticeable. Reviewing an entire draft specifically for register consistency, as in the Writing Assessment checklist above, is good practice for any longer Volume III writing task.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Common Mistake — Jumping straight to opinion without classification or cause

Error: *セルフレジはいいと思う。べきだ。 stating an opinion immediately, with no classification of the topic and no cause-and-result explanation to support it.

Correction: セルフレジというのは、客が自分で会計をするレジのことだ。人手不足のため、導入する店が増えている。私はこの変化に賛成だ。 — classify the topic, explain a cause and result, and only then move to a supported opinion, as modeled in this chapter's Building Block.

Common Mistake — Repeating べき across an extended essay

Error: *店はもっと説明するべきだ。客ももっと練習するべきだ。政府も支援するべきだ。 using べき three times in a longer piece, which sounds preachy across an extended text just as it did within a single paragraph in Chapter 4.

Correction: 店はセルフレジの使い方をもっと分かりやすく説明するべきだと思う。 — limit べき to at most one well-supported use in the entire essay, as required by this chapter's Writing Assessment checklist.

Common Mistake — Losing register consistency over a longer text

Error: *セルフレジは便利だと思います。でも、機械が苦手な人もいる。 switching between です／ます and plain-form sentence endings within the same essay without a clear reason.

Correction: セルフレジは便利だと思う。でも、機械が苦手な人もいる。 (or consistently: セルフレジは便利だと思います。でも、機械が苦手な人もいます。) — choose one register for the whole essay and maintain it throughout, as emphasized in this chapter's Register Note.

Chapter Review

Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)

1. Use 種類, 原因, 結果, 意見, and 結論 each in one original sentence about a topic of your choice.

Section B — もじ (Script)

1. Write the readings for all ten words in the Cumulative Vocabulary Review table from memory, then check them against the table.

Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)

1. Complete the five Grammar Review Practice items above, if you have not already done so.

2. Explain, in your own words, why an integrated essay should classify a topic and explain its cause before stating an opinion about it.

Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)

1. Look again at the passage in the Reading Assessment section. Write three sentences summarizing the classification, the cause-and-result relationship, and the writer's supported opinion, maintaining consistent polite style.

Section E — かくこと (Writing)

1. Complete your integrated written essay, following the Writing Assessment steps, as part of the Unit I Performance Task below.

Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)

1. Present your rehearsed spoken essay to a partner, instructor, or recording, as part of the Unit I Performance Task below.

Unit I Performance Task

ユニット１パフォーマンスタスク

復習１：説明と意見 — An integrated essay for the discussion group's collection

Prepare a contribution to the discussion group's essay collection described in the Communication Scenario, on a topic of your choice from education, work, technology, community, media, travel, environment, or culture. Complete all four components below.

Written essay: Write a connected, organized account of at least eight sentences that follows the Building Block pattern: classification, cause and result, supported opinion (reason and example), concession, and softened conclusion. Use べき at most once, softened with と思う; at least one classification pattern (というのは or Nのような); at least one cause-and-result connector (ため, おかげで／せいで, 結果, or によって); at least one concession phrase (確かに〜が or 〜ものの); and one softener for disagreement.
Spoken presentation: With a partner, instructor, or recording, present your essay aloud in about two to three minutes, as though contributing to the discussion group's collection.
Reading task: Read the Reading Assessment passage above and answer its four comprehension questions in writing.
Peer or self-audit: Exchange essays with a partner, or review your own after a break, and check specifically for clear classification, an explained cause and result, a supported and appropriately limited use of べき, an honest concession, gentle disagreement, register consistency, and clear pronunciation of long vowels, gemination, and moraic ん in key vocabulary.

Assessment focus: accurate cumulative vocabulary and kanji from Chapters 1–4; clear classification and description; explained cause-and-result relationships; correct and appropriately limited use of べき; effective concession and softened disagreement; an organized five-part discourse structure; consistent register across the full essay; and comprehensible pronunciation.

Answer Key

Cumulative Vocabulary and Script Review

Open-ended; check readings and sentences against the Cumulative Vocabulary Review table and the Script and Kanji Review section above.

Grammar Review Practice

Open-ended; models should follow the patterns shown in the Grammar Review section. Check that classification, cause-and-result, and opinion-support language each appear, that べき is used at most once and softened with と思う, and that any concession genuinely acknowledges a different view before softened disagreement.

Model Dialogue — Comprehension

Emma describes explaining what self-checkout is, then writing the cause and result, and finally writing her own opinion.
Yuki asks Emma to double-check how she used べき in the opinion part.
Emma says she used べき once, as the concluding sentence of the essay.

Listening Assessment — Model summary

The speaker classifies セルフ貸出機 as a machine that lets library users scan and borrow books themselves, and explains that a decline in library staff has led more libraries to introduce this machine, resulting in shorter waiting times. The speaker supports a favorable opinion with the example of shorter borrowing times at a familiar library, concedes that the machines can be difficult for some older users, and concludes gently that libraries should explain how to use the machines more carefully.

Reading Assessment — Comprehension

The writer defines キャッシュレス決済 as a way of paying by card or smartphone without using cash.
The writer explains that more customers preferring this method has led small local shops to adopt it, resulting in shorter checkout times and less burden on staff.
The writer supports increased adoption, citing the example of a shorter register line at a neighborhood vegetable shop.
The writer concedes that the change can be burdensome for older shop owners unfamiliar with the machines, but concludes that local governments should support small shops in adopting cashless payment.

Chapter Review — Sections A and B

Open-ended; check against the Cumulative Vocabulary Review and Script and Kanji Review sections above.

Chapter Review — Section C

Open-ended for item 1; see Grammar Review Practice guidance above. For item 2, a correct explanation notes that classification and cause-and-result background give a reader shared context and reasoning to evaluate before the writer's personal opinion is introduced, making the opinion easier to follow and assess.

Chapter Review — Section D

Model answer: キャッシュレス決済は、現金を使わずにカードやスマートフォンで支払う方法である。多くの客がこの方法を好むようになったため、小さな店でも導入が進み、会計時間が短くなった。この人はこの変化に賛成で、自治体が小さな店を支援するべきだと結論している。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)

Chapter Review — Sections E and F, and Unit I Performance Task

These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate the written essay against the Writing Assessment checklist above, and evaluate the spoken presentation and peer or self-audit against the assessment focus listed under the Unit I Performance Task.

Looking Ahead

いまできること — What you can do now

You can classify and describe a topic in detail, explain cause-and-result relationships behind it, and state a supported, appropriately softened opinion about it — combining, in one organized piece of discourse, everything developed across Chapters 1 through 4. This completes Unit I, 説明と意見, and establishes the explanatory and opinion-support foundation that Unit II will build on as you move into keigo, passive forms, potential and causative forms, and conditionals.

第六章へContinuing to Chapter 6

Chapter 6, 敬語の基礎を使う (Using Basic Keigo), begins Unit II, 視点と条件, by introducing respectful and humble language for emails, service encounters, requests, introductions, visits, and interviews.