日本語　１３１　　L5 Test Reflection

For this lesson we did a lot of work with the same pattern we learned in L4:

In Some Location (に) Some Thing (が)

Exists (あります）

つくえの上　に　　コンピュータ　が　　あります

When there is a question about what exists, what there is in some location, like

つくえの上　に　何　が　ありますか　

and there is a computer there,

All you really have to say in response is

コンピュータ　が　　あります

Done. That's it. You do not have to repeat the part about つくえの上に because that is information already known to both of us. So just say what is there, and that would be "there is a computer." The あります is captured by "there is" because it is a verb of Location and Existence.

This pattern, with an あります verb, is slightly different from a です sentence which introduces a TOPIC, follwed by は, and then COMMENTS on it by saying something like, "it is new":

スーパーは　あたらしい　です＝

The Supermarket is new.

So this is an "IS" sentence, and it is about the Supermarket.

The LOCATION/EXISTENCE sentences with あります are saying that IN SOME LOCATION, SOME THING EXISTS, it is present there.

When we start the sentence with the LOCATION WORDS

--つくえの上　に--

then we are talking about a certain location--a SCENE which we set up--and what exists in it.

Now, we can make the thing, the object, i.e., the Computer, the topic of our discourse if we want. Then we would say:

コンピュータ　は　つくえの上　に　あります

As for the computer, it is located on top of the desk.

This makes the computer the topic of the sentence, what the utterance is about, as opposed to a sentence in which the Location is emphasized, because it is placed first.

 

Sometimes I did see two kinds of sentences that were put together incorrectly:

 

1. One was to have the が in the sentence in an incorrect position. Yes, が with あります but it goes with the Object, the Thing we are talking about, not with the LOCATION.

 

So, if you are not mentioning the Object, e.g.,

つくえの上 に　が あります

And there is no Object mentioned before the が, then that makes no sense

We don't want the が in the sentence if there is no Object, Thing or Noun like "computer" with it.

Something が あります

Yes! That is what we want.

But "Some Location に and then が あります" without an object before the が doesn't work.

 

2. The other mistake was to pair に with です. Nope. に goes with the location/existence verb あります and tells us/points to where something is, where it is located. As we saw above です sentences are different kinds of sentences. They are IS sentences. あります sentences are THERE IS or THERE EXISTS sentences. So if you put a に next you your LOCATION phrase, like つくえの上 に then you must stick with あります for your verb.

Yes, you CAN say つくえの上 です　or

つくえの上　にあります, but NOT

つくえの上 に です.

You must choose one SENTENCE TYPE or the OTHER.

***

This difference between

Something は Some Location に　あります; and

In Some Location に some thing が あります is highlighted in Grammar Note IV (151) about the Some Loc に　some Thing が　あります.

The Note recalls that the first pattern we learned in L. 4 was:

Something は some Loc　に　あります (Grammar I, 136-138)

This sentence is first about the "Something," which is marked by a は which tells us that it is the TOPIC of the utterance.

And then we are told where it is Located.

Therefore, the sentence is about the Location of something that we single out as our Topic by using は. So the thing we are talking about comes up first in the sentence; it is what the sentence is about.

This second pattern, Loc に　Thing が　あります, puts the Location first because this sentence is about some "scene" in which someone or some thing exists, or is located, and then it informs is WHAT that THING is that we find in that location.

So one of the few patterns we had in L. 4 was

このへん に (In this vicinity/Around here)

and it identifies a certain location (In this vicinity, Around here) in which some thing, some object, exists;

このへん に ぎんこうが　あります

Around here, there is a bank

So, we talk about this location first and THEN we describe the something or the someone that exists within it. If we replace Bank with Cafe we have:

このへん に カフェ が　あります =

Around here/In this vicinity, there is a Cafe. OR, we could go with:

きょうしつ　に　ねこ が　います。

In the classroom, there is a cat.

つくえの上　に　コンピュータ　が　あります

On top of the table, there is a computer.

We can flip this sentence to read

コンピュータ　は　つくえの上　に　あります。OR、

コンピュータ　は　つくえの上　です.

When he have the question, we ask:

コンピュータ　は どこ　に　ありますか. OR

コンピュータ　は どこ ですか　

You can just answer with the LOCATION:

つくえの上　です OR

つくえの上　に　あります　

You don't have to construct a new sentence starting with コンピュータ　は -- that information is already shared by us; it is literally already out there, "on the table," so just go right to answering the question about WHERE it is.

It's on top of the desk.

つくえの上　です OR

つくえの上　に　あります　

Sometimes on the test we were asking WHAT(何) is in a certain Location　

つくえの　上に　何が　ありますか　or

おしいれの　中に　何が　ありますか

And here again, all you have to do is answer is WHAT is there, answer with the information that the speaker is asking for:

コンピュータ　が　あります or

ふとん　が　あります

Conveniently, your answer, the new information, just replaces, or goes right where the Question Word was, the 何, so you go

X が　あります

***

Three other things:

1. In the Fill in the Particles section there were 2 instances of は with a Negative verb to make an implicit CONTRAST (sentences 3 and 5). I do one thing, yes; but as far as that other thing goes (は), well I don't do that one!　So, it is a form of singling out that one thing that is different, and therefore it merits a は to mark it as something special, something to which we pay attention. See Activity 3 p. 197.

2. The last 4 sentences, 7-10, all started with Question Words (だれ、どれ、どの人、どのコンピュータ) and so the rule is they are always followed by が. That is a rule you just have to memorize.

3. In the English to Japanese section, I purposely put two different types of sentences:

a) IS sentences like #8

"The Bed is underneath the Window"

hoping you would start with ベッドは...and then proceed with where it is located,

まど　の　下　に　あります　　or

まど　の　下　です

 

and then, there were Location sentences like #7

"Outside the window, there is a small dog"

which should start with the Location,

まど　の　そと　に (Outside the window)...

and then finish with WHAT is out there:

小さい　いぬが　います (There is/EXISTS a small dog)

Can we see the difference? It is not a HUGE difference, but they represent two different ways of saying things:　

ベッド は　まどの　下に　あります　v　

まどの　そと　に　小さい　いぬ　が　います

 

Finally, if you just did not know your location words like:

まえ、うしろ、上、下、中、そと、となり、よこ、ちかく、

みぎ、ひだり

then you were bound to make some unforced errors!

 

 

I stressed how useful ちかく can be. How wrong can it be to say one thing is near another even if となり or よこ might be better?

But some people seemed to struggle with ちかく or how to say "A is near B" =　

A　は　B　の　ちかく　に　あります　or ちかく です

 

 

 

 

Instructions