J131 L. 5 Reading Practice (p. 207)
田中先生 の けんきゅうしつ
１、田中先生の けんきゅうしつ は とても ひろい です
[This is the only です sentence in this Reading.]
X は とても ひろい です です
It is a classic A は B です structure.
As for Something (は) it is ___________です.
In this case, the Something, the Topic is =
田中先生 の けんきゅうしつ は
And what we say about it IS =
とても ひろい です
(is very Large/Spacious)
All the remaining sentences end in あります.
Mostly, they are about:
"In some LOCATION に or に は, something Exists or -THERE IS' Something" type of sentences. e.g.,
Note: 7 of the sentences feature the double particles に + は which is to say that the
LOCATION に is made the Topic of the utternce by adding the は to it,
and 1 more has a にも, so really, 8 of the sentences feature Double Particles!
2. へや の みぎ に は 大きい 本だな が あります
On the right side of the room, there is a large book case.
３、本だな の よこ に は まど が あります
Next to the book case, there is a Window
The two exceptions are sentences #4 and #8
４、まど は へや の みぎ に あります
[This sentence Starts with the Object まど followed by は making it the Topic =
"As for the Window, it is..."]
５、まどの そと に は 小さい はちうえ が あります
Outside the window, there is a plant
６、そして、 まどの ちかく に は 先生の つくえ が
あります
And, near the window, there is Sensei's desk
７、つくえの 上 に は 本が たくさん あります
On top of the desk, there are many books
８、つくえ は へやの ひだりがわ に あります
[Like Sentence #4, this starts with つくえ は =
"As for the desk, it is...."]
９、つくえの上 には コンピュータ と でんわが あります
On top of the Desk, there is a computer and phone
１０、へやの てまえ に は 小さい ソファが あります
In the front of the room, there is a small sofa
１１、ソファ の 上 に も 本が たくさん あります
On top of the Sofa, there are also many books
１２、ソファ の よこ に 小さい いす が あります
Next to the Sofa, there is a small chair
１３、ソファ の 下 に ねご が います
Underneath the Sofa, there is a small cat
Remember the Two Types of Location sentences?
From:
Grammar Note IV (151）
Loc に Thing が あります
1. The first pattern we learned in L. 4 was =
X は Some Loc に あります (Grammar I, 136-138)
[This is the pattern seen in #4 and #8 above.]
This sentence is first about the X, and then about where the X is Located.
Therefore, the sentence is about the Location of something that we single out as our Topic by using a は. But the thing we are talking about comes up first in this sentence because it is most important.
2. This second pattern is the
Loc に Thing が あります pattern
which we see in all the other sentences above (except #1 which is an A は B です sentence)
This Loc に Thing が あります pattern puts the Location first because this is what the sentence is about.
This type of sentence sets a "scene" in which someone or some thing id placed; it exists there. As opposed to putting the Object we are Locating first which makes the sentence about the Thing!
So このへん に in the pattern above is identifying a certain location (In this vicinity, Around here) in which some thing, some object, exists; e.g.,
このへん に カフェが あります =
Around here/In this vicinity, there is a Cafe.
きょうしつ に ねこ が います。
In the classroom, there is a cat.
We can replace the このへんに with other things like:
キャンパス に = On the campus....
キャンパス に カフェが ありますか。
キャンパス に ぎんこうが ありますか。
キャンパス に ゆうびんきょくが ありますか。
Or,
大学に = At the university
or
ウイラメット大学 に = At Willamette University; or
ウイラメット大学 の キャンパスに
= On Willamette University's campus....
Or,
きょうしつ の 中 に = In the classroom....
These are all variations on the structure:
In some Loc に
Some Thing/Person があります or います
Instructions