Japanese Learning: Four patterns of verb predicates by combinations of non-past/past tenses and positive/negative.

We learned yesterday there were two patterns of verb predicates.

[Verb] masu : Non-past tense

[Verb] mashita : Past tense

So, two patterns above come from the difference of tense. If we consider other two patterns which come from if the sentence is positive or negative, we need to use four patterns correctly.

Let us use the verb “Hataraki masu” for the example, which means “work”.

– Non-past x Positive: Hataraki masu. (work/will work)

– Non-past x Negative: Hataraki masen. (don’t work/will not work)

– Past x Positive: Hataraki masita. (worked)

– Past x Negative: Hataraki masendeshita. (didn’t work)

Quizzes: Think about what pattern a sentence is in terms of non-past/past tenses and positive/negative.

example; Watashi wa Mainichi Hataraki masu => Non-past x Positive

1. Ashita, Watashi wa Hataraki masu.

2. Watashi wa Do-youbi Hataraki masen.

3. Watashi wa Kinou Hataraki masen deshita.

4. Kinou Watashi wa Hataraki mashita.

Answers will be shown tomorrow.

<この投稿は“スリーエーネットワーク、みんなの日本語 初級I 第2版, 第4課A7”の内容を参照しています。>