Lesson 6. Grammar Item #1

listening to the tapes [Verbal Gerund]

· (He) listens to the tapes .

à テープを　 ききます

kik-imas-u

listen [Verb Base]-Polite-Present

· The phrase pattern is used, for example, in the following sentence patterns:

1) Verbて　ください, as in テープをきいてください ‘Please listen to the tapes’,

2) Verbても　いいです; Verbては　いけません, as in きょうかしょを　みても　いいですよ ‘It is OK to see the textbook’,

3) Verbて、Verb…, as in いって　およぎます ‘Going there, (we) swim.’

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The form that basically, but not exactly, corresponds to English –ing is:

iて.

This form /ite/ takes verb base. So, listening to… is:

きｋｉて　à　きいて

The sound changes that occur at the sequence of the CONSONANT, i.e., /k/ in this case, plus /iて/ are incorporated into the grammar.

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１）テープを　きいて

a) getting up, (as used to mean ‘Please get up.’)

b) looking at this, (as used to mean ‘Please look at this.’)

c) staying here, (as used to mean ‘Please stay here.’)

d) buying the kimono, (as used to mean ‘Please buy the kimono.’)

The sound change occurs only in some of the consonant-ending verbs, i.e., some of the /u/-verbs. See below. No sound change occurs in the case of any vowel-ending verb (= /ru/-verb) (e.g., /mi/ ‘to look at’) or irregular verb (/k/ ‘come’, and /s/ ‘do’). You need to know whether a verb you use as a verbal gerund belongs to the type of the consonant-ending verbs, i.e., /u/ verbs, or not since the sound changes occur only in the case of consonant-ending verbs, i.e., /u/verbs.

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The sound change at the sequence of verb base plus /ite/ ‘-ing’ occurs only for any consonant-ending verb ending with one of the following eight consonants: /w/, /t/, /r/, /m/, /b/, /n/, /k/, and /g/.

1) If the verb stem of a consonant-ending verb ends with either /w/, /t/, or /r/, then each of /wi/, /ti/, and /ri/ realizes as っ /tt/.

あｗ＋iて　à　あって ‘meeting’

まｔ＋iて　à　まって ‘waiting for’

とｒ＋iて　à　とって ‘taking’

2) If the verb stem of a consonant-ending verb ends with either /m/, /b/, or /n/, then each of /mite/, /bite/, and /nite/ realizes as んで /n-de/. For example,

よｍ＋iて　à　よんで ‘reading’

あそｂ＋iて　à　あそんで ‘playing’

しｎ＋iて　à　しんで ‘dying’

3) If the verb stem of a consonant-ending verb ends with /k/, then /ki/ realizes as い /i/. For example,

かｋ＋iて　à　かいて ‘writing’

There is only one exception for this: いｋ+iて ‘to go’ à　いって

4) If the verb stem of a consonant-ending verb ends with /g/, then /gite/ realizes as いで /ide/. For example,

およｇ＋iて　à　およいで ‘swimming’

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g) there being a hat on the desk, (as used to mean ‘I want a book to be on the desk.’)

h) borrowing the book. (as used to mean ‘Please borrow the book.)

h) returning home, (as used to mean ‘Please return home.’)

i) eating this toofu, (as used to mean ‘Please eat this toofu.’)

j) drinking sake, (as used to mean ‘Please drink sake.’)

k) reading that Japanese over there, (as used to mean ‘Please read that Japanese over there.’)

l) sleeping on futon, (as used to mean ‘Please sleep on futon.’)

m) writing a letter, (as used to mean ‘Please write a letter.’)

n) going to the library, (as used to mean ‘Please go to the library.’)

o) smelling this food, (as used to mean ‘Please smell this food.’)

p) coming home, (as used to mean ‘Please come home.’)

q) speaking Japanese, (as used to mean ‘Please speak Japanese.’)

r) studying at the library, (as used to mean ‘Please study at the library.’)