Lesson 6. Grammar Item #1

listening to the tapes [Verbal Gerund]

 

·          (He) listens to the tapes .

à    ƒe[ƒv‚ð@ ‚«‚«‚Ü‚·

kik-imas-u

listen [Verb Base]-Polite-Present

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

1)   Verb‚Ä@‚­‚¾‚³‚¢, as in ƒe[ƒv‚ð‚«‚¢‚Ä‚­‚¾‚³‚¢ ePlease listen to the tapesf,

2)   Verb‚Ä‚à@‚¢‚¢‚Å‚·; Verb‚Ä‚Í@‚¢‚¯‚Ü‚¹‚ñ, as in ‚«‚傤‚©‚µ‚å‚ð@‚Ý‚Ä‚à@‚¢‚¢‚Å‚·‚æ eIt is OK to see the textbookf,

3)   Verb‚ÄAVerbc, as in ‚¢‚Á‚Ä@‚¨‚悬‚Ü‚· eGoing there, (we) swim.f

 

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

i‚Ä.

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

                 ‚«‚‹‚‰‚Ä@à@‚«‚¢‚Ä

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

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‚Pjƒe[ƒv‚ð@‚«‚¢‚Ä

 

a)   getting up, (as used to mean ePlease get up.f)

b)  looking at this, (as used to mean ePlease look at this.f)

c)  staying here, (as used to mean ePlease stay here.f)

d)  buying the kimono, (as used to mean ePlease buy the kimono.f)

 

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/ eto look atf) or irregular verb (/k/ ecomef, and /s/ edof). 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/ e-ingf 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 ‚Á /tt/.

‚ ‚—{i‚Ä@à@‚ ‚Á‚Ä    emeetingf

‚Ü‚”{i‚Ä@à@‚Ü‚Á‚Ä    ewaiting forf

‚Æ‚’{i‚Ä@à@‚Æ‚Á‚Ä    etakingf

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 ‚ñ‚Å /n-de/. For example,

‚æ{i‚Ä@à@‚æ‚ñ‚Å    ereadingf

‚ ‚»‚‚{i‚Ä@à@‚ ‚»‚ñ‚Å  eplayingf

‚µ‚Ž{i‚Ä@à@‚µ‚ñ‚Å  edyingf

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

‚©‚‹{i‚Ä@à@‚©‚¢‚Ä    ewritingf

There is only one exception for this: ‚¢‚‹+i‚Ä eto gof à@‚¢‚Á‚Ä

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

‚¨‚悇{i‚Ä@à@‚¨‚æ‚¢‚Å    eswimmingf

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g)    there being a hat on the desk, (as used to mean eI want a book to be on the desk.f)

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

h)  returning home, (as used to mean ePlease return home.f)

i)  eating this toofu, (as used to mean ePlease eat this toofu.f)

j)       drinking sake, (as used to mean ePlease drink sake.f)

k)     reading that Japanese over there, (as used to mean ePlease read that Japanese over there.f)

l)       sleeping on futon, (as used to mean ePlease sleep on futon.f)

m)  writing a letter, (as used to mean ePlease write a letter.f)

n)     going to the library, (as used to mean ePlease go to the library.f)

o)    smelling this food, (as used to mean ePlease smell this food.f)

p)    coming home, (as used to mean ePlease come home.f)

q)    speaking Japanese, (as used to mean ePlease speak Japanese.f)

r)      studying at the library, (as used to mean ePlease study at the library.f)