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Activities: State of being: How to form sentences with “is” or “to be” in Japanese?

By: Sayumi Suzuki

Exercise 1: Translate English to Japanese

Choose the correct answer that corresponds with the English translation provided.

  1. This is a book store.
    Select your answer
  2. Ms. Tanaka is not a freshman. (She) is a third-year.
    Select your answer
  3. When (I was) in college, (my) major was economics.
    Select your answer
  4. The meeting wasn’t from 1:00.
    Select your answer
  5. We were not bad students.
    Select your answer

Exercise 2: Past tense

Change the underlined phrases into past tense. If it is in polite form, change it into polite form, past tense. If it is in plain/casual form, change it into plain/casual form, past tense.
  1. クリスマスプレゼントは自転車です。
    Kurisumasu purezento wa jitensha desu.
    The Christmas present is a bicycle.

    クリスマスプレゼントは 。
    Kurisumasu purezento wa jitensha ...

    The Christmas present was a bicycle.

  2. 山口さんはいい学生じゃないです。
    Yamaguchi-san wa ii gakusei ja arimasen.
    Mr/Ms. Yamaguchi is not a good student.

    山口さんはいい 。
    Yamaguchi-san wa ii ...

    Mr/Ms. Yamaguchi was not a good student.

  3. あの時計は3,000円だよ。
    Ano tokei wa sanzen en da yo.
    That clock is 3,000 yen.

    あの時計は 。
    Ano tokei wa ...

    That clock was 3,000 yen.

  4. 晩ご飯はピザじゃない。
    Bangohan wa piza ja nai.
    The dinner is not pizza.

    晩ご飯は 。
    Bangohan wa...

    The dinner was not pizza.

  5. コンサートは日曜日?
    Konsāto wa nichiyōbi?
    Is the concert on Sunday?

    コンサートは?
    Konsāto wa ... ?
    Was the concert on Sunday?