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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?