Reviewing Homework Mistakes | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 宿題の間違いを一緒に見直してもいいですか？

   Could we review my homework mistakes?

   宿題

   homework

   間違い

   mistake; error

   一緒に

   together

   見直して

   review; look over again

   もいいですか？

   is it okay?

   More detail

   宿題 means “homework.” It is a noun and can combine with の to specify a relationship: 宿題の間違い means “mistakes in the homework,” understood here, from the fixed translation, as the speaker’s homework mistakes. 間違い means “mistake” or “error.” It is a noun. A useful related form is the verb 間違う, “to be mistaken” or “to make a mistake,” but 間違い itself names the error. 一緒に means “together.” 一緒 is “together” or “in the same group,” and に marks the manner or state in which the action occurs. Here it supports the “we” meaning in the fixed translation, even though the participants are not separately stated in the Japanese sentence. 見直して is the て-form of the verb 見直す, “to review” or “to look over again.” The 直す part contributes the idea of correcting or doing again, so 見直す commonly means checking something again, often to find or correct problems. The て-form connects this verb to what follows: 見直してもいいですか. もいいですか？ contributes “is it okay?” In the pattern [て-form]もいいですか, the speaker asks for permission to do the action: ここに座ってもいいですか？ means “May I sit here?” In this sentence, the action supplied by the preceding 見直して is reviewing the homework mistakes. Together, 宿題の間違いを identifies the homework mistakes as the object, 一緒に says that the action is done together, and 見直してもいいですか？ asks permission to review them. The complete meaning is “Could we review my homework mistakes?” This is a polite way to request permission or propose doing the activity together.

2. 文の小さな間違いにいくつか印を付けました。

   I marked a few small sentence errors.

   文

   sentence

   小さな

   small

   間違い

   error; mistake

   いくつか

   a few

   印を付けました

   marked

   More detail

   文 means “sentence” here. Japanese nouns do not normally mark singular versus plural, so 文 can refer to one or more sentences depending on context. With の, 文の links this noun to the following noun: 文の間違い means “sentence error(s)” or “errors in a sentence.” 小さな means “small” and directly describes 間違い. 小さな is a prenominal form used before a noun: 小さな + noun. A closely related form is 小さい, an i-adjective that can also come before a noun: 小さい間違い means “a small mistake.” 間違い is a noun meaning “mistake” or “error.” The pattern 文の小さな間違い therefore identifies small sentence errors. Japanese does not add a plural ending to this noun, so the number is supplied by context or by いくつか. いくつか means “a few” here. It indicates an unspecified number greater than one, without stating an exact count. In this sentence, it quantifies the errors being marked, even though it appears before the marking phrase. A reusable pattern is いくつかの + noun, while this sentence uses the natural structure noun に いくつか 印を付ける to mark several items. 印を付けました means “marked.” 印を付ける is a construction meaning “put a mark on” or “mark”: 印 is the mark, and を marks it as the object of 付ける. The thing receiving the mark is commonly marked with に; here, 間違いに means “on the errors.” 付けました is the polite past form of 付ける: 付ける → 付けます → 付けました. It presents the marking as completed. The subject is omitted in Japanese; the fixed translation identifies the actor as “I.” Together, 文の小さな間違い identifies the errors, いくつか indicates that there are a few of them, and 印を付けました says that the speaker completed marking them. The whole utterance means “I marked a few small sentence errors.”

3. なぜここを直したのですか？

   Why did you make this correction?

   なぜ

   why

   ここ

   here

   直した

   corrected

   のですか

   did ...?

   More detail

   なぜ means “why” and asks for the reason for an action or situation. It is a question word, not a word meaning “what.” Example: なぜ来なかったのですか。— “Why didn’t you come?” ここ means “here” or “this part/place.” In this utterance, the fixed translation and context support “here” in the material being discussed, without identifying a more specific physical location. Example: ここに名前を書いてください。— “Please write your name here.” 直した is the past form of the transitive verb 直す, “to correct” or “to fix.” The ending -た marks a completed past action, so 直した means “corrected” or “fixed.” Do not confuse it with 直った, the past form of 直る, which means “was corrected,” “was fixed,” or “got better” without presenting the subject as the person who fixed it. Example: 間違いを直した。— “I corrected the mistake.” のですか forms a polite question seeking an explanation or confirmation. After a plain-form verb, 直したのですか asks, “Did [someone] correct it?” or, in this context, “Did you make this correction?” The Japanese subject is omitted; the English “you” comes from the fixed translation, not from an explicit Japanese pronoun. Compared with the simpler 直しましたか, 直したのですか has an explanatory or confirmation-seeking tone. The parts combine as なぜ + ここを + 直した + のですか: “why” + the object marked by を + “corrected” + a polite explanatory question ending. Thus the whole utterance means, “Why did you make this correction?”

4. ここでは、名詞の前に冠詞が必要です。

   The noun needs an article here.

   ここでは

   here; in this context

   名詞

   noun

   の前に

   before; in front of

   冠詞

   article

   必要です

   is necessary; is needed

   More detail

   ここでは combines ここ (“here”) with で, which marks a place or situation, and は, which makes that setting the topic or gives it contrast. Here it means “here, in this context,” not necessarily a physical location. Example: ここでは英語を使います。 — “We use English here/in this context.” 名詞 means “noun,” a word class for words that name entities, things, or concepts. It is a noun itself and does not show a plural ending in this form. Example: これは名詞です。 — “This is a noun.” の前に expresses “before/in front of the noun.” の links 名詞 to the following noun phrase, so 名詞の前 is “the front/before-position of the noun”; に marks that position as the relevant point. The pattern [A]の前に[B] is reusable for “B before/in front of A.” Example: 駅の前に店があります。 — “There is a shop in front of the station.” 冠詞 is the grammatical term for an “article.” In this utterance, it refers to the article required in the language rule being discussed; the sentence does not specify which particular article. 必要です means “is necessary” or “is needed.” 必要 supplies the meaning of necessity, while です is its polite nonpast ending. The nonpast form can state a current requirement or a general rule. Example: 予約が必要です。 — “A reservation is necessary.” Together, ここでは sets the context, 名詞の前に identifies the position, and 冠詞が必要です says that an article is required there. The complete meaning is: “The noun needs an article here.”

5. いくつかの答えで、それを見落としました。

   I missed that in a few answers.

   いくつかの

   several; a few

   答え

   answer

   で

   in; among (context marker)

   それを

   that; it (as the object)

   見落としました

   missed; overlooked

   More detail

   いくつかの means “a few” or “several.” It modifies the noun that follows it. The form いくつか expresses an unspecified small number; の links it to a noun: いくつかの答え = “a few answers.” This does not state an exact count. 答え means “answer.” Its plural meaning here comes from いくつかの; Japanese nouns generally do not change form for singular and plural. For example, 答えがあります can mean “There is an answer” or “There are answers,” depending on context. で marks the setting, range, or material in which an action occurs. Here, attached to いくつかの答え, it gives “in a few answers.” It is not part of the noun 答え. それを means “that” or “it” as the object of the action. それ is a demonstrative pronoun, and を marks the direct object. In the supplied context, it refers to the article discussed in the surrounding sentences; を marks that item as what was missed. The pronoun’s form itself does not identify the referent independently. 見落としました means “missed” or “overlooked” here. Its base form is 見落とす, “to overlook.” 見落としました is the polite past form: 見落とし is the stem, and ました marks a completed action in polite style. The object marked by を is what was overlooked. Compare the polite non-past form 見落とします, “overlook / will overlook,” with 見落としました, “overlooked.” Together, いくつかの答えで sets the range as “in a few answers,” それを marks the article as the thing overlooked, and 見落としました says “I missed it.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I missed that in a few answers.”

6. ここにそれを加えると、文が完成します。

   Adding it here makes the sentence complete.

   ここに

   here

   それを

   it

   加える

   add

   文

   sentence

   完成します

   become complete

   More detail

   ここに means “here,” specifying the place where the addition is made. ここ is a demonstrative for a place near the speaker or the relevant conversational location, and に marks the location or destination of an action. Example: ここに書きます。 means “I will write it here.” それを means “it.” それ is a demonstrative pronoun, while を marks it as the direct object of 加える. The specific referent of それ is supplied by the context; the form itself does not identify that referent. これ and あれ are commonly used for “this” and “that over there,” respectively. 加える means “add” in this sentence. Its base form is 加える; in 加えると, it remains in the plain nonpast form before と. Here, と connects an action or condition with its resulting outcome, often conveying “when/if doing X, Y follows.” Example: 水を加えると、柔らかくなります。 means “When you add water, it becomes soft.” 文 means “sentence.” It is a noun and can be used in simple noun phrases, such as 文を書く, “write a sentence.” It is distinct from 文章, which more often refers to a piece of writing or text rather than one sentence. 完成します means “becomes complete” here. Its base form is 完成する, and 完成します is its polite nonpast form. 完成する describes reaching a completed state, so this form presents the sentence as becoming complete rather than as an agent actively completing it. Example: これで完成します。 means “It will be complete with this.” Together, ここにそれを加えると means “when/if you add it here,” and 文が完成します means “the sentence becomes complete.” が marks 文 as the subject of the resulting state. The whole utterance therefore means: “Adding it here makes the sentence complete.”

7. 今、その部分を書き直します。

   I will rewrite that part now.

   今

   now

   その

   that

   部分

   part

   書き直します

   will rewrite; rewrite politely

   More detail

   今 means “now” here and places the action at the present time. It can also appear in expressions such as 今すぐ (“right now”), but the fixed sentence uses the simple time word. その is an attributive demonstrative meaning “that” before a noun. Here it modifies 部分, and the translation identifies the intended referent as “that part.” Japanese demonstratives such as この (“this”), その (“that”), and あの (“that over there”) must be placed before the noun they describe. 部分 is a noun meaning “part” or “section.” The pattern その部分 is therefore “that part.” For example, この部分を読みます。 means “I will read this part.” 書き直します is the polite nonpast form of 書き直す, “to rewrite.” 書き直す combines 書く (“write”) with 直す (“redo/correct”), giving the meaning “write again in a revised form.” The observed form ends in ます, the polite style; in this context, the nonpast form refers to the speaker’s intended or upcoming action, matching “I will rewrite.” A useful contrast is 書きます (“write”) versus 書き直します (“rewrite”). The object marker を follows その部分, showing what the speaker will rewrite. Together, その部分を書き直します means “will rewrite that part,” and 今 adds “now”: “I will rewrite that part now.”

8. そうすると、あなたはそのルールを覚えやすくなります。

   That will help you remember the rule.

   そうすると

   then; in that case

   あなたは

   you

   その

   that

   ルール

   rule

   覚えやすくなります

   become easier to remember

   More detail

   そうすると links an action or situation to its consequence: “then” or “if that is done, …”. Here it presents the following result as arising from the preceding situation, matching “That will …”. The pattern そうすると、〜 is reusable when describing what happens next or what follows from an action. あなたは marks “you” as the topic of the sentence. あなた is the second-person pronoun, and は presents it as the person whose experience or result is being described. Japanese often omits this pronoun when the person is already clear, but it is stated here. その is an attributive demonstrative meaning “that” or “the … just identified.” It comes directly before the noun it modifies: そのルール means “that rule.” The form does not itself state a grammatical gender or number. ルール is a noun meaning “rule.” It is a loanword written in katakana. A reusable pattern is その + noun, for example, その本 = “that book.” 覚えやすくなります expresses becoming easy to remember. The parts are: - 覚える = “to remember” or “to memorize”; its stem 覚え- combines with -やすい. - 覚えやすい = “easy to remember.” With a verb stem, -やすい describes an action as easy to perform; for example, 読みやすい means “easy to read.” - 覚えやすくなる = “become easy to remember.” The adjective ending changes from -い to -く before なる, which means “become.” - なります is the polite nonpast form of なる. In this sentence, the nonpast form presents the resulting improvement as something that will occur, not as a completed past event. Together, そのルールを覚えやすくなります means that remembering the rule becomes easier for you. を marks そのルール as the object of 覚える; it is not part of the phrase glossed as 覚えやすくなります. The full utterance says: “Then, you will find it easier to remember that rule,” or, in the fixed translation, “That will help you remember the rule.”