Hello, I am Yoshi from NILS Japanese language school. Today, we learn “verbs.”
[V ます] *V refers to a verb.
1. A verb with ます works as a predicate.
2. ますmakes a sentence polite.
(Example)
わたしは　毎日（まいにち）　勉強（べんきょう）します。 I study every day.
*毎日: every day
*勉強します: study

[V ます／V ません／V ました／V ませんでした]
1. ます　is used when a sentence expresses a habitual thing or a truth. It is also used when a sentence expresses a thing that will occur in the future. The negative form and the forms in the past tense are shown below.
◇Affirmative/Non-past (future/present): （おき）ます
◇Negative/Non-past (future/present): （おき）ません
◇Affirmative/Past: （おき）ました
◇Negative/Past: （おき）ませんでした
(Example)
毎朝（まいあさ）　6時に　起（お）きます。 I get up at six every morning. [affirmative/present]
あした　6時に　起きます。 I’ll get up a six tomorrow morning. [affirmative/future]
けさ　6時に　起きました。 I got up at six this morning. [affirmative/past]
*毎朝: every morning
*あした（明日）: tomorrow
*けさ（今朝）: this morning

2. Question forms of verb sentences are made in the same way as those of noun sentences as you learned in Lesson 1-(2). That is, the word order remains the same and か is added to the end of the sentence. In answering such questions, the verbs in the questions are repeated. そうです or そうじゃありません you learned in Lesson 2-(2) cannot be used.
(Example)
きのう　勉強しましたか。　　—はい、勉強しました。／いいえ、勉強しませんでした。
Did you study yesterday? —Yes, I did.／No, I didn’t.
*きのう（昨日）: yesterday

June 15th News, from NILS Japanese language school.