Hello, I am Yoshi from NILS Japanese language school. Today, we learn one of the sentence patterns using the “verb dictionary form” we learned in Lesson 18-(1).

[N　が　できます／V dictionary form こと　が　できます] *can…
できます is the verb which wcpresses ability of possibility. A noun and V dictionary form こと before が indicates the content of ability or possibility.

1. Noun
Nown placed before the particle が are mostly nouns which express actions such as driving a car, shopping, skiing, etc. Nous such as にほんご, which is associated with the action はなす, or ピアノ, which is associated with the ひく, can also be used here.
(Example)
スミスさんは　日本語が　できます。
Mr. Smith can speak Japanese.
雪が　たくさん　降りましたから、　ことしは　スキーが　できます。
It snowed a lot, so we can ski this year.

2. Verb
When a verb is used to dscribe ability or possibility, こと should be attached to the dictionary form of the verb to make it a nominalized phrase and then が　できます is put after that.
(Example)
スミスさんは　漢字（かんじ）を　読む　こと（nominalized phrase）が　できます。
Mr. Smith can read kanji.
カードで　払う　こと（nominalized phrase）が　できます。
You can pay by credit card.

November 9th News, from NILS Japanese language school.