N2 Grammar Question

[stevesayskanpai]

Hi all. I have encountered a problem in the Green Kanzen Master 2 kyu grammar book. I am going through the grammar points, and have reached the first mini-test.

Questions 11-15 on p.10 of the Kanzen are about what form of each expression to use (e.g. oujite/oujite wa/ouji/oujita, yotte,yoreba,yori,yoru etc). I simply don't understand the rules for when you use each of these. Can anyway recommend a useful place to learn the rules, as looking through the rest of the book there are plenty of grammar points that have multiple forms.

I particularly don't understand are when to use 応じ、より and つき.

For this question: 地震に＿＿＿被害は予測以上だった　(choices: よって、よれば、より、よる) I got the answer wrong (it's より)

For this question: 次は、パリから最新のファッションに＿＿＿報告です (choices: ついて、ついては、つき、ついての) I got it right （ついての), but would have no idea when つき would be the correct answer.

Cheers,

SSK

[Javizy]

に応じ、により and につき are simply formal versions of に応じて, によって, and について respectively. You'll hear them on the news, in speeches, etc but I doubt you'll use them much yourself.

に応じる, による, についての are all prenominal (modify a noun), whereas に応じて/に応じ, によって/により, and について/につき are adverbial (modify a verb).

To answer the questions all you need to do is is decide whether the phrase is modifying a noun or a verb.

地震による被害
地震によって／により被害を受ける

パリから最新のファッションについての報告
パリから最新のファッションについて／につき報告する

[louis89]

に応じ、により and につき are simply formal versions of に応じて, によって, and について respectively. You'll hear them on the news, in speeches, etc but I doubt you'll use them much yourself.

に応じる, による, についての are all prenominal (modify a noun), whereas に応じて/に応じ, によって/により, and について/につき are adverbial (modify a verb).

To answer the questions all you need to do is is decide whether the phrase is modifying a noun or a verb.

地震による被害
地震によって／により被害を受ける

パリから最新のファッションについての報告
パリから最新のファッションについて／につき報告する

Wait, why is the answer to the first one により?

[Javizy]

Wait, why is the answer to the first one により?

I just noticed that in the OP It doesn't make any sense though (to me or my native friend I just asked). What is the adverbial により modifying? Plus, you can't possibly guess which answer they'd want since によって and により mean the same thing and there's no real context to distinguish the formality level.

[louis89]

Wait, why is the answer to the first one により?

I just noticed that in the OP It doesn't make any sense though (to me or my native friend I just asked). What is the adverbial により modifying? Plus, you can't possibly guess which answer they'd want since によって and により mean the same thing and there's no real context to distinguish the formality level.

I agree, it makes a lot of sense as による, and not very much as により. Hopefully stevesayskanpai will come back at some point...

Also, I suppose it's a useful trick that if you see より　and よって, or 応じ and 応じて etc. as possible answers, you know that neither of them can be the right answer because as you say, you have nothing to distinguish the formality level.

[stevesayskanpai]

Hello!

Sorry for the delay in replying. Yes, I made a mistake! The answer was よる as you say - I copied down the details wrong from my grammar book.

Excellently simple but effective explanation Javizy. And yeah, Louis you are right the fact that より and よって have the same meaning but different formality means that in a multiple choice context you can discount them both if they both appear.

Thanks for all your help peeps!