If You Struggle with Grammar Patterns: What to Focus on Before “Meaning”

Trying to understand grammar patterns through their “meaning” first takes a lot of time and is inefficient. What you should memorize first isn’t the meaning, but the pattern’s structure: what comes before it.

First, master the “structure.”

Example: ～うちに
Structure: Verb (nai-form) + うちに

Once this structure pops into your mind instantly, you’ll hesitate far less when you see a question.

Next, summarize the “usage” in one short phrase.

For example: “formal/written,” “common in conversation,” or “often used with negative outcomes.” Grasping the nuance like this is very effective.

Finally, use “paraphrasing” to make it stick.

With similar patterns, don’t focus on what’s similar. Focus on what’s different, and memorize that.

Summary

If you learn in the order of structure → usage (nuance) → paraphrasing, grammar patterns will stick much faster than if you start from meaning.

In the paid course, I’m preparing a format that drills the same patterns thoroughly through higher-quality answer choices and deeper explanations. I’ll announce it here once it’s released.