Mastering JLPT N4 Sentence Composition (Bun no Kumitate)

Understanding the Task

The JLPT N4 Language Knowledge section includes a specific task called 'Sentence Composition' (文の組み立て). You are presented with a sentence skeleton containing four numbered segments, one of which is marked with a star (★). Your goal is to reorder the four given phrases to form a grammatically correct sentence and identify which phrase fills the starred position. This section contains five items and is a crucial part of the grammar score.

The Strategy: Structural Dependencies

Do not try to guess the sentence by reading the four segments randomly. Instead, follow these steps:

  1. Identify the Verb/Adjective: The end of the sentence is usually determined by the main verb or the final adjective. Look for the sentence-ending form (plain form, polite form, or te-form followed by a helper).
  2. Look for Pairs: Find words that must go together. For example, a particle like 'を' or 'に' must follow a noun. A conjunction like 'から' or 'ので' must follow a clause. (Since Nepali is also an SOV language and uses postpositions much like Japanese particles, you will find this word-order logic quite natural!)
  3. Build the Skeleton: Connect the fixed pairs first, then attach them to the main verb or final target.

Worked Example

Question: 昨日は、＿＿＿　＿＿＿　★　＿＿＿　帰りました。

  1. 友達と
  2. 映画を
  3. 見てから
  4. 映画館で

Step 1: '帰りました' (went home) is the final verb. Something must happen before that. Step 2: '見てから' (after watching) is a strong grammatical link. You watch a movie at a theater: '映画館で' + '映画を' + '見て'. Step 3: Reorder: 昨日は、[映画館で] [映画を] [見てから] [友達と] 帰りました。Wait, that sounds slightly unnatural. Let's adjust: '昨日は、友達と映画館で映画を見てから帰りました。'

If the options were:

  1. 映画を
  2. 友達と
  3. 見てから
  4. 映画館で

If the starred slot is the second position, you must ensure the logic flows: 昨日は (1.友達と) (4.映画館で) ★(1.映画を) (3.見てから) 帰りました。The correct choice for the star would be '映画を'.

Distractor Logic

Test makers use distractors to catch students who ignore particles. For example, they might place '映画館' and '映画' near each other, hoping you forget that '映画館' needs 'で' (location of action) and '映画' needs 'を' (object of action). Always check your particles before confirming the order. If you have a particle left over, your order is likely wrong.

Timing and Exam Strategy

The entire Language Knowledge and Reading section is 115 minutes. You should aim to spend no more than 60–90 seconds per 'Sentence Composition' item. If you get stuck for more than two minutes, mark a guess, circle the question, and move on. You can return to it if you have time at the end of the section.

Weekly Study Routine

Whether you are preparing for the December JLPT in Nepal, the JFT-Basic, or aiming for a student visa, this week, practice with this routine:

  1. Monday/Tuesday: Review your N4 grammar list (150 points). Focus on connective forms like '～てから', '～たり～たり', and '～ので'.
  2. Wednesday/Thursday: Find 10 practice sentences. Scramble them yourself and try to rebuild them without looking at the original order.
  3. Friday: Time yourself on a set of 5 questions. Aim for 7 minutes total.
  4. Weekend: Review the particles (は, が, を, に, で, へ, と) and ensure you understand their specific roles in sentence structure.