This book is not a course book for elementary Japanese classes. This is not a grammar reference book in the usual sense of the word, either. This book is in a sense a "hybrid book" for Japanese language learners. When learners proceed with the study of Japanese, whether they take a Japanese course or they study by themselves, they are given opportunities to study specific grammatical features in a cumulative fashion but they are not usually given instructions or information that will help them understand the system of the language. Though a typical grammar reference book may deepen learners' understanding of each grammatical feature, they do so at the expense of simplicity and at the risk of losing sight of the broader picture of the language system. "Understanding Basic Japanese Grammar" is a new kind of book which has overcome these problems that conventional approaches to Japanese grammar share. It provides materials with which learners can learn to use specific grammatical...