The ta-form
The ta-form and what it builds: lists with たり, "after" with た後で, experiences with たことがあります and advice with たほうがいいです (Higher).
Learn
The ta-form, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Make the ta-form from the te-form
Change て to た and で to だ: 食べて, 食べた; 書いて, 書いた; 読んで, 読んだ. So the te-form's rules carry straight over, 行った included. On its own it is the plain past: きのう 映画を 見た means I saw a film yesterday.
List activities with たり…たりします
Add り to the ta-form of two or more verbs and finish with します: しゅうまつは 本を 読んだり、 友だちと 話したり します. It means things like reading and chatting, so the list is not complete. The tense goes on the final します: しました for the past.
Say after doing with た後で
Ta-form plus 後で means after doing: 晩ごはんを 食べた後で、 犬と さんぽします. The verb before 後で is always in the ta-form, even when you talk about the future. With a noun, use の後で: じゅぎょうの 後で.
Talk about experiences with たことがあります
Ta-form plus ことがあります means have done, at some time in your life: すしを 食べたことが あります. The negative, たことが ありません, means have never done. Ask with 〜たことが ありますか.
Give advice with たほうがいいです
Ta-form plus ほうがいいです means you'd better, or you should: はやく ねたほうが いいです. It can sound firm, so with an adult you can soften it: 〜たほうが いいと 思います.
Tell an experience apart from a single past event
行きました tells what happened on one occasion, often with a time: きょねん 京都へ 行きました. 行ったことが あります says it has happened at some point, so it doesn't take a time word like きのう.
Use the ta-form for the past with friends
With friends, the ta-form ends the sentence: きのう 何 した？ 買い物に 行った。 Use it in a plain-style message, and keep ました for adults.
The ta-form key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- Ta-form
- The plain past, made from the te-form: 書いた, 飲んだ.
- たり…たりします
- Do things like... and...: a list of examples, not a complete one.
- た後で
- After doing, with the ta-form before it: 勉強した後で.
- たことがあります
- Have done before, for an experience.
- たことがありません
- Have never done, the negative of たことがあります.
- たほうがいいです
- You'd better, or you should, for advice to do something.
- Experience
- Something that has happened to you at some point, not tied to one time: 日本料理を 食べたことが あります.
Common mistakes in The ta-form
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Ending a たり list without します, as in 本を 読んだり、 音楽を 聞いたり。
Finish the list with します or しました: 本を 読んだり、 音楽を 聞いたり します.
Using the dictionary form before 後で, as in 食べる後で.
後で always follows the ta-form: 食べた後で. It is 前に that follows the dictionary form.
Putting a time word with たことがあります, as in きのう 行ったことが あります.
For one occasion you can name, use ました: きのう 行きました. Keep たことがあります for ever and never.
Mixing up the sound change, as in 書った or 行いた.
The ta-form follows the te-form exactly: 書いて, 書いた; 行って, 行った. Check the te-form first, then change one kana.
Practice
Try a The ta-form question
A GCSE-style original question from this topic. Have a go before you open the working - deciding on an answer first is what makes the working stick.
Which word completes the sentence? ふゆやすみは スキーを したり、おんせんに ___ しました。 (In the winter holidays I went skiing, bathed in hot springs and so on.)
- 入りたり
- 入ったり
- 入たり
- 入って
Show the answer and the working
Answer: 入ったり
入る is godan, so its ta-form is 入った, and in a list 入ったり.
- 入る is godan: 入って, 入った.
- In a list: 入ったり.