Updated 10/31/00


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PRAGMATIC COMPETENCE TEST OF JAPANESE

The Pragmatic Competence Test of Japanese (PCTJ) is designed to measure functional language skills in Japanese. It is intended for use by intermediate through advanced students of Japanese as a second language. The test measures gender and age-related restrictions, appropriateness of answers to questions, depending on to whom and when the student talks. In short, the PCTJ measures the degree to which the student understands speaking rules and the relation between linguistic form and function.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. There are 36 problems in the test. For each problem, you will read about a situation. Read each item until you fully understand the situation or context. Then choose the one response that would be the best answer to the question.

2. Each problem has only one best answer. Make only one mark on your answer sheet for each problem. If you want to change an answer, erase the old mark completely and darken your new answer.

3. If you do not know the answer to a problem, make a reasonable guess. There is no penalty for guessing.

4. Use only #2 pencils.�@

5. Obtain an answer sheet and write only on your answer sheet.

6. NOW, RELAX AND BEGIN THE TEST.



1. A frustrated man in his 20's, who is late for work, on a rainy morning becomes frantic, and requests for all in the household to join in the search for his umbrella. He may say:
A) �����͂ǂ��ł����B
B) �݂�Ȃ���͂������������Č��Ă��������B
C) �ǂ�����������ɂ�����T���ĉ������B���˂������܂��B
D) ������ƁA�����������̎�`���Ă����B

2. After the Golden Week vacation, middle school students enter their classroom. The teacher politely asks a student, "How was your vacation, Emiko?" The student responds:
A) �����ł���B
B) �͂��A�ƂĂ��y���������ł��B
C) �悩�����ł������΂�����Ȃ��Ȃ�܂����B
D) ���񂹂��A�������낪���ł��A���肪�Ƃ������܂��A

3. Your colleague (same gender & similar age) approaches you and suggests that you complete your project. Your colleague says to you:
A) �N�A�v����I�����ق�����������B
B) �v���W�F�N�g�ɂ���΂��Ă��������B
C) �v���W�F�N�g�����Ȃ���΂Ȃ�܂���B
D) �v���W�F�N�g�A�͂₭�������������������Ǝv�����ǁB

4. You are invited by your boss to his house. Your boss asks you to join him in a SHOGI game (Japanese chess). You don't like SHOGI at all. You answer him in the following manner:
A) ���݂܂���A���催�����邱�Ƃ��ł��܂���B
B) ���݂܂��񂪁A���傤���͂ɂ��ĂȂ�ł��B
C) ���͂��催�͂��߂ł��B
D) �������A�������ł��B

5. Your superior says "The 1990's economic recession is world-wide, and has nothing to do with an individual nation's economic policies. No single government can rectify the situation. There's no quick solution to the problem." You disagree, and say or react in the following manner:
A) �������A����قǂ���܂���B�@
B) ���̂��񂾂��̂��Ƃ͂�����Ƃނ��������ł��傤�B
C) ������������܂���B�ł������Ԃ񂻂̖��̉����@�����‚��܂��B
D) �����ł��ˁA�ł��A���ꂼ��̍��̎������܂�����A�������@������񂶂�Ȃ��ł��傤���B

6. A young couple is talking in the kitchen one evening. The wife says to the husband, "Honey, let's go to the movies this weekend." The husband has too much work to do and doesn't want to go. He responds:
A) �����Ƃ��ƂĂ��������񂠂�܂��B
B) ���T�����H ���T�͂�����ƖZ�����񂾁B ���T�͂ǂ��ɂ��Ȃ�Ǝv����B
C) ���́B�B�B�������͂�����ƁB�B�B�����傲�Ƃ͂����ւ�ł�����B
D) �����������ł�����@���������ɂ����܂���B

7. It's Monday night, a young couple is doing the dishes in the kitchen. The wife wants her husband to take out the garbage, but she does not want to order him. The husband, Yoshio, knows the garbage collectors come on Tuesdays. The wife says:
A) �悵�������A�����͉Ηj���ł��˂��A�A�A���݂͂܂��L�`���̒��ɂ���܂��ˁA�A�A
B) �������@���݂̐l�ɂ���ł��傤���H
C) �˂��A�����A�S�~�̓�����Ȃ�����������B
D) �������K�o�W�R���h������ł��傤�B

8. Joji is almost 37 years old, and his mother wants him to get married and settle down. Joji likes to go out drinking all the time, and has never seriously considered marriage. Joji's mother says to Joji:
A) ���܂���@�������񂷂邽�߂ɏ��̐l�����‚��Ȃ����B
B) ���񂽂��V��ł΂��肢�Ȃ��ŁA���낻�댋���̂��ƍl������ǂ��Ȃ́B
C) �������Ȃ�����A���傶����I
D) �R�V�����܂��ɂ������񂵂��ق��������ł��ˁB

9. Mariko, a Japanese receptionist, sees a teen-age boy smoking in a waiting room in the hospital. She wants him to stop smoking or go somewhere else to smoke. It is obvious that this is a no-smoking area. Mariko tells the young man:
A) ���݂܂���A�����͋։��Ȃ�ł���B
B) ���݂܂���A�����Ă͂����܂���ł����ǁA�A�A
C) ���̂ւ�͂��΂��������܂���B
D) �����͋։��̂ŁA���Ƃł�����Ă������ł��B

10. You invite a few Japanese guests to your home. One of the guests takes out a cigarette, lights up, and starts smoking in your house. You do not want him to smoke, because you have recently learned that second hand smoke can kill. You say politely to your guest:
A) ���݂܂���A�^�o�R�������Ă͂��ԂȂ��ł��˂��I
B) ���݂܂��񂪁A�A�A���̌��S�̂��߂ɋi���͂�����Ƃ����Ȃ���B���߂�Ȃ��B
C) �����ɂ���Ȃ��ʼn������B
D) ���́A������Ɓ@���΂��A�A�A

11. The secretary answers the phone, "Hello, the Japanese language school." Caller: "Is Ms. Suzuki there?" (Ms. Suzuki is not there.) The secretary answers:
A) ��؂́A�������A�Ȃ��͂����Ă���܂����A�A�A
B) ����������́@���܂���ł����A�A�A
C) ���݂܂��� ���ǁ@����������́@����܂���ł����H
D) ���݂܂���A����������͂������܂���B

12. A mother sees her 5-year-old daughter, Keiko, returning to the living room with a glass of milk from the kitchen. Keiko forgets to close the refrigerator door. Her mother wants Keiko to close it. The mother says to her daughter:
A) ���ނ��ł��I
B) �˂�‚߂ĉ������B
C) �ꂼ���̃h�A�����߂ĉ������B
D) �����������A�①�ɂ̃h�A���@�������܂܂ł���A��������@�����Ƃ��߂Ȃ����ˁB

13. An office manager wants one of his employees, Yoshiko, to go to the Xerox room and make some photocopies. He will probably say to her:
A) �悵������A�������ǃR�s�[���Ă��炦�Ȃ����ȁB
B) �悵������A������Ƃ�����R�s���Ă���܂��񂩁H
C) �悵������Z���ł�����R�[�s������Ă��������B
D) �R�s���@���˂������܂��B

14. It's almost 5:00 p.m. You are about to finish your day's work. Your boss approaches you and asks if you are interested in going out for drinks. You don't want to. You say to your boss or react in the following manner:
A) �����A���݂܂���B���ӂ��‚��������܂�悭�Ȃ��ł���........
B) ���傤�́@��邢���ł���B�q�ǂ��̂��񂶂�тł����炱��΂�p�[�e�B������܂��B
C) ���肪�Ƃ��������܂��A�ł��\���󂠂�܂��񂪁A�����́A������Ɨp��������̂ŁA�܂��B�@
D) �‚������Ă���������ł����ǁ@������Ǝd�����������āA�����܂��񂯂ǁ@���炵�܂��B

15. Your good friends invite you to their home, and you spent a pleasant time. You want to say "Goodbye" and leave but they keep talking. You can't find the right moment to say "Goodbye." You say or react to this situation in the following manner:
A) �\�񎞕��ł��A��������Ȃ��悤�B
B) ���߂�A��邢���ǁA���@�A���B
C) ���݂܂��񂪓d�Ԃ��������邩��A�w�����s���Ȃ�������Ȃ�܂���B
D) ���傤�ςƂ��Ă��y�����ł����B�������@�����@�܂��@�͂₢�̂ŁA����Ł@���‚ꂢ���܂��B

16. At an informal meeting, you disagree with your immediate supervisor's opinion about the way the administration gives incentives to the company employees. You say or react in the following manner:
A) ���݂܂���B���̈ӌ��������Ă����Ă������ł����B
B) ���݂܂��񎄂̈ӌ��ł����B�B�B�ǂ�������̘b�Ǝ^�����܂���B
C) �������傤�@�������b�������܂��񂩁B
D) �i���Ԃ񉽂�����Ȃ��Ǝv���B�j

17. Your acquaintance gives you a gift. The acquaintance tells you that he or she has spent hours looking for the gift. The acquaintance insists that you open the gift immediately and see it. You open the package and see the gift. You hate it! You will probably say or react in the following manner:
A) �����A�A�A�������ł��ˁB�ǂ������肪�Ƃ��������܂����B���‚��ꂳ�܂ł����B�ǂ����B
B) ���΂炵�����݂₰�ł��B����Ȃ̕��͋v�Ԃ�ɂق������āA���肪�Ƃ������܂��B
C) �����A���ꂢ�ł��ˁB�܂��ǂ��肪�Ƃ��������܂��B
D) �ǂ����A���肪�Ƃ��������܂��B

18. You go to a lecture and start listening to the speaker. You find the speech is extremely interesting so you decide to take notes, but discover that you do not have a pen and paper. You look around the room and see a young lady sitting and taking notes on her note pad behind you. You want to take notes very much, so you ask her for a pen and some paper, saying:
A) ���݂܂���A���̐l����Ԗʔ����ˁA���ƃG���s�c������܂��񂩁B
B) ���́A���݂܂��񂯂ǁA�y���Ǝ��@���؂�ł��Ȃ��ł��傤���B
C) ���ɐ\���󂠂�܂��񂪎��ƃy���������Ă��������܂��񂩁H
D) ���݂܂���A�y���Ƃ��݂������Ăł��܂��񂩁H

19. Your boss asks you to run down and make some photocopies. Your boss gives you the key to start the machine; you go to the copy machine and insert the key into the machine and press the start button. The machine does not copy. You look around the room and see a secretary from whom you might get some help. You approach her and ask:
A) ���݂܂���A���̃R�s���鎖���ł��Ȃ��̂ł��B���˂������܂��B�R�s�����Ă���܂����B
B) ������Ƃ��݂܂��񂪁A�R�s�[�̒��q������������ł����ǁA���킩��ɂȂ�܂����B
C) ���݂܂���A���傤��.....�A���̂������̎g�����͋����Ă���܂��񂩁H
D) ������Ǝ�`���Ă��������܂����B

20. When you (female) go out, a particular friend of yours never buys his own beverage. He always waits until you or someone else in the group offers him a drink even though he has enough money to buy his own. The time has come for you to tell him politely that he should pay his fair share. Today, you both have come alone into a coffee house and ordered beverages. You say to him:
A) ���݂܂���A���傤�Ƃ���������܂��񂪁A�����������Ă���܂��񂩁B
B) �����͂����񂶂傤�͂��݂̂΂�ł��B
C) ���傤�́A��������̂�����ł���B
D) �����͎����̂Ԃ�𔃂��Ă��������B

21. Your acquaintance has never been healthy. He does not like to eat healthy foods. He does not like to exercise because he gets tired very easily. You hear from his friend that he has not been feeling well lately, and he even visited his doctor a few days ago. His doctor gave him some medicine to take and told him not to worry, but he still believes that he is very sick. Now you meet him on the street. He looks pale, and you are sympathetic so you tell him:
A) ���̂̒��q�A�������ł����B
B) �{���ɕa�C�ł����A���ꂪ�s���܂����
C) �����C�ł����H�@�ǂ����A�C���‚��Ă��������B
D) ���炾�͑傹�‚ł悭�H�ׂ��ق��������ł���B���������ɁB

22. You are invited to a home of a Japanese friend for dinner. The food is served and you take some salad onto your plate and taste it. You do not like it. You say or react to such a situation in the following way:
A) �i��������Ȃ��ŁA���̂��̂��M�ɂƂ��ĐH�ב�����B�j
B) ���݂܂���A���傤�Ƃ��Ȃ��������ς��ł����A�A�A
C) ���������ł��B�u�킽���́@�H�ׂĂ��܂��v�B
D) �H�ׂ鎖���ł��܂���.���߂�Ȃ����B

23. Your close friend is getting married to a person you really can't stand to be around, even for a second. You are invited to have coffee with them. You respond to the invitation by saying:
A) ���肪�Ƃ������܂������A�ڂ��͂ƂĂ������������ŁA�A�A
B) �����ł��B�͂��炩�Ȃ���΂Ȃ�܂���B
C) ���܂���A�p��������܂����A�A�A
D) ����A�s������s����B

24. Your host family mother tells you that you don't look well, and she asks you how you feel. You feel terrible, but you don't want your host family mother to know, because you want to go out with your date tonight. You are weak and tired but looking forward to the date. You say to the mother:
A) ����������A���C�ł���B�S�ς��̂ǂ������肪�Ƃ��������܂��B
B) ���A�����A������Ɣ��Ă܂����ǁA�������傤�Ԃł��B
C) ���݂܂���A��������Ƃ‚���܂����A�A�A
D) ���͌��C�ł��B����ς��Ȃ��ł��������B

25. The cashier of the supermarket gives you incorrect change. The change you receive is for a 5,000 yen bill rather than for the 10,000 yen bill you gave the cashier. You are upset but remain calm and reserved. The cashier is a woman in her early 20's. You say to her:
A) ���́A���A�ꖜ�~�n������ł����ǁB
B) �ӂ����у`���N�icheck�j�����Ă��������B
C) ���̂��A�Ƃ������݂܂���B�ꖜ�~�������������A�ł��A�A�A
D) ���Ԃ�A���̃R���s���^�͂����ł��B���‚�͊Ԉ�v���܂��B

26. In a classroom, Hiroshi, a 7-year-old boy, is sitting close to the window that is wide open and letting a lot of cold air in. Hiroshi's teacher wants him to shut the window. The teacher says to Hiroshi:
A) ������ǂ��ނ��ł����A�܂ǂ����߂Ă��������B
B) �Ђ낿���A�܂ǂ��@���߂ā@����B
C) �Ђ낵�N�A�����߂Ă����H
D) �܂ǂ����܂Ă��������B

27. You buy some milk at your nearby supermarket. When you get home you find the milk is sour. You take it back to the market and speak to the sales person. You are angry but try to be patient. You say to the sales person:
A) ���݂܂���B���̃~���N���@�������Ă��邩��V���� �Ƃ肩���ĂȂ���΂����܂���B
B) ���́A���݂܂���B���イ�ɂイ���@������Ɓ@���������ɂ���������Ǝv���܂��A�A�A
C) ���݂܂���A���̋����A��������������ł����ǁA�������Ă�݂����Ȃ�ł���ˁB
D) ���݂܂���A���̃~���N��������ǂ��߂ł����A�A�A

28. You have a very bad cold and look terrible. A friend who knows you very well is concerned and worried about you and says to you:
A) �˂��A�������傤�ԁH �A���ĐQ�����������񂶂�Ȃ��B
B) �����񂫂ł����B����������܂����B
C) �������Ђ������A���v����B
D) �����́@���܂ǂ��ł����B

29. One of the employees has just completed a budget report to be submitted to his boss. The employee says to his boss, "I've just finished the report." The boss says, "Let's see... Let me take a look at it." The employee is excited, but the boss thinks the report is esoteric and poorly written. The boss, who is unsatisfied, says:
A) �����ł��ˁB���|�g�͂�����Ɓ@��邢�ł���B
B) ����͂��������A�����Ƃ͂����菑���Ȃ����Ă���B
C) ���傤�Ƃł��ˁB���ꃌ�|�[�g�͂��߂ł��B�����Ȃ����Ȃ��B
D) �Ȃ��Ȃ��������ǁA����������ƁA������Ƃ�����������������B

30. On the airplane, a flight attendant is addressing a passenger's young child who happens to be very noisy and is disturbing other passengers. The flight attendant, who is angry but calm, says to the child's parent or guardian:
A) ���݂܂���A�������Ă��������B
B) �q���͂ɂ��₩�ł��B�������Ȃ���΂Ȃ�܂���B
C) �����ꂢ��܂����A���̂��q�l�̌���f�ɂȂ�܂��̂ŁA�A�A
D) ���݂܂��񂪁A�ق��̋q�l���߂��킭�������Ȃ����߁A���q������������ɂ��ĉ������܂��񂩁B

31. A 13-year-old boy, feeling a little upset, wants his older sister to return him a CD he lent her the previous week. The boy says to his sister:
A) CD�������ĉ������B
B) CD�����������������B
C) �ڂ���CD�������Ă��傤�����B
D) ���Ȃ���������CD�A�������Ă�B

32. A visiting patient sitting in the waiting room of a doctor's office realizes that he must make an urgent telephone call. He approaches the receptionist and asks if he could use the office telephone. He says:
A) �����܂���@�ł����@�������������̂ł����@�ǂ��Ɂ@�������イ�ł�킪����܂����B
B) ���݂܂��񂪁A�A�A�����ւ�̂��񂾂������܂��B���ł��͂����Ă����ł����B
C) ���݂܂���B���イ�悤������������A���d�b���g���Ă��������܂��񂩁B
D) ���݂܂��񂪁@�}�p���v���o�����̂Ł@�ł���݂��Ă��������܂��񂩁B

33. A BUCHO (division chief) of a company is visiting one of his employees's offices and wants to use the telephone. The chief says or asks:
A) ���݂܂���A�ł���������܂Ă��������B
B) ���݂܂��񂪁A�A�A�ł����‚��Ă������ł����B
C) ������Ɠd�b��������B
D) �Ă��͂Ƃ������B

34. A 4-year-old boy wants his mother to tie his shoe laces. The boy says to his mother:
A) ���‚̂Ђ܂��@�ނ��ɂ��ĉ������B
B) �}�}�A���i�������j�̂Ђ��A����ŁB
C) �}�[�}�A���‚݂̂����ނ��Ԃ��Ă��������B
D) ���A���‚Ђ��� �����Ƃ肳���Ȃ����ł��������B

35. One summer afternoon, you are sitting in a room near a window that is closed. An acquaintance, not a close friend, of the same age and gender as yourself is sitting on the opposite side of the room. The room is becoming very hot. The acquaintance asks you to open the window by saying:
A) ���݂܂���B �����͂�����Ƃ��‚�����A���������Ă��������܂��񂩁B
B) ���݂܂���A������Ƒ��������Ă��������܂��񂩁A�A�A
C) �܂ǂ������ĉ������B
D) �������������B

36. You (female) are at your friend's house for a SUSHI party. You must leave early to study for a test the next day. You say to your host friend who knows you very well:
A) ���������������邩��A�������炷���B
B) �������e�X�g������܂�����͂₢�ł܂��B
C) ����@�������e�X�g�������ł����A���B
D) ���낻��A���‚ꂢ���܂��B �����̎����ɕ׋����Ȃ�����B

= END OF TEST =

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