Text types - plain or polite? (1 Viewer)

[toryn]

Okay, so we need to know formats of certain text types for Japanese Continuers and Extension, like newspaper articles, letters, etc.

Where can we get info on which texts the markers expect to be in plain or polite form? Is there a list that the BOS keeps somewhere?

My old Japanese teacher said that she thought that only for journal entries would we use plain form, but in Wakatta it says that newspaper articles and stuff like that use plain form as well, and all the Japanese books I have are in plain form.

So what should I use plain form in, and when do I use polite? I'm guessing polite for a lot of things, but I'm not sure...

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[snoopy05]

hmm ` _ ´

plain forms are usually written in : diary, email , letters to friends, colloquial articles
and polite is just about anything directed to the public, and to the elders, not to the kids tho, i think ?

and does the wakatta really say that ?

 

[toryn]

Yeah, I was revising Wakatta the other day, and it says in 2-4 that:

'Novels, newspaper and magazine articles and diary or journal entries are all written in plain form. In addition, plain form is used when taking notes.'

Also, you mentioned emails and letters to friends. I don't doubt that many emails and letters are probably written in plain form, but the NSW BOS seems to be more polite form orientated. How do we know how polite they want us to be?

 

[frodo]

almost all the text types you're required to be able to do are in plain form, at least they were when i was studying jap 2 years ago. i think the only time you want to use polite -masu form is in formal letters to elders, people you don''t know, letters to employers, teachers, authors etc...

 

[nickyroony]

From what my teacher told me, plain form should only be used in diary entries and maybe in dialogue between close friends. Those teenage, Girlfriend type Japanese magazines also write their articles in plain form, but it's extremely unlikely you'll be asked to write something like that for HSC, so "forget about it" said my teacher.

To be on the safe side, always use semi-polite form. Still end the the sentence with "desu" or "masu", but you can drop the particles if you want.

Newspapers are always in polite form.

 

[frodo]

newspaper articles aren't always in polite form.
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0323/TKY200503230243.html
if you see this site you can see it's written in plain form. i dunno, just be sure of what the HSC markers want good luck

 

[snoopy05]

To be on the safe side, always use semi-polite form. Still end the the sentence with "desu" or "masu", but you can drop the particles if you want.

woow... drop the particles?? wouldnt that be very dangerous? cus the examiners will assume that you dont know your particles

 

[BlackJack]

You should always choose one and stick with it in a sentence; there's serious danger if you mix desu and masu with missing particles.

IMO the HSC markers won't mind if you use either form in grey areas. I've looked at Jap newspapers/mags and they are usually in plain form (prob. to save a lot of printing space).

Just note that polite is always used to elders, (potential) employers, etc. (think tiered society and serious manners)... communicating in plain form here can be offensive.

Footnote: On the other hand, you might want to use polite forms to chew up any word limit (vice versa).