Advice and Qualified Judgement
Learning objectives
- Distinguish moral recommendation from practical advice.
- Reassure someone that an action is unnecessary.
- Reject only part of a claim instead of making a new absolute statement.
判断
nounはんだん
judgement
責任
nounせきにん
responsibility
必ずしも
advかならずしも
not necessarily
一般的
adjいっぱんてき
general; typical
誤解
nounごかい
misunderstanding
無理
adjむり
unreasonable; impossible
Recommendation or reassurance?
V-るべきだ/べきではない
strong judgementshould; ought to / should not
A strong judgement based on duty, principle, or expected conduct. It can sound imposing when aimed directly at another person.
重要な変更は、利用者に説明すべきだ。
Important changes should be explained to users.
V-ることはない
reassurancethere is no need to
Reassures someone that an action or worry is unnecessary.
一度失敗しただけで、諦めることはない。
There is no need to give up after failing once.
plain + わけではない
partial negationit is not that; not necessarily
Denies the full implication while leaving part of it possible or true.
高い物がすべて良いわけではない。
It is not the case that every expensive thing is good.
ないことはない
limited possibilityit is not impossible; can, but
Reluctantly admits limited possibility, usually followed by a reservation.
歩けないことはないが、一時間はかかる。
It is possible to walk, but it will take an hour.
plain + とは限らない
qualificationis not always necessarily
Rejects a general rule by allowing exceptions.
便利な方法が、だれにとっても簡単だとは限らない。
A convenient method is not necessarily easy for everyone.
Do not translate わけではない as a total no
嫌いなわけではない does not mean “I hate it.” It means “It is not that I dislike it,” often implying another reason for the speaker’s behaviour.
Make the judgement as strong—or as limited—as requested.
1.Strong principle: companies should protect customer information.
2.Reassure a learner that they do not need to memorise everything at once.
3.Qualify the claim that online lessons are always easier.
Is the shortest route always best?
opinion paragraph
- 最短(さいたん)
- shortest
- 距離(きょり)
- distance
- Which generalisation does the writer reject?
- What does 不便なわけではなく correct?
A reluctant possibility
Listen for what is possible and why it is undesirable.
- Can the work be finished today?
- 1べき expresses a strong normative judgement; ことはない reassures.
- 2わけではない denies a full implication rather than everything.
- 3ないことはない admits limited possibility; とは限らない allows exceptions to a generalisation.
Knowledge Check
個人情報は慎重に扱う__だ。
Practice Quiz
個人情報は慎重に扱う__だ。
- べき
- ことはない
- とは限らない
- そう
心配する__。準備はできています。
- べきだ
- ことはない
- わけだ
- に違いない
嫌いな__が、今日は食べたくない。
- べきではない
- わけではない
- ことはない
- にしては
行けない__が、かなり遅くなる。
- ことはない
- べきではない
- わけではない
- とは限らない
Famous restaurants are not necessarily good: 有名な店がいい__。
- べきだ
- とは限らない
- ことはない
- に違いない
Which is strongest as direct advice?
- 休んだほうがいい
- 休むべきだ
- 休むことはない
- 休むとは限らない
What nuance does 食べられないことはない have?
- Absolutely cannot eat
- Can eat it, though there is some reservation
- Must eat
- Reportedly ate
必ずしも高いわけではない means…
- It is definitely expensive
- It is not necessarily expensive
- It must not be expensive
- It used to be expensive