As the title states.
Found it in a book, but couldn’t find any explanation at all. Would love if somebody could explain or provide any links.
Here are some examples with this grammar:
1. コンビニでおにぎりがよく売れている理由は手軽に食べられること、あまり高くないことだ。
2. この町の人が少なくなった理由は交通が不便なこと、店が少ないことだ。
Thanks to everyone in advance!
2 comments
こと here is more or less acting like a because would in English. Taking the second example:
“The reason why this town no longer has many people is because traffic is inconvenient, and there aren’t many stores.”
Without the because, there’s nothing linking the two parts of the sentence. One could misinterpret it as two sentences without them being related. I say could because it’s also possible to understand what is being said, but it wouldn’t sound right.
Anyone else can chime in but that’s how I interpret it.
it’s not so much a structured pattern as just giving two examples, Xこと and Yこと
the reason why onigiri is often sold in konbibis is
1. THAT they can be eaten easily/conveniently – 手軽に食べられること
2. THAT they aren’t very expensive – あまり高くないこと
both are nominalized because the reasons are themselves ~~actions~~ EDIT for clarity: “reason isn’t acting, the reason ***is associated*** with an action”, i.e. XはYだ, i.e. 理由はXことだ
if there’s any particular pattern this fits, it’s the general sentence-inversion pattern:
>日本語を勉強するのは一番大切だ
>
>equals
>
>一番大切なのは日本語を勉強することだ
the first of your examples could have been written
>手軽に食べられるし、あまり高くないし、コンビニでおにぎりがよく売れている
with the main verb 売る at the end