So i was writing a short essay for my japanese class and in it i wrote 「私は以前そこに行ったことがあって、今からそこに向かうところだったので、一緒に来るように彼を誘いました」I had it proof read, and was told to change the あって to あり. I’ve noticed this before when connecting sentences, but im not sure of the rules for using the て form vs the stem form, and im struggling to find it on the web. When should each be used?
4 comments
For the most part, the stem/連用形 form, when used in a equivalent sense to the -て form is just a slightly more formal/written-style variant.
There is (usually) not a significant meaning difference, and — no offense to your proofreader — but I would suggest that just correcting あって to あり in this case with no explanation is not a helpful correction.
TL;DR, 99.999999% of times the difference between -て form and stem/連用形 when used as a connective is just one of formality and really isn’t something that you need to obsess about too much. Use the former in everyday speech, the latter — when you want to — in writing, and for the most part other than that you’ll be okay.
If you want a deeper dive into this topic, the [DoJG](https://core6000.neocities.org/dojg/) has a very detailed and thorough rundown of the nuances between the て and stem forms of verbs as connectors. Go to the entry titled “Vmasu” and look up the section on [Related Expression]
if they’re used as “A, and then B”, then they’re equivalent, but stem form is more common in writing, and too much て form in speech in a row sounds like ugly alliteration to natives
if it’s “by way of A, B happens”, then only the て form is correct
that’s the basic rule i follow
Other people have provided thorough explanations. Is your proofreader formally connected to your Japanese class? Like a teacher or class assistant? Have you covered stem form as a connector in class? If not, I think you should stick to using て form, as that’s what you’ve learned in class.
As a former teacher, students pulling put grammar we hadn’t learned in class could sends off warning bells for cheating (improper Google Translate use etc.) While sometimes a student using more advanced grammar can be a sign of the student going above and beyond and doing outside study, more often than not, it’s a sign of them taking shortcuts and using translation software.
So, imo better safe than sorry and just stick to what you learned in class so as not to accidentally cause misunderstandings with your teacher