Hello!
I'm not a native speaker of Japanese, so to make sure the explanation
I give is correct I asked about it my Japanese friend. But, before
I'll write a few words about the sentences, let me summarize the uses
of "koto" and "no".
Firstly, both "no" and "koto" are used to change the phrase of
sentence which precedes them into a noun, which is why they can later
be used as an indirect object or subject. In general, on many
occasions both "no" and "koto" can be used, the latter being more
formal and objectively sounding, while the former being used mostly in
conversations.
Situations where only "koto" can be used:
* with verbs: hanasu (speak), tsutaeru, yakusoku suru, meijiru, inoru,
kibou suru, kiku (ask) etc. - verbs related in some way to speaking
o Zemi ni derarenai koto wo sensei ni tsutaete kudasai.
x Zemi ni derarenai no wo sennsei ni tsutaete kudasai. (incorrect)
* if any form of the copula "da" comes after it (da, desu, de aru)
* in fixed constructions such as "~ koto ga dekiru, ~ koto ga aru, ~
koto ni suru, ~ koto ni naru" etc.
Situations where only "no" can be used:
* with verbs related to one's senses: miru, mieru, kiku (to hear), kikoeru etc.
o Kouen de Michiko-san ga hashitte iru no ga miemasu.
x Kouen de Michiko-san ga hashitte iru koto ga miemasu. (incorrect)
* with verbs such as: matsu, tetsudau, jama suru, utsusu etc.
o Kodomo ga neru no wo matte, denwa wo kaketa.
x Kodomo ga neru koto wo matte, denwa wo kaketa (incorrect).
* before the verb "tomeru" (to stop)
These are the uses of "no" and "koto" related to changing preceding
words into a noun-phrase, which you supposedly need for your report if
you're going to compare the two. However, apart from them, "no" has
also a few different meanings, some of which you mentioned in the
sentences. For example:
* "no" from the phrase "no desu" - a terrible amount of various meanings
* "no" meaning "the one", as in "yasui no" (the cheap one), used not
to nominalize a phrase, but to substitute a phrase.
* there exist also several types of sentences which emphasize the
meaning of the sentence in some way:
S no wa, ~ kara da.
Anata wo nagutta no wa, mou sore ijou anata no koui ni gaman
dekinakatta kara da.
The reason why I hit you is that I couldn't stand your behaviour any more.
S no wa, ~ no koto da.
Nihon ni kita no wa, 1nen mae no koto da.
It is one year ago that I came to Japan.
etc. In such emphatic structures "no" cannot be substituted by "koto".
Oh, and concerning your example sentences... In numbers 1, 2, 3*, 4,
5, 6, 16 and 17 both answers are correct, but the one with "no" would
be used normally in daily conversations, while the other one sounds
more formal and you'd be more likely to encounter it in writing.
The sentence 3* there is a mistake. In normal everyday Japanese it
would be much more natural to say:
Watashi wa kinou no tesuto de namae wo kaku no/koto wo wasureta.
In sentence number 4, it sounds more naturally to say:
A-san wa taberu no/koto wo wasurete ita?
In sentences 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 only the version with "no" is
plausible. The reasons are as follows: 7 - special emphatic structure,
8 - 'no' meaning "the one", 9 - emphatic structure or "the one". In 10
and 11 such conjunction as "koto de" simply doesn't exist, while
"node" sounds all right, although it is not a connection of two
particles "no" and "de", so it shouldn't be considered here at all.
In sentences 12, 13, 14, 15 the only correct option is "koto", because
all the sentences are either fixed idiomatic phrases or "koto" is
followed by "desu", which makes using "no" impossible, as I explained
above.
I hope this helps a little bit. Good night!
Maciek
2007/10/13, mojari07 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
>
> hi...i need your help...i am making a paper about the difference of
> nominalizers no and koto..
> please answer the following questions and pleas indicate if you are a
> second language learner or a japanese native speaker
> thank you!
> Imi wa chigaimasu ka? Dochira ga tadashii desu ka?
> Setsumeishite kudasai.
>
> 1. Kanji wo kakukoto ga heta desu.
> Kanji wo kaku no ga heta desu.
>
> 2. Manga wo yomukoto ga suki desu.
> Manga wo yomuno ga suki desu.
>
> 3. Watashi ga kinou no tesuto ni namae wo kakukoto wo
> wasureta.
> Watashi ga kinou no tesuto ni namae wo kakuno wo
> wasureta.
>
> 4. A-san wa taberukoto wo wasureta?
> A-san wa taberuno wo wasureta?
>
> 5. Gakusei wa Sensei ga nihon e ikukoto wo shitte
> imasu ka.
> Gakusei wa Sensei ga nihon e ikuno wo shitte imasu ka.
>
> 6. Fuji-san ni noborukoto wa tanoshii desu.
> Fuji-san ni noboruno wa tanoshii desu.
>
> 7. Dana-san ga nihon e kurukoto wa kugatsu
> juushichinichi desu.
> Dana-san ga nihon e kuruno wa kugatsu juushichinichi
> desu.
>
> 8. Watashi wa shiroikoto ga kirai desu.
> Watashi wa shiroi no ga kirai desu.
>
> 9. Watashi no daigaku no hito de ichiban yuumeinakoto
> wa A-san desu.
> Watashi no daigaku no hito de ichiban yuumeinano wa
> A-san desu.
>
>
> 10. Kanji wo wakaranaikoto de, hiragana de kaite
> kudasai.
> Kanji wo wakaranaino de, hiragana de kaite kudasai.
>
> 11. Nihonggo wa omoshiroikoto de, benkyoushimasu.
> Nihonggo wa omoshiroino de, benkyoushimasu.
>
> 12. Firipin e ittakoto ga arimasu ka?
> Firipin e ittano ga arimasu ka?
>
> 13. Watashi no shumi wa e wo kakukoto desu.
> Watashi no shumi wa e wo kakuno desu.
>
>
> 14. Omiyage wo kaukoto ga dekimasu ka?
> Omiyage wo kauno ga dekimasu ka?
>
> 15. Watashi wa uma no e wo kakukoto ga dekimasu.
> Watashi wa uma no e wo kakuno ga dekimasu.
>
> 16.Sono kurasu ga tsumaranai koto wa yuumei desu.
> Sono kurasu ga tsumaranaino wa yuumei desu.
>
> 17.Sono machi ga kirei na koto wa yuumei desu.
> Sono machi ga kirei na no wa yuumei desu.
>
> Itsu no wo tsukaimasu ka?
> Itsu koto wo tsukaimasu ka?
> no to koto no chigai wa nan desu ka?
>
> thank you so much!
>
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