# JFT-Basic Word Usage (1-2): the word the sentence needs

Category 1-2 gives a sentence with a gap and asks which word fits best. Why the options are usually the right part of speech, with three worked items and the traps.

## The short answer

Word Usage is category 1-2. You read a short sentence with one word removed and choose the word that fits the gap best. The Japan Foundation's purpose for it is to test the usage of a word, which is a different question from what a word means. All the options are usually words you know, and the sentence around the gap is what rules three of them out.

## Key facts

- **Section:** Script and Vocabulary
- **Category number:** 1-2
- **What it tests:** The usage of a word
- **Questions in the section:** Around 12
- **Stimulus:** One short sentence with a gap
- **Review:** Allowed anywhere inside the section

Sections, categories and rules come from the Japan Foundation's JFT-Basic pages and its "About the JFT-Basic" deck, checked 27 September 2026.

## How it's scored

Meaning is not enough here. The options are often all possible in the abstract, and the one that is right is the one that collocates with the other words in the sentence. Japanese pairs verbs with objects tightly, and that pairing is the test.

Because the sentences are short, there is rarely a second clue. Read the words either side of the gap first, especially the particle in front of it, which often rules out half the list on its own.

> Read the sentence with each option in place, silently, to the end. A wrong collocation sounds wrong a word or two after the gap, not at it.

## Word Usage examples

Worked examples written for this page. Answer each one before you open the model response: memorizing a response is scored as an irrelevant answer in the real test.

**Example 1 -- the particle before the gap narrows it**

> へやが さむいので、エアコンを（　　）ください。

Prompt: Which word fits the gap best?

- A. つけて
- B. けして
- C. あけて
Answer: A.

Model response: つけて. The room is cold, so the air conditioner goes on. つける is the verb for switching a machine on.

Why it scores: けす would turn it off, which leaves the room cold. あける opens a door or a window, and it does not take エアコン as its object.

**Example 2 -- the verb that goes with the safety equipment**

> この しごとは あぶないので、ヘルメットを（　　）ください。

Prompt: Which word fits the gap best?

- A. はいて
- B. かぶって
- C. きて
Answer: B.

Model response: かぶって. Japanese uses a different verb for each part of the body, and anything worn on the head takes かぶる.

Why it scores: はく is for shoes and trousers and きる is for clothing on the upper body. All three mean to wear in English, which is exactly why they are together in this item.

**Example 3 -- the adverb, not the verb**

> 日本に きたばかりの ときは たいへんでしたが、（　　）なれました。

Prompt: Which word fits the gap best?

- A. やっぱり
- B. そろそろ
- C. だんだん
Answer: C.

Model response: だんだん, gradually. The sentence moves from a hard beginning to being used to things, and だんだん is the word for a change that happens by degrees.

Why it scores: そろそろ points at something about to happen, and やっぱり confirms what you expected. Both are common, and neither describes a change over time.

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## Common mistakes

| What costs marks | Do this instead |
| --- | --- |
| Choosing a word that means the right thing but does not pair with the object. | Japanese fixes verbs to objects. Learn かさを さす and ヘルメットを かぶる as whole phrases, not as two words. |
| Ignoring the particle in front of the gap. | を, に and が each narrow what can follow. Read the particle before you read the options. |
| Stopping at the gap when you test an option. | Read to the end of the sentence with the option in place. The mismatch usually appears after the gap. |
| Translating into your own language first. | Three options often translate the same way. The Japanese pairing is the thing being tested and it does not survive translation. |

**See how far 200 is** The JFT-Basic score checker turns a total on the 10-250 scale into its level band, says whether it clears A2, and works out what you still need. [Open the JFT-Basic score checker](/jft-basic/score-checker)

## How to practice

1. Collect verbs with their objects, as phrases. A list of verbs alone cannot be practiced for this category.
2. For every item you miss, write the correct phrase out three times as a phrase, not as a definition.
3. Read simple Japanese notices and mark each verb with the noun it took. Workplace notices are the right register.
4. Drill the wear verbs together: きる, はく, かぶる, する. They appear across all four sections.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between JFT-Basic 1-1 and 1-2?

Category 1-1 tests what a word means, using a picture. Category 1-2 tests how a word is used, using a sentence with a gap. You can know a word well enough for 1-1 and still miss it in 1-2.

### Do I need grammar for Word Usage questions?

A little. The options are usually in the same form already, so the choice turns on which word pairs with the rest of the sentence rather than on conjugation. Grammar is tested directly in category 2-1.

### Are the wrong options real words?

Yes. They are ordinary words at the same level, chosen because they are close to the answer. Nothing on the JFT-Basic is nonsense, so recognizing a word is not evidence that it fits.

**Sources**
- [The Japan Foundation: About the JFT-Basic, test structure and categories (PDF)](https://www.jpf.go.jp/jft-basic/e/about/pdf/describing_en.pdf)
- [The Japan Foundation: about the JFT-Basic (checked 27 September 2026)](https://www.jpf.go.jp/jft-basic/e/about/index.html)

[Practice Word Usage free](https://testmigo.com/jft-basic)