[Writing Technique Book] [19th Place] Using 'wa' and 'ga' correctly

In books on writing techniques, one of the most frequently mentioned points regarding grammar is the use of the particles 'wa' and 'ga'. Particles are a part of speech that you will almost certainly use whenever you write a sentence.

If you misuse 'wa' and 'ga', your writing will immediately become difficult to understand. Conversely, if you master the distinction between 'wa' and 'ga', you will be able to write clear sentences.
Linguist Susumu Ono also stated, 'I will pick out just one point that I think is important in Japanese grammar. That is the distinction between 'ha' (wa) and 'ga'. (Omitted) If you understand this, you will be able to grasp Japanese sentences firmly and consciously.' (from 'Japanese Exercise Book' / Iwanami Shoten).

1. Use 'wa' for what is already known, and 'ga' for what is not yet known

Both 'wa' and 'ga' are often used for the subject.

Example sentence
This wa is actress A.
This ga is actress A.

We use them so casually in our daily lives.
Therefore, you might think there is not much difference between them. What is different? Let's think about it while looking at examples.

Example 1
Yesterday, a gentleman who looked wealthy ga was at the bar counter.
That gentleman wa was drinking a martini.

Both the 'ga' in 'a gentleman who looked wealthy ga' and the 'wa' in 'that gentleman wa' are particles attached to the subject. Let's try swapping them.

Example 2
Yesterday, a gentleman who looked wealthy wa was at the bar counter.
That gentleman ga was drinking a martini.

By swapping the positions of 'wa' and 'ga', the nuance of the sentence changes.

Example 2 feels unnatural. When you say 'Yesterday, a gentleman who looked wealthy wa', you feel a sense of discomfort as if there were other explanatory text before this sentence.
This is because there is a clear distinction in usage between 'wa' and 'ga'.

Example 1 The 'ga' in 'a gentleman who looked wealthy ga' is attached to unknown information (information that has not yet been revealed). When no one knows about the 'gentleman who looked wealthy' yet, we use 'ga'.
The 'wa' in the following 'that gentleman wa' is attached to known information (information that is already understood).
Since 'gentleman' has already appeared in the previous line, we know about the gentleman. When something is already clear, 'wa' is attached. We make this distinction unconsciously.

Example 1
Once upon a time, there ga were an old man and an old woman.

Example 2
The old man went to the mountain to cut grass, and the old woman wa went to the river to do laundry.

Example 1 uses 'ga' because it is the first time we hear about the 'old man and old woman'. Example 2 uses 'wa' because they are the 'old man and old woman' we already know from Example 1.

Let me write one more example.

Example
Today, there ga is a new product that I would really like you to buy.
That new product wa is this electric rice cooker that cooks rice fluffy!

The difference is clear.

If you get the order wrong, the sentence will not feel right, so please be careful. By the way, it is said that the linguist Susumu Ono, mentioned earlier, was the one who discovered this distinction between 'wa' and 'ga'.

2. Even if 'wa' is attached, it does not necessarily become the subject

'Wa' does not always indicate the subject; sometimes it presents the 'topic.' The topic is the 'theme' of the conversation.
'Wa' can serve the role of signaling in advance that 'I am going to talk about this theme.'

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*This article is an excerpt from 'I summarized the points of 100 best-selling books on writing techniques into one book.' [Rank 19] Using 'wa' and 'ga' correctly.
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