The verb sits right before its noun
A whole clause describes 映画 — and in Japanese, that clause comes first.
55% of 84 answers were right — one of the hardest questions in the catalogue.
Order the four pieces; which goes in the ★ position?
- いっしょに
- 見た✓ correct
- 友だちと
- 映画は
The movie I watched together with my friend was very interesting.
What it is testing
In Japanese, a description of a noun goes in front of it, however long it is, and its verb comes last — directly before the noun. "The film I watched with my friend" becomes [友だちと いっしょに 見た] 映画.
So build it from the noun outwards. 映画は is the head noun with its topic particle, so it sits last, before とても. 見た goes right before 映画. 友だちと いっしょに — who you were with, and how — comes before the verb. That gives 友だちと／いっしょに／見た／映画は, with 見た at the ★.
Why the wrong answers are tempting
- ✕ いっしょにIt describes how you watched, so it comes before 見た — second slot.
- ✕ 友だちとIt opens the clause, in the first slot.
- ✕ 映画はThe noun being described, last of all, right before the rest of the sentence.
More examples
- きのう買った本はもう読みました。I've already read the book I bought yesterday.
- 母が作ったケーキはとてもおいしい。The cake my mother made is delicious.
- 先週友だちと行った店はまた行きたい。I want to go back to the shop I went to with my friend last week.
When a piece is a noun with は, it is usually the last one before the rest of the sentence. Its verb sits just in front of it.