Page 485 - Makino,Tsutusi.DictionaryOfIntermediateJGrammar

ni
-M naru 41 1
lilt Vr 3 s
(g) +gkh%+{i~f?jC:Qg?:@l:, @t.71'fi5,bL8~-cL331:0
(When I was almost able to go to Japan my mother got ill.)
rCmrL*-
1. Vmasu sb ni naru expresses the idea that s.t. almost happens. As shown
in Exs.(a), (b) and (f), Vmasu sd ni naru is often used with an extra
adverbial phrases such as ayauku 'narrowly,' and md sukoshi/chotto de
'a little more, then -,' which reinforce the idea of 'almost.'
The verb is restricted to non-volitional verbs, that is, a verb that
expresses s.t. that is beyond human control, such as (kaze o) hiku 'to
catch (a cold)' (KS), oboreru 'to drown' (Ex.(a)), tsubureru 'to be
destroyed' (Ex.(c)), taoreru 'to fall down' (Ex.(d)). Since passive and
potential forms are regarded as a non-volitional verb, they can be also
used with sb ni naru, as shown in Exs.(b), (e) and (g). If the verb is a
volitional verb, Vrnasu sb ni naru cannot be used if the subject is the
speaker himself 1 herself.
(1) a. *%L&~gB&&=f [:& fZ@, gg$l;@$$$g
-c 3 7k
(When I was about to eat my lunch I received a call from
my friend.)

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-
-c b7'& -
-
-
=
-
-
-
s 2
-
-
-
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b. *@-h'~&B&=f.j~~&7f~@, @&< 8 9 3 LIZ, -
-
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3
(When I almost graduated from college, I lost my mother.)
However, if the entire situation expressed by the whole sentence
expresses a situation that is beyond human control, a volitional verb can
be used even if the subject is the speaker himself as shown in (2): in
both (2a) and (2b) the action is not the speaker's choice. What (2a) and
(2b) mean are 'I was almost forced to eat that poisonous bean-jam bun'
and 'I was swindled by somebody to use that counterfeit paper money
to purchase things.'