How to read a long sentence

　　　
みなさん、こんにちは！


I will write about grammars today.
When you read a long sentence, watch particles first.
For example (from my former entry in Panda article),


前原誠司外相は１８日の記者会見で、
日中関係改善の観点から
東京・上野動物園に中国から貸与されるパンダ２頭が
２１日に到着することを歓迎。


(person)は(date)の(interview)で、
(China-Japan relations improvement)の(view point)から
(Ueno zoo)に(China)から(Panda)が
(date)に(arriving)を(welcome)


Let’s break it down a little bit more.
There are three basic Japanese sentence structures and the most important part comes at the end.
①(noun)は(noun)
②(noun)は(adjective)
③(noun)は(verb(intransitive))／(noun)は(object)を(verb(transitive))
The end of the example sentence is “歓迎(する)= to welcome”, so it is ③.

Make it this long example sentence basic.


(person)は(arriving)を(welcome)。
Mr. Maehara welcomes arriving.

Others are additional information. We will see it reversal.Underline parts are added at each stage.

１ (person)は(Panda)が(arriving)を(welcome)。
　 Mr. Maehara welcomes the Panda Bears arriving.

２ (person)は(Ueno zoo)に(China)から(Panda)が(date)に(arriving)を(welcome)。
　 Mr. Maehara welcomes the two Panda Bears from China arriving on Feb 21st to Ueno zoo.

３ (person)は(China-Japan relations improvement)の(view point)から(Ueno zoo)に(China)から(Panda)が(date)に(arriving)を(welcome)。
　 Mr. Maehara welcomes the two Panda Bears from China arriving on Feb 21st to Ueno zoo from the view point of China-Japan relations improvement.

４ (person)は(date)の(interview)で、(China-Japan relations improvement)の(view point)から(Ueno zoo)に(China)から(Panda)が(date)に(arriving)を(welcome)。
　 On Feb 18th Press Interview, Mr. Maehara welcomes the two Panda Bears from China arriving on Feb 21st to Ueno zoo from the view point of China-Japan relations improvement.


Hope it helps you to understand Japanese sentence structures.