Master the N2 grammar points 〜につれて and 〜に伴って, used to express simultaneous change or correlation between two events.
Context
Observing Change
Have you ever noticed how things evolve together? For example, as a city grows, traffic often gets worse. Or, as someone gets older, their perspective on life might shift.
In Japanese, when you want to describe a situation where one change happens alongside another, you need specific grammar to link these two events. Today, we will look at how to express this 'as X happens, Y happens' relationship in a formal, natural way.
Explanation
The Grammar of Change
Both 〜につれて and 〜に伴って describe a correlation where one change triggers or accompanies another.
Verb (Dictionary Form) / Nounにつれて / に伴って
〜につれて (ni tsurete) implies that as one thing changes, another thing changes proportionally. It is often used with verbs that indicate a process, such as 進む (to advance) or 増える (to increase).
〜に伴って (ni tomonatte) is more formal and often implies a cause-and-effect relationship. It suggests that the second event is a direct consequence of the first event's change.
Watch out
Both patterns require a change-oriented verb or noun. You cannot use them with static states (e.g., 'as I am tall, I am heavy' is incorrect).
Examples
Examples in Context
See how these patterns function in real sentences.
時代が進むにつれて、生活様式も変わった。
As time has progressed, lifestyles have also changed.
Which word completes the sentence: 「試験が近づく___、緊張が高まってきた。」
✓ につれて
によって
に対して
について
につれて is used for simultaneous changes, fitting the context of tension increasing as the exam approaches.
Usage
Nuance and Register
Understanding the subtle differences between these two.
While similar, 〜に伴って is generally more formal and is frequently found in written reports, news, or academic writing. 〜につれて is slightly more common in general descriptive speech.
Nuance Comparison
〜につれて
Focuses on the process of change happening alongside.
年をとるにつれて
〜に伴って
Focuses on the accompanying result or consequence.
昇進に伴って
Which of these is more suitable for a formal news report?
〜につれて
✓ 〜に伴って
〜に伴って is more formal and preferred in official, written, or news contexts.
Deep dive
Advanced Nuance
When to avoid these patterns.
Avoid using these with verbs that do not express a gradual change. For instance, 'As I arrived at the station, I bought a ticket' cannot use these structures because 'arriving' is a single point in time, not a process.
Summary
Lesson Recap
You have learned how to connect two changing events using 〜につれて and 〜に伴って. Remember that both require verbs or nouns that imply a process or change over time.