Today I am going to share the homework correction quoted from my JLPT N3 course!
The student’s sentence is not correct. Can you find the mistake?

 

[Student’s sentence]

オリンピックは４年たびに行われます。

*おりんぴっくはよねんたびにおこなわれます。

 

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[My correction]

オリンピックは４年たびに行われます。
→オリンピックは４年ごとに行われます。
The Olympics are held every four years.

 

ごとに can be attached to a word indicating a number or amount, dividing time or space into units. To express something occurring once every four years, you should use 4年ごとに.

On the other hand, たびに signifies something happening every time a particular event occurs (e.g., オリンピックのたびに = Every time the Olympics are held…). Therefore, using it in your sentence doesn’t convey the correct meaning.

 

e.g.
◎1時間(じかん)ごとに休(やす)み時間があります。
×1時間たびに休み時間があります。
There is a break every hour.

◎2か月(げつ)ごとに病院(びょういん)へ行(い)かなければなりません。
×2か月たびに病院へ行かなければなりません。
I have to go to the hospital every two months.

 

I hope my explanation helps you. 😊

In the JLPT course, all lessons come with homework, if you submit your homework, I will reply with corrections.
I can break down the Japanese grammar and point out mistakes, explaining the structure and nuances of Japanese in an easy-to-understand way.
You can also ask me any questions as much as you want. I will teach you until you get it!