I wonder.. going through this massive amount of grammar patterns, phrases and expressions, I always encounter that sometimes a な has to be attached to a na-adj. and sometimes not, the same goes for nouns. I wonder if there is such rule-of-thumb how to remember the correct/syntactically-correct usage.
F.e. ～次第 used with a verb takes ます・形, like 着き次第・・・

How do you learn that? I tend to forget it so quickly and mix it up. I always thought that this is an easy part in learning Japanese, but in fact syntax is very important when speaking and writing, naaa.

Could you please expand on your inquiry, and provide an example of the vocabulary in the context found.

家に着き次第電話します

都合がつき次第手紙の返事をください

I the two examples above the sentence can be broken at つき　and 次第.

So you're wondering about compound words, then? I hope so, because I found this section in "A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar" (page 608 in the appendixes, if you have it). There are a couple different formations. Just as a note, I'm not good with compounds myself.

Nominal Compounds
-Noun + Vmasu (intransitive)
-Noun + Vmasu (transitive)
-Vmasu (intransitive) + Noun
-Vmasu (transitive) + Noun
-Vmasu (intransitive) + Vmasu (intransitive)
-Adj(i)stem + Noun
-Adj(na)stem + Noun
-Noun + Noun
-Adj(i)stem + Vmasu

Verbal Compounds
-Vmasu + Vinf ・nonpast
-Adj(i)stem + Adj(i)
-Noun + Adj(i)

It goes on to say that these are basic formations and such. This does come from the first of these books, so maybe people with later volumes can add some info. It also lists examples and how to determine whether the latter part is voiced or not. I can list some examples if you need, but I think you just wanted the syntax, as you say.

I don't think of 次第 as being attached to verbs, I just think of it as coming after nouns. 書き can be considered to be a noun. You can also say あなた次第 and such.

Omoishinji Wrote:Could you please expand on your inquiry, and provide an example of the vocabulary in the context found.

Yeah, I meant this "break down". The rules of formating all these forms. I mean, if I read somewhere ～次第 I know what it means in this context, but when I have to use it on my own while writing or speaking I am not sure what the formation rules were.

My question was how you learn/try to remember these rules.

TheVinster Wrote:So you're wondering about compound words, then? I hope so, because I found this section in "A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar" (page 608 in the appendixes, if you have it). There are a couple different formations. Just as a note, I'm not good with compounds myself.

That was exactly what I was looking for I suppose. Though, does "A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar" have this, too, for the JLPT2 items?

fakewookie Wrote:I don't think of 次第 as being attached to verbs, I just think of it as coming after nouns. 書き can be considered to be a noun. You can also say あなた次第 and such.

I am not sure, but 書き is just the masu-stem of a verb. If it makes it automatically a verb then? I don't know~