In-exhaustive listing of action or states …たり、…たり +します (Refer to the Grammar dictionary "Tari tari suru" pp.458 –461 for more sample sentences.)

 

This structure is used to mean “do things like … and …” or “sometimes … and sometimes ….”  It is used to list actions as examples. E.g. 日本に行ったら、日本食を食べたり、買い物をしたり、J-Pop音楽のCDをかったりします。When I go to Japan, I do thing such as eating Japanese food, doing shopping, and buying J-Pop CDs (these are some of the samples of what I will do in Japan.)  
 

Past plain form of verb (ta-forms of verb)+ り、 Past plain form of verb (ta-forms of verb)+ りします。 To make the sentence into past form or negative form, simply change しますat the end of sentenceinto past しました or negative しませんでした. Note: Even though the past plain form is use in the above structure before り, you have to look at the end of the sentence to see it the sentence is past or non-past.

 

Suggested practices:

Think about Japanese annual events or activities of your interest or your favorite American holidays and events. Using these structures, write what Japanese or what you would like to (try to) do in Japan or what Americans do on those days and events.  Be creative and combine the structure you have learned.
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E.g.

私の日本人の友人は、お正月に神社に行って、お祈りをしたり、お守りを買ったりします。

My Japanese friends do things such as going to a shrine, praying for a god, buying a good luck charm on the New Year day.

日本に行ったら、東京の渋谷に行ったり、大阪で文楽を見たりしたいです。When (or if) I go to Japan, I want to (and try to) go to Shibuya in Tokyo and watch Bunraku theater in Osaka.

お正月に日本を訪問して、おせち料理を食べたり、おとそを飲んだり、してみたいです。At New year days, I want to (try and see )do things like visiting Japan, and eating Osechi cuisine, drinking Otoso.

姉はフランスでエッフェル塔の展望台を上ったり、スペインの闘牛を見たり、イタリアのピザの斜塔を見たりしたがります。 My sister (habitually) wants to/ has been wanting to do things like going up the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower in France, watching a bull fighting in Spain, and seeing Tower of Pisa in Italy.

 
夏休みの間は、海で泳いだり、ビーチで日光浴をしたり、アルバイトや夏期講習にいったりします。During the summer break/vacation, I do sun-bathing on the beach, go to part-time job, and summer school/lessons, etc.

来年の夏は、東京に行って、渋谷で買い物をしたり、京都に行って、神社やお寺を見学したり、おいしいものを食べたりするつもりです。 Next summer, I am planning to go to Tokyo and shop in Shibuya, and go to Kyoto and look around shrines and temples and eat delicious stuff.

Click here to practice Japanese annual events.
(Refer to the Vocabulary (Annual Events) for vocabulary glossary at http://people.uncw.edu/kanoy/201/Ch1-4/Ch1-4%20vocab%20glassary%20annual%20main.htm)

Click here to ptactice US annual events.