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Is this a grammatically sound sentence?

今年、私が勉強したことがない科目を習うことにします。

2 Answers 2

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It's a grammatically sound sentence. That said...

1) The mixing of 勉強 and 習う is kind of weird, I think.

2) Unless it's there for special emphasis, I think you can dispose of the 私が.

3) This might just be a question of style, but ~ことにする should be in the past tense when making a decision (since you've already made it). If you're making a selection, then nonpast sounds right (てんぷらにする).

今年は勉強したことがない科目を勉強することにした。

(In fact, 今年は勉強したことがない科目にした might be the least redundant. And you can also say 今年は勉強したことがない科目にする, too, since it's a selection.)

In this case, if you're going to use nonpast, then it sounds kind of redundant to say 勉強したことがない科目を勉強することにする - just say 勉強したことがない科目を勉強する。

4) I have a slight nagging doubt about using 勉強する with 科目. Something in me wants to say that とる or some other verb might be more natural. That's beyond the limits of my 勘 as a nonnative speaker, though. :) Maybe a native speaker will chime in.

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    An easy +1 from a native speaker for comments #1 and #2 alone. 「ことにする」 sounds O.K. provided that the year has just started even if the decision to study something has already been made. We also do say 「科目を勉強する」 as well even though it may slightly be better to say 「科目を取る」 in a school setting. Brownie for adding 「は」 to 「今年」, too!
    – user4032
    Commented Feb 14, 2015 at 14:30
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Yes, it is, if only that's what you're trying to say.

It means: This year, I'm(we're) decided to learn (i.e. take classes of) subject(s) that I've never studied.

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