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I was writing a composition in Japanese, and since I wanted to give reasons I wrote the following:
僕は日本語の会話がまだできないし、友達は英語が上手し、日本語を少ししか練習しませんでした。
However, I got corrected like this:
僕は日本語の会話がまだできないし、友達は英語が上手なので、日本語を少ししか練習しませんでした。
I don't understand why I can't use し or why it's better ので in this context. Can anyone explain me the reason?
友達は英語が上手し、
I'm afraid 「[上手]{じょうず}し」/「[上手]{うま}し」 is incorrect.
I think you could use ～し, ～ので, or ～から here. You could say like this, using the na-adjective [上手]{じょうず}な:
[上手]{じょうず}だし、
上手なので、
上手だから、
or, using the i-adjective [上手]{うま}い:
[上手]{うま}いし、
上手いので、
上手いから、
「～し」 and 「～から」 would sound more casual than 「～ので」.
上手し is wrong. It must be 上手だし.
According to "A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar", page 396, na-adjectives and nouns must be followed by だし (or だったし if it is the past tense).
Examples:
先生だし (noun + だし)
綺麗だし (na-adjective + だし)
Grammatically that is the only mistake.
You teacher used ので probably just to make it clear that it implies a reason or cause.
し, on the other hand, does not imply reason or cause, it is just an emphatic "and".
し does not imply reason or cause, it is just an emphatic "and" <- But デジタル大辞泉 says し can indicate 原因・理由: "し 1⃣［接助］２ 前に挙げた事柄を原因・理由として下の事柄に続ける意を表す。から。ので。 「身体はじょうぶですし、もっと働けます」「家も近いんだし、たまには寄れよ」"
– Chocolate♦
Nov 18 '16 at 16:07
