こと vs. 事
 

Is there a time when こと is more appropriate than 事? For example, when quoting someone's speech? I am working on a project, and our Japanese editor suggested on one page changing 事 to こと, when it is used in quoted text. (He didn't "say" that, but the only places he wanted it changed were in quoted text.) I don't know if it makes a difference, but the quotes are all by American farmers, and their quotes have been translated into Japanese.

Yes, there is. Better writers tend to prefer using 「こと」 as a perfunctory noun (Not sure if that is the correct term). They tend to use 「事」 only as a regular noun (= "thing" in English).

こと：

おっちゃんのゆうてること間違ってるんちゃう？
主人から電話があり、金曜日に帰宅するとのことだった 。
めっちゃ好きやねん、木村君のこと・・・・

事：

昨日のセミナーでは多くの事を学んだ。
ふたつの事を同時にやると大抵失敗する。
ええか？この事だけは忘れたらあかんで！

The super-latest trend, however, is toward using こと regardless of its usage. Whether or not this will be the norm, we do not know yet. Some people, I am sure, would feel that I mentioned this too early.

Interesting... I have never heard as clear an explanation as that. Thank you.

You just have to live as long as I have. :rolleyes:

Just thought of an even better sentence that uses both:
昨日のセミナーでは多くの事を学ぶことができた。

I've seen other sources use "abstract" to refer to the proper context of the kana version of こと.

Are you using "perfunctory noun" as the translation of 形式名詞? I honestly don't know what to call that. "Dummy noun" maybe? I think maybe I've seen that term before.

Exactly. I kinda made it up based on the Japanese counterpart. "Abstract" seems to be a proper word for this.

Another observation of mine:
こと = uncountable
事 = countable

Does a relatively similar pattern hold up for 物／もの and 所／ところ?

interesting thread.

I distinctly remember talking about this in one of my college courses and having it go above my head. This thread caught my eye the second you posted it MMM. I was glad you asked and was hoping Masaegu would tackle it. Thank you guys!

I would say yes, though roughly, for 物／もの. As for 所／ところ, it is a different ball game.

もの in kana as a "dummy" noun:

高校生の頃よくこのラーメン店に来たものだ。 (retrospection)
結婚とはいいものだ。 (exclamation)
マサさんみたいな素敵な人がテキサスなんかにいるもの か。 (firm denial)

With 所／ところ, it is not very simple as to which one looks better in which cases. The choice is pretty much left to each writer's discretion. I will show you some examles where you will most definitely look wrong/uneducated if you used the kanji.

見どころ = points/scenes worth watching. This word is often used in discussing a film, TV program, musical, play, etc.
米どころ = a place known for growing fine rice
きれいどころ = a group of good-looking ladies

オレの知ったところではない。 = It ain't none of my business!

スミスさんが目指すところの日本語能力 = (the level of) Japanese proficiency that Smith aspires to acquire. (ところ used as an emphatic kind of a relative pronoun)