【Skill 1】Find where the cause of a surplus, a deficit, etc. appears from expressions such as 要因 (cause) and 起因 (cause)
In order to understand the cause of a surplus, a deficit, etc., learn the following expressions.
■ 要因 (cause)
■ 起因 (cause)
The status of a balance appears before the の before 要因 (cause).
■ 黒字の要因 (cause of the surplus)
■ 赤字の主な要因 (main cause of the deficit)
If は (topic marker) or としては (as) appear after 要因 (cause), the cause appears after 要因 (cause). In the following sentence, 輸出が増加したこと (the fact that exports increased) appears after 黒字の要因は (cause of the surplus + [topic marker]), so the cause of 黒字 (surplus) is 輸出が増加したこと (the fact that exports increased).
■ 黒字の主な要因は輸出が増加したことである (The main cause of the surplus is the fact that exports increased)
If となって (was) appears after 要因 (cause), the cause appears before the が ([subject marker]) before 要因 (cause). In the following sentence, 輸入の増加 (increase in imports) appears before が赤字の要因となって (was the cause of the deficit), so the cause of 赤字 (deficit) is 輸入の増加 (increase in imports).
■ 輸入の増加が赤字の要因となっている (The cause of the deficit was an increase in imports)
The status of the balance appears before the は ([topic marker]) before 起因 (cause). Its cause appears between は ([topic marker]) 起因 (cause). In the following sentence, 黒字額の拡大 (expansion of the amount of the surplus) appears before は ([topic marker]) and 輸出額の増加 (increase in export value) appears between は ([topic marker]) and 起因 (cause), so the cause of 黒字額の拡大 (expansion of the amount of the surplus) is 輸出額の増加 (increase in export value).
■ 黒字額の拡大は輸出額の増加に起因している (The expansion of the amount of the surplus was caused by an increase in export value)