JLPT N1 Shinkanzen Grammar Lesson 6: ～んばかりだ・～とばかりに・～ともなく (As if about to... / As if to say... / Without intending to...)

Explanation: In reality the situation has not actually reached that point; this is an exaggerated expression describing an appearance or state as if the action were about to happen. It is usually used for OTHER PEOPLE (third person), not oneself (first person).

Explanation: The person does NOT actually say anything, but their actions or attitude look as if they were saying that phrase. A whole quoted utterance comes before the pattern, sometimes without 「 」. Like pattern 1, it describes OTHER PEOPLE, not oneself.

Explanation: There are two uses. A: The subject performs an action absentmindedly without a clear purpose, often with 見る, 聞く, 待つ, etc. The verb is often repeated and something else is unexpectedly noticed. B: The origin in time, place, or person cannot be identified, forming expressions such as どこからともなく and だれともなく.

Explanation: Describes a state that remains unchanged from a certain point in time. It is idiomatic and combines only with a limited set of words. Common forms include 生まれながらに, 昔ながらの, 涙ながらに, and 居ながらにして.

Explanation: The subject has an undesirable tendency, habit, or character trait; the pattern is often used for relatively objective criticism. It is not used about oneself, and the criticism is generally not extremely strong. It often appears with softening adverbs such as どうも, 少し, and ともすれば.