2520
Excerpt from a JLPT practice question:

> Background information: the writer was looking for rental apartments.
>
> 次に行ったところは小さい会社ですが、そこの人は大変優しい人でした。 それにいいアパートもたくさんありました。 私は **その中[Blank]**
> 好きな家を借りました。 今、住んでいるアパートより少し高いですが、新しくきれいなアパートです。
>
> The answer is given as `から`. (but it's not as important why `から` is correct
> than why `で` and `に` is wrong)

**(Question 1)** Why can't I use `で` to fill the blank?

**(Question 2)** Why can't I use `に` to fill the blank either?

* * *

My thoughts leading up to choosing `で`：

> `その中`(in the 会社) is a place where the verb `借りる` occurs.

* * *

My thoughts leading up to choosing `に`:

> `その中` is the place where the writer is. Hence `その中に`.

* * *

My thoughts trying to justify the use of `から`:

> The demonstrative `その中` is referring to "the choice of apartments" rather
> than "the office where the choice is being offered"
>
> Hence `その中から` would mean "from the choice of apartments" rather than "from
> the office where the choice is being offered"
>
> (My initial thoughts were `その中` referred to "the office where the choice is
> being offered)

**(Clarification Point)** What is the demonstrative `その中` referring to?

* * *
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-08-07T10:20:19.750
2503
2011-08-08T03:16:09.033
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
542
question
grammar particle-に particle-で demonstratives
その中( に / で / から ) What is the correct choice of particles?
`その中に` would mean " _to_ within that [selection of apartments]". Kind of
nonsensical.

`その中で` would mean " _at_ within that [selection of apartments]". Also kind of
nonsensical.

`その中から` means " _from_ within that [selection of apartments]". Clunky because
literal translations are clunky, but the logic is there.

The whole sentence:

> 私はその中から好きな家を借りました。
>
> "I rented an apartment I liked _from_ [within] that selection."

I don't think we'd usually include "within" when speaking English, but it's
grammatical and conforms to the Japanese better.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-08-07T11:35:28.810
2504
2011-08-07T11:35:28.810
119
2503
answer
> 私はその中から好きな家を借りました

I chose a house I liked from this set.

> 私はその中に好きな家を借りました

I chose a house I liked, and rented it from this middle (i.e., the set is the
owner, because Aに借りる means you're borrowing from A). It's nonsensical, because
中 is not even something singular you can borrow from.

> 私はその中で好きな家を借りました

And when I was inside it, I picked up a house I liked. Because で would be the
place of the action.

You seem to do a lot of mistakes/misinterpretations because you overlook the
relation between particles and verbs. The verb dictates the particles you will
use. What's important is not really what goes after その中, it is what goes with
借りる。
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-08-08T03:16:09.033
2520
2011-08-08T03:16:09.033
356
2503
answer