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Consider the following,

  1. 机の上に本があります。
  2. 本は机の上です。

What I don't understand is the second sentence which is another form for the
first one. It is caused by the fact that there is no preposition に in the
second one.

If you don't understand what I meant, let consider the following sentences.
The first two sentences are understandable because they have English
equivalents. But it is not the case for the last one.

  * This is a book. これは本です。
  * This book is red. この本は赤いです。
  * This book is on the table. この本は机の上です。I never read and hear この本は机の上にです。in which there is に inserted between 机の上 and です.

Can anybody here explain why?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-04T08:46:08.663
24781
2015-06-04T13:43:02.630
9896
question
grammar
How can 【所】に【物】があります be converted to 【物】は【所】です?
You can say:

> 本はどこですか？ Where's the book? (＝本はどこにありますか？)  
>  机の上です。 It's on the desk. (＝机の上にあります。)  
>  本は机の上です。 The book is on the desk. (＝本は机の上にあります。)

and no one would think you're saying "The book is upper part of a desk".  
Similar examples are:

> お父さんは二階です。 Dad is upstairs.  
>  太郎くんは学校です。 Taro is away at school.  
>  姉は今、ロンドンです。 My sister is in London now.

You can even say:

> 僕はウナギです。(I'll have eel.)  
>  私はオレンジジュース。(I'll have orange juice.)

at a cafe or restaurant, and no one would think you're saying you're an eel or
orange juice.

> *この本は机の上にです。

is incorrect.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-04T13:18:55.387
24787
2015-06-04T13:43:02.630
2015-06-04T13:43:02.630
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answer