te form, masu form used for describing many things one has done

[Yamatoblue]

I was wondering...
I have a hard time understanding when a number of actions are said in a sentence.
For example:
gakkou ni iki, konpyuta wo tsukatta.学校に行き、パソコンを使った。 What does that mean? Does the last verb decide whether all the verbs in the sentence are past tense or present tense?
What does "gakkou ni iki, pasokon wo tsukaimasu" mean?
gakkou ni itte, konpyuta wo tsukatta. Again, same question.
So when do I use the te form and when do I use the masu form　when listing things I did/want to do/etc?

ありがとうございます！

[Keiichi]

I think it's suppose to be 学校に行って、パソコンを使った。In this case, you use the -te form to 'link' things together such that the second part follows the first part. For this, meaning: I went to school and used the computer. It's the same as 学校に行って、パソコンを使いました。, which is more formal.
If you write 学校に行って、パソコンを使います。, it'll mean: I will go to school and use the computer (there).
pasokon -> personal computer
konpyuuta -> computer
both means the same thing, generally.

[PaulTB]

Originally Posted by Keiichi

I think it's suppose to be 学校に行って、パソコンを使った。

The -masu base form can be used in exactly the same way as the -te form to link sentences.

学校に行き、パソコンを使った。 = 学校に行って、パソコンを使った。

I think the -masu base version is used in writing more than spoken Japanese.

[Yamatoblue]

So those 2 forms essentially mean the same thing?
Arigatou^^

What about the "shi"?
gakkou ni ikushi, etc etc...
what does that shi mean? doesnt it mean "and"? When should one use that?

[Keiichi]

The 'shi' is to link things that are sort of similar, so in a sense, it does mean 'and.'
For example: 私は学校に行ったし、デパートも行きました。
I went to school, and I also went to the department store.
(I went to school and the department store.)

Or sometimes it's used for reasons similar to 'because' and such:
明日のテストは難しくないし、ぜんぜん勉強したくない 。
Tomorrow's test will not be difficult, so I don't want to study at all.

That's all I can remember for now.

[PaulTB]

Originally Posted by Keiichi

The 'shi' is to link things that are sort of similar, so in a sense, it does mean 'and.'
For example: 私は学校に行ったし、デパートも行きました。
I went to school, and I also went to the department store.

For some reason I'm not quite happy with that sentence - although it may be perfectly OK.

Any NSoJ want to comment?

[Keiichi]

I guess I can see it as not being a very good example. I just wanted to stick in the thing that Yamatoblue said.

[Elizabeth]

Originally Posted by PaulTB

For some reason I'm not quite happy with that sentence - although it may be perfectly OK.

Any NSoJ want to comment?

Isn't Shi used primarily to join explanatory or descriptive phrases or clauses to the main topic noun ? Besides not repeating the same verb, I assume that applies the same as our English rule.
So just 私は学校もデパートに（も）行きました。 ?

[PaulTB]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

Besides not repeating the same verb, I assume that applies the same as our English rule.

Well I think you can have the same verb with し in some circumstances, but not I suspect like used in that sentence.

e.g. 何度かコンサートに行ったし、会社に入った年には休んで長崎まで見に 行ったこともある。
一緒にゴルフにも行ったし、25人でスキーに行ったこともあるわ。

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

So just 私は学校もデパートに（も）行きました。 ?

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