What is the difference between は and が in this sentence?


This is an example sentence from a set of learning materials called _Kanji
Odyssey 2001_ :

> 北極にはシロクマなど陸上の動物 **が** いる。南極には陸上の動物 **は** いない。

My question is about the bold. I understand the には I think because it is
showing contrast between the two locations. I feel like the は at the end has
to do with contrast as well... but I don't know? Can you contrast the same
thing? And if so why aren't there two は's, why is one a が?




In fact, this は, seldom mentioned in research works, (at least in the hundreds
of papers and books I have read), is a little different.

In short, I think it is used to **show and show how the statement agrees or
disagrees with an existing proposition.**

In your example, it clear to see the two sentence are almost the same except
the parts before and after は.

> **北極** にはシロクマなど陸上の動物が **いる** 。  
>  **南極** には 陸上の動物は **いない** 。

* * *

Let's see some more examples of the second は. (I think we don't normally use
the verbose form to answer, though.)

> A: りんご **は** **好き** ですか  
>  B: いいえ。りんご **は** **嫌い** です。
>
> A: 雨 **が** 降っていま **す** か  
>  B: いいえ。雨 **は** 降っていま **せん** 。
>
> A: 酒 **を** 飲みま **す** か？  
>  B: いいえ。酒 **は** 飲みま **せん** 。
>
> A: 東京 **に** 止まりま **す** か？  
>  B: いいえ。東京 **には** 止まりま **せん** 。
>
> A: みんな **と** **同じで** すか？  
>  B: いいえ。みんな **とは** **違いま** す。
>
> A: 仕事だけが人生 **で** **す** か？  
>  B: いいえ。仕事だけが人生 **では** **ありません** ？ (actually, ではない is a little special)
>
> A: ここ **から** 見えま **す** か？  
>  B: いいえ。ここ **からは** 見えま **せん** 。

You may argue that the only contradictory part is the negation part, that is,
the ません, ない part. But normally, you don't split a verb(e.g. 行かない→行きはしない),
unless you want to emphasize. It's common not to insert a は between a verb or
an adjective and its auxiliary verb. In these case, は has to be moved the to
the last case particle before the verb, whenever it is possible.

> A: 行き ま **す** か。  
>  B: 行き **は** しま **せん** 。 (expected form, sometimes used)  
>  B: 行き ま **せん** 。(normally used form)
>
> A: 高い ですか。  
>  B: 高く **は** **ない** です。 (expected form, but may imply different meaning)  
>  B: 高く **ない** です。(normally used form)
>
> A: 雨が 降ってい ま **す** か？  
>  B:* 降ってい **は** しま **せん** 。 (expected form, but I have never heard)  
>  B: 降って **は** いま **せん** 。 (often used)  
>  B: 降って いま **せん** 。 (normally used)  
>  B: 雨 **は** 降って いま **せん** 。 (は is moved backward)
>
> 妹を お前 **には** 渡さない。(は is moved backward to に)  
>  行動しない者に、幸福 ** ~~が~~ は** 訪れない (は is moved backward to が)

The kind of は can be used in statements, questions, imperatives, and adnominal
clauses,

> 酒 **は** 飲みません。  
>  そう **は** 思いませんか？  
>  冗談 **は** ほどほどにしなさい！  
>  人 **とは** 違う道

while it doesn't seem to get along with conditional clauses (ば, なら, etc.), but
I'm not sure.

* * *

Many particles like など, なんか are sometimes used instead of or in front of は.

> 嘘 **なんか** ついてねーよ。

As far as I know, it usually safe to use は in sentences containing verbs like
～ない or 違う,etc. For other verbs, an explicit context is usually required to
make it natural.

> A:異世界 **は** **ない** でしょ。 (Containing ない, so no context required. The
> statement contradicts the common sense.)  
>  B:異世界 **は** **ある** よ。 (context required. Contradicts to A's proposition.)

Sometimes は is lightly used to contrast with logically contradictory facts. In
this case, they are most like “whereas/but”.

> 雨が・は降りましたが、傘は持って行きませんでした。 (We normally expect one to take an umbrella with
> him if it rains, but it isn't.)

Last word about ではない. It's often lightly used instead of でない, so the は may
carry little meaning. ではなく and でなく are somewhat interchangeable. The
difference is even neutralized if you use じゃない. So in the following example,
you see は is used twice.

> A: あなたはりんご **が** 好き **で** **す** か？  
>  B: いいえ。りんご **は** 好き **では** ありま **せん** 。  
>  B: いいえ。りんご **は** 好き **じゃ** ありま **せん** 。

* * *

I examined the most common case particles like が, を, に, へ, から, と and で, and
believe they are obligatorily followed by は in many situations. (see above)

そう is a little different. そう思いません is used as well as そうは思いません. But そうはいかない
seems more common than そういかない, but I'm not sure.

Both まで and までは often contain an semi-negative sense. Adverb suffix に, く and と
are not used with this type of は, either, except when they are used with verbs
like なる, 見える, etc.

For other case-marker-like structures like について, において, にとって, ために, etc. I feel
this kind of は is not often used with them. But I haven't investigated on
them, so it's just a speculation.

This kind of は is not used with other adverbials.

* * *

Depending on your intent and where you put your stress, same は can often be
used to introduce a semi-negative or reticent sense. e.g.

[code]

    高くはない（が低くもない)
    
    A: みんな行きますか
    B: 私は行きます。 (For others, I don't know.)
    
[/code]

I think these two types of は are somewhat complementary.




In fact, this は, seldom mentioned in research works, (at least in the hundreds
of papers and books I have read), is a little different.

In short, I think it is used to **show and show how the statement agrees or
disagrees with an existing proposition.**

In your example, it clear to see the two sentence are almost the same except
the parts before and after は.

> **北極** にはシロクマなど陸上の動物が **いる** 。  
>  **南極** には 陸上の動物は **いない** 。

* * *

Let's see some more examples of the second は. (I think we don't normally use
the verbose form to answer, though.)

> A: りんご **は** **好き** ですか  
>  B: いいえ。りんご **は** **嫌い** です。
>
> A: 雨 **が** 降っていま **す** か  
>  B: いいえ。雨 **は** 降っていま **せん** 。
>
> A: 酒 **を** 飲みま **す** か？  
>  B: いいえ。酒 **は** 飲みま **せん** 。
>
> A: 東京 **に** 止まりま **す** か？  
>  B: いいえ。東京 **には** 止まりま **せん** 。
>
> A: みんな **と** **同じで** すか？  
>  B: いいえ。みんな **とは** **違いま** す。
>
> A: 仕事だけが人生 **で** **す** か？  
>  B: いいえ。仕事だけが人生 **では** **ありません** ？ (actually, ではない is a little special)
>
> A: ここ **から** 見えま **す** か？  
>  B: いいえ。ここ **からは** 見えま **せん** 。

You may argue that the only contradictory part is the negation part, that is,
the ません, ない part. But normally, you don't split a verb(e.g. 行かない→行きはしない),
unless you want to emphasize. It's common not to insert a は between a verb or
an adjective and its auxiliary verb. In these case, は has to be moved the to
the last case particle before the verb, whenever it is possible.

> A: 行き ま **す** か。  
>  B: 行き **は** しま **せん** 。 (expected form, sometimes used)  
>  B: 行き ま **せん** 。(normally used form)
>
> A: 高い ですか。  
>  B: 高く **は** **ない** です。 (expected form, but may imply different meaning)  
>  B: 高く **ない** です。(normally used form)
>
> A: 雨が 降ってい ま **す** か？  
>  B:* 降ってい **は** しま **せん** 。 (expected form, but I have never heard)  
>  B: 降って **は** いま **せん** 。 (often used)  
>  B: 降って いま **せん** 。 (normally used)  
>  B: 雨 **は** 降って いま **せん** 。 (は is moved backward)
>
> 妹を お前 **には** 渡さない。(は is moved backward to に)  
>  行動しない者に、幸福 ** ~~が~~ は** 訪れない (は is moved backward to が)

The kind of は can be used in statements, questions, imperatives, and adnominal
clauses,

> 酒 **は** 飲みません。  
>  そう **は** 思いませんか？  
>  冗談 **は** ほどほどにしなさい！  
>  人 **とは** 違う道

while it doesn't seem to get along with conditional clauses (ば, なら, etc.), but
I'm not sure.

* * *

Many particles like など, なんか are sometimes used instead of or in front of は.

> 嘘 **なんか** ついてねーよ。

As far as I know, it usually safe to use は in sentences containing verbs like
～ない or 違う,etc. For other verbs, an explicit context is usually required to
make it natural.

> A:異世界 **は** **ない** でしょ。 (Containing ない, so no context required. The
> statement contradicts the common sense.)  
>  B:異世界 **は** **ある** よ。 (context required. Contradicts to A's proposition.)

Sometimes は is lightly used to contrast with logically contradictory facts. In
this case, they are most like “whereas/but”.

> 雨が・は降りましたが、傘は持って行きませんでした。 (We normally expect one to take an umbrella with
> him if it rains, but it isn't.)

Last word about ではない. It's often lightly used instead of でない, so the は may
carry little meaning. ではなく and でなく are somewhat interchangeable. The
difference is even neutralized if you use じゃない. So in the following example,
you see は is used twice.

> A: あなたはりんご **が** 好き **で** **す** か？  
>  B: いいえ。りんご **は** 好き **では** ありま **せん** 。  
>  B: いいえ。りんご **は** 好き **じゃ** ありま **せん** 。

* * *

I examined the most common case particles like が, を, に, へ, から, と and で, and
believe they are obligatorily followed by は in many situations. (see above)

そう is a little different. そう思いません is used as well as そうは思いません. But そうはいかない
seems more common than そういかない, but I'm not sure.

Both まで and までは often contain an semi-negative sense. Adverb suffix に, く and と
are not used with this type of は, either, except when they are used with verbs
like なる, 見える, etc.

For other case-marker-like structures like について, において, にとって, ために, etc. I feel
this kind of は is not often used with them. But I haven't investigated on
them, so it's just a speculation.

This kind of は is not used with other adverbials.

* * *

Depending on your intent and where you put your stress, same は can often be
used to introduce a semi-negative or reticent sense. e.g.

[code]

    高くはない（が低くもない)
    
    A: みんな行きますか
    B: 私は行きます。 (For others, I don't know.)
    
[/code]

I think these two types of は are somewhat complementary.

