A question about the usage of ては and ても


Why can't use も or は in the following sentence:

> 易しい質問に答えられなくて（は・も）、とても恥ずかしかった。

In the case of ても, I was told it probably has to do with 逆条件.




  1. 易しい質問に答えられなく **ては** 、とても恥ずかしかった。 The usage of negative-ては presents a specific case, which must be followed by a judgement/statement of inability. 恥ずかしかった is a personal feeling that has arisen as a result of not knowing the answer, not an objective judgement.

    * (Possible negative-ては option: 易しい質問に答えられなくて **は** 、 **だめだ** 。"Not being able to answer easy questions (as opposed to being able to answer them) is **bad**." Replacing だめだ with いけない or ならない holds the same meaning.
    * Another option: 易しい質問に答えられなくて **は** 、 **大丈夫だよ** 。"Not being able to answer easy questions (as opposed to, e.g., not being able to write by hand) is **okay**.")
  2. 易しい質問に答えられなく **ても** 、とても恥ずかしかった。 When using a negative-ても, the clause following must present information that goes against the assumption upon hearing the first clause (as you wrote, we must have a 逆{ぎゃく}条件{じょうけん}, literally "opposite condition"). Since one would naturally assume that the subject would be 恥ずかしい because they cannot answer simple questions, the second clause does not satisfy as a 逆条件.

    * (Possible negative-ても option: 易しい質問に答えられなくて **も** 、恥ずかしく **なかった** 。 " **Even when** (the subject) could not answer a simple question, (subject) was **not** embarrassed.")

「易しい質問に答えられなくて、とても恥ずかしかった。」 Using neither は nor も is the most natural sounding
for your meaning here. て connects the two clauses by saying "(the subject)
could not answer simple question, and/so (subject) was embarrassed."




  1. 易しい質問に答えられなく **ては** 、とても恥ずかしかった。 The usage of negative-ては presents a specific case, which must be followed by a judgement/statement of inability. 恥ずかしかった is a personal feeling that has arisen as a result of not knowing the answer, not an objective judgement.

    * (Possible negative-ては option: 易しい質問に答えられなくて **は** 、 **だめだ** 。"Not being able to answer easy questions (as opposed to being able to answer them) is **bad**." Replacing だめだ with いけない or ならない holds the same meaning.
    * Another option: 易しい質問に答えられなくて **は** 、 **大丈夫だよ** 。"Not being able to answer easy questions (as opposed to, e.g., not being able to write by hand) is **okay**.")
  2. 易しい質問に答えられなく **ても** 、とても恥ずかしかった。 When using a negative-ても, the clause following must present information that goes against the assumption upon hearing the first clause (as you wrote, we must have a 逆{ぎゃく}条件{じょうけん}, literally "opposite condition"). Since one would naturally assume that the subject would be 恥ずかしい because they cannot answer simple questions, the second clause does not satisfy as a 逆条件.

    * (Possible negative-ても option: 易しい質問に答えられなくて **も** 、恥ずかしく **なかった** 。 " **Even when** (the subject) could not answer a simple question, (subject) was **not** embarrassed.")

「易しい質問に答えられなくて、とても恥ずかしかった。」 Using neither は nor も is the most natural sounding
for your meaning here. て connects the two clauses by saying "(the subject)
could not answer simple question, and/so (subject) was embarrassed."

