Learn Hardcore Japanese: bunpou no rensyuumondai wo toku to, kaiwa ga siyasuku narimasu. - If you solve grammar practice exercises, conversation becomes easier.

Without の, 文法練習問題 would sound like a compressed, technical phrase (more like something on a textbook cover), and is less natural in regular sentences. The の makes it normal and clear.

What does 解く mean here, and why not just use する?

解く（とく） means to solve, to work out, or to answer (a problem, a puzzle, a question).

So 練習問題を解く = to solve/work on practice problems.

You could say 練習問題をする and people would understand, but:

練習問題を解く is more specific: you’re actually solving the questions.
練習問題をする is more general: you’re “doing” them (could be reading, copying, etc.).

For written exercises, 〜を解く is the most natural verb.

What is the function of と after 解く in 解くと?

The と here is the conditional と, meaning roughly “when” or “if” in the sense of whenever A happens, B happens (as a result).

Pattern: dictionary form + と + result

春になると、暖かくなります。
When it becomes spring, it gets warm.

In the sentence:

文法の練習問題を解くと、会話がしやすくなります。
When/If you solve grammar practice problems, conversation becomes easier.

This suggests a natural or predictable result: doing grammar practice → conversation becomes easier.

How is と different from たら, ば, or なら here?

All of these can translate as if/when, but the nuance differs:

〜と: natural, automatic, or reliable result.
- A → B always (or generally) happens.
〜たら: after A happens, then B happens; often more “one-time” or event-based.
〜ば: conditional/“if”; a bit formal or written; neutral conditional.
〜なら: “if it’s the case that…”; often used in response or giving advice.

Compare:

文法の練習問題を解くと、会話がしやすくなります。
Whenever/if you (in general) solve grammar exercises, conversation becomes easier (that’s how it works).
文法の練習問題を解いたら、会話がしやすくなりました。
After I did grammar exercises (that time), conversation became easier.

In your sentence, と emphasizes a general rule-like relationship.

What does 会話がしやすくなります mean grammatically? How is it formed?

Breakdown:

会話 – conversation
が – subject marker
する – to do
しやすい – easy to do
しやすく – adverbial form of しやすい (the く form)
なる – to become
なります – polite form of なる

So:

会話がしやすい – Conversation is easy (to do).
会話がしやすくなる – Conversation becomes easy / gets easier.
会話がしやすくなります – polite: Conversation becomes easier.

The pattern is:

verb stem + やすい = easy to V
〜やすい → 〜やすくなる = becomes easy to V

Here, する → しやすい → しやすくなる.

Why is it しやすくなります and not しやすいになります?

With い-adjectives (like やすい, たかい, あつい), you use the く form before なる:

やすい → やすくなる (become easy/cheap)
たかい → たかくなる (become expensive)
あつい → あつくなる (become hot)

You never say やすいになる or たかいになる.

So:

しやすい (easy to do)
しやすくなる (becomes easy to do)
→ polite: しやすくなります

This is a regular い-adjective + なる rule.

Why is 会話 marked with が and not を?

In 会話がしやすくなります, 会話 is the subject of the adjective しやすい (“easy to do”).

Think of it as:

会話 (conversation) + が
- しやすい (is easy [to do])

In Japanese:

When something is easy, that something is marked with が.
- 日本語がやさしいです。 – Japanese is easy.
- この本が読みやすいです。 – This book is easy to read.
- パソコンが使いやすいです。 – The computer is easy to use.

So 会話がしやすくなります = Conversation becomes easy (to do).

Using 会話をしやすくなります would be ungrammatical.

Could you also say 文法の練習問題を解くと、話しやすくなります。? What’s the difference?

Yes, 文法の練習問題を解くと、話しやすくなります。 is natural.

Difference in nuance:

会話がしやすくなります。
Emphasizes conversation itself (the act, the situations) becomes easier.
話しやすくなります。
Emphasizes speaking (talking) becomes easier (for you).

Both are very close in meaning here. 話しやすくなる sounds slightly more like “it becomes easier to speak”, while 会話がしやすくなる sounds more like “conversation (interactions) become easier”.

Why is there no subject like あなたは or 私は? Who does this sentence refer to?

Japanese often drops the subject when it’s clear from context.

In this sentence:

文法の練習問題を解くと、会話がしやすくなります。

The implied subject is usually you or people in general:

If you do grammar exercises, conversation becomes easier (for you).

It could also mean I depending on context, but as a general advice sentence in a textbook or explanation, it’s naturally understood as you or one (generic subject).

Japanese does not need I/you/we as often as English does.

What is the difference between 練習 and 練習問題?

練習 – practice (the general act of practicing)
- 文法の練習をする – to practice grammar
練習問題 – practice problems, i.e., specific exercises/questions
- 文法の練習問題を解く – to solve grammar practice problems

So:

If you just say 文法の練習をする, it’s “do grammar practice” (could be anything).
文法の練習問題を解く specifically says you are working through written exercises.

The sentence focuses specifically on solving practice questions, not just vaguely practicing.

Can I say this in a casual (non-polite) way?

Yes. You just change なります (polite) to なる (plain):

文法の練習問題を解くと、会話がしやすくなる。

This is natural in casual speech or writing to friends, etc.

Polite vs casual:

Polite: 〜なります
Casual: 〜なる

Is the comma before 会話 important? Does it change the meaning?

The comma 、 in:

文法の練習問題を解くと、会話がしやすくなります。

is mainly for readability and natural pausing, similar to a comma in English:

“If you solve grammar practice problems, conversation becomes easier.”

It does not change the grammar or meaning. You could write it without the comma:

文法の練習問題を解くと会話がしやすくなります。

and it would still be correct, just slightly harder to read at a glance.