interesting subtlety of で

thesuker said:

Hi Mike-san, I like your explanation for だから much better than the one given in my text book, which just translates it as 'so, therefore'. I've always preferred explanations of when to use certain expressions rather than direct translations. The げんき textbook sometimes offers the former and sometimes the latter. Would you know any resource I can check for when the book gives direct translations and I'd like a general explanation of its use?

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Mike Cash said:

He doesn't say he always buys a book when he is near the station. He says that when he buys a book, it is always near the station. You will notice that the sentence starts with だから, indicating that this sentence explains /clarifies/amplifies something that came before this sentence (and which you haven't shown us, so we feel like we're walking in on the middle of a conversation).

There is a reason for は being there instead of を. It could be for emphasis or for contrast (he buys his books near the station, but not other things). Hard to say with just this fragment you've given us.

I'm afraid you missed a couple of key subtleties....

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