I’m struggling with the は vs が as I seem to have a contradictory explanation from my Japanese teacher at University and from TextFugu.

Season 3.3 says:
は emphasizes what comes after it.
わたし　は　こういち　です。　I am Koichi.
が emphasizes what comes before it.
わたし　が　こういち　です。　I am Koichi.

My Japanese class has the following example:
時間があっても、この本は　よみません。
Even if I have time, I will not read this book.

Here my teacher says は　is used (as opposed to が or を)　because it is being used to emphasise the word before it 本 and say that you won’t read THIS book (but you might read another book).

Can anyone explain this seeming contradiction?

• This topic was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by  Benjamin Lowe.