Relax, because today's grammar point isn't too hard.

JLPT N3: ～とともに

You know the word 一緒に？

一緒に
いっしょに
together (with); at the same time

You should know it, because we've seen it over 20 times in our daily lessons so far.

Here are just a few examples:

一緒に行く？
いっしょ に いく？
Wanna go together?
Literally: "together + go?"
Note: From [NDL #13] - I wanna take you out.

一緒にどうでしょうか。
いっしょに　どう　でしょうか。
Would you like to go together?
Literally: "together + how + でしょうか."
Note: From [NDL #90] - This beat is fire, right? - Part V.

一緒に行きたかったのに。
いっしょに　いきたかった　のに。
I would've loved to have gone (with you). // Why didn't you invite me?
Literally: "together + wanted to go + のに."
Note #1: The semi-literal translation would be, "Although I wanted to go with you."
Note #2: From [NDL #255] - Honey! (Part 2).

味濃いからご飯と一緒に食べてね。
あじ　こい　から　ごはん　と　いっしょに　たべて　ね。
The flavor is (really) strong, so eat it with rice.
Literally: "flavor + thick + because + rice + と + together + eat + ね."
Note: This entire lesson is on 一緒に：[NDL #259] - The Same Things Together.

So yeah, you might want to go read the 一緒に lesson in preparation for this lesson.

With that, I think we're ready to talk about ～とともに.

一緒に VS ～とともに

While these two phrases do mean pretty much the same thing, "together (with)," they do differ slightly in usage:

一緒に：

• Can be used in spoken or written language.
• Can come at the very beginning of a clause or after "NOUN + と," like in the last example we saw above.

• Only used in written language.
• Only comes after a noun.

So in that sense, we could say that ～とともに = ～と一緒に.

With that, it's...

Example Time

Remember that the formation is always:

NOUNとともに
＝ together (with) NOUN

航空券とともにパスポートも提示した。
こうくうけん　と　ともに　パスポート　も　ていじ　した。
I showed my passport along with my plane ticket.
Literally: "plane ticket + とともに + passport + も + presentation + did."

自分で釣った魚を日本酒とともに味わった。
じぶん　で　つった　さかな　を　にほんしゅ　と　ともに　あじわった。
I enjoyed the fish that I caught together with some sake.
Literally: "by oneself + で + caught [fished] + fish + を + sake [Japanese rice wine] + とともに + savored / tasted."

私は妹とともに英会話学校に通っている。
わたし　は　いもうと　と　ともに　えいかいわがっこう　に　かよっている。
I'm attending an English conversation school with my sister.
Literally: "I + は + younger sister + とともに + English conversation school + に + am attending / commuting."

That's all for today.

A short lesson, perhaps. But not if you click on the links to the past lessons above and do a bit of review/extra studying. ^^