GRAMMAR DETAIL

よう

to do as instructed

Marks the action conveyed as an instruction or request before a verb of communication.

Examples

忘れ物をしないよう先生が生徒に伝えた。

The teacher told the students not to leave any belongings behind.

受付で名前を書くよう係員に言われた。

The attendant told me to write my name at the reception desk.

医者にしばらく運動を控えるよう言われた。

The doctor told me to refrain from exercising for a while.

Structure: Add よう to a verb's dictionary form or ない form to report the content of an instruction or request.
Basic usage: 受付で名前を書くよう係員に言われた。 means that an attendant instructed the speaker to write their name.

Distinct from the volitional form
- The よう in 書くよう言われた connects an instruction, while 書こう in 書こうと思った is a volitional verb form. Distinguish よう after a dictionary form from a volitional ending.
The requested action and the time of reporting
- 忘れ物をしないよう conveys an instruction not to leave belongings behind. A past instruction can be reported with 言われた without changing the requested action itself to a past form.