Looking at the JLPT website and its example questions I come across this one on N3. It wants to know which sentence is correct, 今ごろ is the key word.
The answer is 2. I guessed correctly. But…why is this so?
Number 3 seems a bit wrong. It should be something more like recently than about now. Number 4 stands out as totally wrong. Why would you say about now it looks like rain?
1 however…I’m not sure why 1 can’t be correct. Translating it to English- “the test will be starting about now” seems a pretty sensible sentence. The person overseeing the exam would never say such a thing of course but I could well imagine the mother of a school boy who doesn’t know the exact time the test is starting but knows it is 3ish, looking up at the clock and saying that.
What is so different about the Japanese nuance that this doesn’t work?
What would be a more natural word to use in that situation?
Is 今ごろ meant for more solidly known facts or...what?