"My friend always studies, but I usually do not study."
Translation:제 친구는 항상 공부하는데 저는 보통 공부를 안 해요.
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We are sorry for the confusion; the previous translation was incorrect. It should be "친구는", not "친구가". When you make a comparison you use the topic particle. We no longer accept "친구가" here.
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For the last part (... usually do not study), would this not also be acceptable? ... 보통 공부하지 않아요
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I was looking for this: 공부하지만 but 공부하는데 was in the word bank.
I don't recall learning that 는데 meant "but".
'제 친구는' is correct, and '제 친구가' is wrong. also, the correct translation for 'usually' would be '주로', and 'normally' and 'generally' would be the correct translation for '보통'
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In a sentence like this either "my friend" or "I" would have the subject particle 이/가 and the other would have the topic particle 은/는.
The topic particle would be used when changing the focus of the sentence, in this case contrasting the scenarios. The "I" is being contrasted with "my friend". Therefore "I" becomes 저는 instead of 제가. Thus "my friend" receives the subject particle, becoming 제 친구가 instead of 제 친구는.
As for 보통, it does translate as "usually/commonly" or "generally." However, 주로 is translated as "mainly/primarily/mostly."
Both take the topic particle in a comparison. Here the speaker is the focus and the friend is being mentioned for comparison, so if there is an emphasis it should be on "저". For reference while the main usage of 가 is a subject particle, but it can also be a particle for emphasis. Thus you can say "제가" (My friend always studies; it is just I who do not usually study.) but "제 친구가" makes little sense here.
Can you explain why we have to use a topic particle with the friend in this sentence?
it seems to me like the topic particle could go on either subject in this sentence, depending on whether you wanted to highlight the friend or yourself. is that not the case?
I agree, since 는/은 carries a comparative nuance, it should be the one that's accepted.
usually usually does not mean mainly. We do not accept 주로 for usually.
A full stop is used only at the end of a sentence. If you mean a comma, it is optional.
It is technically not wrong, but unnatural. The 항상 in your sentence is only qualifying 하-, and it sounds like "As to studying, my friend always does (it)." On the other hand "공부를 보통 안 해요." sounds good because the 보통 is qualifying 안. ("I usually do not study." and "I do not usually study." have little difference in meaning.)