Putting It Together

Korean Grammar 4

Course 4 · Chapter 10 · Reading Real Texts and Putting It Together

📖 Reading Real Texts — 실제 글 읽기

This last chapter uses everything from the course. You will read four short texts in four registers, see the whole grammar track on one map, correct nine typical errors, and finish with a recap. All four texts are invented for practice, written in the style of real ones.

The rule in one box Before you read, ask what kind of text it is. The register tells you what to expect: a news report uses plain past tense and reporting verbs; a formal email uses 합쇼체 and titles; a social post uses fragments, mimetics and slang; a story mixes plain narration with idioms. Then read for the verb at the end, which carries the tense, the style and the attitude.

Text 1 — A news paragraph

서울시는 12일 내년부터 시내버스 요금을 100원 인상한다고 밝혔다. 시는 연료비와 인건비가 올라 운영 적자가 커졌다고 설명했다. 이에 따라 일반 요금은 1,500원에서 1,600원으로 오를 것으로 전망된다. 한편 시민단체는 "서민 부담이 커진다"며 반대 의사를 밝혔다. The Seoul city government stated on the 12th that it will raise city bus fares by 100 won from next year. The city explained that fuel and labour costs had risen and operating losses had grown. As a result, the standard fare is forecast to rise from 1,500 to 1,600 won. Meanwhile, a citizens' group voiced opposition, saying "the burden on ordinary people grows".

What to notice: plain style throughout (Korean Grammar 4 1); -고 밝혔다, 설명했다 and -것으로 전망된다 (Korean Grammar 4 3); 이에 따라 and 한편 as linking words (Korean Grammar 4 2); Sino-Korean nouns such as 인건비, 적자, 인상 (Korean Grammar 4 5).

Text 2 — A formal email

김민수 부장님께,
안녕하십니까. 마케팅팀 이지은입니다.
다음 주 회의 일정과 관련하여 말씀드립니다. 화요일 오후 2시로 예정되어 있던 회의를 수요일 오전 10시로 변경하고자 합니다. 불편을 드려 죄송합니다. 가능하신지 확인해 주시면 감사하겠습니다.
이지은 드림 To Department Head Kim Minsu,
Good day. This is Lee Jieun of the marketing team.
I am writing about next week's meeting schedule. I would like to move the meeting, scheduled for Tuesday at 2 pm, to Wednesday at 10 am. I apologise for the inconvenience. I would be grateful if you could confirm whether that is possible.
Respectfully, Lee Jieun

What to notice: title + 님께 and honorific endings (Korean Grammar 4 4); the formal 합쇼체 endings -ㅂ니다 and -겠습니다; the formal purpose ending -고자 ("intending to"); a polite request, 확인해 주시면.

Text 3 — A social post

오늘 처음으로 한강에서 자전거 탔는데 완전 대박이었음ㅋㅋ 바람은 살랑살랑 불고 노을이 반짝반짝 빛났다. 근데 엉덩이가 너무 아픔ㅠㅠ 내일 또 갈 거임! Rode a bike by the Han River for the first time today and it was totally awesome lol. The breeze blew gently and the sunset sparkled. But my backside hurts so much :'( Going again tomorrow!

What to notice: dropped particles (자전거 탔는데); slang and text-speak (대박, ㅋㅋ, ㅠㅠ) and the spoken 근데 (Korean Grammar 4 8); mimetics 살랑살랑, 반짝반짝 (Korean Grammar 4 6); and the noun-style endings -음 typical of casual posts, a cousin of the headline style.

Text 4 — A short story

옛날에 한 마을에 발이 넓은 할아버지가 살았다. 할아버지는 손도 커서 마을 사람들에게 늘 음식을 나누어 주었다. 어느 날 큰 눈이 펑펑 내렸고, 길이 막혀 버렸다. 그러자 마을 사람들이 십시일반으로 쌀을 모아 할아버지께 가져갔다. 할아버지는 "고생 끝에 낙이 온다더니, 오늘이 그날이구나"라며 웃으셨다. Once upon a time a grandfather who knew everyone lived in a village. He was generous too, and always shared food with the villagers. One day heavy snow fell and the road was blocked. Then the villagers each gave a little, gathered rice and took it to the grandfather. He smiled and said, "They say joy comes after hardship, and today is that day."

What to notice: 이/가 for the new character, then 은/는 (Korean Grammar 4 9); idioms 발이 넓다, 손이 크다, the four-character phrase 십시일반 and the proverb 고생 끝에 낙이 온다 (Korean Grammar 4 7); the mimetic 펑펑 for heavy snow; the honorific 할아버지께 and 웃으셨다.

The whole grammar track on one map — 문법 전체 지도

Course	Big idea	Main topics
Korean Grammar 1	Basic sentences	sentence order, topic and subject, objects and places, "to be", polite present, past and future, adjectives and questions, numbers and time
Korean Grammar 2	Speech and connection	speech levels, sentence endings, honorifics, irregular verbs, tenses and aspect, "and / but / so", purpose, time and condition, modifiers, reported speech, can / must / may / seems
Korean Grammar 3	Voice and meaning	passive and causative, degree and comparison, noun clauses, auxiliary verbs, reasons and results, contrast and concession, recall and discovery
Korean Grammar 4	Written Korean, register and vocabulary	written and spoken style, formal connectors, news Korean, titles and address, word formation, mimetics, idioms, spoken Korean and dialects, particles in depth

Watch out: register is a choice you make every sentence The commonest advanced errors are not wrong grammar but wrong register: a polite ending in a report, a contraction in an essay, slang in an email, a plain ending to a superior. Before you write, name the register, then keep every verb ending consistent with it.

🗣️ In Use — 실제 예문

The same news, three registers.

① Report (plain)

회의는 다음 주로 연기되었다. The meeting was postponed until next week.

② Email (formal)

회의가 다음 주로 연기되었음을 알려 드립니다. I am writing to inform you that the meeting has been postponed until next week.

③ Friend (casual)

회의 다음 주로 미뤄졌대. I heard the meeting got pushed to next week.

📋 Quick Reference — 요약표

Text type	Register markers
News	plain past; 밝혔다, 전망된다; Sino-Korean nouns
Formal email	합쇼체; title + 님; polite requests
Social post	dropped particles; slang; mimetics; -음 endings
Story	plain narration; idioms and proverbs; honorifics for elders

✏️ Try It Yourself — 오류 찾기 클리닉

Each sentence has one problem. Find it and correct it, then click to check.

1. 저는 책을만 읽어요.

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저는 책만 읽어요. 만 replaces 을/를 (Korean Grammar 4 9).

2. In a report: 이 문제는 매우 심각해요.

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이 문제는 매우 심각하다. A report uses the plain style, not 해요체 (Korean Grammar 4 1).

3. To your department head: 당신은 어떻게 생각해요?

Show answer

부장님은 어떻게 생각하세요? Use the title, not 당신, and an honorific (Korean Grammar 4 4).

4. A café worker says: 커피 나오셨습니다.

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커피 나왔습니다. The honorific -시- is for people, not objects (Korean Grammar 4 4).

5. 돈이 불족해요.

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돈이 부족해요. 불- becomes 부- before ㅈ (Korean Grammar 4 5).

6. Introducing your country to an audience: 저희 나라는 아름답습니다.

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우리나라는 아름답습니다. (Korean Grammar 4 4)

7. 친구에 선물을 줬어요.

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친구에게 선물을 줬어요. A person takes 에게/한테, not 에 (Korean Grammar 4 9).

8. In an essay: 그게 가장 중요하다.

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그것이 가장 중요하다. Do not use spoken contractions in formal writing (Korean Grammar 4 8).

9. You lost your wallet: 어떻게! 지갑을 잃어버렸어.

Show answer

어떡해! 지갑을 잃어버렸어. 어떡해 is "what shall I do?" (Korean Grammar 4 8).

🎓 Course Complete — 수고하셨습니다!

You have finished Korean Grammar 4, and with it the four-course Korean grammar track. In ten chapters you moved from the grammar of sentences to the choices that make Korean sound written, formal, colourful and natural. Here is the whole journey.

Chapter	Topic	You can now…
1	Written and Spoken Korean	Write in the plain style and tell it apart from the polite spoken styles.
2	Formal and Written Connectors	Join clauses with -(으)며, -(으)나, -(으)므로 and link paragraphs with 그러나, 따라서 and 또한.
3	Newspaper and Headline Korean	Read headlines and reporting verbs such as -(이)라고 밝혔다 and -것으로 전망된다.
4	Titles, Address and Social Language	Choose forms of address, polite refusals and customer-service phrases.
5	Sino-Korean and Native Vocabulary	Use roots, -적, -화, -성, 불-, 무- and the 하다 / 되다 / 시키다 verbs.
6	Onomatopoeia and Mimetics	Use sound and manner words and sense their light or heavy shades.
7	Idioms, Proverbs and Four-Character Phrases	Recognise and use common 관용구, 속담 and 사자성어.
8	Spoken Korean: Contractions, Slang and Dialects	Understand contractions, 반말, slang and regional speech.
9	Particles in Depth	Choose among 은/는, 이/가, 에, 에서, 에게 and the focus particles, and use them in passives and causatives.
10	Putting It Together	Read texts in four registers and correct typical errors.

Well done. Keep reading real Korean, such as news, emails, posts and stories, and ask yourself the register question each time. That habit will keep improving everything you learned in these four courses.