Writing a short reply to an invitation
You are a Korean Beginners student. Your Korean friend Haneul invites you by message: '이번 주 토요일에 우리 집에서 생일 파티를 해요. 오후 4시부터 7시까지예요. 우리 집에 어떻게 와요? 버스로 와요? 지하철로 와요? 그리고 무슨 음식을 좋아해요?' You cannot arrive at 4 pm because you have a sports match until 5 pm. You will take the bus. You like bulgogi but you do not eat spicy food. You must write a reply of about 50 words (or about 200 Korean characters) using polite informal style (-아요/어요).
1. Plan the content of the reply: list the four pieces of information you must include and the grammar form you will use for each.
Read the worked answer
- Thanks / acceptance - use a set phrase such as 초대해 주셔서 고마워요 ('thank you for inviting me').
- Late arrival - state the constraint and the time: 운동 경기가 5시까지 있어서 5시쯤 도착해요 ('I have a sports match until 5, so I'll arrive around 5'). Use -아서/어서 for the reason.
- Transport - answer the question: 버스로 가요 ('I'll go by bus'). Use -(으)로 for means of transport.
- Food preference - answer positively and negatively: 불고기를 좋아해요. 그런데 매운 음식은 못 먹어요 ('I like bulgogi, but I can't eat spicy food'). Use 좋아해요 and 못 먹어요.
Keep the register consistent: polite informal -아요/어요, not formal -습니다.
2. A classmate writes '저는 4시에 갈 수 없습니다. 버스를 타고 갑니다. 불고기를 좋아합니다.' as their reply. Identify two problems with this reply for the task and suggest fixes.
Read the worked answer
Problem 1 - wrong register. The task specifies polite informal style (-아요/어요), but the classmate uses formal -습니다/ㅂ니다 (갈 수 없습니다, 갑니다, 좋아합니다). Fix: 4시에 갈 수 없어요, 버스를 타고 가요, 불고기를 좋아해요.
Problem 2 - missing required content and weak connection. The reply does not say when they will arrive (only that they can't come at 4), does not mention the spicy-food restriction, and does not thank Haneul. Fix: add 운동 경기가 5시까지 있어서 5시쯤 도착해요, 매운 음식은 못 먹어요, and an opening 초대해 주셔서 고마워요.
A stronger reply links reason to result with -아서/어서 and answers every question Haneul asked.