Writing in Korean: Structure, Register and Range
What this domain tests
Writing tasks require you to produce a structured text in Korean: a letter, email, diary entry, blog post, speech, or short essay. Marks come from task fulfilment, structure, grammar accuracy, vocabulary range, and register consistency. You must plan before writing and leave time to check endings.
Concepts to master
- Genre conventions: 편지 (인사말, 본문, 맺음말), 이메일 (제목, 수신자, 본문), 일기 (date, -더라, past tense), 연설 (호소력, -ㅂ시다, -아/어야 합니다).
- Cohesion: 접속사 (첫째, 또한, 따라서, 결론적으로) and paragraphing.
- Grammar range: relative clauses (-ㄴ/은/는), nominalisation (-기, -ㅁ), and reported speech (-다고 하다).
- Register consistency: pick 합쇼체 or 해요체 and hold it throughout.
Traps
- Mixing 반말 and 존댓말 within one text, the most common accuracy error.
- Writing a list of sentences with no linking words, which lowers the structure mark.
- Ignoring the prompt's audience and purpose (e.g., writing an informal diary for a formal letter task).
- Overusing one grammar pattern instead of showing range.
Worked rule of thumb
Spend two minutes planning: audience, purpose, three body points, and chosen register. Write a one-sentence opening that states your purpose, then one paragraph per point with a connector, then a closing that restates your position. Finish by reading only the final verb of each sentence to confirm register consistency.