Writing: coherent texts in the right register
What the Writing domain tests
NCEA Level 2 Korean Writing assesses your ability to write coherent short texts for real purposes: a message to a friend, an email to a teacher, a diary entry, a simple review or a short opinion paragraph. You are marked on communication of the message, range of vocabulary and grammar, accuracy, and appropriate register. At Level 2, clear connected sentences with correct polite endings matter more than ambitious but broken complex sentences.
Core rules and concepts
- Plan three parts: opening, body, closing. An email to a teacher needs a greeting (안녕하세요, 선생님), a clear request or information, and a closing (감사합니다. 좋은 하루 보내세요).
- Keep one speech level throughout. Use -(스)ㅂ니다/해요체 for teachers and unfamiliar adults; 반말 only for close friends.
- Use honorifics correctly: 선생님께서, -시-, 께, 드리다. For example, 선생님께서 오셨어요 and 선생님께 여쭤봤어요.
- Connect ideas with -고, -지만, -아서/어서, -(으)니까, 그리고, 그런데, 그래서.
- Check particles and counters: 책을 읽어요, 학교에 가요, 세 명, 두 개. Use Sino-Korean for money and dates.
Worked example
Task: Write a short email to your teacher saying you cannot attend class tomorrow because you are sick, and ask for homework. Model: “안녕하세요, 선생님. 저는 내일 감기에 걸려서 수업에 못 갈 것 같아요. 죄송합니다. 혹시 숙제를 알려 주시겠어요? 감사합니다.” Reasoning: 감기에 걸려서 gives the reason (“because I caught a cold”); 못 갈 것 같아요 softens the statement (“I think I won’t be able to go”). 알려 주시겠어요? is a polite request using -시- and -겠-. The register is consistently polite, and the request is explicit. A weaker answer would write “내일 학교 안 가요” with no reason or polite request.
Traps that cost marks
- Mixing 해요 and 반말 in the same text.
- Missing particles or using 은/는 for every noun.
- Literal English phrasing: “나의 이름은...” is unnatural; say 제 이름은....
- Overusing very long sentences; split them and check each verb ending.
- Forgetting spacing: 할 수 있어요, not 할수있어요.
Exam habit
After drafting, check five things: speech level, honorifics, particles, verb tense, and whether every question in the task is answered.