Lesson 9 1-Year Course, Week 45

Academic and Essay Writing

Write clear Korean essays and reports: introduction-body-conclusion structure, written connectors, cause and opinion patterns, hedging and spoken words to avoid.

Mr. Gaon · Grammar, vocabulary & TOPIK

What you will learn in this lesson

Organize an essay into 서론, 본론 and 결론
Use written connectors such as 또한, 반면에, 따라서 and 이처럼
Express causes, opinions and careful claims with fixed academic patterns
Replace spoken words with their written equivalents

Mr. Gaon

Hello! Good academic writing is like a good map: the reader always knows where they are. Today we will build that map step by step, with structure first, then connectors, then sentence patterns. Let’s begin.

The basic shape: 서론, 본론, 결론

Korean essays, reports and the TOPIK II opinion essay (question 54, 600–700 characters) follow the same three-part shape.

서론 (introduction) presents the topic and the question. It often starts with a general background, such as a recent change in society, and ends with the main claim or the purpose of the essay.

본론 (body) gives reasons, examples and evidence. Two or three paragraphs are common, each beginning with a clear signal word like 첫째, 둘째, or 우선, 또한.

결론 (conclusion) summarizes the main points and repeats the claim in new words. It may end with a suggestion or a hope for the future.

All three parts are written in the plain -다 style. Do not use -아요/어요 or -습니다 in an essay. The subject 나 or 저 is usually left out; write about the topic, not about yourself.

Connectors for each step

Function	Connectors	Meaning
Adding	또한, 게다가, 뿐만 아니라	also, moreover, not only that
Contrast	그러나, 반면에, 하지만	however, on the other hand
Result	따라서, 그러므로, 그 결과	therefore, as a result
Order	첫째, 둘째, 우선, 다음으로	first, second, next
Example	예를 들어, 예컨대	for example
Summary	이처럼, 요컨대, 결론적으로	in this way, in short, in conclusion

하지만 is fine in essays, but 그러나 sounds more formal. Avoid spoken 근데 and 그래서 at the start of a formal paragraph.

-기 때문이다 / -(으)ㄴ/는 것이다 / -(으)로 인해

Patterns for causes and explanations.

Result first, cause second: ~. 왜냐하면 ~기 때문이다.
-(으)ㄴ/는 것이다 explains or concludes: "It is that...".
N(으)로 인해 = because of N, due to N (formal).

도시 인구가 줄고 있다. 왜냐하면 일자리가 부족하기 때문이다. dosi inguga julgo itda. waenyahamyeon iljariga bujokagi ttaemunida.
The urban population is decreasing. This is because jobs are scarce.
기술의 발달로 인해 생활 방식이 크게 변하였다. gisurui baldallo inhae saenghwal bangsigi keuge byeonhayeotda.
Due to the development of technology, ways of life have changed greatly.
결국 중요한 것은 꾸준히 노력하는 것이다. gyeolguk jungyohan geoseun kkujunhi noryeokaneun geosida.
In the end, what matters is making a steady effort.

Opinion and careful claims

Academic writing avoids overly strong claims. These patterns state opinions politely and carefully.

-아/어야 한다: should, must (a clear suggestion).
-다고 볼 수 있다 / -다고 할 수 있다: it can be said that.
-(으)ㄹ 것으로 보인다: it seems likely that.
-(으)ㄹ 필요가 있다: there is a need to.
In TOPIK, -다고 생각한다 is also acceptable for stating your view.

정부는 청년 주거 문제에 더 관심을 가져야 한다. jeongbuneun cheongnyeon jugeo munjee deo gwansimeul gajyeoya handa.
The government should pay more attention to housing problems for young people.
이러한 변화는 긍정적인 현상이라고 볼 수 있다. ireohan byeonhwaneun geungjeongjeogin hyeonsangirago bol su itda.
This change can be seen as a positive phenomenon.
앞으로 온라인 수업은 더욱 늘어날 것으로 보인다. apeuro ollain sueobeun deouk neureonal geoseuro boinda.
Online classes seem likely to increase even more in the future.
부작용을 줄이기 위한 제도를 마련할 필요가 있다. bujagyongeul jurigi wihan jedoreul maryeonhal piryoga itda.
There is a need to establish a system to reduce side effects.

Mr. Gaon

A common mistake is mixing spoken words into an essay. Your grammar can be perfect, but one 너무 or 근데 makes the whole paragraph sound like a chat message. Let’s fix that with a simple table.

Spoken words and written equivalents

Spoken	Written	Meaning
너무, 진짜	매우, 상당히	very, quite
근데	그런데, 그러나	but, however
요즘	최근, 오늘날	recently, nowadays
많이	크게, 상당수	greatly, a large number
~랑, ~하고	~와/과	and, with
제 생각에는	(omit, or) ~다고 생각한다	in my opinion

Before and after editing

요즘 스마트폰을 너무 많이 써요. → 최근 스마트폰 사용 시간이 크게 늘었다. yojeum seumateuponeul neomu mani sseoyo. → choegeun seumateupon sayong sigani keuge neureotda.
These days people use smartphones too much. → Smartphone use time has recently increased greatly. Spoken words and -아요 changed to written style.
근데 이건 문제가 있어요. → 그러나 이는 여러 문제를 낳고 있다. geunde igeon munjega isseoyo. → geureona ineun yeoreo munjereul nako itda.
But this has a problem. → However, this is causing several problems. 이건 → 이는 (formal 'this').
그래서 저는 규칙이 필요하다고 생각해요. → 따라서 사용 시간에 대한 규칙이 필요하다. geuraeseo jeoneun gyuchigi piryohadago saenggakaeyo. → ttaraseo sayong sigane daehan gyuchigi piryohada.
So I think rules are needed. → Therefore, rules on usage time are needed. 저는 is removed and the claim is direct.

A model paragraph (opinion essay)

최근 재택근무를 도입하는 회사가 늘고 있다. choegeun jaetaekgeunmureul doipaneun hoesaga neulgo itda.
Recently, more companies are adopting remote work. 서론: background.
재택근무는 출퇴근 시간을 줄일 수 있다는 장점이 있다. jaetaekgeunmuneun chultoegeun siganeul juril su itdaneun jangjeomi itda.
Remote work has the advantage of reducing commuting time. 본론: advantage. -다는 장점이 있다.
반면에 동료와의 소통이 어려워진다는 단점도 있다. banmyeone dongnyowaui sotongi eoryeowojindaneun danjeomdo itda.
On the other hand, it also has the disadvantage that communication with colleagues becomes harder. 본론: contrast with 반면에.
이처럼 재택근무에는 장단점이 모두 존재하므로 회사는 상황에 맞게 운영해야 한다. icheoreom jaetaekgeunmueneun jangdanjeomi modu jonjaehameuro hoesaneun sanghwange matge unyeonghaeya handa.
In this way, remote work has both pros and cons, so companies should run it to fit their situation. 결론: summary with 이처럼 and a suggestion.

Five habits of good Korean essay writers

1. Plan before writing. Write your claim and two reasons in one line each before you start.

2. One idea per paragraph. Begin each paragraph with a signal word and a topic sentence, then add an example.

3. Keep sentences short. Long chains of -고 and -아서 make the meaning unclear. Two clear sentences are better than one confusing one.

4. Do not repeat the same word. Use synonyms such as 증가하다 and 늘어나다, or 문제 and 과제.

5. Check spacing and spelling. Korean spacing (띄어쓰기) matters in writing. When you are unsure, check the dictionary or the spelling rules.

Check quiz

Q1. Which sentence is suitable for an academic essay?
Q2. Which connector shows contrast?
Q3. Which pattern makes a careful claim ("it seems likely that")?
Q4. Which part of an essay summarizes and repeats the claim?
Q5. Choose the written equivalent of 너무 in an essay.

Mr. Gaon

Great job! Here is a practice task: write a 600-character essay on "Is online learning better than classroom learning?" Use 서론, 본론, 결론, at least four connectors, and no spoken words. Then read it again with fresh eyes the next day. You are ready for this!

Key points

Essays follow 서론 (introduction), 본론 (body) and 결론 (conclusion), all in the -다 style.
Guide the reader with connectors: 또한, 반면에, 따라서, 이처럼.
Causes: -기 때문이다, (으)로 인해. Claims: -아/어야 한다, -다고 볼 수 있다, -(으)ㄹ 것으로 보인다.
Replace spoken words (너무, 근데, 요즘) with written ones (매우, 그러나, 최근).

Recommended official free resources

TOPIK II writing questions and samples — TOPIK official site (NIIED)
Korean Spelling & Standard Pronunciation rules — National Institute of Korean Language

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