TOPIK 2 Grammar Advanced: the Essentials
TOPIK 2 grammar advanced is mostly grammar of the written language. At levels 5 and 6 the reading passages come from editorials, reports and literature, and the question 54 essay is graded on how well you use written Korean. Many of these patterns would sound stiff in a café, but they are normal in a newspaper. What each level means in practice is explained on TOPIK level 5.
| Group | Patterns | What the group lets you do | Main register |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Concession and contrast | 4 | Say "despite", "even if" and "whereas" | written |
| 2. Inevitability and evaluation | 4 | Say what is bound to happen or what something amounts to | written and formal speech |
| 3. Limitation and emphasis | 4 | Say "only", "nothing but" and "have no choice but" | both |
| 4. Formal linking | 4 | Join clauses in the written style instead of -고, -지만, -아/어서 | written |
| 5. Source and basis | 4 | Cite a source and set a condition | both |
Register means the kind of situation a form belongs to: conversation, formal speech or writing. The register column is the first thing to check before you use a pattern in an essay.
How Are the Patterns Grouped?
The 20 patterns are grouped by the job they do in an argument, since that is how question 54 and the long reading passages use them. Each table has the same columns: the pattern, its job, an example in the written style, its register, and the lesson link.
Concession and Contrast: -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고, -(으)ㄹ지라도, -(으)ㄴ/는 반면에
| Pattern | Job | Example | Register | Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 | despite | 비가 많이 왔음에도 불구하고 경기는 계속되었다. (Despite the heavy rain, the match continued.) | written, formal speech | -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 |
| -(으)ㄹ지라도 | even if (formal, often an extreme case) | 결과가 좋지 않을지라도 최선을 다해야 한다. (Even if the result is poor, one must do one's best.) | written | -(으)ㄹ지라도 |
| -(으)ㄹ망정 | would rather X than; even if X | 굶을망정 남의 것을 훔치지는 않겠다. (I would rather starve than steal from others.) | written, literary | -(으)ㄹ망정 |
| -(으)ㄴ/는 반면(에) | whereas, on the other hand | 도시는 편리한 반면에 생활비가 많이 든다. (Cities are convenient, whereas living costs are high.) | written, formal speech | -(으)ㄴ/는 반면에 |
비가 많이 왔음에도 불구하고 경기는 계속되었다.
biga mani wasseumedo bulguhago gyeongineun gyesokdoeeotda.
Despite the heavy rain, the match continued.
-(으)ㄴ/는 반면에 is the most useful of the four for writing, because it compares two facts without adding emotion. -(으)ㄹ망정 carries strong personal feeling, so it suits a novel more than an essay.
Inevitability and Evaluation: -기 마련이다, -(으)ㄴ/는 셈이다, -기 십상이다
| Pattern | Job | Example | Register | Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -기 마련이다 | is bound to; naturally happens | 사람은 누구나 실수하기 마련이다. (Everyone is bound to make mistakes.) | written, formal speech | Korean sentence endings |
| -(으)ㄴ/는 셈이다 | amounts to; is practically | 일주일에 여섯 번 운동하니까 거의 매일 하는 셈이다. (I exercise six times a week, so it is practically every day.) | both | Korean sentence endings |
| -(으)ㄹ 법하다 | it is understandable / likely that | 그 정도면 화가 날 법하다. (In that situation, getting angry is understandable.) | written, formal speech | guessing and conjecture endings |
| -기 십상이다 | is very likely to (a bad result) | 준비 없이 시험을 보면 떨어지기 십상이다. (If you sit an exam unprepared, you are very likely to fail.) | both | guessing and conjecture endings |
사람은 누구나 실수하기 마련이다.
sarameun nuguna silsuhagi maryeonida.
Everyone is bound to make mistakes.
-기 마련이다 states a general truth, so it fits the opening or the conclusion of an essay. -기 십상이다 always predicts something bad, which makes it a handy warning in an argument.
Limitation and Emphasis: -(으)ㄹ 뿐이다, -(으)ㄹ 따름이다, -(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다
| Pattern | Job | Example | Register | Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄹ 뿐이다 | only, merely | 나는 내 일을 했을 뿐이다. (I only did my job.) | both | Korean sentence endings |
| -(으)ㄹ 따름이다 | simply, nothing more than (humble, formal) | 도와주셔서 감사할 따름입니다. (I am simply grateful for your help.) | formal speech, letters | Korean sentence endings |
| -(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다 | have no choice but to | 버스가 끊겨서 택시를 탈 수밖에 없었다. (The buses had stopped, so I had no choice but to take a taxi.) | both | -(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다 |
| -(으)ㄹ 뿐만 아니라 | not only ... but also | 이 방법은 쉬울 뿐만 아니라 비용도 적게 든다. (This method is not only easy but also cheap.) | both | -(으)ㄹ 뿐만 아니라 |
버스가 끊겨서 택시를 탈 수밖에 없었다.
beoseuga kkeunkyeoseo taeksireul tal subakke eopseotda.
The buses had stopped running, so I had no choice but to take a taxi.
-(으)ㄹ 따름이다 is a trap for essays. It expresses the speaker's humble feeling, usually in thanks or apologies, so it belongs in a speech or a letter, not in an argument about society.
Formal Linking: -(으)며, -(으)나, -(으)므로, -(으)ㄴ/는 가운데
| Pattern | Job | Example | Register | Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -(으)며 | and; while (written -고 / -(으)면서) | 그는 가수이며 배우이다. (He is a singer and an actor.) | written | -(으)며 |
| -(으)나 | but (written -지만) | 노력했으나 결과는 좋지 않았다. (I made an effort, but the result was poor.) | written | -(으)나 |
| -(으)므로 | because, therefore (written -기 때문에) | 이 지역은 비가 적게 오므로 물이 부족하다. (This region gets little rain, so water is scarce.) | written | -(으)므로 |
| -(으)ㄴ/는 가운데 | amid, while (a situation continues) | 경제가 어려운 가운데 수출은 늘어났다. (Amid economic difficulties, exports rose.) | written, news | time and sequence connectors |
노력했으나 결과는 좋지 않았다.
noryeokaesseuna gyeolgwaneun jochi anatda.
I made an effort, but the result was poor.
Swapping -고, -지만 and -아/어서 for -(으)며, -(으)나 and -(으)므로 is the quickest way to make an essay sound written. Do not overdo it: one or two per paragraph reads naturally, while one in every sentence sounds mechanical.
Source and Basis: -에 따르면, -에 의하면, -는 한
| Pattern | Job | Example | Register | Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -에 따르면 | according to | 일기 예보에 따르면 내일은 비가 온다고 한다. (According to the forecast, it will rain tomorrow.) | both | Korean connectors |
| -에 의하면 | according to (slightly more formal) | 뉴스에 의하면 올해 관광객이 늘었다고 한다. (According to the news, tourist numbers rose this year.) | written, news | Korean connectors |
| -는 한 | as long as; unless (with a negative) | 포기하지 않는 한 기회는 있다. (As long as you don't give up, there is a chance.) | both | -는 한 |
| -에 따라 | depending on; in accordance with | 지역에 따라 날씨가 다르다. (The weather differs by region.) | both | Korean connectors |
일기 예보에 따르면 내일은 비가 온다고 한다.
ilgi yeboe ttareumyeon naeireun biga ondago handa.
According to the weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow.
-에 따르면 and -에 의하면 almost always end with reported speech, -다고 한다, because the sentence passes on someone else's claim. Leaving out -다고 한다 is a common error. With the groups mapped, the next table sorts the look-alike pairs that cost marks.
Which near-Synonyms Cause Traps at Levels 5-6?
Advanced reading items often offer two near-synonyms as options, and only one fits the register or the logic. The pairs below cause the most trouble.
| Pair | The difference | Example of the right choice |
|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄹ지라도 vs -더라도 | both "even if"; -(으)ㄹ지라도 is more literary and often stresses an extreme case | 결과가 좋지 않을지라도 (essay); 바쁘더라도 (everyday) |
| -(으)ㄹ 뿐이다 vs -(으)ㄹ 따름이다 | 뿐 is neutral; 따름 is humble and formal, mostly for the speaker's own feelings | 감사할 따름입니다 (a speech) |
| -(으)므로 vs -기 때문에 | -(으)므로 is mainly written and formal; -기 때문에 works everywhere | 비가 적게 오므로 (report) |
| -(으)ㄴ/는 셈이다 vs -(으)ㄴ/는 것이다 | 셈 means "amounts to, practically"; 것이다 states a fact or explanation | 거의 매일 하는 셈이다 |
| -에 따르면 vs -에 따라 | the first cites a source; the second means "depending on" | 조사에 따르면 (source); 지역에 따라 (variation) |
These pairs also show why level 5-6 grammar is tested mainly in reading and writing: the difference is one of register and logic, which shows most clearly on the page.
In What Order Should You Study Them?
Start with the patterns that replace everyday connectors, because you can use them in every paragraph you write. A practical order is:
- -(으)며, -(으)나, -(으)므로 and -(으)ㄴ/는 반면에. These are written versions of -고, -지만, -아/어서 and "whereas".
- -에 따르면, -에 따라 and -는 한. Reading passages and lecture-style listening use them constantly.
- -(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다, -(으)ㄹ 뿐만 아니라 and -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고. These give an essay its argument structure.
- -기 마련이다, -(으)ㄴ/는 셈이다 and -기 십상이다. These add evaluation.
- -(으)ㄹ지라도, -(으)ㄹ 뿐이다, -(으)ㄹ 따름이다, -(으)ㄹ 법하다, -(으)ㄹ망정 and -(으)ㄴ/는 가운데, learned mainly for recognition in reading.
Learn these only after the core patterns on the TOPIK 2 grammar list feel automatic. Advanced grammar on top of shaky -는데 and -다고 하다 produces impressive but broken sentences.
Which Advanced Patterns Are Safe to Use in Q54?
The safest patterns for the TOPIK 54 essay are -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고, -(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다, -기 마련이다, -(으)ㄴ/는 반면에, -(으)ㄹ 뿐만 아니라, -(으)며 and -(으)므로. They are neutral, written and easy to place in an argument. Avoid -(으)ㄹ 따름이다 and -(으)ㄹ망정, whose emotional colouring clashes with an essay. Three model sentences on an essay topic about competition and online learning show the safe patterns at work:
경쟁이 지나치면 스트레스가 쌓이기 마련이다.
gyeongjaengi jinachimyeon seuteureseuga ssaigi maryeonida.
When competition goes too far, stress is bound to build up.
온라인 수업은 편리함에도 불구하고 집중하기 어렵다는 단점이 있다.
ollain sueobeun pyeollihamedo bulguhago jipjunghagi eoryeopdaneun danjeomi itda.
Despite being convenient, online classes have the drawback that it is hard to concentrate.
따라서 개인과 사회가 함께 노력할 수밖에 없다.
ttaraseo gaeingwa sahoega hamkke noryeokal subakke eopda.
Therefore, individuals and society have no choice but to work together.
Each sentence plays a role: a general truth, a balanced point and a conclusion. A Q54 essay with one such pattern in each paragraph reads as written Korean without sounding forced.
What Does This List Not Cover?
This TOPIK 2 grammar advanced list is a selection, not a syllabus. The level labels are editorial and based on where advanced course books usually place each pattern; a Korean teacher may move some between levels 5 and 6. Many advanced patterns are left out, including -(으)ㄴ/는 이상, -(으)ㄹ 바에야 and -는 둥 마는 둥. Archaic and highly literary endings that appear in older literature are also left out. For all advanced connectors and endings with a lesson each, see advanced Korean grammar and the Korean connectors hub and the TOPIK grammar hub, and for the writing tasks see the TOPIK 54 essay and TOPIK question 53, the chart task that comes before it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are These Patterns Spoken?
Some are, in formal settings. -(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다, -에 따르면 and -는 한 are common in news, lectures and meetings, and -(으)ㄹ 따름입니다 appears in formal speeches. Patterns such as -(으)ㄹ망정, -(으)므로 and -(으)나 sound bookish in conversation, so keep them for writing.
How Many Advanced Points Should I Learn?
For Level 5, aim to recognise all 20 patterns on this list and use about eight of them accurately in writing. For Level 6, add the patterns your advanced textbook teaches. Recognition matters more than production, because reading carries far more advanced grammar than the single essay you write.
Can I Use Them in Q53?
Yes, a few fit well. Question 53 describes data, so -에 따르면, -(으)ㄴ/는 가운데, -(으)며 and -(으)ㄴ/는 반면에 suit it. Evaluative patterns such as -기 마련이다 or -(으)ㄹ 법하다 add opinion, which question 53 does not ask for, so save them for question 54.
Do These Appear in Listening?
Some do. The last listening items at TOPIK II use lectures, news reports, interviews and documentaries, where -에 따르면, -(으)ㄴ/는 가운데, -(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다 and -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 are normal. Literary patterns such as -(으)ㄹ망정 appear mainly in reading. Train with past-paper audio rather than with conversation materials.
What Is the Difference between -(으)ㄹ지라도 and -더라도?
Both mean "even if". -더라도 is common in speech and writing. -(으)ㄹ지라도 is more formal and literary and often stresses an extreme case, as in 결과가 좋지 않을지라도. In a Q54 essay either is correct; in conversation -더라도 or -아/어도 sounds natural.
