Grammar Connectives and Idiomatic Expressions

Expressions of Changes in Feeling

Expressions of changes in feeling are vocabulary and sentence patterns that show how the writer's mind was at first and how it changed due to some occasion. Because a change of mind appears along the flow of time, as in '처음에는 … 했지만 … 하면서 … 하게 되었다' (at first … but … while … came to …), it should be read by dividing it into three parts: the initial feeling, the occasion of change, and the later feeling.

The direction of change is grouped into several types. The most common flow is one in which anger or disappointment settles down and turns into satisfaction or relief. The case in which irritation or reluctance turns into gratitude appears in situations where one belatedly realizes the other person's love. At this time, regret often appears together as one looks back on one's own negligence. A feeling of gratitude toward someone's encouragement while worry and anxiety are great is a case where two emotions exist at the same time. In the answer choices, it is presented by grouping the two feelings together, as in '걱정 속에서도 고마움' (gratitude amid worry). There is also a feeling in which, while receiving someone's consideration, gratitude is accompanied by regret over things one did not take care of enough. When feelings do not lean to one side but mix together, it is presented as '~이 섞인 마음' (a mind mixed with ~).

It is convenient to organize the vocabulary that expresses feelings as follows.

• 마음이 차분해지다 — to become calm, with a mind that had been agitated or excited settling down and becoming peaceful. Example) 시끄러운 소리가 그치자 마음이 차분해졌다. (When the noisy sound stopped, my mind became calm.)
• 마음이 뭉클하다 — for the heart to grow warm from gratitude or emotion. Example) 말없이 건네는 따뜻한 한마디에 마음이 뭉클했다. (My heart was moved by a warm word offered without speaking.)
• 마음이 풀리다 — for a mind that had been hurt or angry to ease. Example) 상대가 먼저 사과하자 섭섭했던 마음이 풀렸다. (When the other person apologized first, my hurt feelings eased.)
• 마음이 무겁다 — a state in which the mind is not at ease due to worry or a sense of responsibility. Example) 해야 할 일이 쌓여 마음이 무거웠다. (My mind was heavy because tasks had piled up.)
• 얼굴을 들기 어렵다 — a state in which it is difficult to face someone openly because of a mistake or shame. Example) 약속을 번번이 어겨 얼굴을 들기가 어려웠다. (I broke promises again and again, so it was hard to hold up my head.)

Incorrect answer choices often bring in feelings that do not appear in the passage. By choosing the feeling based on the occasion and the mind after the change, one can screen out choices such as anger or indifference.

-는 바람에 Expressions of Cause

'-는 바람에' indicates that the preceding clause served as the cause and an unexpected result, mainly a bad one, arose in the following clause. '-는 바람에' is attached to verbs, and '-(으)ㄴ 바람에' is attached to adjectives and past events. Example) 눈이 내리는 바람에 도로가 미끄러웠다. (Because snow was falling, the road was slippery.) This expression carries the meaning that the speaker did not wish for the event.

The following clause usually involves harm or an abnormal situation. Therefore, many sentences pair a cause with a harm. Example) 가뭄이 길어지는 바람에 채소 값이 올랐다. (Because the drought lasted longer, vegetable prices rose.)

'-아서/어서' states the cause neutrally, so it can be used with both good and bad results. In contrast, '-는 바람에' leans toward an unexpected bad result, so the two must be distinguished.

Expressions that are easily confused with '-는 바람에' are as follows. '-는 김에' means using the opportunity of doing one action to do another action, and '-는 대로' means that the following event continues in the same manner as the preceding event, so it does not indicate a cause. '-ㄹ 텐데' and '-는 듯이' express supposition or metaphor, so they cannot be used when speaking of an actual cause. '-(으)려고' expresses intention, so it cannot be the cause of something that has already happened.

-자마자 Expressions of Continuous Action

'-자마자' indicates that the following action or situation follows immediately as soon as the preceding action ends. The key point is that there is almost no time gap between the two events. Example) 문을 열자마자 시원한 바람이 들어왔다. (As soon as I opened the door, a cool breeze came in.)

It must be distinguished from '-고 나서'. '-고 나서' shows only the order that the next action follows after the preceding action ends, so it can be used even when there is a time gap. By contrast, '-자마자' is used in situations where the following event occurs at the moment the preceding event ends.

'-는 대로' is also used with a meaning similar to '끝나자마자' (as soon as it ends). When it means performing the next action at the very moment the event ends, it can be replaced with '-자마자'. However, '-는 대로' is also used to mean a manner following instructions, so one must distinguish it by looking at the context.

'-자마자' is often followed by a surprise or reaction in the following clause. The flow of being surprised because events progressed quickly is natural.

Attitudes in Conversation Between Friends

In conversations between friends, the attitude of speaking often causes misunderstanding more than the content of the words. If one interrupts the other person without listening to the end, the other person tends to feel ignored. Therefore, in conversation, an attitude of first trying to understand with what feeling the other person is speaking is necessary.

An attitude of putting one's own claims first or first correcting the other person's mistaken parts is far from a conversation that understands feelings. Such answer choices deviate from the core of the passage.

It is a common misconception to think that one may speak carelessly the closer one is to someone. The closer the relationship, the more carefully one should consider the other person's mind, and in close relationships such as family, expectations are high, so even small words can cause great disappointment.

The theme of a text usually appears in the sentence that corresponds to the conclusion. Since the sentence after '그러므로' (therefore) or '따라서' (thus) is the central content that covers the entire text, one must not choose an example or part of the content as the theme. If the answer choices include subject matter unrelated to the text, it is effective to eliminate them first.

-아/어서 Expressions of Reason

'-아/어서' indicates that the preceding content became the reason or cause for the following content to occur. Example) 날씨가 더워서 창문을 열었다. (Because the weather was hot, I opened the window.) Because it states the cause neutrally, it can be used with both good and bad results.

There is a restriction that imperative or propositive forms do not come in the following clause. For such sentences, it is natural to use '-(으)니까' (because).

In negative forms, '-지 않아서' and '-지 못해서' must be distinguished. '-지 않아서' is used when speaking of a result caused by an action that was not performed. Example) 미리 연락하지 않아서 약속이 어긋났다. (Because I did not contact them in advance, the appointment fell through.) '-지 못해서' is used when an action that could not be done due to circumstances or conditions is the cause. Example) 시간이 없어서 점심을 먹지 못했다. (Because I had no time, I could not eat lunch.)

Expressions of Duration with -(으)ㄴ 지

'-(으)ㄴ 지' indicates how much time has passed since something started until now. It is used in the structure '-(으)ㄴ 지 + period + 되다/지나다'. Example) 이곳으로 이사 온 지 3년이 되었다. (It has been three years since I moved to this place.)

When combined with '-기 시작한 지' as in '-기 시작한 지', it refers to the period since an action began. Example) 운동을 하기 시작한 지 한 달이 지났다. (It has been one month since I started exercising.)

'-(으)ㄴ 지' is an expression that counts a period, not a point in time, so it must be distinguished from '-(으)ㄴ 뒤', which points to a time. '-(으)ㄴ 뒤' refers to the point after something has ended, while '-(으)ㄴ 지' refers to the time from that point until now. The dependent noun '지' is written with a space before it.

Expressions of Purpose and Result with -도록

'-도록' indicates acting to achieve a purpose, or bringing about a state or result. When used with the meaning of purpose, it is similar to '-기 위해(서)'. Example) 아이가 잘 듣도록 큰 소리로 천천히 말했다. (I spoke slowly and loudly so that the child could hear well.)

When used with the meaning of result, it is mainly used in the form '-도록 하다', strongly conveying that the subject makes a situation come about. Example) 신호 체계를 바꾸어 사고가 줄어들도록 하였다. (By changing the signal system, they made accidents decrease.)

'-게' also expresses the meaning of result, so it is easy to confuse. To distinguish the two expressions, check whether intention and purpose are evident, and whether the emphasis is on a result that changes a state.

Changes in Sibling Relationships

Changes in sibling relationships are often revealed by contrasting childhood with adulthood. Knowing vocabulary that expresses the flow of relationships growing distant or closer makes it easier to judge the answer choices.

• 티격태격하다 — to bicker frequently over trivial matters. Example) 형과 동생은 어릴 때 장난감 하나를 두고 티격태격했다. (My older brother and I bickered over a single toy when we were young.)
• 털어놓다 — to confess one's true feelings or worries without hiding them. Example) 동생은 진로에 대한 고민을 언니에게 털어놓았다. (My younger sibling confided worries about career choices to my older sister.)
• 의지하다 — to lean on someone for help in difficult times. Example) 아버지가 떠난 뒤로 누나에게 많이 의지했다. (Since our father left, I depended greatly on my older sister.)
• 소원하다 — to be distant, with little contact because the relationship has grown apart. Example) 오랫동안 떨어져 지낸 탓에 사이가 소원해졌다. (Because we lived apart for a long time, our relationship became distant.)

When choosing the statement that matches the content of the passage, you must check whether the time, events, and subjects agree with the passage. Changing the content about quarreling in childhood into a statement that the relationship was originally good creates an answer that contradicts the passage.

Expressions of -게 되다

'-게 되다' indicates that a situation has come about, leading to a certain state or action. It is mainly used when talking about the result of a change, and it carries a strong nuance that things happened that way because several circumstances overlapped, rather than by one's own determined will. Example) 이번 학기부터 기숙사에서 지내게 되었다. (Starting this semester, I ended up living in the dormitory.)

'-(으)ㄹ 수 있게 되다' is often used to mean that an ability or possibility has been acquired. Example) 몇 달 연습하자 혼자서도 자전거를 탈 수 있게 되었다. (After practicing for several months, I came to be able to ride a bicycle by myself.)

'-기로 하다' indicates a decision made by one's will, so it must be distinguished from '-게 되다'. Example) 다음 주부터는 아침에 운동하기로 했다. (Starting next week, I decided to exercise in the morning.)