Confusing Korean Grammar Patterns
Finally understand the difference between Korean grammar patterns that look or mean almost the same.
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Who this course is for
- Intermediate and advanced learners.
- TOPIK II learners who keep losing points when two similar patterns are offered as options.
- Anyone who has asked “what is the difference between -아서 and -(으)니까?” and never got a satisfying answer.
About this course
Most Korean courses teach patterns one at a time. That works until you meet a question where two of them are offered as options, and both look correct. Telling similar patterns apart is a separate skill, and this course treats it as one.
There are 56 comparison lessons covering about 180 patterns, grouped by meaning rather than by grammar label. One group handles the ways to say “because”. Another handles “if”. Others handle “when”, “seems”, “in order to”, “but” and “must”. Inside a group the patterns are placed side by side, which is the only way the differences between them become visible.
Each comparison explains when to use each pattern, not just what each one means. Meaning alone rarely separates them. What separates them is the situation, the register, what the speaker is implying, and what can follow. A lesson makes those conditions explicit so that you have a rule you can apply rather than a feeling you have to develop.
Then you practise choosing. Judgment drills put a pattern in a context and ask which one fits, with feedback that explains why the others do not. This is closer to what TOPIK asks than any amount of translating sentences.
A 56-card Decision Deck gives you the whole course as quick review material: one card per comparison, for the week before an exam. One section is devoted to the written-register grammar that TOPIK reading questions 3 and 4 test directly, which is a small block of questions that many learners lose entirely for lack of five minutes of the right teaching.
The course ends with two 60-item mixed reviews and a final mock in the TOPIK format. The mock does something useful: it builds a personal list of the patterns you still confuse, so your last revision is aimed at your own weak points and not at the patterns you already know.
What you’ll get
- 56 comparison lessons covering about 180 similar patterns
- Patterns grouped by meaning: “because”, “if”, “when”, “seems”, “in order to”, “but”, “must” and more
- Side-by-side comparisons that explain when to use each pattern
- Judgment drills that train you to choose the right pattern in context
- A 56-card Decision Deck for quick review
- A section on the written-style grammar tested in TOPIK reading questions 3 and 4
- Two 60-item mixed reviews and a final mock that builds your personal confusables list
- TOPIK GUIDE All-Access Package ($99)
Course curriculum
61 lessons in 13 sections
Start Here2
- Why “What's the Difference” Is Its Own Skill
- Course Map & Your Path
Cause & Reason: “because”6
- -아／어서 vs -(으)니까 vs -기 때문에
- -느라고 vs -는 바람에 vs -는 통에
- 덕분에 vs 탓에 vs 때문에
- -기에 vs -길래 vs -기에 망정이지
- -(으)므로 vs -(으)니 vs -(으)로 인해 vs 따라서
- -고 해서 vs -다 보니 vs -고 보니
Condition & Supposition: “if”4
- -(으)면 vs -다면 vs -거든
- -아／어야(만) vs -(으)면
- -았더라면 vs -았다면 vs -았으면 (좋겠다) vs 하마터면 -(으)ㄹ 뻔했다
- -기만 하면 vs -(으)ㄹ 때마다 vs -다가는 vs -다 보면
Time & Sequence: “when · as soon as · while · after”7
- -자마자 vs -는 대로 vs -자 vs -기가 무섭게
- -고 나서 vs -(으)ㄴ 후에 vs -고서 vs -(으)ㄴ 다음에／뒤에
- -는 동안(에) vs -는 사이(에) vs -(으)면서 vs -(으)며
- -다가 vs -았다가 vs -는 길에
- -(으)ㄹ 때 vs -았을 때 vs -(으)면
- -(으)ㄴ 지 vs 만에 vs 후에
- -는 김에 vs -는 길에 vs -(으)ㄹ 겸 (해서)
Conjecture & Appearance: “seems · probably”5
- -겠- vs -(으)ㄹ 것이다 vs -(으)ㄹ 것 같다
- -나 보다 vs -는 모양이다 vs -는 듯하다 vs -는 것 같다
- -(으)ㄹ지도 모른다 vs -(으)ㄹ 수도 있다 vs -(으)ㄹ 리가 없다
- -아／어 보이다 vs N처럼 보이다 vs -는 것처럼 보이다
- -더라(고요) vs -더군요 vs -던데(요)
Intention, Purpose & Volition: “planning to ／ in order to”4
- -(으)려고 하다 vs -기로 하다 vs -(으)ㄹ까 하다 vs -(으)ㄹ 생각／계획이다
- -(으)러 vs -(으)려고 vs -기 위해(서) vs -고자
- -도록 (하다) vs -게 (하다) vs 시키다
- -(으)ㄹ게요 vs -(으)ㄹ래요 vs -겠습니다
Contrast, Concession & Comparison: “but ／ even if ／ as much as”6
- -지만 vs -는데 vs -(으)나
- -아／어도 vs -더라도 vs -(으)ㄹ지라도 vs -ㄴ／는다고 해도
- -는데도 vs -(으)ㅁ에도 불구하고 vs -고도
- -는 반면(에) vs -는 대신(에) vs 오히려
- N처럼 vs N같이 vs N만큼 vs N대로
- -(으)ㄹ 정도로 vs -(으)ㄹ 만큼 vs -다시피
Addition, Limitation & the Emphasis Particles: “not only ／ even ／ only”5
- -(으)ㄹ 뿐만 아니라 vs -는 데다(가) vs -(으)ㄹ뿐더러 vs -기까지 하다
- 조차 vs 마저 vs 까지 vs 도
- 만 vs 밖에 vs N뿐 vs -(으)ㄹ 뿐이다
- (이)나 vs (이)라도 vs (이)나마
- -기는 하다 vs -기만 하다 vs -기도 하다
Aspect, State & Result: “-ing ／ done ／ used to”6
- -고 있다 vs -아／어 있다 vs -는 중이다
- -아／어 놓다 vs -아／어 두다 vs -(으)ㄴ 채(로)
- -고 말다 vs -아／어 버리다 vs -게 되다
- -던 vs -았／었던 vs -(으)ㄴ
- -곤 하다 vs -기 일쑤이다 vs -는 편이다
- -아／어 가다 vs -아／어 오다 vs -아／어 가면서
Obligation, Permission & Ability: “must ／ may ／ can”3
- 안 vs 못 (+ -지 않다 vs -지 못하다 vs -지 말다)
- -아／어야 하다·되다 vs -(으)면 안 되다 vs -지 않아도 되다 vs -(으)ㄹ 필요가 없다
- -아／어도 되다 vs -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 vs -(으)ㄹ 줄 알다
Hearsay & Discourse Endings: “I heard ／ you know”5
- -대요 vs -래요 vs -냬요 vs -재요
- -다면서(요) vs -다던데(요) vs -다지(요)
- -네요 vs -군요 vs -지요
- -잖아요 vs -거든요
- -는 척하다 vs -는 체하다 vs 알은척하다
Natural Consequence & the Written-Register Set: the TOPIK Q3–4 bank5
- -기 마련이다 vs -는 법이다 vs -기 십상이다 vs -게 되어 있다
- -(으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다 vs -지 않을 수 없다 vs 어쩔 수 없이
- -(으)ㄹ 만하다 vs -음직하다 vs -(으)ㄹ 가치가 있다
- -는 한 vs -는 이상 vs -는 만큼 vs -기 나름이다
- -는 셈이다 vs -는 편이다 vs (이)나 다름없다
The Gauntlets: Mixed Review & Mock3
- Gauntlet I - Sections 1–5 (60 items)
- Gauntlet II - Sections 6–11 (60 items)
- Final Mock - the TOPIK Format + Your Personal Confusables List
Try free lessons
You can open these lessons before you buy anything. You will see the teaching and the lesson design for yourself.
Questions about this course
How is this different from the TOPIK II Grammar Masterclass?
The Grammar Masterclass teaches the patterns themselves, from formation to exam use. This course does one job only: it puts similar patterns side by side and trains you to choose between them. Many learners use both, but each stands on its own.
Do I need to know all these patterns already?
You need to have met most of them. The lessons compare patterns rather than introducing them from zero, so it suits learners at intermediate level and above.
Can I study on my phone?
Yes. You can study on a computer, tablet or phone. Every lesson is designed for small screens as well as large ones.
How long do I get access?
Five years with the TOPIK GUIDE All-Access Package. If you buy this course on its own for $9, you get it for three years. You get access immediately after payment, and your access details are sent to you by email.
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