요약과 바꿔 말하기Summary and Paraphrase
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Condense a longer spoken or written explanation into a short, accurate summary of two to four sentences.
- Report what someone said using the introductory indirect-quotation pattern -다고 하다 for statements, without shifting into full direct quotation.
- Distinguish reporting a statement (-다고 하다) from reporting a question (-냐고 하다) at a recognition level, while producing only the statement pattern independently.
- Paraphrase a sentence or short passage by replacing vocabulary and restructuring word order while preserving its original meaning.
- Read a short passage and identify its main idea separately from its supporting details.
- Write a concise summary of someone else's explanation, using indirect quotation to attribute ideas accurately.
- Speak in an extended turn that reports and paraphrases another person's account rather than repeating it word for word.
This chapter's principal new systems are content reporting, the introductory statement pattern of indirect quotation, and concise summarizing and paraphrasing technique. It recycles the reason-and-result explanation frame from Chapter 3 — -아서/어서, -(으)니까, and result expressions such as 그 결과 — as material to be summarized and reported, along with the narrative frame from Chapter 2. No new particle, honorific, or speech-level system is introduced.
Communication Scenario
The discussion group is preparing for its first unit assessment, and 지영 wants the group to practice a skill they will need throughout the volume: taking someone else's longer explanation and reporting it back accurately, briefly, and in their own words. She asks 라일라 to listen to another member's account of a life change, then summarize it for the group and report what that member said, rather than repeating every sentence. 지영 introduces the reporting pattern -다고 하다 for this purpose, along with simple techniques for shortening a passage into its essential points.
- This chapter builds directly on Chapter 3's cause-and-result explanations and Chapter 2's narrative frame, treating them as source material to condense and report.
- This chapter's new focus is summarizing, the introductory indirect-quotation pattern -다고 하다, and paraphrase technique.
- The chapter's task is to listen to or read another person's explanation and report it briefly and accurately, in the learner's own words.
Core Vocabulary
The following vocabulary supports summarizing and reporting. Most items are new; several discourse expressions recycle and expand on Chapters 1 through 3.
| Korean | Meaning | Category / Pattern | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 요약 | summary | noun; 요약하다, 요약을 하다 | new |
| 요점 | main point | noun; 요점을 말하다 | new |
| 내용 | content, what something is about | noun; 내용을 전하다 | new |
| 간단히 | briefly, simply | adverb; 간단히 말하면 | new |
| 한마디로 | in a word, in short | discourse expression | new |
| 즉 | that is, in other words | discourse expression | new |
| 다시 말하면 | in other words, to put it another way | discourse expression | new |
| 전하다 | to convey, pass along | action verb; 을/를 전하다 | new |
| 말을 줄이다 | to shorten what one says | verb phrase | new |
| 자세히 | in detail | adverb; 자세히 설명하다 | new |
| 생략하다 | to omit, leave out | action verb; 을/를 생략하다 | new |
| 표현을 바꾸다 | to change an expression, rephrase | verb phrase | new |
| 비슷한 말 | a similar word, synonym | noun phrase | new |
| 듣자 하니 | from what I hear, apparently | discourse expression | new |
| -다고 하다 | reportedly, (someone) says that ~ | indirect quotation pattern (statement) | new |
Learners should continue to use discourse expressions and reason connectors from Chapters 1 through 3 — 그 결과, 그러다 보니까, -아서/어서, and -(으)니까 — as the raw material they summarize and report in this chapter.
Pronunciation and Speech Focus
This chapter introduces no new sound-change rule. The speech focus continues from Chapter 3, now applying rhythm and stress to reported speech.
In natural speech, -다고 하다 and its spoken contraction -다고 해요 are usually produced quickly and with less stress than the reported content itself. The important information is the statement being reported, not the reporting frame, so keep 다고 해요 light and let the reported clause carry the main emphasis.
Speakers who are about to summarize often insert a short pause or a discourse expression such as 한마디로 or 간단히 말하면, signaling to the listener that a longer explanation is about to be condensed. Practice inserting this small pause naturally rather than summarizing abruptly.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter's principal focus is content reporting: summarizing a longer explanation, introducing the statement pattern of indirect quotation, -다고 하다, and practicing paraphrase. No new particle, honorific, or speech-level system is introduced.
1. Summarizing: Finding and Stating the Main Point
간단히 말하면 ("simply put") and 한마디로 ("in a word") both introduce a short restatement of a longer explanation that came before. 즉 and 다시 말하면 ("in other words") introduce a restatement of the immediately preceding sentence, often to clarify or simplify it. A good summary keeps the main point and the eventual result, and leaves out minor background details, examples, and repeated information.
To summarize a passage that used Chapter 3's explanation frame, keep the direct cause and the named result, and omit less essential background details.
- 간단히 말하면, 라일라 씨는 일이 바빠서 처음에는 한국어를 배울 생각이 없었지만 결국 수업을 듣게 됐어요. Simply put, Laila was too busy with work to plan on learning Korean at first, but ended up taking the class. 간단히 말하면 (summary marker) + condensed cause and result
- 한마디로, 매일 조금씩 연습하다 보니까 자신감이 생긴 거예요. In a word, gaining confidence was the result of practicing a little every day. 한마디로 (summary marker) + condensed result
2. Reporting a Statement: -다고 하다
-다고 하다 reports the content of a statement someone else made, without quoting their exact words. Attach -다고 to a plain-form predicate: action verbs use -ㄴ다고/는다고 in the present, descriptive verbs and the copula use -다고, and past tense adds -았/었다고. The reporting verb 하다 can be conjugated in the everyday polite style as 해요, and the whole pattern may be shortened in speech to -다요 or -대요 at a recognition level only; the full form -다고 해요 is the productive target for this chapter.
This chapter introduces only the statement pattern productively. The question pattern -냐고 하다 and the command/suggestion patterns -라고 하다 and -자고 하다 may appear for recognition in the Reading and Listening sections but are not assessed productively until a later chapter.
| Predicate type | Dictionary form | Reported form |
|---|---|---|
| action verb, present | 가다 | 간다고 해요 |
| action verb, present (consonant stem) | 먹다 | 먹는다고 해요 |
| descriptive verb, present | 바쁘다 | 바쁘다고 해요 |
| copula, present | 학생이다 | 학생이라고 해요 |
| any predicate, past | 바빴다 | 바빴다고 해요 |
- 지영 씨는 이번 주말에 시간이 없다고 했어요. Jiyoung said that she doesn't have time this weekend. descriptive verb 없다 + -다고 하다 (past tense on 하다)
- 민준 씨는 매일 아침에 삼십 분씩 걷는다고 해요. Minjun says that he walks thirty minutes every morning. action verb 걷다 + -는다고 하다 (consonant-final stem)
A direct quotation such as "저는 시간이 없어요"라고 했어요 repeats the speaker's exact words inside quotation marks. -다고 하다 instead restates the content in reported form, adjusting pronouns and speech level as needed: 자기는 시간이 없다고 했어요 ("she said that she didn't have time"). This chapter focuses on the reported form, which is more common in summaries and everyday conversation about what someone said.
3. Paraphrase: Restating Meaning in Different Words
Paraphrasing means expressing the same meaning with different vocabulary or sentence structure, not simply deleting a few words. Useful techniques at this level include replacing a word with a close synonym (비슷한 말), changing an active description into a result-focused one, or combining two short sentences into one using a Chapter 3 connector. When paraphrasing, keep the original meaning accurate; do not add new information or change the outcome.
- 원문: 일이 너무 많아서 스트레스를 많이 받았어요. Original: Because there was too much work, I got very stressed. source sentence from Chapter 3
- 바꿔 말하기: 일이 많아서 힘들었다고 해요. Paraphrase: (They) say that the workload was hard because there was so much. synonym 힘들다 for 스트레스를 받다 + -다고 하다 reporting
[summary marker: 간단히 말하면 / 한마디로] + [condensed cause and result, paraphrased] + [reported statement using -다고 하다] + [closing comment]
A good summary opens by signaling that a condensed version is coming, restates the essential cause and result in the reporter's own words, attributes the account to its original speaker using -다고 하다, and closes with a brief comment.
간단히 말하면, 민준 씨는 회사에 다니기 시작한 후에 하루 종일 앉아서 일하다 보니까 건강이 나빠졌다고 해요. 병원에 가 보니까 의사가 운동을 권했다고 하고, 그래서 매일 아침에 걷기 시작했다고 해요. 그 결과, 지금은 훨씬 건강해졌다고 하네요. 듣자 하니, 아침에 걷는 시간이 이제는 민준 씨가 하루 중 제일 좋아하는 시간이 됐대요.
Simply put, Minjun says that after he started working at a company, sitting all day made his health decline. He says that when he went to the hospital, the doctor recommended exercise, and so he started walking every morning. He says that as a result, he has become much healthier now. From what I hear, walking in the morning has apparently become Minjun's favorite time of day.
Practice — Summarizing and reporting
- Reread the Reading Practice passage from Chapter 3 ("왜 이 도시를 좋아하게 됐을까").
- Write one summary sentence beginning with 간단히 말하면 or 한마디로.
- Write one sentence reporting a statement from the passage using -다고 하다.
- Write one sentence that paraphrases a sentence from the passage using at least one different word or structure.
Model Dialogue
Setting: 지영's discussion group, fourth session. 라일라 reports back to the group after listening to 수아, another member, describe a recent change in her life.
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- According to 라일라's summary, why did 수아 quit her previous job?
- Identify one sentence in the dialogue that uses -다고 하다 to report what 수아 said.
- What summary marker does 라일라 use at the start of her report, and what result does she name at the end?
Guided Practice
- Ask a partner, instructor, or recording to tell you a short cause-and-result story in Korean (or reread a passage from Chapter 2 or 3).
- Write one summary sentence beginning with 간단히 말하면 or 한마디로.
- Write two sentences reporting specific statements from the story using -다고 하다.
- Write one sentence that paraphrases part of the story rather than repeating it word for word.
- Write one closing sentence using 다시 말하면 or 즉 to restate the overall point.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a language partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud. Listen twice without reading, then complete the tasks below.
정우 씨가 전한 이야기
정우 씨한테 들었는데요, 정우 씨 동생은 대학교를 졸업한 후에 바로 취직하지 않고 몇 달 동안 여행을 다녔다고 해요. 가족들은 처음에 걱정을 많이 했다고 하는데, 동생은 여행하면서 여러 나라 사람들을 만나다 보니까 자기가 진짜 하고 싶은 일이 뭔지 알게 됐다고 하더라고요. 그 결과, 여행에서 돌아온 후에 예전과는 다른 분야의 일을 시작했고, 지금은 그 일이 아주 잘 맞는다고 해요. 정우 씨는 동생이 그때 서두르지 않은 게 오히려 다행이었던 것 같다고 했어요.
듣기 과제 — Listening task: Listen and answer in English.
| 질문 | 답 |
|---|---|
| What did 정우's younger sibling do after graduating, according to the passage? | ______ |
| Find one sentence using -다고 하다 and identify what statement it reports. | ______ |
| What result does the passage name at the end, and what does 정우 say about it? | ______ |
Reading Practice
Below is a short passage similar to the one you will summarize in this chapter's Writing Workshop. Read it and answer the questions below.
이웃에게 들은 이야기
얼마 전에 이웃 아주머니한테서 재미있는 이야기를 들었어요. 아주머니는 젊었을 때 요리에 전혀 관심이 없었다고 해요. 그런데 결혼한 후에 시간이 날 때마다 요리책을 조금씩 읽다 보니까 요리가 점점 재미있어졌다고 하셨어요. 처음에는 간단한 음식만 만들 수 있어서 자신감이 별로 없었다고 하는데, 매주 새로운 음식을 하나씩 시도하다 보니까 실력이 많이 늘었다고 해요.
그 결과, 지금은 동네 사람들한테 요리를 가르쳐 주실 정도로 실력이 좋아지셨대요. 아주머니는 그때 포기하지 않고 계속 시도해 본 게 정말 잘한 일이었다고 말씀하셨어요. 한마디로, 작은 관심이 새로운 재능으로 자라난 셈이에요.
This passage recycles vocabulary and grammar from Chapters 1 through 3, and demonstrates the summarizing and reporting language introduced in the Grammar section above.
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- According to the passage, why did the neighbor originally have no interest in cooking?
- Find one sentence using -다고 하다 or -대요 and explain what statement it reports.
- Write a one-sentence summary of this passage in your own words, in Korean, beginning with 간단히 말하면.
Writing Workshop
This chapter's writing task is a short summary and report: 요약과 바꿔 말하기 ("Summary and Paraphrase"), modeled on the Reading Practice passage above.
- Choose your source. Select a passage or dialogue from Chapter 2 or Chapter 3, or a short account someone tells you, that includes a cause, a decision, and a result.
- Identify the main point. Decide which two or three ideas are essential and which details can be left out.
- Open with a summary marker. Begin your summary with 간단히 말하면 or 한마디로.
- Report at least two statements. Use -다고 하다 to attribute at least two ideas to the original speaker or writer.
- Paraphrase, don't copy. Change at least one sentence's vocabulary or structure rather than repeating the source word for word.
- Close with a restatement. Use 다시 말하면 or 즉 to restate the overall point in one final sentence.
- Revise. Check your draft against the checklist below.
체크리스트 — Editing checklist:
- The summary opens with 간단히 말하면, 한마디로, or a similar marker.
- At least two statements are reported using -다고 하다, correctly conjugated for predicate type and tense.
- At least one sentence is paraphrased rather than copied from the source.
- Minor background details are left out; only the essential cause, decision, and result remain.
- The closing sentence uses 다시 말하면, 즉, or a similar restatement expression.
- At least one tool from Chapter 3 (-아서/어서, -(으)니까, or a result expression) appears within the reported content.
- Speech level is consistent everyday polite -아요/어요 throughout, including on 하다 in -다고 해요.
- Only Hangeul is used; no romanization appears in the final draft.
- Spacing and particles are accurate throughout.
- No grammar or vocabulary beyond Volume II, Chapters 1–4, appears productively; the question, command, and suggestion quotation patterns are not used productively.
Speaking Practice
통제 연습 — Controlled practice: 문장 바꿔 말하기
Your instructor or partner reads ten short sentences aloud. For each, restate it using -다고 하다 to report it, adjusting the predicate form correctly for tense and type.
의사소통 과제 — Communicative task: 다른 사람 이야기 전하기
With a partner, take turns: one person tells a short cause-and-result story from their own life (six or more sentences), and the other listens, then reports it back to a third person or to the class in three to four sentences, using -다고 하다 and at least one summary marker.
혼자 하는 연습 — Solo alternative
Choose a short passage from Chapter 2 or 3. Record yourself summarizing it aloud in under thirty seconds, using a summary marker, at least two instances of -다고 하다, and at least one paraphrased sentence.
Culture and Communication
When summarizing or reporting what someone else said in South Korean conversation, it is common to soften the report with expressions like 듣자 하니 ("from what I hear") or to explicitly attribute the account with -다고 하다, rather than stating another person's private experience as though it were the speaker's own confirmed knowledge. This habit signals respect for the original speaker and avoids overstating certainty about details the reporter did not witness directly.
In discussion groups, classrooms, and meetings, being asked to summarize 간단히 ("briefly") is common and is not considered a request to omit important content — rather, it reflects an expectation that speakers respect shared time by identifying the essential point rather than repeating every detail. Learning to summarize efficiently is therefore a practical communication skill as well as a grammatical one.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Producing an incorrect form such as *바빠요다고 해요, attaching -다고 to the polite -아요/어요 form instead of the plain form.
Correction: -다고 하다 always attaches to the plain-form predicate, not the polite form: 바쁘다고 해요.
Error: Producing an incorrect form such as *가다고 해요, using the dictionary form of an action verb directly before -다고.
Correction: Present-tense action verbs require -ㄴ다고 (vowel-final stems) or -는다고 (consonant-final stems): 간다고 해요, 먹는다고 해요.
Error: Producing a "summary" that repeats every sentence of the source passage in the same order and largely the same words.
Correction: A summary should identify the essential cause, decision, and result, and restate them briefly and in different words; minor background details, examples, and repeated information should be left out.
Chapter Review
Section A — 어휘 (Vocabulary)
1. Give the meaning of 요점, 생략하다, and 듣자 하니, and explain when each would be useful in a summary.
Section B — 문법 (Grammar)
1. Report this statement using -다고 하다: 지영: "저는 이번 주말에 시간이 없어요."
2. Report this statement using -다고 하다, paying attention to the action-verb pattern: 민준: "저는 매일 아침에 걸어요."
3. Explain in English why *바빠요다고 해요 is incorrect, and provide a corrected sentence.
Section C — 독해 이해 (Reading Comprehension)
1. Summarize the Reading Practice passage in three to four English sentences, naming at least two reporting or summary expressions the writer uses.
Section D — 쓰기 (Writing)
1. Write your own "요약과 바꿔 말하기" summary following the Writing Workshop steps and checklist.
Section E — 말하기 (Speaking)
1. Present your summary aloud to a partner, instructor, or recording, following the Speaking Practice guidance above.
누적 복습 — Cumulative review
This chapter recycles the cause-and-result explanation frame from Chapter 3, the narrative frame from Chapter 2, and connectors and discourse expressions from Chapter 1, treating them as source material to condense and report. It introduces content reporting, the statement pattern of indirect quotation (-다고 하다), and paraphrase technique as new productive tools. No new particle, honorific, or speech-level system is introduced, and the question, command, and suggestion quotation patterns remain at the recognition level only.
Practical Performance Task
수행 과제
요약과 바꿔 말하기 — Summarizing and Reporting Someone Else's Account
You will produce a connected written summary and a corresponding spoken report condensing a real or plausible cause-and-result account, attributing its content accurately using indirect quotation and at least one paraphrased sentence.
- Written: Write your full summary from the Writing Workshop, following the summary frame and editing checklist.
- Spoken: Present the same summary aloud as one connected spoken turn, without reading it word for word.
- Reflection: Write one to two English sentences identifying which part of summarizing you found harder — condensing the content or reporting it with -다고 하다 — and why.
| Criterion | What is evaluated |
|---|---|
| Summary organization | A summary marker, condensed content, and a closing restatement appear in a clear order |
| -다고 하다 accuracy | At least two accurate uses, correctly conjugated for predicate type and tense |
| Paraphrase quality | At least one sentence restates source content in different words rather than copying it |
| Conciseness | Minor background details are appropriately omitted; only essential content remains |
| Cohesion from Chapters 1–3 | Connectors, reason expressions, and result language are used naturally within the reported content |
| Speech-level consistency | Everyday polite -아요/어요 maintained throughout, in writing and speech |
| Hangeul and spacing accuracy | Accurate spelling and level-appropriate spacing throughout, no romanization |
| Scope discipline | No structures used productively beyond Volume II, Chapters 1–4; question, command, and suggestion quotation patterns not used productively |
Answer Key
Grammar — Practice
1. Sample answer: 간단히 말하면, 그 도시가 처음에는 낯설었지만 작은 카페 덕분에 정이 들었다고 해요.
2. Sample answer: 그 글쓴이는 카페 사장님이 반갑게 인사해 줘서 마음이 편해졌다고 했어요.
3. Sample answer: 그 결과, 지금은 그 도시를 고향처럼 느낀다고 하네요.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- According to 라일라's summary, 수아 quit her previous job because she was too stressed (스트레스를 너무 많이 받아서).
- Sample sentence with -다고 하다: 지금은 그림을 가르치는 일을 시작했고, 예전보다 훨씬 행복하다고 했어요 — reporting 수아's own statement about her current happiness.
- 라일라 opens with 한마디로 and names 수아 starting to teach painting, introduced by 그 결과, as the eventual result.
Listening comprehension
- 정우's sibling traveled for several months instead of taking a job right after graduating.
- Sample sentence with -다고 하다: 동생은 자기가 진짜 하고 싶은 일이 뭔지 알게 됐다고 하더라고요 — reporting the sibling's own realization.
- The result named at the end is that the sibling started a new field of work that suits them well; 정우 says he thinks it was fortunate the sibling did not rush.
Reading comprehension
- The neighbor had no interest in cooking when young because she had never had a reason to focus on it (사실상 관심이 없었다고만 언급됨; 이유는 명시되지 않음 — accept "no stated reason, simply had no interest").
- Sample sentence: 아주머니는 젊었을 때 요리에 전혀 관심이 없었다고 해요 — reporting the neighbor's own statement about her past disinterest.
- Sample summary: 간단히 말하면, 아주머니는 요리책을 조금씩 읽고 새로운 음식을 시도하다 보니까 요리 실력이 늘어서 지금은 동네 사람들을 가르칠 정도가 됐다고 해요.
Chapter Review — Section B
1. Sample answer: 지영 씨는 이번 주말에 시간이 없다고 했어요.
2. Sample answer: 민준 씨는 매일 아침에 걷는다고 해요.
3. *바빠요다고 해요 is incorrect because -다고 하다 attaches to the plain form, not the polite -아요/어요 form. Corrected: 바쁘다고 해요.
Section D — Sample "요약과 바꿔 말하기" excerpt
간단히 말하면, 제 친구는 몇 달 전에 새 취미를 찾다가 친구의 추천으로 그림을 그리기 시작했다고 해요. 처음에는 소질이 없어서 자신감이 없었다고 하는데, 계속 관심이 있어서 꾸준히 배워 봤다고 했어요. 매주 조금씩 연습하다 보니까 실력이 늘었고, 그 결과 지금은 친구들한테 그림을 보여 줄 정도로 자신감이 생겼다고 하네요. 다시 말하면, 작은 시도 하나가 새로운 자신감으로 이어진 셈이에요.
Check that: the summary opens with a summary marker, reports at least two statements with -다고 하다, includes at least one paraphrased sentence, omits minor details, and closes with a restatement using 다시 말하면 or 즉.
Looking Ahead
지금 할 수 있는 것 — What you can do now
You can condense a longer explanation into a short, accurate summary, report what someone said using -다고 하다, and paraphrase a sentence without changing its meaning, while continuing to draw on the narrative and explanatory tools from Chapters 1 through 3. This summarizing foundation prepares you for Chapter 5, where you will combine narration and analysis in the first unit assessment.