자료와 숫자 설명Explaining Data and Numbers
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Use vocabulary for surveys, results, graphs, and quantity description.
- State percentages accurately using Sino-Korean numbers with 퍼센트 or %.
- Attribute information to a source using 에 따르면 ("according to").
- Describe change over time or between groups using 증가하다 ("to increase") and 감소하다 ("to decrease"), and everyday equivalents 늘다/줄다.
- Describe a share or proportion of a whole using 차지하다 ("to make up, to account for").
- Combine data description with the comparison and preference frames from Chapter 12 to support a conclusion.
- Read and interpret a short chart or graph description in Korean, identifying what is measured, the source, and the trend.
- Write and present a short spoken or written summary of data that states a source, a key figure, a trend, and a conclusion.
This chapter introduces percentage and statistical-description language as new productive systems. It builds directly on the comparison, superlative, and preference-reasoning patterns from Chapter 12 (보다, 가장/제일, 중에서, -는 게 더 낫다/좋다) by using them to support conclusions drawn from data. It does not introduce new speech levels or new honorific systems.
Opening Scenario
After the group voted to recommend the market tour in Chapter 12, the instructor has asked each student to support the class's final decision with real data. 지영 finds a short survey about how much time international students spend using Korean outside class, and the group must summarize it, describe the trend it shows, and connect the numbers back to their earlier recommendation. 민준 is especially interested in how the numbers compare across different activities, while 라일라 wants to make sure the presentation clearly states where the data came from.
- You will build vocabulary for surveys, results, and quantity description.
- You will learn to state percentages, attribute information to a source with 에 따르면, and describe increase, decrease, and proportion.
- You will combine data description with the comparison and preference language from Chapter 12 to support a conclusion with evidence.
Core Vocabulary
The following items support this chapter's data-and-numbers domain. All items below are productive at the level indicated.
| Korean | Meaning | Category / Note |
|---|---|---|
| 자료 | data, material | noun |
| 조사 | survey, investigation | noun |
| 조사하다 | to survey, to investigate | action verb |
| 결과 | result | noun |
| 퍼센트 | percent | noun; loanword, used after Sino-Korean numbers |
| 비율 | rate, proportion | noun |
| 그래프 | graph | noun; loanword |
| 도표 | chart, diagram | noun |
| 막대그래프 | bar graph | noun; compound of 막대 (bar/stick) + 그래프 |
| 원그래프 | pie chart | noun; compound of 원 (circle) + 그래프 |
| 항목 | item, category (in a chart) | noun |
| 전체 | the whole, total | noun |
| 평균 | average | noun |
| 증가하다 | to increase | action verb; formal/written register |
| 감소하다 | to decrease | action verb; formal/written register |
| 늘다 | to increase, to grow | action verb; everyday register, recycled sense from Volume II |
| 줄다 | to decrease, to shrink | action verb; everyday register |
| 차지하다 | to make up, to account for (a share) | action verb |
| 순위 | rank, ranking | noun; recycled with 가장/제일 from Ch. 11 |
| 응답자 | respondent | noun; formal register |
| 약 | approximately, about | adverb; precedes a number |
| 거의 | almost, nearly | adverb; recycled from Volume II |
| 절반 | half | noun |
| -에 따르면 | according to ~ | source-attribution frame; attaches to a noun |
| 나타나다 | to appear, to show (of a result) | action verb; often used as 결과가 나타나다 |
Productive lexical load: approximately 24 items above, within the Volume III range of 35–60 once recycled cumulative items from Chapters 1 through 12 are included.
Pronunciation Focus
Percentages use Sino-Korean numbers, recycled from earlier volumes, spoken smoothly together with 퍼센트: 이십오 퍼센트 ("twenty-five percent"), 오십 퍼센트 ("fifty percent"). Listen for the batchim of 십 linking naturally into the following syllable when a number like 십일 ("eleven") precedes 퍼센트, an instance of liaison recycled from earlier chapters.
Also practice the pronunciation of 증가하다 and 감소하다: both are Sino-Korean compounds, and each syllable should be pronounced clearly and evenly, without the vowel reduction that might occur in faster native-vocabulary verbs. This formal, deliberate rhythm is typical of news and academic pronunciation, previewed receptively here and developed further in Volume IV.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter introduces percentage description, source attribution, and change/proportion language as new productive systems, and connects them to the comparison and preference frames already active from Chapter 12.
1. Stating Percentages and Proportions
Percentages are formed with a Sino-Korean number followed by 퍼센트, recycled from the Sino-Korean number system introduced in Volume I and expanded across Volume II. 약 ("approximately") may precede the number when the figure is rounded, and 거의 ("almost") or 절반 ("half") may replace an exact figure in less formal contexts.
- 응답자의 약 60퍼센트가 한국 드라마를 통해 한국어를 배우기 시작했어요. — "About 60 percent of respondents began learning Korean through Korean dramas."
- 거의 절반이 매일 한국어로 일기를 써요. — "Almost half write a diary in Korean every day."
- 학생의 30퍼센트가 시장 투어를 선택했어요. Thirty percent of the students chose the market tour. 30퍼센트 + 가 (subject); 학생의 (possessive)
- 전체의 절반 정도가 등산에 관심이 있었어요. About half of the total were interested in hiking. 전체의 절반 정도 (approximate proportion)
2. Attributing Information with 에 따르면
에 따르면 attaches to a noun naming a source — a survey, a report, an article, or a person — and means "according to ~." It typically opens the sentence, with the reported information following. This is the first formal source-attribution frame in the series and previews the fuller quotation and citation systems developed later in Volume III and Volume IV.
에 따르면 is commonly followed by a clause ending in -다고 하다 or by a plain statement of the result, depending on how directly the source is being quoted.
- 이 조사에 따르면 학생들의 70퍼센트가 시장 투어를 가장 좋아해요. — "According to this survey, 70 percent of students like the market tour best."
- 지영의 자료에 따르면 등산을 선택한 학생의 수가 지난달보다 늘었어요. — "According to 지영's data, the number of students who chose hiking has increased compared to last month."
- 이 조사에 따르면 응답자의 절반이 한국어 뉴스를 이해할 수 있어요. According to this survey, half of the respondents can understand Korean news. 이 조사 + 에 따르면 (source attribution)
3. Describing Change and Share: 증가하다/감소하다, 늘다/줄다, 차지하다
증가하다 ("to increase") and 감소하다 ("to decrease") are formal, written-register action verbs common in reports and news. 늘다 and 줄다 express the same meanings in a more everyday register and are equally productive in this chapter. All four verbs are often used with -보다 to compare two points in time, recycling the comparison pattern from Chapter 12.
차지하다 ("to make up, to account for") describes what portion of a whole a category represents, and is typically used with a percentage or proportion expression as its object.
- 시장 투어를 선택한 학생 수가 작년보다 증가했어요. — "The number of students who chose the market tour increased compared to last year."
- 박물관을 선택한 학생은 전체의 20퍼센트를 차지해요. — "Students who chose the museum make up 20 percent of the total."
- 등산을 선택하는 학생 수가 점점 줄고 있어요. The number of students choosing hiking is gradually decreasing. 줄다 + -고 있다 (ongoing, recycled from Ch. 2)
- 시장 투어가 전체 응답의 절반 이상을 차지해요. The market tour accounts for more than half of all responses. 차지하다 + 절반 이상 (more than half)
[source: (자료/조사) 에 따르면] + [figure: (약) 숫자퍼센트가 ~해요 / ~을/를 차지해요] + [trend: 증가하다/감소하다/늘다/줄다] + [conclusion, using Ch. 12 comparison/preference: 그래서 A가 B보다 더 ~라고 생각해요 / A에 가는 게 더 낫다고 생각해요]
This frame lets learners cite a source, state a figure or share, describe a trend, and connect the data back to a comparative conclusion or preference — combining this chapter's new systems with the comparison-and-preference frame from Chapter 12.
| Marker | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 숫자 + 퍼센트 | states a percentage | 60퍼센트 |
| 약 / 거의 / 절반 | approximates or rounds a figure | 약 30퍼센트, 거의 절반 |
| 에 따르면 | attributes information to a source | 이 조사에 따르면 |
| 증가하다 / 감소하다 | describes formal increase/decrease | 참가자 수가 증가했어요. |
| 늘다 / 줄다 | describes everyday increase/decrease | 시간이 늘었어요. |
| 차지하다 | states a share of a whole | 30퍼센트를 차지해요. |
You are expected to produce all patterns above, combined with the comparison and preference frames from Chapter 12, within this chapter's controlled tasks.
Practice — Recognizing data-description language
- Read the Model Dialogue and underline every percentage, circle every use of 에 따르면, and box every change or proportion verb.
- For each percentage you find, state in English what it measures.
- Identify one sentence where a data point is connected to a comparison or preference from Chapter 12, and name both frames used.
Model Dialogue
지영, 민준, 라일라, and 수아 review survey results to support the class's field trip recommendation.
Context: classroom, small group discussion preparing a short presentation for the instructor. Everyday polite style, informal but respectful discussion between classmates.
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- What percentage of students like the market tour best, according to the survey?
- What share of the total do the museum and hiking each account for?
- How has the percentage choosing the market tour changed since two years ago?
- What conclusion does 라일라 draw, and what does she base it on?
Guided Practice
- Write five sentences stating percentages about a topic of your choice (for example, class preferences, daily habits, free-time activities).
- Rewrite three of your sentences above so that each begins with a source using 에 따르면.
- Write three sentences describing change over time using 증가하다/감소하다 or 늘다/줄다.
- Write two sentences describing a share of a whole using 차지하다.
- Combine one data sentence above with a comparison or preference sentence from Chapter 12 to state a supported conclusion.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a language partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a measured pace. Listen twice without reading, then complete the tasks below.
라디오 뉴스 코너: 대학생 여가 활동 조사
한 대학 신문사의 조사에 따르면 대학생들의 여가 활동이 지난 3년간 크게 변화했습니다. 온라인 스트리밍을 이용하는 학생은 전체의 45퍼센트를 차지하며, 3년 전보다 증가했습니다. 반면에 직접 만나서 활동하는 모임에 참여하는 학생은 감소해서 지금은 약 20퍼센트에 불과합니다. 운동을 하는 학생의 비율은 30퍼센트 정도로 큰 변화가 없었습니다. 이 조사에 따르면 대학생들의 여가 활동은 점점 더 개인적인 방향으로 바뀌고 있는 것으로 나타났습니다.
듣기 과제 — Listening task: Listen and answer in English.
| 질문 | 답 |
|---|---|
| What percentage of students use online streaming, and how has it changed? | ______ |
| What has happened to participation in in-person meetup groups? | ______ |
| What is true about the percentage of students who exercise? | ______ |
| What overall trend does the survey suggest? | ______ |
Reading Practice
Read the short chart description below, written by 민준 for the class presentation, then answer the questions that follow.
현장 학습 선호도 (Field Trip Preference, this year's survey)
민준의 글: 현장 학습 선호도 조사 결과
이 도표는 우리 반 학생들이 선호하는 현장 학습 옵션을 보여 줍니다. 이 조사에 따르면 응답자의 65퍼센트가 시장 투어를 선택했고, 이는 전체 응답의 절반이 넘습니다. 박물관은 20퍼센트, 등산은 15퍼센트를 차지했습니다. 작년 자료와 비교하면 시장 투어를 선택한 학생의 비율이 크게 증가했고, 등산을 선택한 학생의 비율은 감소했습니다. 이 결과를 보면 시장 투어가 다른 두 옵션보다 훨씬 더 인기가 많다는 것을 알 수 있습니다. 그래서 저는 이 자료를 근거로 시장 투어에 가는 게 더 낫다고 생각합니다.
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- What percentage of students chose each of the three options?
- How did the market tour's percentage change compared to last year, and what about hiking?
- What conclusion does 민준 draw, and what does he base it on?
- Identify one use of 에 따르면, one use of 차지하다, and one use of 증가하다 or 감소하다 in the passage.
Writing Workshop
This chapter's writing task asks you to summarize a set of data, describe a trend, and connect it to a supported conclusion using the comparison and preference frames from Chapter 12.
- Choose or invent a simple data set. For example, a survey of classmates' habits, preferences, or activities with approximate percentages.
- Name your source. Use (자료/조사)에 따르면 to open your summary.
- State the key figures. Use Sino-Korean numbers with 퍼센트, and 차지하다 where useful.
- Describe the trend. Use 증가하다/감소하다 or 늘다/줄다 to describe change over time or between groups.
- Draw a conclusion. Use a comparison or preference sentence from Chapter 12, supported by a reason from Chapter 11.
- Revise. Check your draft against the checklist below.
체크리스트 — Editing checklist:
- The paragraph follows the data-description-and-conclusion frame: source, figures, trend, conclusion.
- 에 따르면 is used correctly to name a source.
- Percentages are stated accurately with Sino-Korean numbers and 퍼센트.
- 차지하다 or a change verb (증가하다/감소하다/늘다/줄다) is used correctly.
- The conclusion uses a comparison or preference frame from Chapter 12, supported by a reason.
- Speech level is consistent throughout (everyday polite, unless your instructor assigns formal style).
- Only Hangeul is used; no romanization appears.
- Spacing and particles are accurate throughout.
- No grammar or vocabulary beyond Volume III, Chapters 1–13, appears productively.
Speaking Practice
통제 연습 — Controlled practice: 숫자와 자료 말하기
Take turns with a partner reading percentages aloud from the Reading Practice chart, then restating each figure using 에 따르면 and 차지하다.
의사소통 과제 — Communicative task: 짝과 함께 자료 발표하기
With a partner, present the data you invented for the Writing Workshop. State your source, your key figures, the trend, and your conclusion. Your partner should ask at least one follow-up question about a figure or the trend.
혼자 하는 연습 — Solo alternative
Record yourself presenting your Writing Workshop data aloud: state a source, at least two figures, a trend, and a supported conclusion.
Culture and Communication
In Korean academic, journalistic, and workplace presentations, it is standard practice to name the source of a figure before stating the figure itself, using a frame like 이 조사에 따르면. Presenting a percentage without naming where it came from can make a claim sound unsupported, even in an informal class presentation.
Building on the group-decision practices from Chapter 12, Korean classroom, workplace, and community discussions often move from individual opinions toward a shared recommendation supported by concrete evidence, such as a survey result or a comparison of figures. Citing data, as 라일라 and 민준 do here, is a common way to strengthen a recommendation before it is finalized, for example by a vote.
증가하다 and 감소하다 are common in news reports, academic writing, and formal presentations, while 늘다 and 줄다 are equally correct but sound more like everyday conversation. Both pairs are treated as productive and level-appropriate in this chapter; Volume IV will refine the distinction between formal and everyday statistical language further.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Writing 응답자의 65퍼센트가 시장 투어를 좋아해요 이 조사에 따르면., adding the source attribution as an afterthought at the end of the sentence.
Correction: 에 따르면 normally opens the sentence, naming the source before the reported information: 이 조사에 따르면 응답자의 65퍼센트가 시장 투어를 좋아해요.
Error: Writing 박물관은 20퍼센트가 있어요., treating a proportion as if it were simple possession or existence.
Correction: Use 차지하다 to describe a share of a whole: 박물관은 전체의 20퍼센트를 차지해요. ("The museum makes up 20 percent of the total.")
Error: Writing only 시장 투어가 증가했어요. with no indication of what point in time or group is being compared, leaving the trend unclear.
Correction: Name the comparison point, recycling 보다 from Chapter 12: 시장 투어를 선택한 학생 수가 작년보다 증가했어요.
Chapter Review
Section A — 어휘 (Vocabulary)
1. Give the meaning of 조사, 비율, and 평균, and use each in a short original sentence.
Section B — 문법 (Grammar)
1. Write one sentence stating a percentage, and one sentence attributing that percentage to a source with 에 따르면.
2. Write one sentence describing an increase or decrease using 증가하다/감소하다 or 늘다/줄다.
3. Write one sentence describing a share of a whole using 차지하다, and connect it to a comparison or preference sentence from Chapter 12.
Section C — 독해 이해 (Reading Comprehension)
1. Summarize 민준's data paragraph in three to four English sentences, naming the source, the key figures, the trend, and his conclusion.
Section D — 쓰기 (Writing)
1. Write your own data-summary paragraph following the Writing Workshop steps and checklist.
Section E — 말하기 (Speaking)
1. Present your data paragraph aloud with a partner or record yourself, following the Speaking Practice guidance above.
누적 복습 — Cumulative review
This chapter recycles the comparison and preference frames from Chapter 12 (보다, 가장/제일, 중에서, -는 게 더 낫다/좋다), the reason-marking expressions from Chapter 11 (왜냐하면 ~ 때문이에요, 그 이유는 ~이에요), the ongoing aspect -고 있다, and the Sino-Korean number system from Volumes I and II. It introduces percentage description, source attribution with 에 따르면, and change/proportion language (증가하다/감소하다, 늘다/줄다, 차지하다) as new productive systems.
Practical Performance Task
수행 과제
자료로 주장 뒷받침하기 — Supporting a Claim with Data
You will write a short data summary that cites a source, states key figures, describes a trend, and connects the data to a comparative conclusion, then present it aloud with a partner.
- Reading: Read 민준's data paragraph and identify the figures, the trend, and his conclusion.
- Written pair: Write a complete data-summary paragraph following the data-description-and-conclusion frame: source, figures, trend, conclusion.
- Spoken restatement: Present your data paragraph aloud with a partner, who asks at least one follow-up question.
- Reflection: Write one to two English sentences identifying which figure in your data was most important to your conclusion, and why.
| Criterion | What is evaluated |
|---|---|
| Reading comprehension | Figures, trend, and conclusion in the model paragraph are correctly identified |
| Percentage accuracy | Sino-Korean numbers and 퍼센트 are used correctly to state figures |
| Source attribution | 에 따르면 is used correctly to name a source |
| Proportion marking | 차지하다 is used correctly to describe a share of a whole |
| Trend description | 증가하다/감소하다 or 늘다/줄다 correctly describes change |
| Supported conclusion | A Chapter 12 comparison or preference frame, supported by a Chapter 11 reason, connects the data to a conclusion |
| Paragraph organization | The paragraph follows the source–figures–trend–conclusion frame |
| Register discipline | Consistent speech level maintained throughout |
| Spoken discussion | Partner presentation includes a source, figures, a trend, and a conclusion, with a follow-up question addressed |
| Hangeul and spacing accuracy | Accurate spelling and level-appropriate spacing throughout, no romanization |
| Scope discipline | No structures used productively beyond Volume III, Chapters 1–13 |
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- According to the survey, 65 percent of students like the market tour best.
- The museum makes up 20 percent of the total, and hiking makes up 15 percent.
- Two years ago the market tour was chosen by 40 percent of students; now it is 65 percent, an increase.
- 라일라 concludes that it is better to recommend the market tour, based on the data showing it is much more popular than the other two options.
Listening comprehension
- 45 percent of students use online streaming, which has increased compared to three years ago.
- Participation in in-person meetup groups has decreased, now at about 20 percent.
- The percentage of students who exercise is about 30 percent, with little change.
- The survey suggests that university students' leisure activities are becoming more individual/personal over time.
Reading comprehension
- The market tour was chosen by 65 percent, the museum by 20 percent, and hiking by 15 percent.
- The market tour's percentage increased significantly compared to last year, while hiking's percentage decreased.
- 민준 concludes that it is better to go on the market tour, based on the data showing it is far more popular than the other two options.
- Sample answer: 에 따르면 — 이 조사에 따르면 응답자의 65퍼센트가 시장 투어를 선택했고; 차지하다 — 박물관은 20퍼센트, 등산은 15퍼센트를 차지했습니다; 증가하다 — 시장 투어를 선택한 학생의 비율이 크게 증가했고.
Chapter Review — Section B
1. Sample answer: 학생의 40퍼센트가 아침에 커피를 마셔요. / 이 조사에 따르면 학생의 40퍼센트가 아침에 커피를 마셔요.
2. Sample answer: 온라인 수업에 참여하는 학생 수가 작년보다 늘었어요.
3. Sample answer: 그룹 스터디는 전체의 50퍼센트를 차지해요. 그래서 저는 그룹으로 공부하는 게 더 낫다고 생각해요.
Section D — Sample response
이 조사에 따르면 우리 반 학생의 55퍼센트가 온라인 강의로 공부해요. 반면에 혼자 공부하는 학생은 25퍼센트, 그룹 스터디를 하는 학생은 20퍼센트를 차지해요. 작년 자료와 비교하면 온라인 강의를 선택하는 학생 수가 계속 증가했고, 혼자 공부하는 학생 수는 감소했어요. 이 자료를 보면 온라인 강의가 다른 방법보다 훨씬 더 인기가 많다는 것을 알 수 있어요. 그래서 저는 이 자료를 근거로 온라인 강의로 공부하는 게 더 낫다고 생각해요.
Check that: the paragraph follows the source–figures–trend–conclusion frame, uses 에 따르면 correctly to name a source, uses 차지하다 and a change verb correctly, and supports its conclusion with a Chapter 12 comparison or preference frame and a Chapter 11 reason.
Looking Ahead
지금 할 수 있는 것 — What you can do now
You can state percentages, attribute information to a source, describe increase, decrease, and proportion, and connect data to a comparative conclusion, both in writing and in spoken presentation. These skills prepare you for Chapter 14, where you will use this evidence-based reasoning in live discussion, learning to take turns, disagree respectfully, ask for clarification, and participate in a moderated debate.