Comprehensive Guide to TOPIK 101 Writing Question 52: Chronic Headaches and Painkillers

Question 52 of the TOPIK II Writing section assesses your ability to identify logical relationships within a text and supply the missing content using appropriate vocabulary and grammar. This specific question from the 101st exam focuses on medical advice regarding chronic headaches, requiring you to recognize contrastive structures and cause-and-effect relationships.

The Question Prompt

※ [51~52] 다음을 읽고 ㉠과 ㉡에 들어갈 말을 각각 한 문장으로 쓰시오.

두통이 낫지 않고 계속되면 진통제를 먹게 된다. 그러나 만성두통을 치료하려면 약을 계속 ㉠ 어디가 어떻게 아픈지 살펴봐야 한다. 왜냐하면 아픈 위치나 특징에 따라 원인이 ㉡.

Translation: If a headache does not improve and continues, one ends up taking painkillers. However, to treat chronic headaches, [rather than/instead of] continuing to take medicine, one must examine where and how it hurts. Because depending on the pain location or characteristics, the cause [is different/varies].

Analysis of Blank ㉠

What is ㉠ Testing?

This blank tests your ability to form a logical contrast within an instructional context. You must recognize that the text advises against one action (continuously taking medicine) in favor of another action (examining the pain). Grammatically, this requires a form that expresses "rather than doing X" or "instead of just doing X."

Key Signal Words and Patterns

To answer this correctly, you must analyze the conjunctions and the surrounding verb phrases that dictate the logical flow.

Contrastive Conjunction: 그러나 (However)

The word '그러나' at the beginning of the sentence is the primary logical operator. It signals that the following clause will contradict or offer an alternative to the previous sentence. The first sentence establishes the habit: "one ends up taking painkillers." The second sentence, starting with "However," implies that for chronic headaches, simply taking painkillers is insufficient. This forces the blank to contain a negative or comparative nuance regarding "taking medicine."

• Example: 고기를 많이 먹었다. 그러나 채소는 먹지 않았다. (I ate a lot of meat. However, I did not eat vegetables.)
• Example: 열심히 공부했다. 그러나 시험에 합격하지 못했다. (I studied hard. However, I could not pass the exam.)

Object-Verb Collocation: 약을 (Medicine)

The object '약을' (medicine) appears immediately before the blank. In Korean, specific nouns pair with specific verbs. For medicine, the correct verb is '먹다' (to eat/take) or the more formal '복용하다' (to ingest/take). Using verbs like '마시다' (to drink) or '하다' (to do) would be unnatural. The blank must inherently include the verb '먹다' or '복용하다' to complete the phrase "take medicine."

• Example: 식사 후에 약을 드세요. (Please take the medicine after the meal.)
• Example: 감기 약을 먹고 잤다. (I took cold medicine and went to sleep.)

Instructional Ending: ~아야/어야 한다 (Must do)

The sentence ends with '살펴봐야 한다' (must examine). This structure indicates advice or obligation. When giving advice that contrasts two actions (Action A vs. Action B), the structure often follows the pattern: "Do not do A, (but) you must do B" or "Rather than A, you must do B." The blank represents Action A (taking medicine), which is being de-emphasized.

• Example: 말로만 하지 말고 행동으로 보여줘야 한다. (Don't just say it with words, you must show it with actions.)
• Example: 집에서 쉬기보다는 밖에서 운동을 해야 한다. (Rather than resting at home, you must exercise outside.)

Analysis of Correct Model Answers for ㉠

• Model Answer 1: 먹기보다는

  • Grammar Point: ~기보다는 (Rather than) This pattern attaches to a verb stem to indicate that the following action is preferable to the preceding one. It turns the verb into a noun form (~기) and adds the particle 보다 (than) to create a comparison. It is the standard way to say "Rather than doing X, do Y."
    • Example: 택시를 타기보다는 지하철을 타는 게 빨라요. (It is faster to take the subway rather than taking a taxi.)
    • Example: 포기하기보다는 다시 한번 도전해 보세요. (Rather than giving up, try challenging it one more time.)
  • Why it's correct here: The sentence suggests that while taking medicine is the default reaction, examining the pain is the better strategy for chronic issues. 먹기보다는 perfectly captures this nuance of preference.

• Model Answer 2: 먹지만 말고

  • Grammar Point: ~지 말고 (Do not do X, but...) The grammar ~지 말다 creates a prohibition. When combined with the connector -고 (and/but), it creates the structure "Don't do X, and/but (do Y instead)." Adding the particle ~만 (only) creates ~지만 말고, meaning "Don't only do X."
    • Example: 걱정만 하지 말고 준비를 시작해라. (Don't just worry, start preparing.)
    • Example: 듣고만 있지 말고 말을 해 보세요. (Don't just listen, try speaking.)
  • Why it's correct here: This fits the medical advice context well. It acknowledges that the patient is taking medicine but advises that they shouldn't stop there—they must also check the symptoms.

Analysis of Common Incorrect Answers for ㉠

• Incorrect Answer: 먹기 보다는

  • Why it's wrong: This is a spacing error. In Korean grammar, particles (조사) must be attached directly to the preceding word without a space. '보다' acts as a particle of comparison here. Therefore, it must be written as '먹기보다는', not '먹기 보다는'. Writing errors like this usually result in a deduction of points even if the vocabulary and grammar choice are correct.

• Incorrect Answer: 먹지 않고

  • Why it's wrong: While grammatically sound, '~지 않고' (without doing) is slightly off in nuance compared to the required advice. '먹지 않고' implies total abstinence: "Examine the pain without taking medicine." However, the prompt implies "Don't just take medicine" or "Prioritize examining over taking medicine." The prompt focuses on the method of treatment logic rather than a strict prohibition of the drug itself. ~지 말고 (imperative/suggestion) is the stronger fit for the closing ~아야 한다 (must).

• Incorrect Answer: 먹기 전에

  • Why it's wrong: This changes the logic to time-sequencing ("Before taking medicine..."). While plausible in isolation, it weakens the contrast signaled by '그러나' (However). The text is arguing that for chronic headaches, taking medicine isn't the solution—finding the cause is. "Before taking medicine" implies you will still take the medicine immediately after checking, whereas the text suggests the medicine might be unnecessary or ineffective if the root cause isn't found.

• Incorrect Answer: 먹지말고

  • Why it's wrong: This is another spacing error. The negation ~지 말다 consists of the ending ~지 and the auxiliary verb 말다. When conjugating 말다 with -고, a space is required between the main verb's ~지 form and 말고. It must be written as '먹지 말고'.

Analysis of Blank ㉡

What is ㉡ Testing?

This blank tests the strict logical structure of "Cause and Reason." Specifically, it looks for the pairing of the signal word "Because" with the correct sentence ending "because it is..." Additionally, it tests the semantic collocation of "Depending on X, Y is different/various."

Key Signal Words and Patterns

The sentence structure here is rigid. Missing the pattern dictated by "Because" or "Depending on" guarantees a loss of points.

Causal Conjunction: 왜냐하면 (Because)

The sentence begins with '왜냐하면'. This is a specific adverb introducing a reason. In written Korean, if a sentence starts with '왜냐하면', it is almost grammatically mandatory for the sentence to end with '~기 때문이다' (it is because...).

• Example: 왜냐하면 비가 왔기 때문이다. (Because it rained.)
• Example: 왜냐하면 시간이 없었기 때문이다. (Because I didn't have time.)

Dependency Structure: N에 따라 (Depending on N)

The phrase '위치나 특징에 따라' (depending on location or characteristics) appears in the middle of the sentence. The structure '~에 따라' indicates that the subject (the cause) changes or varies in relation to the noun. The most common predicates that follow this structure are '다르다' (to be different), '달라지다' (to become different/change), or '다양하다' (to be various).

• Example: 사람에 따라 생각하는 것이 다르다. (Ways of thinking differ depending on the person.)
• Example: 계절에 따라 옷차림이 달라진다. (Attire changes depending on the season.)

Subject: 원인이 (The cause)

The subject of the clause is '원인이'. You must choose a verb or adjective that logically describes a "cause" in the context of it being conditional on location. Causes "vary" or "differ." They do not "know" (알다) or "follow" (따르다) in this context.

Analysis of Correct Model Answers for ㉡

• Model Answer 1: 다르기 때문이다

  • Grammar Point: ~기 때문이다 (It is because...) This pattern nominalizes the adjective 다르다 (different) into 다르기 and adds 때문이다 to indicate the reason. It is the necessary closer for 왜냐하면.
  • Why it's correct here: The sentence logic is: "Depending on the location, the cause is different." Combining '다르다' with the required causal ending results in 다르기 때문이다.

• Model Answer 2: 달라질 수 있기 때문이다

  • Grammar Point: ~아/어지다 + ~ㄹ 수 있다 (Change of state + Possibility) Here, 다르다 becomes 달라지다 (to vary/become different). Adding ~ㄹ 수 있다 (can) softens the statement to "can vary." Finally, ~기 때문이다 is added.
  • Why it's correct here: It expresses that the cause can change depending on the symptoms. This is a very precise and high-level way to express medical variability.

Analysis of Common Incorrect Answers for ㉡

• Incorrect Answer: 때문이다

  • Why it's wrong: This is grammatically incomplete. '때문이다' is a bound noun phrase that relies on a preceding modifier. You cannot say "The cause is because." You must say "The cause is different because." The student omitted the actual content (verb/adjective) of the sentence.

• Incorrect Answer: 있기 때문이다

  • Why it's wrong: This means "because the cause exists." Logically, a cause exists for any headache regardless of location. The point of the sentence is not the existence of the cause, but the variability of the cause based on the pain's location. The verb '있다' (to exist) fails to connect with the 'N에 따라' (depending on) signal.

• Incorrect Answer: 다릅니다

  • Why it's wrong: There are two errors here. First, it misses the '~기 때문이다' structure required by '왜냐하면'. Second, it uses the Polite Formal style (-습니다/봅니다). The text provided is in the Plain Form (Narrative style like ~한다, ~된다). In TOPIK writing, you must match the speech level of the text.

• Incorrect Answer: 다르게 때문이다

  • Why it's wrong: This is a conjugation error. '다르게' is an adverbial form (differently). '때문이다' is a noun-based structure that requires the nominalized form of the verb/adjective preceding it, formed by adding -기. The correct conjugation is '다르기', not '다르게'.

• Incorrect Answer: 따르기 때문이다

  • Why it's wrong: This is a vocabulary error. The student likely confused '다르다' (to be different) with '따르다' (to follow). While '따르다' is a valid verb, saying "the cause follows" does not fit the context of medical diagnosis based on symptoms.

• Incorrect Answer: 알기 때문이다

  • Why it's wrong: This is a semantic error. '알다' (to know) requires a sentient subject. A "cause" (원인) cannot "know" anything. The sentence "The cause knows" is nonsensical.

Practical Tips for Test-Takers

1. Match the "Why" with the "Because": Whenever you see '왜냐하면' (Because) at the start of a sentence in Question 52, immediately prepare to end your answer with '~기 때문이다'. This is one of the most consistent rules in TOPIK writing.

2. Master the "Depending on" Pattern: The phrase '~에 따라' is a massive clue. Memorize the verbs that naturally follow it. If you see ~에 따라, the blank almost certainly needs '다르다' (different), '달라지다' (varies/changes), or '다양하다' (various).

3. Check Spacing for Particles: Never put a space before particles like '보다' (than), '는' (topic marker), or '을/를' (object marker). 먹기 보다는 is wrong; 먹기보다는 is correct.

4. Observe the Text's Speech Level: Look at the sentence endings in the prompt (~한다, ~된다). These are Plain Form. Never write your answer in polite form (~요, ~습니다) if the text is in Plain Form.

5. Identify the Contrast: If you see '그러나' (However) or '하지만', look at the sentence before it. Your answer usually needs to be the logical opposite or the "better alternative" to the action mentioned previously. Use forms like ~기보다는 or ~지 말고 to express this.