TOPIK Writing Questions 51 and 52: How to Fill In the Blanks

Questions 51 and 52 on the TOPIK II exam test your ability to complete two missing sentence fragments (marked as ㉠ and ㉡) within short authentic texts. Question 51 presents a practical interpersonal notice, email, or announcement requiring formal polite style (-(스)ㅂ니다), while Question 52 presents an expository definition or scientific explanation requiring plain written style (-(느)ㄴ다). To secure full marks, you must match the exact speech style of the passage, extract clues from surrounding clauses, and avoid spelling mistakes.

Understanding the format: Functional notice vs explanatory paragraph

Questions 51 and 52 serve as the gateway to the TOPIK II writing paper. Together, they offer accessible points that every intermediate candidate should aim to maximize before tackling the longer graph description and argumentative essay tasks. Because these two short questions test targeted syntactic precision rather than extensive essay composition, preparing the standard structural patterns yields an immediate score boost.

The critical distinction between these two questions lies in their communicative purpose and required register. Question 51 mimics real-world functional correspondence: apartment notices, club invitations, second-hand sale listings, or customer inquiries. Because these texts address public audiences or respected recipients, they strictly require formal deferential honorifics like 「-(스)ㅂ니다」 or polite honorific requests like 「-(으)시기 바랍니다」. Question 52, by contrast, presents objective descriptions of natural phenomena, human psychology, or biological mechanisms, requiring non-honorific plain written style 「-(느)ㄴ다」.

• Question 51 characteristics: Functional correspondence (emails, lost-and-found notices, announcements) using formal polite endings (-(스)ㅂ니다, -(스)ㅂ니까).
• Question 52 characteristics: Objective expository texts (scientific facts, psychological insights) using plain written style (-(느)ㄴ다, -다, -(으)ㅁ).
• Core rule: Never mix speech registers within a question; using informal polite endings (-아요/어요) in either question results in heavy point deductions.
• Official guidelines: Verify current test administration rules and writing response sheet formats on the official TOPIK website (topik.go.kr).

Question 51: Matching formal polite style in practical notices

To solve Question 51 accurately, identify the writer's goal immediately upon reading the prompt. Practical notices almost always revolve around three recurring functional intentions: requesting assistance, expressing gratitude, or providing instruction. Identifying whether the prompt is an announcement or an inquiry clarifies the appropriate sentence ending within seconds.

Examine the sentence immediately preceding each blank. If the prompt begins with a conditional clause like 「참석하고 싶으신 분은...」 (Those who wish to attend...), the expected completion naturally involves a deadline or registration method ending in a formal request such as 「신청해 주시기 바랍니다」. If the writer expresses gratitude, patterns like 「감사드립니다」 or 「진심으로 감사드립니다」 fit seamlessly into the blank. Look closely for hints embedded in neighboring sentences that suggest the required verb stem.

Question 52: Using plain written style in explanatory definitions

Question 52 evaluates conceptual precision and academic register. Because the passage is an objective explanation rather than personal correspondence, you must never write honorific suffixes like 「-(으)시-」 or conversational endings. The passage treats the topic from an impartial, scientific perspective.

The missing fragment in Question 52 is almost always paired with a parallel syntactic structure elsewhere in the paragraph. For instance, if the first sentence explains that when temperatures drop, blood vessels contract, and the second sentence begins with an opposing transition marker, the required verb is simply the antonym conjugated in plain style: 「확장된다」 or 「늘어난다」. Look for contrastive markers like 「반면에」, 「그러나」, or 「달리」 to locate the matching verb stem.

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Key strategies to find the exact missing phrase

Always re-read the entire sentence with your candidate answer inserted to confirm grammatical harmony. Check that your verb matches the preceding particle: if the particle before the blank is accusative 「-을/를」, your answer must be a transitive verb; if the particle is subjective 「-이/가」, consider whether a passive verb or adjective is required. Particle agreement errors are a leading source of lost marks.

Keep your answers concise. The testing rubric rewards accurate grammatical conjugation and appropriate vocabulary far more than lengthy, convoluted phrasing. A clean four-to-six syllable phrase that fits the syntactic structure perfectly will earn maximum points. Do not try to write entire compound paragraphs inside the blank box.

What happens if I use the wrong speech style in Question 51 or 52?

Speech style consistency is one of the strictest grading criteria on the TOPIK writing rubric. If you provide a grammatically correct verb meaning in Question 51 but write it in plain style (-(느)ㄴ다) instead of formal polite style (-(스)ㅂ니다), examiners will deduct partial marks. Similarly, writing formal endings in Question 52 violates the objective expository tone of the text. Always match the established register of the prompt.

Can I use informal polite style (-아요/어요) in Question 51?

No, you must never use informal polite style (-아요/어요) anywhere on the TOPIK II writing exam. Question 51 requires formal polite style (-(스)ㅂ니다), while Questions 52, 53, and 54 strictly require plain written style (-(느)ㄴ다). The informal polite style is considered a conversational spoken form and is unacceptable in formal Korean written examinations.

How much time should I spend on Questions 51 and 52?

You should spend no more than ten to twelve minutes total solving both Question 51 and Question 52 combined. That allows approximately five minutes per question to read the context, locate the parallel syntactic clues, and write out your clean final phrases. Spending fifteen or twenty minutes here deprives you of the extensive time required to plan and execute the 600–700 syllable essay in Question 54.

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