TOPIK Writing Task 53: How to Describe Graphs in Korean
Task 53 is a pattern-recognition test. Learn the 10 trend/comparison phrases that make graph description mechanical.
For Korean learners preparing for TOPIK II — intermediate level
Task 54 gets all the attention because it's the long essay. But Task 53 — the 200–300 character graph/chart description — is where a lot of otherwise strong candidates lose easy points. Not because the Korean is harder, but because they've never practiced the specific vocabulary and sentence patterns that data description requires.
Task 53 isn't really a writing-skill test. It's a pattern-recognition test: do you know the fixed phrases Korean uses to describe trends, comparisons, and proportions? Once you know them, the task becomes mechanical — which makes it one of the fastest sections to improve.
What Task 53 Actually Asks You to Do
You're given a graph, chart, or table (often about a survey result, a statistic, or a trend over time) and asked to describe it factually in 200–300 characters. No opinion, no argument — just accurate description of what the data shows.
Examiners are checking for:
- Accurate reading of the data — did you describe what's actually shown, not what you assume?
- Correct use of trend/comparison vocabulary — the specific verbs and expressions Korean uses for "increased," "decreased," "the largest share," etc.
- Appropriate connectors — linking multiple data points into one coherent description, not a list of disconnected sentences.
- Formal register (문어체) — same requirement as Task 54, just at shorter length.
The Core Vocabulary You Need
Most Task 53 failures come down to not knowing (or misusing) these patterns. Learn these ten and you can describe almost any graph:
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ~는 것으로 나타났다 | "was shown to be ~" | 응답자의 60%가 찬성하는 것으로 나타났다 |
| ~에 비해 증가했다 | "increased compared to ~" | 작년에 비해 20% 증가했다 |
| ~에 비해 감소했다 | "decreased compared to ~" | 전년 대비 15% 감소했다 |
| ~로 나타났다 / ~로 조사되었다 | "was found to be ~" | 1위는 '가격'으로 나타났다 |
| 가장 큰 비중을 차지하다 | "makes up the largest share" | '편리함'이 가장 큰 비중을 차지했다 |
| 그 뒤를 이어 | "followed by" | '품질', 그 뒤를 이어 '가격' 순으로 나타났다 |
| ~와/과 달리 | "unlike ~" | 남성과 달리 여성은 ~ |
| 꾸준히 증가/감소하는 추세이다 | "shows a steady upward/downward trend" | 이용률은 꾸준히 증가하는 추세이다 |
| ~배 증가했다 | "increased by a factor of ~" | 2배 증가했다 |
| 반면(에) | "on the other hand" | 반면 20대는 낮은 비율을 보였다 |
A Simple 4-Sentence Structure
Task 53 responses that score well almost always follow the same shape:
- Overview sentence — what the graph is about, in one line.
- Main finding — the largest or most notable data point.
- Secondary finding / comparison — a second data point, connected with 그 뒤를 이어 or ~에 비해.
- Trend or conclusion sentence — summarize the overall pattern (증가하는 추세이다, etc.).
Example, describing a survey on why people use language-learning apps:
이 그래프는 언어 학습 앱을 사용하는 이유에 대한 설문 조사 결과이다. 응답자의 45%가 '편리함'을 가장 큰 이유로 꼽아 가장 큰 비중을 차지했다. 그 뒤를 이어 '비용 절감'이 30%로 나타났으며, '재미'라고 답한 응답자는 15%에 그쳤다. 전반적으로 편리함과 비용을 중시하는 경향이 뚜렷하게 나타났다.
That's a complete Task 53 answer built entirely from the ten patterns above.
Why Practicing This With Real Writing (Not Just Memorization) Matters
Flashcarding the ten patterns gets you halfway. The other half is producing them correctly under time pressure, with the right particle attached to the right number or noun — which is exactly what breaks down on test day if you've only ever recognized the patterns passively, never typed them yourself.
A fast way to close that gap: write a short "fake Task 53" description in your Korean diary a few times a week — pick any statistic from daily life (your study time this week vs. last week, how many entries you wrote this month vs. last month) and describe it using these patterns. Getting instant correction on particle attachment (~에 비해 vs ~보다) and verb form (증가했다 vs 증가되었다) turns passive knowledge into something you can produce on demand.
Try describing a real trend from your own week — get instant feedback on the grammar and formality. Try Korean Diary AI →
Recommended TOPIK Resources
Affiliate disclosure: Links below are Amazon affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
- Complete Guide to the TOPIK II — Intermediate/Advanced — Includes dedicated practice sets for Task 53's graph-description format with model answers.
- Korean Grammar in Use: Intermediate — Covers comparison and trend grammar (~에 비해, ~는 반면에) that Task 53 relies on most.