Lesson 69 (Intermediate 1A Lesson 7): Future Tense Noun Modifier and Polite Refusal

I had thought that I'd have time yesterday (since it was Good Friday) to complete the backlog of posts, but, that didn't happen. I was too tired. (I've actually not handed in the homework for this lesson and the previous lesson. I've already completed the previous lesson's, but this lesson's includes the writing assignment which I'm not done with yet. I thought to hand in all the Chapter 3 together but... eh, at this point... I'm kind of thinking it's too late...)¹

In the week between Lesson 68 and 69, I received the message with the invoice to pay for the next lesson. I'd not realised it was already Lesson 7.

We finished the last grammar point in the handout, then went straight to the video handout. If I recall correctly, we also went through the cards in the Duration of Time Quizlet set as a class, before we finished the lesson covering the textbook.

Grammar

4. V-(으)ㄹ

This is used to modify a noun and indicate a situation or action which has not yet occurred.

This is the future tense noun modifier.² (We have seen the present tense noun modifier and the past tense noun modifier before.)

The conjugation itself is very straightforward. Essentially, we have done it when we learnt the future tense V-(으)ㄹ 거예요.

• 가다 → 갈
• 먹다 → 먹을

If you look at it through the lens of comparing with the present and past forms, you will realise it's exactly the same as the past form, except you have ㄹ instead of ㄴ.

The most tricky part is probably to do with the usage.

Consider the following sentence:

내일이 미나 씨 생일이에요. 그래서 미나 씨한테 줄 생일 선물을 샀어요.

The translation is along the lines of: Tomorrow is Mina's birthday, so I bought her a birthday present.

More literally: Tomorrow is Mina's birthday, so I bought a birthday present to give to her.

The "give" action (줄) makes use of the future noun modifier, even though this is a past tense sentence. The present that I will give in future has already been bought. But because the giving is a future action at the current moment, you have to use the future noun modifier.

Using the past noun modifier (준) would change the meaning. Not only had I bought the present, but I'd already given it to Mina.

Video Handout

For the video handout, there was one thing of interest, which was this particular dialogue:

A: 30 미터쯤 돼요.
B: 30 미터나요? 무삽지 않았어요?

This 나 has no English translation. The teacher said it's used when you feel something is to much or many, that is, the value is higher than what you expected.

In this case the the context was about the height of a bungee jump. The speaker (B) was expressing some surprise that the height was 30 metres, as she was expecting it not to be so high.

I would take it that this grammar construct will appear one day in the textbook.

Refusing a Request Politely (Speaking 2)

This is not the Speaking 2 dialogue itself, but the practice after (on p. 80).

There is this expression 어떡하죠?

Literally translated, it means "What should I do?" but it is an expression used to refuse a request politely. It sounds gentler even than using 미안해요 (I'm sorry).

As an example, if someone invites you out for lunch and you have another appointment, you could say 점심에는 다른 약속이 있는데 어떡하죠?

The use of 어떡하죠 makes it clear to the listener that you are refusing their request.

Vocabulary

Stats

• Students: 6
• Breakout room activities: Yes, Textbook Chapter 3 Speaking 2, Video handout