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IELTS complex sentences and how to make your writing more complex

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Complex sentences are important for a Band 7 score, but it's more important to be clear. This lesson shows you how to do both.

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Comments

    • This method is super useful. I believe I could do much better than before. Not only computer can systemize to do things, but also students could make sentences in structural way. Thank you for sharing.

    • Thanks for your comment Mahdi and thanks for choosing my website!
      Best wishes
      Fiona

  5. Emphasis on how to eloborate lengthy sentences from simple ones is excellent.what non native speakers are expecting from you is fulfilled in your article.Thank you.

  6. Fantastic… Explains what students really need. I have never seen such a beautiful site with amazing explanation.

    Great teacher.

  7. Fantastic… Explains what students really need. I have never seen such a beautiful site with amazing explanation.

    Great teacher.

  8. As a non-native English teacher, I’ve been preparing a student of mine for Ielts. The other day he asked me a question about the band descriptors for band 7; in particular, he wanted to know what those actually ask for, when they mention “grammatical range” (assuming he knew what accuracy is). My answer was quite simple: they expect you to use (without forcing)a variety of complex sentences. In other words each complex sentence has to be different from another. The example I gave him was the following:
    “Let’s assume an essay consists of 12-13 sentences on average. Try to write 6-7 complex sentences (and two compound sentences) that have to be different one another. For example,.include a couple of different adverb clauses, one adjective clause, a conditional sentence, a relative clause, a cleft sentence and a noun clause to show variety (as long as you are able to master them)”.
    Is this what the band descriptors for band 7 mean by “a variety of complex sentences”?

    • Hi Aldo

      I am so sorry that I missed your comment. Thank you so much for explaining in detail something that I had never really thought about i.e. whether we can find a way of quantifying the number of complex sentences you can/should use in an essay of around 270 words. What you said makes sense (6-7 complex sentences without forcing them) and I would agree that this is what the band descriptors mean by ‘a variety of complex sentences’. The only drawback of looking at it in those terms is (as I’m sure you know, but for the benefit of other readers) that examiners don’t ever count the number of complex sentences, and it would be exhausting for a student to try to do this in 40 minutes while also trying to answer the question etc, but I guess for training, it could be a useful guide as long as the clarity and message of the response isn’t lost in an attempt to include a certain ‘type’ of sentence. The clarity of the message/position/response should always come first, even if you have to use less complex sentences. What do you think?

      Best wishes
      Fiona

    • I’m so lucky to come across your website.
      Thank you so much for explaining them step by step. I will share it with my students.

  9. Hey Fiona! Howdy? I got 7 on writing. I didn’t make use of your website before. From now on, I’ve realized that I must use it in order to get higher than it. Using your site helps me a lot and I believe I’ll get 8 on writing Insha’Allah because of your help.

    • Fantastic… Explains what students really need. I have never seen such a beautiful site with amazing explanation.

      Great teacher.

      • On your site 🙂 Actually I’ve been browsing through your website and found much useful advice for enhancing my skills in English Thank you

        • Ok great – the search bar and categories and tags might help you find specifically what you are looking for thank you Kim.