Problem: your essay is all short, choppy sentences — or long tangled ones with agreement and punctuation slips. Answer in brief: mix simple, compound and complex sentences on purpose; build complex sentences with conditionals, relative clauses, noun clauses and adverbial clauses; use modals for recommendations; then proofread for subject–verb agreement, parallelism and punctuation. This guide teaches that system with Task 1 and Task 2 models and 12 practice tasks with complete answers.
Learning outcomes
By the end you will be able to: write simple, compound and complex sentences without fragments or run-ons; use zero–third conditionals correctly in Task 2 consequences; add defining and non-defining relative clauses with correct commas; embed noun clauses and adverbial clauses for formality; choose can/could/may/might/should/must/would precisely; and proofread for agreement, parallelism, gerund/infinitive choice, comparatives and punctuation. All guidance follows the source book, IELTS Writing Grammar Accelerator (Jobin Thomas), chapters 1–16 with sentence-combining, clause and accuracy exercises plus practice writing tasks with sample answers.
Sentence basics: fragments, run-ons and the three types
A declarative sentence normally has a subject and a predicate with a verb: “The graph shows an increase” (subject: the graph; predicate: shows an increase). Imperatives are the regular exception — “Finish the exercises” has an implied you as subject. A clause has a subject + verb; an independent clause stands alone (“The population grew”); a dependent clause does not (“because the population grew” — unfinished). A phrase has no subject–verb pair (“in the morning”). Two faults follow: fragments (dependent clause punctuated as a sentence: “Because the policy was effective.”) and run-ons (two independent clauses jammed without punctuation or linker).
Use all three sentence types. Simple (one independent clause): “Crime rates fell last year.” Compound (two independents joined by and/but/so with a comma): “Crime rates fell last year, and the government was pleased.” Complex (independent + dependent): “Crime rates fell last year because the new policy was effective.” Variety demonstrates range only when each sentence is correct where it belongs — there is no quota such as half of all sentences, and an essay of mostly well-formed simple sentences with a few correct complex ones reads better than forced variety with errors. The combining drill is the core habit: “Because the new factory opened, jobs were created” (adverbial + main in one sentence, not two). Practise joining with coordinators (and, but, so), subordinators (because, although, if, when, until) and relative pronouns (who, which, that) rather than adding more short sentences.
Conditionals for consequences and proposals
Conditionals carry Task 2 consequences, warnings and recommendations. Four types plus mixed forms:
- Zero (if + present, present): general truths. “If you heat water to 100°C at standard atmospheric pressure, it boils.” Use for laws and always-true results.
- First (if + present, will + base): real future possibility. “If the city expands further, it will need more infrastructure.” Use for likely consequences of a policy.
- Second (if + past simple, would + base): hypothetical present/future. “If I had more time, I would enrol in a writing course.” Use for suggestions and imagined outcomes (note past form, present meaning).
- Third (if + past perfect, would have + participle): imaginary past. “If they had invested earlier, they would have saved money.” Use for regret and how things could have differed. Mixed forms cross time: “If I had studied medicine, I would be a doctor now” (past condition, present result).
In essays, first conditionals warn (“If governments do not act now to shift towards green energy, climate change could worsen”), second conditionals propose politely (“It would be better if the budget was increased”), and third conditionals evaluate past decisions. This adapted drill (“If you finish the planned exercises, you will notice greater accuracy”) is first conditional: in ordinary future conditionals, will stays in the result clause, not the if-clause. (Will can follow if for willingness or polite requests — “If you will take your seats, we will begin” — but these exercises practise ordinary future conditionals, not that special use.) A first conditional states a likely result, never a guaranteed band score.
Relative clauses: combining without new sentences
Relative clauses add information about a noun with who/which/that/whose/where/when, turning two short sentences into one controlled complex sentence. Defining clauses identify the noun — no commas: “Students who study regularly tend to score higher.” Non-defining clauses add extra information about an already-identified noun — commas required: “My university, which was founded in 1900, has a beautiful campus.” The book’s scholarship example models the commas: “The new student, who won a scholarship, is very talented.”
Pronoun choice: who for people, which for things, that for either in defining clauses only (never in non-defining), whose for possession (“the student whose essay won the prize”), where for places, when for times. In British English, which is equally correct in defining clauses (“a policy which works” = “a policy that works”). You may omit the pronoun when it is the object of a defining clause: “The advice (that) he gave me was helpful.” Combining practice: “She works for a company” + “It produces solar panels” → “She works for a company that produces solar panels.” Comma choice follows meaning: if the clause merely adds extra information about an already-identified noun, use commas; if it identifies which noun is meant, omit them. Test by removing the clause — if the sentence still refers to the same person or thing, the commas fit.
Noun clauses, reported speech and adverbial clauses
Noun clauses act as subjects or objects (that, what, whether, wh-words): “The government announced that its priority was to reduce inflation.” They formalise Task 2 positions and Task 1 summaries without chatty separate sentences. Reported-speech backshift follows: direct “We will invest” → “They said they would invest.” The book’s rewrite drill turns questions and statements into single noun-clause sentences.
Adverbial clauses give time, reason, contrast, condition or purpose and let you open with variety: “The students stayed quietly in their seats until the exam finished” (time); “Because the new factory opened, jobs were created” (reason). Useful subordinators: when, until, because, although, whereas, so that, if. Keep the comma when the dependent clause comes first (“Although costs are high, investment pays off”); drop it when the main clause leads (“Investment pays off although costs are high” — though many writers prefer “although” first for emphasis). The book’s combining drill pairs ideas with one subordinator each rather than stacking two.
Modals: recommendation without overclaiming
Core modals (can, could, may, might, should, must, would, shall) add ability, possibility, permission and obligation. Have to is not a core modal: it inflects like an ordinary verb (has to, doesn’t have to, has had to) and takes to, so it follows different rules from modal + base verb.
Task 2 needs them for nuanced recommendations: can/could ability or general possibility (“Technology can improve efficiency”); may/might possibility, with the strength depending on context rather than a fixed certainty ranking (“Allowing more time may result in better work”; “Students might need support if resources are scarce”); should advice (“Governments should invest in renewable energy”; “Parents should teach their children road safety”); must strong obligation or logical certainty (“We must act now”; “He must be talented to win”); have to external requirement (“Employees have to arrive on time”); would hypothetical or polite opinion (“It would be better if the budget was increased”); shall formal requirement (“The report shall be submitted by Friday”).
Form rules: modal + base verb, no “to” (“can speak”, not “can to speak”); no -s for third person (“he might come”, not “might comes”); negative adds not (“should not ignore”). Separate certainty about an outcome from obligation to act. “Will definitely” makes a strong prediction, whereas “must” can express an obligation or a confident deduction. Choose the meaning you can support; the mere presence of two modals in one sentence is not an error.
A worked hedging chain shows how meaning changes. Overclaimed: “Building lanes will definitely solve congestion and drivers must obey.” Controlled: “Building segregated lanes may cut short-car trips, because commuters who fear traffic might switch; councils should then reallocate one lane and must enforce parking bans at junctions.” The first version promises what no evidence supports and orders where advice belongs; the second assigns may to the uncertain outcome, might to the behavioural guess, should to the recommendation and must only to the enforceable rule. In Task 1 the same care applies: describe a supplied projection as a projection: “Output is projected to rise.” Use “The chart shows” for a reported observation. Do not add a prediction to historical data merely to practise a modal. Practise this calibration as sound writing — certainty where the data warrants it, hedging where it does not, and obligation only where an actor can act — not as a promised formula for a particular score.
Accuracy: agreement, parallelism, punctuation
Subject–verb agreement: the verb matches the head noun, not the nearest noun. “The list of items is on the desk” (the head noun list takes is; the of-phrase items does not decide agreement). Watch each/every/neither (singular), collective nouns, and long subjects with inserted phrases. The book’s error-correction set drills exactly this mis-match.
Parallel structure: lists and comparisons keep one grammatical shape. “The job demands attention to detail, accuracy, and efficiency” (three nouns) — not “attention to detail, accurate, and efficiently.” Comparisons repeat the shape: “more difficult” for long adjectives, “taller” for short ones; keep than-phrases parallel.
Gerunds versus infinitives: some verbs take -ing as noun (“She enjoys travelling”; avoid “enjoys to travel”), others take to + base (“decided to invest”). Learn the verb, not a general rule; the book’s travelling example marks the gerund-as-object pattern.
Comparatives and superlatives: “more difficult” (long adjective + more), “highest/tallest” for the extreme; do not double-mark (“more taller”). In Task 1 comparisons, pair the form with the scope (“the highest rate”, “higher than Finance”, “the most dramatic increase”).
Punctuation and capitals: commas set off non-defining extras (“My university, which was founded in 1900, has a lake”) and come before coordinators joining two independent clauses (“Many students who study overseas experience culture shock, but they eventually adapt” — the comma belongs to but, and the who-clause is defining because it identifies which students). A full stop alone never repairs a fragment: “Because the policy was effective” needs its main clause attached (“Crime fell because the policy was effective”), not just a stop at the end. Apostrophes, colons and capital letters follow standard rules. The book’s correction exercise inserts commas, stops and capitals where the run-on omitted them. Proofread punctuation last, reading aloud where the pauses fall.
Worked models: Task 1 report and Task 2 essay
Labelling: the Task 1 topic below is adapted from the book’s Chapter 16 teleworking practice task; the table figures are fictional, supplied here in full, and both models are newly written complete responses. They are suggested models, not official examiner answers. Official IELTS Academic Writing minima: Task 1 at least 150 words, Task 2 at least 250 words — see IELTS Academic format — Writing (check current official guidance before test day).
Model 1 — Academic Task 1 report (fictional input supplied; model newly written, 166 words)
Input (fictional — the only figures to use):
| Sector | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology | 10 | 20 | 40 |
| Finance | 5 | 9 | 15 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 4 | 10 |
Task (adapted — a full Task 1 practice response needs at least 150 words): Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Model (newly written from the table above only, 166 words): The table compares the share of employees working remotely in three sectors — Technology, Finance and Healthcare — in 2010, 2015 and 2020. Overall, remote working rose in every sector, and Technology was highest in all three years. In 2010, 10% of Technology staff worked remotely, compared with 5% in Finance and 2% in Healthcare. By 2015, Technology had doubled to 20%, while Finance reached 9% and Healthcare 4%. Growth then accelerated: by 2020, 40% of Technology workers were remote, well above Finance at 15% and Healthcare at 10%. The 2015–2020 phase added 20 points in Technology — twice its 10-point gain of 2010–2015 — while Finance and Healthcare each added six percentage points from very different starting levels. Across the full decade, every sector at least tripled: Technology quadrupled from 10% to 40%, Finance tripled from 5% to 15%, and Healthcare rose fivefold from 2% to 10%. Although Healthcare stayed lowest throughout, it still rose at every stage, whereas Finance held the middle position in each year.
Why it works (teaching notes, not part of the model): overview plus selections, reporting only the supplied figures; past tenses for finished years with by-phrases; comparatives controlled (highest, well above, lowest); adverbial clauses (“Although Healthcare stayed lowest”, “whereas Finance held the middle”) create complex sentences. The em-dash phrase adds a comparison but is not itself a clause.
Model 2 — Task 2 discussion (adapted, 259 words)
Prompt (adapted): Some believe governments should invest heavily in renewable energy even if expensive, to protect the environment. Others say funds should go to immediate needs such as healthcare and education. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Model (newly written, 259 words): Limited budgets force a choice between green investment and immediate public services, and both claims deserve weight before deciding where money ought to go. Although both views have merit, I believe a sequenced approach — protect health and schooling first, then ring-fence a rising green share — best fits constrained funds.
Supporters of heavy green spending argue that delay multiplies cost. If governments do not act now to shift towards wind and solar, climate damage could worsen, leading to higher adaptation bills later. From this perspective, renewables are not consumption but investment: the factories and grids that cut emissions also create industries and jobs, which widen the tax base that funds hospitals and schools. A clinic that loses power in a heatwave, critics add, shows why prevention matters.
Others counter that a child who cannot read or a patient who cannot see a doctor gains nothing from a turbine promised in a decade. Where wards are crowded and classrooms lack teachers, they argue, money should first relieve suffering that is certain and present. Because health and literacy compound across generations, diverting their whole budget to capital-heavy energy projects would trade sure gains for hoped-for ones.
In my view, governments should therefore guarantee health and education baselines, then commit any surplus and a fixed annual increment to renewables, which developers can plan around. If the green share is protected by law, it will survive yearly bidding wars, whereas unprotected pledges fade. That sequence respects both urgency and foresight, and it gives voters a commitment that survives contact with the next budget round.
Why it works: discussion plus verdict; first conditional for warning, hypothetical consequence (“would trade”), relative clauses (“the factories and grids that cut emissions”, “a child who cannot read”) combining ideas, modals graded (should, must→avoided, could), agreement and commas proofread. Each paragraph holds one developed idea with mechanism and case.
Practice bank: 12 tasks with answers
Attempt before opening each answer. Items marked adapted rework the book’s exercise themes; others are newly written. Answers are complete with teaching notes.
1 (Adapted — combining): Join with because — “The new factory opened. Jobs were created.” — Show answer
Answer: “Because the new factory opened, jobs were created.” Note: dependent clause first takes a comma; one sentence replaces two choppy ones. Alternative with main clause first: “Jobs were created because the new factory opened” (no comma).
2 (Adapted — combining with until): Join — “The students stayed quietly in their seats. The exam finished.” — Show answer
Answer: “The students stayed quietly in their seats until the exam finished.” Note: adverbial time clause with until; no new sentence needed. “Until” already carries the time logic — do not add “and then”.
3 (Adapted — conditional): Complete — “If you finish the planned exercises, you ___ (notice) greater accuracy.” — Show answer
Answer: “If you finish the planned exercises, you will notice greater accuracy.” (First conditional: if + present, will + base — a fictional grammar example.) Note: in ordinary future conditionals, will stays out of the if-clause (“If you will finish” is wrong here; will after if can have other meanings, including willingness or a polite request). The result is likely, not guaranteed — a first conditional never promises a particular band score. For advice shading: “If you studied in short daily sessions, you would retain more” (second conditional).
4 (Adapted — relative, commas): Punctuate — “The new student who won a scholarship is very talented.” (extra info) — Show answer
Answer: “The new student, who won a scholarship, is very talented.” Note: commas because the clause is non-defining (extra info about a known student). Without commas it reads as identifying which student — wrong meaning here.
5 (Adapted — relative combining): Combine — “She works for a company. It produces solar panels.” — Show answer
Answer: “She works for a company that produces solar panels.” Note: defining clause, no commas; that and which are both possible in defining clauses in British English. Do not write “She works for a company, that produces solar panels”.
6 (Adapted — noun clause): Combine — “The government announced something. Its priority was to reduce inflation.” — Show answer
Answer: “The government announced that its priority was to reduce inflation.” Note: noun clause as object; the given sentence already reports the priority in the past (“was”), so no backshift is needed — the that-clause simply keeps the reported tense consistent.
7 (Adapted — modal): Choose should/may/must — “Parents ___ teach children road safety. / Extra preparation time ___ improve quality. / We ___ act now to cut emissions.” — Show answers
Answers: “Parents should teach children road safety” (advice); “Extra preparation time may improve quality” (possibility); “To reduce emissions, we must act now” (necessity). Note: modal + base, no -s, no “to”. Reserve must for genuine necessity, not every recommendation.
8 (Adapted — agreement): Fix — “The list of items are on the desk.” — Show answer
Answer: “The list of items is on the desk.” Note: head noun is list (singular); the of-phrase does not change agreement. Similar: “Each/Every/Neither + singular verb.”
9 (Adapted — parallelism): Fix — “The job demands attention to detail, accurate, and efficiently.” — Show answer
Answer: “The job demands attention to detail, accuracy, and efficiency.” (Three nouns.) Note: check every and/or/than series for one shape. Comparatives likewise: “more difficult”, not “more difficulter”.
10 (Adapted — gerund/infinitive): Fix — “She enjoys to travel to different countries.” — Show answer
Answer: “She enjoys travelling to different countries.” Note: enjoy takes a gerund object. Contrast “decided to invest” (infinitive). Learn the verb’s pattern; there is no universal -ing/to rule.
11 (Adapted — punctuation): Fix — “Many students who study overseas experience culture shock but they eventually adapt” — Show answer
Answer: “Many students who study overseas experience culture shock, but they eventually adapt.” Note: the comma belongs to the coordinator but joining two independent clauses; the who-clause is defining (it identifies which students, so no commas around it). The sentence ends with its normal full stop.
12 (New — mixed sentence repair): Combine the ideas with because and correct the relative clause — Show answer
“The student which won the prize supports government investment in renewables. This investment can create jobs.” Keep the student’s support for the investment and preserve can; do not turn a possibility into a certainty.
Possible answer: “The student who won the prize supports government investment in renewables because this investment can create jobs.” Why it works: who introduces a defining relative clause about a person, without a comma. The because-clause supplies the reason for the student’s position. Repeating “this investment” keeps the reference clear: the student supports investment, and investment can create jobs. “Will certainly create jobs” would change the original strength of the claim.
Common errors and corrections
- Fragments: “Because the policy was effective.” Fix: attach to the main clause: “Crime fell because the policy was effective.”
- Run-ons: “Costs are high investment pays off.” Fix: subordinator or stop: “Although costs are high, investment pays off.”
- Will in an ordinary if-clause: “If governments will invest in renewables” Fix: “If governments invest in renewables, they will create jobs”. (Will after if can occur with other meanings, including willingness or a polite request.)
- Which for people / missing commas: “The student which won the prize supports it” / “My university which was founded in 1900 has a lake” Fix: who for people; commas for non-defining extras.
- Core modal + to/-s: “can to speak / might comes”. Fix: “can speak / might come”. (Have to follows its own pattern: “has to go”, not “has go”.)
- Agreement by proximity: “The list of items are on the desk”. Fix: match the head noun: “The list of items is on the desk”.
- Broken parallelism: “attention to detail, accurate, and efficiently”. Fix: one shape: “attention to detail, accuracy, and efficiency”.
Independent task and self-check
Task (new — a short grammar drill, not a full IELTS response; a full Task 2 answer needs at least 250 words): In 200–240 words, answer: “Some think cities should fund cycling lanes; others prefer road widening. Discuss both and give your opinion.” Include: one first conditional (warning/consequence), one second conditional (polite proposal), one defining and one non-defining relative clause, two graded modals (e.g. may + should), and no fragments or run-ons. Guidance: plan two body ideas with a case each (a commuter, a delivery firm); open one paragraph with an adverbial clause; close with a noun clause (for example, “I believe that both forms of transport deserve consideration”). Checklist: simple + compound + complex all present; ordinary if-clauses without will (willingness uses aside); who/which/that correct with commas only for extra information; core modals + base, have to inflected separately; agreement checked on long subjects; lists parallel; final stop and capitals in place.
Study sequence with the book
Week 1: sentence basics (book Chapter 1), followed by the combining exercises here. Convert ten simple-sentence pairs into complex sentences with because/until/that. Week 2: conditionals + modals (chapters 7–8). Write six consequence sentences (zero/first/second/third) plus six graded recommendations. Week 3: noun, relative and adverbial clauses (chapters 9–11). Combine twelve pairs with that/who/which/although/until and punctuate non-defining commas. Week 4: accuracy revision + writing tasks (chapters 12–16, revising agreement from Chapter 3 from memory). Fix parallelism/gerund sets from memory, then write the teleworking Task 1 and renewables Task 2 under time; log repeated slips (will-in-if, which-for-people, modal + to) and re-do them spaced.
FAQs
How many complex sentences do I need? A natural mix, not a quota — there is no fixed proportion. Use simple sentences for key claims and compound ones for balanced points, with correct complex sentences where the ideas genuinely connect; all error-free, that reads as range.
Which conditional is most useful? First (real consequences) and second (polite proposals) cover most Task 2 needs; add zero for facts and third for past evaluation. Mixed forms are a bonus, not a requirement.
That, which or who? Who for people, which for things, that for either in defining clauses. Non-defining extras take who/which with commas — never that.
Can I start sentences with Because/Although? Yes, with a comma and a finished main clause: “Because costs are high, phasing matters.” A lone “Because costs are high.” is a fragment.
Should every recommendation use must? No. Grade certainty: may/might for possibilities, should for advice, must only for necessity. Over-must reads as hectoring.
British or American spelling? Either consistently; this guide uses British English (organise, behaviour, centre).
The matching book
This guide accompanies IELTS Writing Grammar Accelerator in the Jobins Training collection — the sentence-and-clause workbook covering sentence structure, verb forms, passive, modals, conditionals, noun, relative and adverbial clauses, gerunds, parallelism, comparatives and punctuation, with combining and error-correction exercises plus practice writing tasks with sample answers. You can find its current listing here: IELTS Grammar — Book 2 in the Jobins Training book collection. The book adds the full exercise bank this article samples.
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Sources and editorial note
Source book read for this article: IELTS Writing Grammar Accelerator (Jobin Thomas) — the sentence-structure, clause, modal and accuracy chapters and the Chapter 16 practice tasks read in full. Items labelled “adapted” rework the book’s exercise themes and practice-task topics without reproducing the book whole; the Model 1 table figures are fictional illustration supplied in the article, stated as such; items labelled “newly written” are original to this article. Page numbers are not cited. Exam rules mirror current official IELTS Academic Writing guidance (Task 1: at least 150 words in about 20 minutes; Task 2: at least 250 words in about 40 minutes): IELTS Academic format — Writing (check current official guidance before test day).
For further grammar clarification, see Cambridge Grammar: could, may and might. Their interpretation depends on context; they are not a fixed numerical scale of probability.
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