hi there it's asiya and in this video i'd like to show you how you can replace but
with more formal linking words to create complex ielts sentences this is exactly what you need for
a high grammar score but of course your score can be really high only if you know punctuation too
so i will teach you where to put your commas okay let's get started
first of all there is nothing wrong with using but in your writing it's one of the most common
conjunctions or linkers in english just remember that if you use bot to connect two independent
clauses or two sentences that could exist on their own you need a comma here is a simple example
the sun was shining but it wasn't very warm so we could just say the sun was shining
we could say it wasn't very warm this means that we need a comma don't forget it if we
couldn't separate these two sentences like in this example i like apples but not oranges
we don't need a comma because not oranges is not a sentence so you don't need a comma here
now let me show you a more ielts writing example the traffic congestion is getting worse every year
comma but little has been done about it again the traffic congestion is getting worse every year
this is a normal sentence and that is the present continuous tense it's a process it's getting worse
and worse so we can use this tense little has been done about it that's okay as a sentence too
and that is the present perfect passive so someone has done little or little has been done
okay next point sometimes in writing in informal writing and even in newspapers you may see
that but begins a new sentence but that's quite informal and you should avoid doing that in
ielts writing the easiest way to replace but is to use however that's a perfect formal conjunction or
linker you can just say the sun was shining full stop however common it was not very warm basically
however is very frequently used after a full stop at the beginning of a new sentence
and don't forget that if you use however you interrupt your sentence so you must always
put a comma however comma little has been done about it the trick is that you can't use however
in the middle of a sentence and use a comma to separate these two sentences like you do with bot
so this is not correct if you'd really like to use however and have one single long sentence
then you must use a semicolon the sun was shining semicolon however comma it was not very warm we
are already using semicolons you can also put however in the middle of your second sentence
sun was shining full stop it was not however very warm you see it's in the middle of the
second sentence why is it good well because the transition the connection between sentences is
smoother and is great for your ielts score because then this transition doesn't look
mechanical it looks very natural the trick is that you need to know where to put this word so in the
first sentence we say it was not however very warm but in the second little however has been done
about it and you always put a comma before and after however because it interrupts your sentence
the next linker you should master is although when we use it we must always put a comma to separate
two clauses although the sun was shining come on it was not very warm or it was not very warm comma
although the sun was shining so don't forget that comma the placement of although is very important
you should put it in the statement that makes the main statement surprising our main statement
is it wasn't very warm like okay fine but why is it surprising well because the sun is shining
and we would expect it to be warm but it wasn't and you put although in the statement that makes
the main statement surprising although the sun was shining it was not very warm
and if you compare although and however we use them in different parts of the sentence
let's compare the sun was shining however it was not very warm
but although the sun was shining it was not very warm and if you use although instead of however
the logic gets broken sometimes it works this way too but quite often it doesn't so be very
careful about it just to confirm this point let's have a look at the more complex sentence too
i'll read them again so you you hear where those words should be used
the traffic congestion is getting worse every year however little has been done about it
although the traffic congestion is getting worse every year little has been done about it next
despite the good thing is that you can use despite in any part of your complex sentence
but in different ways so you can say despite the fact that the sun was shining
it was not very warm or the sun was shining full stop despite this comma it was not very warm
if you use despite this don't forget
comma afterwards because this phrase interrupts your sentence and the more complex sentence
despite the fact that the traffic congestion is getting worse every year
comma little has been done about it and the other way around the traffic congestion
is getting worse every year full stop despite this coma little has been done about it
you can find more examples of how to use however although and despite to replace bot
on my telegram channel it's called fast track ielts and if you search for the hashtag ft8
you get straight there and you can save those images on your phone to remind yourself later
speaking about other types of complex sentences i have a whole playlist on how to write
different types of them if you watch it you learn a lot and this is exactly what you need for ielts
writing thank you for watching me today and good luck with your preparation and your exam bye