In Task 2 of the IELTS Academic Writing Test, one of the four areas on which your essay
is assessed is Grammatical Range and Accuracy. One important aspect of this is sentence structure.
It is important to use complex sentences. If your sentences are all simple, then you
will lose marks for grammatical range. So, let’s look at how you can include complex
sentences in your writing.
So let’s begin with a brief overview of sentence structure. A simple sentence contains
only one main or independent clause, for example, 'The baby cried'. A complex sentence contains
one main or independent clause and at least one subordinate or dependent clause. For example,
'Although I was tired, I stayed up late studying.' As the name suggests, the independent clause
can stand on its own, while the dependent clause cannot.
Now, let’s take a look at how you can link your ideas to create complex sentences.
Look at these two simple sentences. They have a common theme. We can combine these short
sentences into a larger sentence in a number of ways.
For example, we could use a relative pronoun like 'where', 'which', or 'that'
to create complex sentences like these.
Another way to make complex sentences is to use linking words and phrases to link your
ideas and show the relationships between them. The kinds of relationships you can show include
comparison and contrast, cause and effect, additional information, and opposition.
This table shows some of these linking words and phrases. On the left, you can see the
meaning or function of these words and phrases, and on the right, you can see them used in
example sentences. You may find this table a useful reference when you are practising
Task 2 writing tasks.
So I hope you now have a better understanding of the importance of using complex sentences
in your writing. I’m sure you’re ready now to do some practise to help you build
some more skills around linking your ideas and showing relationships between them.