Many IELTS test-takers believe that writing complex sentences is extremely difficult. However, there is good news: mastering them is much easier than you might think! With the right guidance, you can use complex structures confidently, making your writing clearer and more academic. Let's explore six common sentence struggles and how to fix them effectively.
01
1. Mixing Up ‘Who’ and ‘Which’
Using the wrong relative pronoun can completely change the meaning of your sentence and confuse the examiner.
The Mistake: "The chart shows the number of students, which is from various countries studying in the UK."
Correct Version: "The chart shows the number of students from various countries who are studying in the UK."
Why It’s Correct: Here, "who" correctly refers back to the "students," making the entire relationship and subject of the sentence crystal clear.
02
2. Confusing Phrases That Don’t Make Sense (Dangling Modifiers)
Sometimes, we place a descriptive phrase in a way that accidentally describes the wrong noun.
The Mistake: "After completing the research, the results were surprising."
Explanation: In this sentence, the phrase "After completing the research" seems to describe "the results." But results cannot complete research by themselves!
Correct Version: "After completing the research, the researcher found the results surprising."
Why It’s Correct: This properly clarifies that the researcher finished the research, not the results.
03
3. Wrong Use of ‘If’ Sentences (Conditionals)
Conditionals are a great way to show complex grammar, but the tense rules must be followed strictly.
The Mistake: "If people will have a better education, they can get better jobs."
Correct Version: "If people have a better education, they can get better jobs."
Why It’s Correct: In conditional sentences, it is incorrect to use "will" inside the "if clause." The correct first conditional structure is [If + present simple, ... can/will + base verb] to describe a real and possible future situation.
04
4. Sentences That Aren’t Complete (Fragments)
Punctuation matters. Placing a period in the wrong spot can break a complex sentence into a fragment.
The Mistake: "Because the data was collected from multiple sources. It may not be entirely accurate."
Correct Version: "Because the data was collected from multiple sources, it may not be entirely accurate."
Why It’s Correct: The first part is a sentence fragment and cannot stand alone. By replacing the period with a comma, it joins both parts into a single, complete, and grammatically correct sentence.
05
5. Inconsistent Verbs (Faulty Parallelism)
When listing actions or trends in Task 1, your verb tenses must align.
The Mistake: "The graph shows that the number of graduates increased rapidly and are stable."
Correct Version: "The graph shows that the number of graduates increased rapidly and then remained stable."
Why It’s Correct: In the mistake, "increased" (past) and "are" (present) do not match. In the correct version, both verbs are consistent, maintaining a parallel academic structure.
06
6. Unnecessary Linkers That Cause Confusion
More linking words do not equal a higher score. Overusing them is a common trap.
The Mistake: "Although the number of students increased, but the number of teachers remained the same."
Correct Version: "Although the number of students increased, the number of teachers remained the same."
Why It’s Correct: Using both "although" and "but" in the exact same sentence is redundant. To show a contrast, using "although" alone is completely sufficient.
