Building longer sentences

Everything so far was about writing a correct sentence. This page is about writing an interesting one. A quarter of the IELTS writing and speaking mark is grammatical range, which means variety of sentence shape, not difficult words.

The five-step ladder

1. Simple sentence

One subject, one verb, one idea. Safe, but too many in a row sounds like a child's writing.

I study English.

2. Add detail

Put in an adjective, an adverb or a prepositional phrase. Still one idea.

I study English seriously at a small academy in Lahore.

3. Compound sentence

Two complete ideas joined by and, but, or, so. Both halves could stand alone.

I study English every evening, but I still find speaking difficult.

4. Complex sentence

One main idea plus a dependent clause with because, although, when, if, which, that.

Although I study every evening, I still find speaking difficult because I have few chances to practise.

5. Vary the opening

Start with the dependent clause sometimes, and with the main clause other times. This is what an examiner calls range.

Because I have few chances to practise, speaking is still the skill I have to work on hardest.

The passive voice

The passive is be + V3. Use it when the action matters more than the person doing it, or when you do not know who did it. It is common in formal and academic writing, which is why IELTS candidates need it.

Active and passive, tense by tense
Tense	Active	Passive
Present simple	Ali writes the letter.	The letter is written by Ali.
Past simple	Ali wrote the letter.	The letter was written by Ali.
Present perfect	Ali has written the letter.	The letter has been written.
Future simple	Ali will write the letter.	The letter will be written.
Modal	Ali must write the letter.	The letter must be written.

Drop by Ali when the doer is unknown or unimportant: English is spoken in 60 countries.

Conditional sentences (if)

The four conditionals
Type	Use it for	Structure	Example	Urdu
Zero	a fact that is always true	If + present simple, present simple	If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.	ہمیشہ سچ
First	a real, possible future	If + present simple, will + V1	If you practise daily, you will improve.	ممکنہ مستقبل
Second	imagined or unlikely now	If + past simple, would + V1	If I had more time, I would take extra classes.	فرضی حال
Third	the past, imagined differently (it did not happen)	If + had + V3, would have + V3	If I had studied harder, I would have passed.	ماضی کا فرضی

The mistake almost everyone makes

If I will go, I will call you.

If I go, I will call you.

Never put will in the if half of a first conditional.

Reported speech

When you report what somebody said, the tense usually steps one step back into the past, and the pronouns and time words change.

How the tense moves back
Change	Direct speech	Reported speech
present simple → past simple	"I work here."	He said he worked there.
present continuous → past continuous	"I am studying."	She said she was studying.
past simple → past perfect	"I saw him."	He said he had seen him.
present perfect → past perfect	"I have finished."	She said she had finished.
will → would	"I will call."	He said he would call.
can → could	"I can swim."	She said she could swim.

Time and place words change too: today → that day · tomorrow → the next day · yesterday → the day before · here → there · this → that

For a reported question, drop the question order: He asked where was I going. → He asked where I was going.

Check yourself

Build longer sentences.

Make this compound: I like reading. I have little free time.
Show the answer
I like reading, but I have little free time.
Make this complex: The bus was late. I missed the class.
Show the answer
Because the bus was late, I missed the class.
Make it passive: Ali wrote the report.
Show the answer
The report was written by Ali.
Make it passive: They have cancelled the flight.
Show the answer
The flight has been cancelled.
Complete (first conditional): If you practise daily, you ___ .
Show the answer
will improve
Complete (second conditional): If I had more money, I ___ abroad.
Show the answer
would study
Fix: If I will see him, I will tell him.
Show the answer
If I see him, I will tell him.
Report it: "I am studying," she said.
Show the answer
She said she was studying.

More practice on this topic: 15 exercises →