By English Test Coach · Updated
Lesson 7 of 8 · All writing formats
Control sentence boundaries and grammar
Repair common patterns and add complexity only when it helps the meaning.
Find the subject and finite verb
Long phrases can hide a simple agreement error. In the sentence The number of workers is rising, the subject's head is number, not workers. By contrast, Workers are changing their routines has a plural subject. Strip away descriptive phrases temporarily to check the underlying pattern. Use a tense that fits the time shown or the situation, not the tense in a memorised model paragraph.
Give each clause a proper connection
Two independent clauses cannot normally be joined by only a comma. Buses are convenient, they can be crowded can become two sentences, or a single sentence with a suitable conjunction. A dependent clause introduced by although needs a main clause to complete it. Read for the relationship you mean: contrast, cause or condition. Punctuation and conjunctions should express that relationship together.
Practise one pattern, then transfer it
After fixing a sentence, write two new sentences using the same grammatical pattern with different content. This tests whether the correction has become a skill. Mix shorter and longer sentences according to the idea. A long sentence is not automatically better, and excessive nesting can obscure a sound argument. On review, check sentence boundaries, agreement and recurring personal errors before attempting decorative complexity.
Worked example
Before
Although working at home saves time. People is sometimes isolated.
After
Although working at home saves time, people are sometimes isolated.
The revised sentence joins the dependent contrast clause to a main clause and uses a plural verb with people. Both repairs preserve the original contrast.
Repair a comma splice without changing your claim
These original examples illustrate sentence choices, not findings from a study. Two complete clauses joined only by a comma create a comma splice. Decide how the ideas relate before choosing the repair.
Before
Remote work can save commuting time, it can make teamwork harder.
Use two sentences
Remote work can save commuting time. It can make teamwork harder.
Each complete clause stands on its own. The reader receives two claims without an added cause-and-effect relationship.
Make the contrast explicit
Remote work can save commuting time, but it can make teamwork harder.
The comma and but connect two complete clauses and highlight a trade-off between a possible benefit and a drawback.
Use a semicolon
Remote work can save commuting time; it can make teamwork harder.
The semicolon connects closely related complete clauses. It does not, by itself, explain why either claim is true.
A grammatical sentence can still change the argument
“Because remote work can save commuting time, it can make teamwork harder.”
This version now presents saved commuting time as a reason for difficulty with teamwork. The original pair of claims did not establish that connection. Do not add because merely to create a complex sentence. None of these punctuation choices earns a band score on its own.
Compare simple and complex sentences in an original process report →
Transfer the pattern
Repair this pair while keeping the contrast: “Shared offices allow quick questions, they may interrupt concentrated work.” Then find two related claims in your own draft. Check that each clause is complete and that the connection says what you mean.
Subject–verb agreement in an Academic Task 1 report
Use the original evening-class chart for 2025: fitness has 120 enrolments, languages 90, music 45 and computing 30. These fictional figures let you practise grammar while keeping a report accurate. Check the complete chart and source table before trying the repairs.
Find the head of the subject
The combined total for fitness and languages was 210 enrolments.
The figures for fitness and languages were 120 and 90 respectively.
In the first sentence, total is singular. The two category names in “for fitness and languages” do not make that total plural. In the second, figures is plural. One sentence reports the sum; the other preserves the separate values and their order. Both describe the same source correctly.
Repair the verb, preserve the comparison
Choose was or were for each sentence. Keep the subject and numbers unchanged, then explain whether it reports one combined quantity or two figures.
“The total for music and computing were 75 enrolments.”
The total for music and computing was 75 enrolments. Total is singular; 45 + 30 gives one combined quantity.
“The figures for music and computing was 45 and 30 respectively.”
The figures for music and computing were 45 and 30 respectively. Figures is plural; respectively matches music to 45 and computing to 30.
A correct verb does not fix an unsupported claim. These are registrations, not distinct people, and the chart shows only one year. Do not turn a comparison into an increase over time. In your next report, underline the head noun before checking its verb; then check the figure against the source.
Use this checklist
- Find the main subject and verb in each difficult sentence.
- Check that every dependent clause has a main clause.
- Use a conjunction or valid punctuation between independent clauses.
Practise the lesson
Answers and writing stay in this page’s memory and are not sent to AI. They are not saved to an account. Leaving or refreshing clears them; download your review first.
Choose one answer for every question, then check.
Sign in to save future lesson completion and best scores across devices.
Try it in your own writing
Repair these sentences while keeping the contrast: Although cycling is inexpensive. Some journeys are too long. Then write one different sentence using although.
0/4,000 characters. This writing is not automatically marked.
- Does each although clause connect to a complete main clause?
- Is the intended contrast preserved?
- Does your new example use the pattern with different content?
Transfer the skill to a full response
Open a related original question and use the checklist. Your exercise text is not transferred or saved automatically; download your review before leaving.
Practise a related questionStudy the complete example: Remote work and society
Compare the technique from this lesson with a full response, then use the format guide to plan your own answer.