What is a clause in a sentence?

A clause is a group of words with a (s) subject and a (v) verb.

For example:

(s) Computers (v) are important.

= 1 sentence with 1 clause.
We can have two clauses though i.e. two groups of words with a subject and a verb:
Computers are important, but they are dangerous too.
= 1 sentence with 2 clauses.
How about three sentence clauses?

Computers are important, but they can be dangerous too, so we must be careful.

= 1 sentence with 3 clauses.
Now let's add a fourth!
Computers are important, but they can be dangerous too, so we must
be careful when we use them.
= 1 sentence with 4 clauses.
You'll have noticed then that a sentence is not the same thing as a clause.

A sentence is the group of words that comes between two full-stops and it must be

a complete thought that makes sense.

What if there is no subject and verb?

It's important to know the difference between phrases and clauses.

If there is no subject or verb in part of the sentence, then this may be a phrase.

For example:

(p) In many countries around the world, flooding is becoming more common.

A phrase is a group of words without a subject and verb (a phrase on its own obviously cannot
be a sentence because every sentence has a subject and a verb!).
You should now know the difference between a sentence, a clause and a phrase. Time
to practice!

Sentence Clauses Practice

Look at the sentences with clauses below, and put a check in the correct box to say how many
clauses each sentence has.

Look carefully for the subjects and verbs. This will help you identify the clauses.

1. I'm going out tonight so I must get ready soon.

1
2
3
4

2. Global warming is a major problem, but it can be solved if we take action now.
1
2
3
4

3. Obesity is getting worse now in developing countries.

1
2
3
4

4. I don't know when I will be able to stop studying because I have many more exams.

1
2
3
4

5. It's cold outside so I'm going to stay in.

1
2
3
4

6. Although cars are essential, they cause a lot of pollution, so governments must take action
soon, and individuals also need to play a role.

1
2
3
4

7. Why were you so late?

1
2
3
4

8. He said that he will come to see me tomorrow.

1
2
3
4

9. It is important to be on time, but it is ok to be late when you have an emergency.

1
2
3
4

10. I felt unwell when I ate the food, so I'll probably not eat at the restaurant again, but I think
my friend will.

1
2
3
4

Sentence Structure
This page about sentence structure will focus on the differences between simple
sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences and compound-complex
sentences.
You must know how to correctly write these sentence types for IELTS as the
examiner will be looking for them when they grade you for your 'grammatical range'.

Sentence Types
There are four types of sentence:

1. Simple
2. Compound
3. Complex
4. Compound-
Complex

1. Simple Sentences
A simple sentence is one clause with a subject and verb.

Computers are important in the modern world.

Formula = SV
However, it can have more than one subject and verb:

Computers and other technological devices are important in the modern world.

Formula = SSV
I search for information and play games on my computer.
Formula = SVV
My brother  and I search for information and play games on our computers.
Formula = SSVV

2. Compound Sentences
A compound sentence consists of 2 or 3 clauses. It is when simple sentences are joined together.

In this sentence structure, the clauses are joined with the following :
F = for
A = and
N  = nor
B = but
O  = or
Y  = yet
S = so
The word 'fanboys' is an easy way to remember the different conjuntions that make up
compound sentences. Obviously the most common are 'and', 'but', 'or' and 'so'.
Here are some examples of compound sentence structure:

Computers  are important, but they can be dangerous too.

Formula = SV but SV
Computers  are important, but they can be dangerous too, so we must be careful.
Formula = SV but SV so SV.
Avoid writing too many clauses as the sentence may get difficult to follow, and you cannot use
each one more than once in a sentence to join clauses.

This is wrong:

Computers are used widely in most countries now, they are a sign of progress,  we must ensure
everyones has access to them.
Incorrect formula = SV and SV and SV. X
Two possible corrected versions:

Computers are used widely in most countries now, they are a sign of progress. We must ensure
everyones has access to them.
Formula = SV and SV. SV.
Computers are used widely in most countries now, they are a sign of progress, so must ensure
everyones has access to them.
Formula = SV and SV so SV.
Using semicolons
There is an instance when you can have a compound sentence structure without a coordinating
conjuntion, and this is when you join two clauses with a semicolon. It is used when two ideas are
related.

For example:

Computers are used widely in most countires; they are a sign of progress.
 

3. Complex Sentences
Complex sentences are more complicated (which is maybe why they are called 'complex'!).

This type of sentence structure is important for IELTS because to get awarded a band 6 or higher
for your 'grammatical range and accuracy', you need to demonstrate that you are able to use
them.

The more varied and the more accurate your complex sentences are, the higher the band score
for this.

There are different types of complex sentences and these will be looked at in more detail later, so
here you are just provided with the basics.

Complex sentences are two (or more) clauses joined together, but they are not joined by 'fanboys'
(coordinating conjuntions). They are joined by subordinating conjuntions.

These are subordinating conjunctions:

after even if unless

although even though until
as if when
as if in order to whenever
as long as in case whereas
as much as once where
as soon as since wherever
as though so that while
because that
before though

For example:

People take natural health supplements  they may not have been tested.
Our children may not be properly educated  we don't spend more on schools.
I went to bed  he left  I was tired.
These are all adverbial clauses. In these types of complex sentence, the second clause can be
used to start the sentence.

In this case, a comma is needed in the middle.

 they may not have been tested, people take natural health supplements.
 we don't spend more on schools, our children may not be properly educated.
 he left, I went to bed  I was tired.
Noun clauses and relative clauses are also a type of complex sentence structure, but these will
be looked at later.

4. Compound-Complex Sentences
Compound-complex sentences are the same as complex sentences but they also have a simple (or
compound) sentence before or after the 'complex' part.

For example:

I ate a lot when I got home,  I was still hungry.

The part that is underlined is the complex sentence. As you can see, it also has a simple
sentences connected to it. It can also have a full compound sentence attached to it:

I ate a lot when I got home,  I was still hungry,  I went shopping to buy some more food.
These are compound-complex sentences.

Sentence Structure Quiz

Now have a practice in the quiz. Identify what type of sentence each is.

Top of Form
 5. I was late for
work.

 Simple
 Compound
 Complex
 Compound-complex

6. He failed the
test because he
did not study
hard enough.

 Simple
 Compound
 Complex
 Compound-Complex

7. Even though
pollution is
widespread,
people are doing
little to prevent
it.

 Simple
 Compound
 Complex
 Compound-Complex
 8. Animals should
not be killed for
their fur, but
this is still
occuring, so
action must be
taken.

 Simple
 Compound
 Complex
 Compound-Complex

9. I came to study
in the UK
because I
wanted to
improve my
English, so I
talk to as many
English people
as possible.

 Simple
 Compound
 Complex
 Compound-Complex

Bottom of Form
Complex Sentences
Understanding complex sentences and knowing how to write them is crucial for IELTS.

The examiner will not award you above a band 5 for 'grammatical range and accuracy'
if you cannot write them or if you have a very limited ability to write them.

The Marking System

This is the marking criteria for a band 6 for grammar:

10. mix ofcomplex

sentence forms
11. some errors

So you must have a mix of complex sentence forms, though some errors in them are
acceptable.
If, for example, you learned a couple of complex structures and used the same ones throughout your
essay, this would not demonstrate a ''.

For the higher band scores, you will need to show a greater range and more accuracy.

In order to understand a complex sentence, you need to understand independent and dependent

clauses (look at this previous lesson on clauses if you are unsure what they are).

What are independent and dependent clauses?

A clause is a group of words with a subject and verb. This is a dependent clause:

If something or someone is 'dependent' then it needs or relies on something else for aid, support, life
etc.

For example, a baby is dependent on its mother. Without the mother the baby cannot survive.

In a similar way, a dependent clause cannot 'survive' on its own. It relies on something
else. The clause above "" cannot be used on its own as a sentence because it does not
make sense.
In order to function, it needs an independent clause. An independent clause can
function on its own as a sentence:
This has meaning so is ok on its own. It makes a simple sentence.

If we now join this independent clause with the dependent clause, we have a complex sentence that has
meaning:

Types of complex sentence

Complex sentences have three types:

1. Adverbial
Clauses
2. Relative
Clauses
3. Noun Clauses

In the following sections, there is a brief explanation of how to construct each of these with some
examples.

However, they are complicated, so lessons explaining them in more detail will follow
later on.

1) Adverbial Clauses
Adverbial clauses answer questions such as 

They are made by connecting an  and a  with a subordinating conjunction.

Here are some common subordinating conjunctions that make complex sentences:

because while 

although  when
 if  even though 

until as

For example (the subject is in green and the verb in blue).:

experiments on animalsgivebecauseanimals’ bodiesare

Some experiments on animals give us the wrong result

 ------ INDEPENDENT CLAUSE ------

...because animals' bodies are not exactly the same as our own.

------ DEPENDENT (SUBORDINATING) CLAUSE ------

In adverbial clauses, however, it is possible to put the dependent clause before the independent clause. In
fact, more often than not, this is the case.

When you do this though, you MUST put a comma after the dependent clause (a comma is not needed
when the independent clause comes first):

Becauseanimals’ bodiesare,experiments on animalsgive

Here are some further examples. Notice how in some sentences the dependent clause comes first, in
others it is second. This is your choice:

 if
when
2) Relative Clauses
Like adverbial clauses, relative clauses are made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause.

However, these clauses have a different use. Relative clauses are used to modify a noun. In other words,
to give more information about it.

The relative pronouns who, which, that and where are used to do this, and the relative clause is placed
after the noun it is modifying.

For example:

Animals experimentation should be 

------ INDEPENDENT CLAUSE ------

which is 

------ DEPENDENT (RELATIVE) CLAUSE ------

Unlike adverbial clauses, the dependent clause (which is the relative clause) can break up the independent
clause - the dependent clause just needs to go after the noun, wherever that is.

Notice also that there are two Subject-Verb combinations. This will always be the case with complex
sentences as there are two clauses.

Here are some more examples. The dependent (relative) clause is in red, the independent clause is in bold,
and the noun being modified is underlined.

A library is a placewhere you can borrow books

Global warming is a problemthat must be solved
Obesitywhich is the condition of being overweight, affects millions of children.
A personwho breaks the lawmust face serious penalties
 
3) Noun Clauses
Noun clauses are probably the most difficult to master of the complex sentences, so we'll focus here on
the most common and easiest form which you will probably have used many times. We'll look at them in
more detail later.

A noun clause answers the question 'who?' or 'what?'. Unlike relative clauses, which come after the noun,
noun clauses come after the verb.

For example:

What do you think about corruption?

that corruptions is wrongthat those guilty of it should be punished.
In this example, there are two noun clauses, and they are the object of the verb .

The noun clauses are the dependent clauses because they do not make sense on their own. They need the
independent clause "".

I think

------ INDEPENDENT CLAUSE ------

corruption is 

those guilty of it should be punished 

------ DEPENDENT (NOUN) CLAUSE ------

Here are some more examples. The dependent (noun) clause is in red, and the independent clause is in
bold:

I agreethat capital punishment must be abolished.

I hopethat the government intervenes to resolve the situation.
I believethat experimentation on animals is unethical.
It is common to omit ' when speaking. For example, we can say:

However, in formal writing such as IELTS, or academic writing generally, you should include it.

There are further rules and possibilities to use these adverbial, relative and noun clauses, but we will look
at them in more detail later.

This lesson provides you with the basics on how they are used.
Adverbial Clauses
In this lesson we will look in more detail at adverbial clauses.
These clauses are a type of complex sentence, so it is essential that you are able to use
them in your writing and speaking if you want to achieve a good band score.
The examiner will be monitoring your speaking and writing closely to assess how
well you know them.

In the table below you can see the most common types of adverbs used to make
adverbial clauses.
You can also see what they are used for and some example sentences.

Types of Adverbial Clause

Time Clauses

In reference to a period of time or another event

He arrived before I did.
After I have finished studying, I intend to work abroad.
As the climate gets hotter, sea levels will rise.
I will keep learning English for as long as it is necessary.
While I am studying, I usually listen to the radio.
Rates of obesity increase when too much junk food is eaten.
Since I started going to fitness, I have lost 5 kilos.
I will keep learning English until I am upper intermediate.

Conditional Clauses

Expressing a hypothesis or condition, real or imagined

If we clone humans, it may have terrible consequences.
What would you buy if you won the lottery?
Our food will not be safe unless GM crops are banned.

Reason Clauses

To explain why

My English is not improving because I am not studying enough.

Since the govenment cut spending, poverty has increased.
Pollution is increasing as there are too many cars.

Purpose Clauses

To show the purpose of doing something

I am studying IELTS in order to attend university abroad.

He went to the gym so that he could lose weight.

Concession Clauses

To show contrast between two statements, or surprise.

Although e-readers are popular, most people still prefer books.

The Minister wants to incease taxes though his party disagrees.
Even though I studied every day, I didn't get the score I needed
(surprising)
Internet usage increased, while phone usage decreased.*
Whereas you have a lot of time to study, I do not.*

Place

To talk about location of position

Wherever he goes, I will go.

I am not sure where I put my pen.
Rules for Adverbial Clauses
Remember that adverbial clauses are made up of two clauses - an independent
clause and a dependent clause (look at these lessons on sentence clauses and complex
sentences again if you are not sure what clauses are).

1) Switching the Clauses

The first thing to note is that the independent and dependent clauses can be switched
around:
After I have finished studying, I intend to work abroad.
(Dependent Clause + Independent Clause)
I intend to work abroad after I have finished studying.
(Independent Clause + Dependent Clause)

In all of the sentences in the table above, the clauses can be switched around.

2) Commas

Note though that if you switch them around and put the dependent clause first, a
comma must come at the end of the dependent clause:

After I have finished studying, I intend to work abroad.

(Comma)
I intend to work abroad after I have finished studying.
(No Comma)
This might seem like a minor point but it is quite important in your writing. Complex
sentences can sometimes get confusing if commas are missing as it can become
unclear where one clause ends and the other begins.
If any of your sentences are confusing, this will definitely reduce your score.
*'While' and 'Whereas' are execptions to this rule because they do have commas even
when they appear in the middle of the sentence.

3) Meanings
Even though certain adverbs have been grouped together in the adverbial clauses
table, this does not mean that they are all synomyms for each other.

Some you can interchange with each other without changing the meaning. For
instance, 'since', 'as' and 'because' all have the same meaning and you can choose
which one you want to use. But some you cannot.

For example, look at these conditional adverbs:

I will go if you go.
I will go unless you go.
The word 'unless' does not work in the second sentence. It has to be changed:

I won't go unless you go.

Now it has the same meaning.

Similarly, 'although', 'even though', and 'though' are all synonyms of each other and
can be interchanged, but 'while' and 'whereas' canot always be swapped with them.

So you need to practice each individual word and check how it is used.

A Common Mistake
A common mistake with adverbial clauses (and other complex sentences) is to
write fragments.
A fragment is an incomplete sentence:

My English is not improving. Because I am not studying enough.

A dependent clause (the second one in this case) cannot be a sentence on its own. By
placing a full-stop after "improving", this has turned the second clause into a sentence
fragment.

A dependent clause must have an independent clause attached to it:

My English is not improving because I am not studying enough.

When you check your work, you should check your complex sentences and check that
you have not written any fragments.
Examples in Context
Look at this sample essay. The adverbial clauses are coloured, with the independent
clauses in green (and italics) and the dependent clauses in red (and underlined). The
adverbs are shaded in yellow.

Some people believe the aim of university education is to help graduates get better
jobs. Others believe there are much wider benefits of university education for both
individuals and society.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

These days, more and more people are making the choice to go to
university.  While some people are of the opinion that the only purpose of a university
education is to improve job prospects, others think that society and the individual
benefit in much broader ways.

It is certainly true that one of the main aims of university is to secure a better job.  The
majority of people want to improve their future career prospects and attending
university is one of the best ways to do this as it increases a persons marketable skills
and attractiveness to potential employers.  In addition, further education is very
expensive, so most people would not consider it if it would not provide them with a
more secure future and a higher standard of living. Thus job prospects are very
important.

However, there are other benefits for individuals and society.  Firstly, the
independence of living away from home is a benefit because it helps the students
develop better social skills and improve as a person.  A case in point is that many
students will have to leave their families, live in halls of residence and meet new
friends.  As a result, their maturity and confidence will grow enabling them to live
more fulfilling lives.  Secondly, society will gain from the contribution that the
graduates can make to the economy.  We are living in a very competitive world,
so countries need educated people in order to compete and prosper.
Therefore, I believe that although a main aim of university education is to get the best
job, there are clearly further benefits.  If we continue to promote and encourage
university attendance, it will lead to a better future for individuals and society.

It is good to have a variety of sentences types. and as you can see, there are a mix of
adverbial clauses which demonstrates that the candidate has a good grammatical
range.

Try writing your own essay. When you have finished, go through your work and
highlight the adverbial clauses, identifying the adverb and the dependent and
independent clauses.

Is there a mix? Are they used correctly with subjects and verbs present in each clause
and no fragments?

 
Adverbial Clause Practice Exercise
In the following exercise, choose which adverb fits in the gap in order to make correct
adverbial clauses.
Top of Form

1. Much of the food we eat would not actually last that long    choose
one unless if  though  it were not for the chemicals they contain
2.    choose one In order to Since Whereas  have robust evaluation procedures in the
future, both formal exams and continual assessment should be used to assess students
during their education.

3.    choose one Where Because Although  chatting online can be beneficial, it is

certainly not the same as real interaction with human beings.

4. Long prison sentences should remain for assault or murder    choose one while even
though  as  justice for the victim and their family should take priority.
5. It is important that the government financially assists theatres    choose one in order
to so that  until   they can continue to provide entertainment to the public.

6. I will keep studying hard    choose one because until wherever   I pass the exam.

7. I will continue to use my bike    choose one as long as unless even though  petrol

prices remain high.

8.    choose one While Whereas Even though  he practiced the guitar every day, he

was still not very good.

9. Global warming will not slow down    choose one unless until  as long

as  governments take serious action soon.

10. I used to live    choose one since where until  you can now see that office block.
They knocked my house down to build it.

 
Score = 
Correct answers:

Bottom of Form

Try another adverb clause quiz >>>

Want more practice?

We have free downloadable / printable worksheets:

Grammar Practice Worksheets

Relative Clauses
Relative clauses are a type of complex sentence.

It essential that you know how to write complex sentences if you want to do well in
the IELTS writing test.
Here are some examples used in an IELTS task 1:

which were consumed approximately 5 times a year

which were the second largest revenue source,
Here are some examples from task 2 essays:
which damages the ozone layer
that are global in scale.
Relative clauses can refer to:

Below are some essential rules about these types of clauses that you must know.

The rules refer to independent and dependent clauses, so make sure you understand these first.

8 things you must know about relative clauses:

1) Relative clauses modify nouns, and they must come after the noun they are modifying:

  noun        relative clause

The car,  which is my father’s, is in the garage.
                             noun      relative clause
The car is in the garage,  which is locked.
In the first sentence, the relative clause is referring to "the car", so it comes after that noun. In the
second sentence it is referring to "the garage".
__________________________________________________

2) There must be an independent and dependent clause:

Ind Clause           Dep Clause         Ind Clause
The car, / which is my father’s, / 
__________________________________________________
3) As there are two clauses, there must be a subject and verb in each:  

       S                 S     V                         V

, /  which is my father’s, /
This is because a relative clause is two simple sentences joined together. In other words:
    S         V
.
     S         V
The car is my fathers.
__________________________________________________

4) If you miss part of one of the clauses out, or one of the subjects or verbs, you will create
a fragment (an incomplete sentence):

       S               S      V                         

 /  which is my father’s.
This is incorrect as there must be a full dependent and independent clause.
Learn more about relative clause fragments

__________________________________________________

5) The verb in the relative clause must agree (i.e. singular subject takes singular verb) with the
noun it is modifying:

Subj (sing)        verb (sing)  

The car, /  which is my father’s, /
__________________________________________________

6) If the information is ‘extra’ information, there are commas:

,  which is my father’s, 
The relative clause is not identifying the noun, it is just extra information about who owns it.
__________________________________________________

7) If the information is ‘essential’, there are no commas:

  which is in front of the house 

This is identifying which car, so it is essential.  There are probably other cars, so without the
relative clause we will not know which car is being talked about.
In other words, if you said "", this would not help us. Which car?
Learn more about essential and non-essential relative clauses

__________________________________________________

8) With ‘essential’ relative clauses, ‘that’ can replace ‘who’ or ‘which’:

  that is in front of the house
that stole my car
 
You can learn more about relative clauses here:
More about Relative Clauses
Relative clauses, also known as adjective or attributive clauses, are a type of
complex sentence in English grammar.

The two main types are defining and non-defining relative clauses. They will start with
a relative pronoun or a relative adverb. We can also reduce relative clauses into present
or past participle phrases. 

It's important to know how to use them in order to avoid writing relative clause
fragments. Below is an explanation of these clauses and how to use them. 

What do relative clauses do?

Relative clauses  describe or provide information about someone or something (a noun

or noun phrase) that has usually already been specified:

I like mixing with people who are well read.

4. Who refers to
'people'

She ate too much, which led to her putting on a lot of weight.

5. Which refers to
'she ate too
much'

Relative clauses are also a way in which clauses can be combined so that we do not
repeat ourselves:

I bought a new car. The car has a sun roof.

1. I bought a new
car, which has a
sun roof.
I tried to write the whole essay in one hour. Writing the whole essay in one
hour wasn't possible. 

1. I tried to write the

whole essay in
one
hour, which wasn
't possible.

How do I recognise relative clauses?

Relative clauses begin with one of these relative pronouns:

1. who
2. that
3. which
4. whose 
5. whom
6. what

Or one of these relative adverbs:

1. where
2. when 
3. why

These words though, are not just used for relative clauses, so you can't assume if you
see one it is a relative clause. 

It is the sentence position and the context that will tell us whether it is a relative clause
or not. 

Where do they appear in a sentence?

Relative clauses follow whatever it is that they are qualifying.

They commonly qualify or give more information about a noun. This is why they are also
known as adjective clauses.

An adjective describes or clarifies a noun, and in a similar way, a relative or adjective

clause gives more information about or defines a noun.

In this case they will come directly after the noun:

I bought a new car (noun), which has a sun roof.

1. The further
information is that
the car has a sun
roof.

I like mixing with people (noun) who are well read.

1. The relatives
clause clarifies
that it is well read
people that the
person likes to
mix with

If they are qualifying a whole clause, then they come directly after that clause:

I tried to write the whole essay in one hour, which wasn't possible.

1. 'Which' refers to
the writing of the
essay in one
hour, so it
comes directly
after that whole
clause

You'll have noted in the above examples that the relative clause comes after the main
clause. 

However, they can also spit up the main clause. This is if they are qualifying a noun
which is the subject of the sentence, in which case they are embedded within the main
clause: 

The students (subject) who studied the hardest got the highest scores in the test. 

Canberra (subject), which is the capital of Australia, is a relatively new city.

Subjects and Verbs

When we make sentences with relative clauses, we are joining two independent

clauses, which means there will be a subject and verb in each clause:
The verb in the relative clause must also agree with the noun that it is modifying. So in
the above example, which is modifying car, and car is a singular noun. So it takes a
singular verb, is.

If it was a plural noun, it would take a plural verb:

The cars, which are my fathers, are in the garage.

Defining and non-defining relative clauses

Relative clauses are either defining or non-defining.

Defining
Defining means that they are essential to the sentence and cannot be omitted. In this
case, commas are not used:

1. She is the
person who stole
my bag

If we leave 'who stole my bag' out of the sentence, we don't know what 'she' did. It is
thus an essential clause. 

In these types of clause, that can also replace the relative pronoun:

 1. She is the
person that stole
my bag

Non-defining
Non-defining relative clauses add extra information, or non-essential information, to
the sentence:

1. The zoo, which
was built seven
years ago, is one
of the best in the
country

The main information about the zoo is that it is one of the best in the country. 'Which
was built seven years ago' is extra information and the sentence makes sense if we
leave it out. 

Commas are also used in the second example to separate off this non-essential
information. Also, that cannot be used.

You can learn more about the differences here.

Reducing Relative Clauses

We can also reduce relative clauses. For example:

1. The book which is
on the table is
mine
2. The book on the
table is mine

3. John, who had
taken his
medicine, laid
down and slept
4. John, having
taken his
medicine, laid
down and slept

The rules for this are quite complex and varied, so take a look at this reduced relative
clauses lesson.
Noun Clause
A Noun clause is another type of complex sentence that you are likely to use when you do any form of
writing or speaking, so you need to be aware of them for IELTS.

And remember that to score at a band 6 or above for the grammatical range and accuracy criteria in the
IELTS writing marking, you must show that you are able to use complex sentences with at least some
accuracy.

For a band 6 you may still make some errors with them, but errors are a lot less likely for someone
scoring a band 7 or higher.

This of course does not mean you have to them in your writing! There are lots of other types of complex
sentence, but it is likely you will use some.

For your speaking too, you need to be able to use a mix of complex structures with some flexibility.

What is a Noun Clause?

If you don't know what a noun or a noun phrase is, you should check these out before you continue
with this lesson.

Also, make sure you know what sentence clauses are and check out this lesson on complex sentences if
you are not sure of the difference between dependent and independent clauses.

This is a noun clause definition:

A group of words (which do what a noun does) with a subject and a verb that can be a
subject, an object, or an object of a preposition.
Here are 4 common types of noun clauses (NC):

5. Subject NC
6. Direct Object NC
7. Object of
Preposition NC
8. Subject as
Complement NC
It is a dependent clause which means it must also have an independent clause, but we will look at this
further when we analyse each type.

Before we look at these in turn, let's look at how this type of clause begins.

Starting the Clause

They start with a relative or adverb pronoun. These are the words that commonly commence such a
clause:

where why if that when whether

who whom which what how how (adj)

- "ever" words

wherever whomever whenever whatever

 
whichever whoever however however (adj)

Types of Clauses
Now we'll look at the different types. Before we do this, take a look at these noun clause examples (the
whole clause is in bold and the relative or adverb pronoun is in red). Each different type is shown:

Subject NC
How governments are fighting global warming is being scrutinised by the media.

Direct Object NC
Most people believe that obesity cannot be reduced just by reducing calorie intake.

Object of Preposition NC
He talked with whichever person arrived first.
 Subject as complement NC
It is important that the individuals do everything they can to help educate their children.

1. Subject Noun Clauses

For these explanations, the subjects will be in green, the verbs in blue, and the objects in red.

In this type of sentence the NC (underlined) is the subject of the sentence:

What causes so many difficulties in the IELTS test is the writing section.

So looking at the whole sentence above, we have a subject, a verb and an object.

But remember that a NC is a 'clause', so it too must have a subject and a verb (and possibly an object):

What causes so many difficulties in the IELTS test is the writing section.

In the above example, the adverb pronoun (" what") is the subject. It does not have to be as in this
example, where "I" is the subject:

Whether I go or not is up to me.

Important: Note that the verb "is" is singular. A NC is counted as a singular subject, so it takes a
singular verb.

You can learn more about subject verb agreement here.

2. Direct Object Noun Clauses
When the clause is the direct object, then it comes after the verb in the independent clause:

This history book describes how England became the first industrialised nation.

Again, remember that the NC has a subject and a verb (and possibly an object):

This history book describes how England became the first industrialised nation.

A common NC you will know from IELTS is the "that" clause, following verbs such as "think", "believe"
and "feel", for example as in this Task 2 essay question:

A growing number of people feel that animals should not be exploited by people and that they should
have the same rights as humans, while others argue that humans must employ animals to satisfy their
various needs, including uses for food and research.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

And you may then give your opinion:

Personally, I do not believe that it is necessary to exploit animals for our own satisfaction .

Note that if you are speaking it is fine to leave " that" out of the sentence (this is then a reduced noun
clause).

          I believe students should not have to wear a uniform.

But for formal writing such as you do in IELTS you should keep the " that" in the sentence.

          I believe  that students should not have to wear a uniform.

3. Object of the Preposition Noun Clauses
In this case, the NC comes after a preposition:

My Aunt is very chatty. She speaks to whoever will listen!

And here it is with the subject and verb of the NC highlighted:

My Aunt is very chatty. She speaks to whoever will listen!

4. Subject as Complement Noun Clauses

These type of sentences have the following structure:

It + be + adjective + (NOUN CLAUSE: that + S + V)

It is important that the government tackles obesity.

It is essential that children have enough leisure time.

Some exercises will be added shortly so you can practice with these types of clauses, so keep an eye on
the page.
Modal Verbs for IELTS
This IELTS lesson is about modal verbs and how they can be used to improve your writing.

You are likely to use these a lot in your academic writing for task 2, particularly if you
are writing an essay which needs to give solutions to a problem.
They are also important to help in clarifying the certainty with which you are making a point, which is
important for your writing.

The examiner will expect you to be competent in using these to award you a higher band score.

What are model verbs?

Modal Verbs are used commonly in English to add further information to the main
verb. 
They are auxiliary or 'helping' verbs, which means they cannot be used on their own but must be used
with the main verb.

May    
Might
Can   9. She
Could can
go
Shall swim
Should 10. Can
Will she
Would swim?
Must 11. She
can
not
swim

12. She
Ought  
has to
Need
go
Have to
go 13. Does
she
have
 to go?
14. She
doesn’
t have
to go

How are  they used?

These verbs are used with a main verb and are followed by the bare infinitive (bare means no “to”). 

The exceptions are ‘ought’,’ need’ and ‘have’ which are followed by the infinitive (with “to”).

Common Use in IELTS Task 2

Three important functions of modal verbs when you are writing or speaking for IELTS are:

15. discussing degre
es of certainty
16. making suggesti
ons. 
17. hypothetical situ
ations

 
Will, may, might and could are common to make logical deductions about a situation or the future,
which you often need to do in task 2:

Children with no father as a role model  become criminals. (100%)

Children with no father as a role model  become criminals. (Possible)

Children with no father as a role model  become criminals. (Possible)

Which of these sentences do you think is incorrect?
Hopefully you worked out that the first one is wrong. This is a common mistake to see
in IELTS essays.
The grammar is ok, but it is not possible to conclude that all children with no father as
a role model will become criminals!
Be careful when you are making assessments in this way. 

‘Will’’ is 100% going to happen, so avoid using it to make generalizations about everybody/everything
unless you know it is 100% true.  (There are other ways to make it less certain e.g. “will possibly”).

When you are writing IELTS essays, it's unusual that you will have evidence with you or that you can use
to show 100% what you are saying is true.

So the second two are better in this situation.

2) 
andare often used to make suggestions for solving a problem.  It is common in task 2
to get a question asking you to discuss a problem and suggest solutions.
Governments take action to tackle global warming.  (strong obligation) 

Parents stop their children watching too much television. (Strong suggestion)

Individuals recycle more (possibility).

Take a look at this model essay on global warming and note how modal verbs are used in
the second body paragraph to discuss the solutions.

 
3) Hypothetical Situations
It is common to use  and  to discuss hypothetical situations.

If something is hypothetical, this means in effect it has not happened. You are discussing an unreal
situation in the future or imagining something.

For example:

If the government spent more money on hospitals, people  be healthier.

It is something that has not happened and you don't know if it will.
See this model essay on human cloning and notice the use of wouldand could throughout
the essay.

Cloning of human beings has not happened yet, so it is a hypothetical situation

It may also be used in your speaking - see this lesson on hypothetical situations for part 2
of the speaking test.

Try a modal verbs quiz

Subject Verb Agreement

It is important to understand subject verb agreement for IELTS.

If you are making errors with this in your writing or speaking, it will be very
noticeable as it is a very basic error.
For example, take a look at this paragraph which has errors with subject verb agreement:

meanare  improvesleads

The Basic Rules

These are the basic rules of subject verb agreement:

1) For a singular third person (he / she / it) in the present tense, the verb must have
an  ending:

Singular Plural

I take We take

You take You take

He / She / It takes They take

Singular:Hetakes

Plural:His familytake
2) Different formations are used for the irregular verb 'to be', but an  is still used for the third person
singular

Present

Singular Plural

I am We are

You are You are

He / She / It is They are

Past

Singular Plural

I was We were

You were You were

He / She / It was They were

Singular:  was

Plural:  were

However, these are just the basic rules.

There are other things that are important to understand in order to ensure you are using subject verb
agreement correctly in all contexts and some things that are confusing.

We'll look at some of these now.

There is and There are

When you use  and , ' is never the subject. The subject is the word that comes after the verb.

Therefore, you need to look at that word to decide if the verb is singular or plural.

areseveral reasons
isone main reason
What sometimes confuses people is when there are several nouns after the verb. It is
common to make the mistake of using a plural verb. In fact, the verb should agree
with only the first noun.
Take a look at this simple example:

isa pen
arepens
In each of these examples, you just need to look at the first noun to decide if the subject is singular or
plural - you can ignore the ones after this.

Separated Subjects
Another common mistake is when the subject is separated from the verb by a prepositional phrase,
relative clause, or reduced relative clause.

A mistake is to make the verb agree with the last noun in the phrase or clause rather than the subject of
the sentence:

Incorrect: citiesare

Correct:  is 

It should not agree with ' as this is part of the prepositional phrase.

Here are some more examples of correct subject verb agreement (the phrase or clause
that should be ignored for purposes of agreement is in brackets):

is
The decisionwas

roadshave not reduced

Expressions of Quantity
Another difficult area with subject verb agreement is dealing with quantities.
When a quantity word is followed by a prepositional phrase, it can follow the rules above i.e. the verb
agrees with the subject (the quantity):

is
Noneis

Fiveare

However, for some quantity phrases you do need to refer to the noun in the prepositional phrase to decide
if the verb is singular or plural:

  Singular Plural

A lot of the meat
A lot of... A lot of the vegetables are organic
is fresh.

All of the... All of the meat is fresh. All of the vegetables are organic

Some of the meat
Some of the... Some of the vegetables are organic
is fresh.

One-half (third One-half of the room One-third of the cars on the

etc) of... is empty road use unleaded fuel.

Neither and Either

With these phrases, the verb must agree with the noun that is closest to the verb:

parentsare

childis

sistershelp

brotherhelps
Indefinite Pronouns as subjects
A common mistake is made in subject verb agreement with indefinite pronouns as people often assume
they must take a plural verb because they refer to more than one thing.

Here are some common examples of indefinite pronouns:

every- some- any- no-

everyone someone anyone no one

everybody somebody anybody nobody

everything something anything nothing

  seems

Somethingneeds

Nobodyis

Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are always followed by the bare infinitive, so in this case the third person singular no longer
takes a singular verb:

Incorrect: Hetakes

Correct: Hetake

Incorrect:Itseems

Correct: Itseem
Gerunds
Gerunds () always take a singular subject. Remember to look at the gerund, not the noun that may come
between the gerund and the verb:

Feeding is

Runningtakes

 is

Now check your knowledge in this quiz:

Subject Verb Agreement Quiz

 
Top of Form

1. There    choose one is are  too much oil and gas being used around the world.
2. There    choose one is  are  many solutions to the problem.

3. The tourists who arrived by bus    choose one were was  very tired as they did not
sleep much.

4. The constant robbery of tourists    choose one upsets upset  many local people.

5. One of the cars    choose one belong belongs  to my father.

6. One-third of the population    choose one do does  not have enough to eat.

7. Neither my aunts nor my uncle    choose one enjoys enjoy  socializing.

8. Everybody    choose one is are  confused by the new rules.

9. He must    choose one take takes  the exam next week.

10. Giving away all my medals    choose one were was  the worst thing I ever did.
Bottom of Form
Gerunds

Gerunds are an important grammar form to understand and to be able to use effectively in the IELTS
test and in your English more generally.

They are nouns and they are formed by adding -ing onto a verb. Take a look at this
paragraph - the gerunds are in red.
Learning vocabulary is very important for the IELTS test. Though it is important not
to neglect the other skills of speaking, reading, writing and listening, knowing a broad
range of words will help you with all the other parts of the test. Unfortunately, many
students dislike spending the time that is needed to fully understand each word, but
not taking vocabulary seriously could be a big mistake.
Here are examples of the words before and after they are changed:

Verb Gerund

Learn Learning
Speak Speaking
Read Reading
Write Writing
Listen Listening
Know Knowing
Spend Spending
Take
Taking

How are they used?

As a subject

18. Walking is a
good form of
exercise
Notice that a gerund takes a singular verb ('is' in this case). You must use the
singular verb, even if there are multiple objects:

19. Eating banana
s, apples and 
oranges every
day is good
for you.

However, if there is more than one, then the plural verb is used:

20. Walking and s
wimming are b
oth good
forms of
exercise.

To make the sentence negative, 'not' is placed before the gerund.

21. Not exercising 
regularly is
dangerous for
your health.

As a direct object

22. Some people

like swimming t
o keep fit.

As subject complements after the verb "to be"

23. A good way to

improve your
English
is watching Am
 erican TV
series.

This sentence is also commonly written this way:

24. Watching Amer
ican TV series
is a good way to
improve your
English.

Objects of prepositions
In this usage, it is after the preposition:

25. Another method

of learning Engl
ish is to read
lots of fiction
books.

Common verbs before gerunds

If you wish to put two verbs together, then the second verb will need to be a gerund
and / or infinitive.

For example, you can't say this:

We always finish eat very late.
We always finish to eat very late.
If "finish" is followed by another verb, it needs to be a gerund.

We always finish eating very late.

There is no grammatical reason for this as such, so you just need to learn the verbs and practice writing
some sentences with those verbs.

Remember, certain verbs should be followed by an infinitive, not a gerund, and some verbs can be
followed by either. For example:

I like to swim (verb + infinitive)

Or
I like swimming (verb + gerund)
Go to the infinitives grammar lesson to learn more and the gerund and infinitive lesson to learn about
verbs that take both.

Here is a list of verbs that are very commonly followed by a gerund (not an infinitive):

Verbs Commonly Followed By A Gerund

VERB EXAMPLE SENTENCE

appreciate I appreciate you taking the time out to see me.

avoid You should avoid drinking sugary drinks.

consider The government considered banning fox hunting.

delay I delayed paying the fine for speeding.

deny He denied committing the crime.

discuss We discussed sending the children to another school.

dislike Most people dislike getting up early.

enjoy I enjoy having a day off.

finish We always finish eating very late.

involve My job involves moving around the country a lot.

miss I miss seeing my family everyday.

postpone We postponed marrying until we had the money.

practice He practiced hitting the ball against the wall.

quit I will quit smoking next month.

recall I can't ever recall shouting at my children.

recommend This book recommends studying for IELTS everyday.

resent I resent my manager firing me from my job.

risk I wouldn't risk taking IELTS before you are prepared.

stop If you stop worrying, you will perform better.

 suggest She suggested studying in Australia.

A Verb After a Preposition

If you place a verb after a preposition, the gerund form is used.

Here are some examples:

I am interested in learning  a new language.
There are many advantages of taking a sabbatical from work.
I passed my exams without trying too hard.
I'm worried about sitting for the IELTS test.
I got a band 7 by studying very hard.
I was shocked upon hearing the news.
I'm sorry for talking so loud.
The best way to learn these is to understand collocations - words that commonly go
together.
For example, we always talk about being "interested in" something, or the "advantages of"
something.

Talking about an activity

We also use them to talk about an activity with the word ' go'.

For example:

I wanted to go jogging but my friend said he'd prefer to go swimming instead.

With reduced adverb clauses
They are also used to make reduced adverbial clauses. Below are some examples.

However, there are various rules for reducing adverbial clauses so you should make
sure you understand these rules before attempting them.
We will look at the rules for this in another lessson.

While I study, I listen to music.

Reduced: While studying, I listen to music
Before I went  out, I turned the lights off.
Reduced:  Before going out, I turned the lights off
I locked the doors after I got home.
Reduced: I locked the doors after getting home.
Because I was tired, I could not study any longer.
Reduced: Being tired, I could not study any longer.
As mentioned above, you should avoid using them until you have studied and practiced them, otherwise
you may make mistakes.

Test yourself in a quiz - gerund and infinitive exercises

Improve your writing score quickly

Ali's Story
Booking The School

Ali decided that he wanted (study)  abroad. (achieve)  his goal, he had many things
that he had (do)  . Firstly he needed (improve)  his English so he could take the IELTS
test. Unfortunately Ali disliked (learn)  English so this would not be much fun. His
friend recommended (attend)  a school close to his house. Ali went to look and from
what he could see it seemed (be)  a good school. He didn't delay (register)  for a
course. He managed (get)  a good price for the course because they had a special offer
on. This was good because he could not afford (pay)  too much.
Show / hide answers

Studying

He had never read much in his life and knew he was weak in this area, so he practiced
(read)  as much as he could. He hated (write)  in English too as his grammar was quite
weak so he also planned (practice)  writing as many essays as possible. His teachers
agreed (check)  these for him. As it turned out, Ali actually really enjoyed
(study)  English. The other students on the course didn't hesitate (help)  Ali and the
teachers always offered (assist)  him if he was stuck. He kept up his studying for a
number of months because he wouldn't risk (sit)  the exam until he was ready.
Show / hide answers

Taking the Test

Then came the time for Ali (take)  the test. He couldn't stop (worry)  before the test.
His teacher had recommended (do)  the Task 2 first in the writing so he followed
those instructions. He finished (write)  his Task 2 after exactly 40 minutes and then
went on to the Task 1. The speaking test seemed (go)  quite well even though he was
nervous. He can recall (ask)  the examiner at the end how well he had done but she
refused (tell)  him. Then came the time for his result. He had expected (get)  a band
5.5 but he was surprised (find)  out that he had been given a band 6.
Show / hide answers

The Result

So Ali could now go and study abroad. Although he was happy, unfortunately it did
mean (leave)  his wife and children for a year. He considered (take)  them with him
but it would be too expensive. He knew he would miss (see)  them everyday but his
parents offered (take)  care of them and promised (make)  sure they were safe. Ali did
love (travel)  though so he knew he would enjoy the trip. He began (prepare)  his trip
immediately.
Show / hide answers

 
 ______________________________________________________
 

Gerund and Infinitive Exercises - Quiz 2

 

Top of Form

1. He resented his father    choose one leaving to leave leaving / to leave  him no

money in the will.
2. She intended    choose one finishing to finish finishing / to finish  the work by 7pm.

3. She continued    choose one taking to take taking / to take  the medicine for two

weeks.

4. The committee forgot    choose one taking to take taking / to take  minutes of the

meeting.

5. He quit    choose one trying to try trying / to try  to persuade his friends to go with

him.

6. The government discussed    choose one reducing to reduce reducing / to

reduce  the level of taxes.

7. He started    choose one developing to develop developing / to develop  an

addiction to the drugs.

8. He claims    choose one being to be being / to be  the best builder in the town.

9. Developed countries tend    choose one having to have having / to have  the highest

levels of obesity.

10. I appreciated her    choose one taking to take taking / to take  the time out to talk
to me.

Score = 
Gerund and Infinitive Exercises - Correct answers:
 Infinitives
Infinitives are created by to + verb.

It is important that you can use them correctly in your IELTS speaking and writing or
when you use English more generally.
We have already looked at , which are verbs ending in –ing(which makes them nouns).

Take a look at this paragraph. The infinitives are in red.

To improve my IELTS score, I joined a writing class in a college in my home town. I

wanted to make sure that my grammar was as good as it could be. The teachers helped
me to understand some complex grammatical points. It is impossible to
know everything in a short time, but I improved lot, and I would really like to
thank them for what they did. To help me like this was very kind.

All these are being used in different ways. In this lesson we'll examine them further.

The Grammar
The infinitive form of the verb means that it does not take a tense. It is the bare form of the verb, but with
'to' before it.

Here are some examples

to go
to see
to wait
to manipulate
to consider
to amend
A common mistake in writing is to think of it like a finite verb (a verb that has a subject and takes a
tense). It does not change its form.
Here is an example of a common mistake with the infinitive:
It took me five hours to reached the destination.
The person has made the infinitive verb, reach, in the past tense. Only the main verb (take in this case)
can be given a tense.

This is how it should be written:

It took me five hours to reach the destination.

How are they used?

The table below explains some of their common uses. This is followed by some tables
with examples.

As direct objects
When an infinitive is used as a direct object, it is placed after the verb:
I wanted to make sure that my grammar was as good as it could be.
I decided to study abroad, but my parents are refusing to pay.

To show purpose
They are sometimes used as a reduction of the phrase 'in order to'.
In order to improve my IELTS score, I joined a writing class in a college in my home town.
To improve my IELTS score, I joined a writing class in a college in my home town.
I joined the exercise class in order to lose weight.
I joined the exercise class to lose weight.

As a subject
To help me like this was very kind.
To get involved in charity work is a very noble cause.

However, note that the use of the gerund in these structures is much more common:
Helping me like this was very kind.
Getting involved in charity work is a very noble cause.

If you do see an infinitive at the beginning of a sentence, it is much more likely to be

showing purpose i.e replacing in order to.

With phrases beginning with 'it' (it + be + infinitive)

It is impossible to be perfect in a short time.
(Adjective + Infinitive)
It could be a mistake to leave my job.
(Noun + Infinitive)

With the verb 'take' (it + take + noun + infinitive)

It took me five hours to reach the destination.
It takes a lot of concentration to read this book.

After certain adjectives

My brother was surprised to see me.
I was careful not to speak too loudly.

Common Verbs before infinitives

If you wish to put two verbs together, then the second verb will need to be an infinitive and / or gerund.

For example, you can't say this:

He hoped see me again.

He hoped seeing me again.
If "hope" is followed by another verb, it needs to be an infinitive:

He hoped to see me again.

Remember, certain verbs should be followed by an infinitive, not a gerund, and some verbs can be
followed by either. For example:

I like to swim (verb + infinitive)

Or
I like swimming (verb + gerund)
Follow this link to see the lesson on  or learn when you can use the .

Here is a list of verbs that are very commonly followed by an infinitive (not a gerund):
Verbs Commonly Followed by an Infinitive
VERB EXAMPLE SENTENCE

afford I can't afford to pay for IELTS lessons.

agree He agreed to postpone his test.

appear Obesity appears to be getting worse.

ask He asked me to go with him.

claim She claimed to have the answer to the question.

decide My partner and I decided to move house next year.

demand I demand to see the manager!

deserve I didn't deserve to get a 7.5 as I studied very little.

expect She expected to get a band 5 but she got a 6.

fail Her son failed to win the race, but he came second.

forget I forgot to take the rubbish out last night.

hesitate She wouldn't hesitate to help a friend in need.

hope I hope to leave by 7pm.

intend The government intends to hold an election in June.

learn I've learnt to take each day as it comes.

manage She managed to change her doctors appointment.

mean Sorry, I didn't mean to arrive so late.

need I need to get a band 7 to get into Australia.

offer I offered to drive her to the airport.

plan I plan to emigrate to the UK this year.

prepare He's prepared to risk everything by investing in gold.

pretend The boy pretended to fall over.

 promise The army general promised not to stage a coup.

refuse He is refusing to take the medicine.

seem She seemed to be ok yesterday, but now she is worse.

tend I tend to find that warmer weather makes me feel better.

threaten The country threatened to invade its neighbour.

wait I can't wait to go on holiday.

want The teacher wanted the students to pass.

The next tables show you some common ways that adjectives and nouns are used with the infinitive. 

Common adjectives preceded by it + be and followed by

infinitive
ADJECTIVE EXAMPLE SENTENCE

bad It is bad to gossip about your friends.

dangerous It is dangerous to drive too fast.

difficult It was difficult to do well in the IELTS reading test.

easy It is very easy to forget important grammar points in a test.

fun It isn't always fun to learn English.

hard It is always hard to remain focused on your goals in life.

important It is important to believe in your abilities.

impossible It will be impossible for the charity to help everyone.

interesting It is interesting to find out about another country.

necessary It is sometimes necessary to change your plans.

relaxing It is relaxing to lie in the sun.

Common nouns preceded by it + be and followed by
infinitive
NOUN EXAMPLE SENTENCE

a good idea It isn't a good idea to study late at night.

a bad idea It is a bad idea to spend too long on IELTS Task 1.

a mistake It is a mistake to say very little in the IELTS speaking test.

a pity It was a pity to leave so early.

a shame It was a shame to break up.

a waste It will be a waste to throw the food away.

Common adjectives followed by infinitives

ADJECTIVE EXAMPLE SENTENCE

ashamed I'm ashamed to admit that I stole the bike.

bound He is bound (certain) to arrive late - he always does.

careful He was careful not to wake the baby.

excited I'm excited to join the local football team.

glad I'm glad to hear that you are feeling better.

happy The developer was happy to reduce the price of the house.

lucky I'm lucky to have so many friends.

pleased The nurse was pleased to know he was well again.

proud She was proud to be seen with her father.

relieved The police were relieved to arrest the criminal at last.

reluctant I'm reluctant to take the IELTS test again.

 sad He was sad to see his brother leave.

shocked I was shocked to find out he had been fired.

sorry We'll all be sorry to see you go.

surprised They were surprised to hear he is 50 years old.

sure He's sure to win first prize.

willing I'm willing to bet you can get a high IELTS score.

Test yourself in a quiz - 

Gerund and Infinitive

Choosing between the gerund and infinitive when they are the object of the
sentence can cause a lot of difficulties for students of English.
If they are the object of the sentence, that means they come after the verb. Make sure
you look at the previous lessons on  and  to see which one to use after which verb.
As you will remember from those lessons, some verbs can only be followed by the
gerund (not the infinitive) and some verbs can only be followed by the infinitive (not
the gerund).

Here are some examples but go to the gerund and infinitive lessons for more
examples:

Examples of verbs
Examples of verbs that
that are followed by
are followed by a gerund
an infinitive
  They agreed signing it.
I kept to phone the office. They agreed to sign it.
 I kept phoning the office.
He expected losing.
We appriate to hear from you.
He expected to lose.
We appreciate hearing from you.
She managed getting a
He denies to take the phone. promotion.
He denies taking the phone. She managed to get a
They avoid to debate the promotion.
subect. We pretended laughing.
They avoid debating the subject. We pretended to laugh.
 

Verbs followed by either infinitives or gerunds

However, in some cases you can use either the gerund or the infinitive. Here are some
common verbs that can be followed by either:

VERB EXAMPLE SENTENCE

I attempted to wake up early.

attempt
I attempted waking up early.

I usually begin to feel tired at 10pm

begin
I usually begin feeling tired at 10pm

The government ceased to talk about the war.

cease
The government ceased talking about the war.

The police continued to harrass him.

continue
The police continued harrassing him.
 I hate to go to work.
hate
I hate going to work.

Most people like to travel abroad.

like
Most people like traveling abroad.

They love to eat at nice restaurants.

love
They love eating at nice restaurants.

The electorate prefers to vote in September.

prefer
The electorate prefers voting in September.

I propose to delay the company merger until next year.

propose
I propose delaying the company merger until next year.

I will start to study next week.

start
I will start studying next week.

The children tried to reduce their intake of sugar.

try
The children tried reducing their intake of sugar.

Practice Gerund and Infinitive

Go to these  to have a practice.

26.  
 › 
27.  
 › 
  Parallel Structure
Parallel structure is when you balance the grammatical structures of words, clauses, sentences, or
phrases in your writing.

They are important for any kind of writing and speaking in order to maintain
coherency.
In this particular lesson we'll look at parallel words and phrases.

We make words or phrases parallel when we are writing things in a list or series, and each word must
have the same grammatical form.

29. For words,
nouns are
balanced with
nouns,
adjectives with
adjectives, verbs
with verbs,
gerunds with
gerunds, and so
on.
30. For phrases,
prepositional
phrases are
balanced with
prepositional
phrases,
infinitive
phrases with
infinitive
phrases, and
gerund phrases
with gerund
phrases.

The coordinating conjunction ‘’ is usually used to connect the parallel items, but

other coordinating conjunctions such as ‘’ and ‘’ may be used.
Correlative conjunctions such as '', '' and '' are also used as connectors.
 Examples of Parallel Structure
 

Infinitives / Gerunds

to gostudying  (WRONG)
to gostudy(CORRECT)

The first sentence is wrong because the first item in the list, , is an infinitive, but
the second item, , is a gerund. In order to correct it,  has been changed to an
infinitive.

Adverbs

John ensured that he gave his two minute

talk  confidently,  effectively  and  persuasive.  (WRONG)
John ensured that he gave his two minute
talk  confidently,  effectively  and  persuasively.  (CORRECT)

The first sentence is incorrect as the last item in the series, , is an adjective,
whereas the first two items are adverbs. The second sentence has been corrected
by changing to the adverb, .

Adjectives

comfortable  airyit was not dirty  (WRONG)

comfortableairy  clean(CORRECT)

The first sentence is incorrect, since the first two items in the series,  and , are
adjectives, whereas the last item, , contains a verb. The second sentence has been
corrected by changing  to the adjective .

Infinitive Phrases

to takeriding(WRONG)
to take(to) ride  (CORRECT)

The first sentence is wrong because an infinitive and gerund phrase have been
mixed together. The second is correct because they are both infinitive phrases.

Prepositional Phrases

the rockup the wallonto the roof  (WRONG)

  over the rockup the wallonto the roof  (CORRECT)

The first sentence is not parallel since the first word, , does not have a preposition,
but the next two words in the list have. It can be corrected by placing the correct
preposition, , before climbed.

If you are more advanced, you may want to learn about some more complex parallel structures.

Quiz
Now practice what you have learned in this parallel structure quiz.

Parallel Structure Exercises

Top of Form
1.The scenery was spectacular, exciting, and looked beautiful.
Correct
Incorrect

2. They studied quickly, quietly, and carefully.

Correct
Incorrect

3. To get the score you want in IELTS quickly you must both learn fast and work
hard.
Correct
Incorrect

4. I like neither to wash up dishes nor mopping the floor.

Correct
Incorrect

5. She walked out of the changing rooms, climbed onto the diving board, and into the
swimming pool.
Correct
Incorrect

6. He cleaned under the sink and behind the cooker.

Correct
Incorrect

7. I'll return in June, July or in August.

Correct
Incorrect

8. I usually spend my evenings watching TV and surfing the internet.

Correct
Incorrect

9. The manager did not like one of his employees because he always arrived late for
work, made mistakes in his duties, completed projects carelessly, and his motivation
was low.
Correct
Incorrect

10. It was both a long meeting and very boring.

Correct
Incorrect

11. You must either arrive on time or not come at all.

Correct
Incorrect

12. For him, success is defined not by wealth but by how happy you are.
Correct
Incorrect

13. The salad was fresh, crisp, and tasted delicious.

Correct
Incorrect

14. He was not sure whether to move to Australia or stay in Japan.

Correct
Incorrect

15. The quarter finals involves the English, the Spanish, French, and Germans.
Correct
Incorrect
Bottom of Form

Passive Voice

Passive voice is important for IELTS. Whenever you speak or write, or try to understand reading
passages, you need to have the ability to use and understand a good range of grammar.

However, a way that the passive is specifically needed for IELTS is if you get
a process diagram in Academic IELTS Task 1. In this case you will use it throughout
your explanation of the process.
So first we'll take a look at how to use the passive voice generally, then we'll see how it is used in a Task
1.
What are the Active and Passive?
When we use the active voice, the subject is doing the action of the verb:

When we use the passive voice, the person or thing receiving the action becomes the
subject:

Active Passive

The dog bit the boy The boy was bitten by the dog

What are the Passive Voice Rules?

To make a sentence passive, we do three things:

31. Move the

object of the
sentence, and
make it the
subject. The
object thus
becomes the
subject (often
we exclude the
object because it
is not important
to the sentence).

32. Add in
"by" before the
new object (if
you are
including it in
 the new
sentence)

33. Add the verb "to

be" to the front
of the verb, and
change the verb
to the past
participle. You
then have a
passive voice
verb. Remember
to keep the
tense the same.

Active Passive

The boy (new subject) was

The bitten (new verb form) by the
dog (subject) bit (verb) the dog (new object).
boy (object) The boy (subject) was
bitten (verb).

In this case the verb "bit" is in the past simple, so when it is made passive, the verb "to be" must be the
past simple - "was".

Passive Voice Examples

These are examples of how we form it with different tenses (without the object in the passive):
 Tense Active Passive

Present I eat the food The food is eaten

Present Continuous I am eating the food The food is being eaten

Present Perfect I have eaten the food The food has been eaten

Past I ate the food The food was eaten

Past Continuous I was eating the food The food was being eaten

Past Perfect I had eaten the food The food had been eaten

Future I will eat the food The food will be eaten

Future Perfect I will have eaten the food The food will have been eaten

I can eat the food The food can be eaten

Present Modal I should eat the food The food should be eaten

I may eat the food The food may be eaten

The food could have been

I could have eaten the food
eaten

Past Modals I should have eaten the The food should have been
food eaten

I may have eaten the food The food may have been eaten

Gerunds and Infinitives

We can also use the passive voice for infinitive and gerund structures:

Tense Infinitive Gerund

Simple to + be + Past Participle Being + Past Participle

  Being taken care of was
She wanted to be taken care of
wonderful.
 to + have been + Past having been + Past
Perfect Participle Participle
  She was happy to have been She celebrated having been
chosen chosen

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

However, you cannot use the passive with intransitive verbs.

Transitive verbs have to take an object. For example, you cannot say " He discovered". This is a
transitive verb so it needs an object: " He discovered a cure".
So this can be made passive: "A cure was discovered".
Intransitive verbs are not followed by an object. For example, you can say " He died". Or it could be
followed by an adverb: "He died yesterday".
But we cannot say: "He was died" or "Yesterday was died he".
Learn more about transitive and intransitive verbs

When do we use it?

It is much more common to use the active than the passive, so you should only use it if there is a specific
reason. Below are are the reasons that we use it.
Remember that this is usually a matter of choice for you, depending on the context in which you are
writing.

1. When you think the receiver of the action is more important than the doer of the action
 Interested in the doer Interested in the action

The farmer harvested the corn in The corn was harvested in

September September

2. When you think it is obvious who the doer is so it does not need to be mentioned

An obvious subject Omitting the doer

The police arrested the burglar The burglar was arrested

3. When the doer of the action is unknown or we don't want the doer to be known

A known doer An unknown doer

Jonathan stole Peter's phone Peter's phone was stolen

4. When you think the doer is irrelevant

You feel it is relevant You feel it is irrelevant

The manager will close the shop at 3pm The shop will be closed at 5pm

5. When you are writing for certain genres, such as science reports or for academic journals

Referring to the researcher Anonymising the researcher

I can draw several conclusions from Several conclusions can be drawn from
the results the results

When do we use the passive voice for IELTS?

As it is just a part of general grammar, you may use it at any point in the speaking or writing.

The time when you will really be in trouble if you don't know how to use it is if you have to write about
a man-made process in Task 1 of Academic IELTS (for natural processes you use active voice).
Here is an example of a mad-made process diagram, where you have to describe the process of making
chocolate:

When we describe a process such as this, we are not interested in who does the activity, the "doer", we are
interested in the activity itself.

So in order to emphasize this, the activities are used as the subjects. Check out this model answer - the
passive voice has been highlighted.

To begin, the cocoa comes from the cacao tree, which is grown in the South American
and African continents and the country of Indonesia. Once the pods are ripe and red,
they are harvested and the white cocoa beans are removed. Following a period of
fermentation, they are then laid out on a large tray so they can dry under the sun.
Next, they are placed into large sacks and delivered to the factory. They are then
roasted at a temperature of 350 degrees, after which the beans are crushed and
separated from their outer shell. In the final stage, this inner part that is left is
pressed and the chocolate is produced.
You can view some more examples of process diagrams here:

Brick Manufacturing Process

Tea Manufacturing Process

Passive Voice Excercise

You can now test yourself with the passive voice.

In the quiz, the sentence given is active. Write the passive sentence below.

DO NOT include the object i.e. "by ...", unless you are asked to do so. If you do it will get marked as
incorrect. Include everything else.

Don't put a space or full-stop (period) after your sentence as it will also appear as incorrect, and start the
sentence with a capital letter.

Here is an example:

      Active: I have read the book

      Answer: The book has been read

Passive Quiz
Top of Form

1. John cancelled the meeting

2. The van takes the meat to the market

3. I will take the medicine

4. The police interviewed the suspect

5. The canteen was serving lunch

6. His grandfather looked after him. (use an object)

7. The boss will fire him tomorrow

8. I can still use this pen

9. My uncle raised me. (use an object)

10. I will paint the room next month

Score = 
Correct answers:
Bottom of Fo