Understand advanced grammar structures for IELTS to improve your Grammatical Range and Accuracy score. Learn conditionals, inversion, cleft sentences, and more. Free PDF included.
To achieve a Band 7.0 or higher in the IELTS exam, grammatical accuracy is not enough; you must demonstrate a flexible command of complex sentence forms. The criterion “Grammatical Range and Accuracy” accounts for 25% of your total score in both Writing and Speaking.
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Below is a comprehensive guide to the key advanced structures required for high-scoring responses. These explanations include IELTS-specific examples and professional tips on how to integrate them effectively into your exam strategy.
1. Advanced Conditionals (If-Clauses and Inversion)
Conditionals are essential for discussing hypothetical situations, consequences, and alternative outcomes. They are particularly useful in Writing Task 2 for developing arguments and in Speaking Part 3 for speculating on abstract topics.
Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
Structure: If + past perfect, … would have + past participle.
Usage: Use this to discuss a past situation that did not happen. It adds complexity by expressing precise regrets or hypothetical historical outcomes.
- Example: “If Fleming hadn’t discovered penicillin, there would be far more fatalities every year than there actually are.”
Mixed Conditionals
Structure: If + past simple, … would have + past participle (or vice versa).
Usage: This structure combines two different timeframes, typically linking a present condition to a past result. It demonstrates the ability to manipulate timeframes fluidly.
- Example: “If the island were still a tourist attraction, last week’s earthquake would have caused far more deaths.”(Analysis: The island is not currently an attraction [present], which affected the outcome of the earthquake [past].)
Negative and Alternative Conditions
To avoid repetition, use alternatives to “If,” such as unless, in case, even if, provided that, or whether…or not.
- Example (Unless): “Unless you have a doctor’s note to say you’ve passed the medical, they won’t allow you to go on the activity holiday.”
- Example (Even if): “Even if they do go down with flu after they’ve had the vaccination, it is likely to be less serious.”
Formal Inversion in Conditionals
Structure: Start the sentence with Had, Should, or Were instead of “If.”
Usage: This is highly sophisticated and preferred in formal academic writing.
- Example: “Had the film been released in the summer, it would not have been so successful.”(Standard: “If the film had been released…”)
2. Emphatic Sentences (Clefts and Fronting)
Emphatic structures allow you to control the rhythm of your writing and highlight the most significant information in a sentence.
Cleft Sentences
Structure: It is/was X who/that… OR What (subject) does/is…
Usage: These structures split a simple clause to emphasize one specific element.
- Example: “It is Vanessa who has made the greatest impact.”(Focus is placed entirely on Vanessa).
- Wh-Cleft Example: “What Mike did was take Sally to the party.”(Focus is placed on the action taken).
Fronting and Negative Inversion
Structure: Begin a sentence with a negative or limiting adverbial (e.g., Not only, Seldom, Rarely, So/Such) followed by an inverted auxiliary verb.
Usage: This adds dramatic effect and is a hallmark of C1/C2 level proficiency.
- Example (So… that): “So terrible was the storm that a lot of houses were swept away.”
- Example (Not only… but also): “Not only is smoking harmful to your health, but it is also costly.”
3. Noun Clauses and Subordinate Clauses
Using noun clauses allows you to embed complex ideas within a sentence, functioning as a subject or object. This is critical for maintaining cohesion.
Noun Clauses
Structure: Clauses beginning with that, if, whether, what, or how.
- Subject as Complement: “It is important that the government tackles obesity.”
- Object Clause: “Personally, I do not believe that it is necessary to exploit animals for our own satisfaction.”
- Subject Clause: “What causes so many difficulties in the IELTS test is the writing section.”
Pro Tip: Using a “What” clause as the subject of your sentence (as seen in the third example) is an excellent way to vary your sentence openers in an essay.
4. Relative Clauses
Defining and non-defining relative clauses allow you to provide essential definitions or additional context without creating short, choppy sentences.
- Defining: “Email and social networking sites such as Facebook have created online communities that are global in scale.”
- Non-Defining: “CO₂, which damages the ozone layer, comes from several sources.”
Note: Non-defining clauses (surrounded by commas) are frequently used in academic texts to provide supporting evidence or definitions.
5. Modal Verbs (Speculation and Deduction)
In academic writing, absolute statements can sometimes sound too aggressive. Modals provide necessary nuance.
Past/Perfect Modals
Structure: Modal + have + past participle (could have, should have, must have).
Usage: Use these for past deductions, regrets, or logical conclusions.
- Regret/Critique: “She should have prepared more for the exam.”
- Logical Deduction: “They must have left already.”
6. Passive Voice
The passive voice is standard in academic reports (Writing Task 1) to describe processes where the agent is irrelevant, or in essays (Task 2) to maintain objectivity.
Structure: Be + Past Participle (often combined with modals).
- Example: “A new subway line has been proposed to reduce traffic congestion.”
7. Subjunctive and Hypotheticals
While the true subjunctive is rare in modern English, specific set phrases remain highly effective for formal recommendations in Task 2 essays.
The Subjunctive Mood
Structure: It is essential/vital/important that + subject + base verb.
- Example: “It is essential that she complete the task by Friday.”(Note the use of “complete” rather than “completes”.)
Wishes and Hypotheticals
Usage: Common in Speaking Part 2 and 3 when discussing unreal desires.
- Example: “If I were rich, I would travel the world.”
8. Advanced Comparisons and Correlatives
Correlative conjunctions link ideas while ensuring parallel structure, which significantly aids readability and coherence.
Correlative Pairs
Structure: Not only… but also, Both… and, Either… or, Neither… nor.
- Example: “She is both intelligent and hardworking.”
- Inversion Example: “Not only is the policy expensive, but it is also ineffective.”
Participle Clauses
Usage: Using -ing or -ed participles to shorten clauses makes your writing concise and sophisticated.
- Example: “Given the rapid growth of cities, many governments have expanded public transport.”(Meaning: “Because of the rapid growth…”)
Download the Free PDF Guide
For a complete list of these structures, including additional practice exercises and cheat sheets, please download the comprehensive guide below.
[Coming Soon Download Advanced Grammar for IELTS PDF]