Why Complex Sentences Decide Band 7 (কেন গুরুত্বপূর্ণ)
The Grammatical Range & Accuracy criterion (25% of Writing and Speaking) rewards a "variety of complex structures". The single fastest way to move from Band 6 to Band 7 is to write complex sentences accurately — a main clause plus a subordinate clause — instead of only short, simple ones.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy (Writing ও Speaking-এর ২৫%) "জটিল কাঠামোর বৈচিত্র্য" পুরস্কৃত করে। Band 6 থেকে Band 7-এ ওঠার দ্রুততম উপায় হলো ছোট সরল বাক্যের বদলে নির্ভুল জটিল বাক্য লেখা — একটি প্রধান clause + একটি অধীন clause।
Band 7 does NOT mean long, tangled sentences. It means a mix: some short simple sentences for impact, plus accurate complex ones. Accuracy beats length — a correct two-clause sentence scores higher than a messy five-clause one.
Band 7 মানে দীর্ঘ, জট পাকানো বাক্য নয়। এটি মিশ্রণ: কিছু ছোট সরল + নির্ভুল জটিল বাক্য। দৈর্ঘ্য নয়, নির্ভুলতাই আসল।
This is one of our Band 7+ grammar guides. Continue with Conditionals, Passive & Nominalisation, Articles, Comparison & Modality and Cohesion.
এটি আমাদের Band 7+ ব্যাকরণ গাইড-এর একটি। বাকিগুলোও দেখুন।
The Anatomy of a Complex Sentence (গঠন)
A complex sentence = one independent clause (can stand alone) + one or more dependent clauses (cannot), joined by a subordinator. জটিল বাক্য = একটি স্বাধীন clause + এক বা একাধিক অধীন clause, একটি subordinator দিয়ে যুক্ত।
| Type | Example | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | Cars cause pollution. | one idea (Band 5–6 if overused). এক ভাব। |
| Compound | Cars cause pollution, so cities are congested. | two equal ideas (FANBOYS). দুই সমান ভাব। |
| Complex | Because cars cause pollution, cities suffer. | ideas with a relationship — Band 7 range. সম্পর্কযুক্ত ভাব — Band 7। |
| Compound-complex | Because cars pollute, cities suffer, but few act. | a controlled Band 8 flourish. Band 8 ঝলক। |
Relative Clauses (সম্বন্ধবাচক clause)
Relative clauses add information about a noun using who, which, that, whose, where, when. They are the most useful Band 7 tool for packing detail into one sentence. Relative clause একটি noun সম্পর্কে তথ্য যোগ করে (who/which/that/whose/where/when) — এক বাক্যে বিস্তারিত ভরার সেরা Band 7 টুল।
Defining vs non-defining (NO commas vs commas)
Non-defining: noun, which/who + verb …, → commas; never "that"
Choosing the right relative pronoun
| Pronoun | Use for | Academic example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people | Architects who embraced Modernism rejected decoration. |
| which | things/ideas | Fibre optics, which carry light, revolutionised communication. |
| that | people/things (defining only) | The strategy that the hotel adopted raised productivity. |
| whose | possession | Cities whose roads were built for horses cannot cope. |
| where | places | Regions where logging occurs face extinction risk. |
| when | times | The 1970s, when attitudes shifted, saw a broader view of health. |
| which (whole clause) | the whole idea before | Sea levels are rising, which threatens coastal airports. |
Reduced relative clauses (a Band 8 move)
Delete the relative pronoun + "be" to make the sentence tighter and more academic. relative pronoun + "be" মুছে বাক্য আরও ঘন ও একাডেমিক করুন।
Adverbial Clauses (ক্রিয়া-বিশেষণ clause)
These show the relationship between two ideas — contrast, reason, condition, purpose, result, time. Using a range of subordinators is a clear Band 7 signal. এগুলো দুই ভাবের সম্পর্ক দেখায়। বিভিন্ন subordinator ব্যবহার Band 7-এর স্পষ্ট সংকেত।
| Relationship | Subordinators | Academic example |
|---|---|---|
| Concession / contrastসত্ত্বেও | although, even though, while, whereas | Although zoos aid conservation, few species are truly saved. |
| Reason / causeকারণ | because, since, as, given that | Since fresh water is scarce, irrigation must be efficient. |
| Conditionশর্ত | if, unless, provided that, as long as | Wildlife will recover provided that habitats are protected. |
| Purposeউদ্দেশ্য | so that, in order that | Cities restrict cars so that congestion is reduced. |
| Resultফল | so … that, such … that | Growth was so rapid that parts of cities became slums. |
| Timeসময় | when, while, once, as soon as, before, after | Once the beans are dried, they are roasted. |
| Manner / comparisonযেভাবে | as, as if, just as | Just as reading builds vocabulary, listening builds fluency. |
Front-load for variety. Start some sentences with the adverbial clause + comma ("Although…, "), and keep others end-weighted. Mixing the position shows control.
বৈচিত্র্যের জন্য আগে বসান। কিছু বাক্য "Although…," দিয়ে শুরু করুন, কিছু শেষে রাখুন — অবস্থান বদল নিয়ন্ত্রণ দেখায়।
One connector per idea. Do not write "Although cars pollute, but people love them." Use either Although or but, never both.
এক ভাবে এক connector। "Although … but …" একসঙ্গে নয় — যেকোনো একটি।
Noun Clauses (বিশেষ্য clause)
A noun clause acts as a noun — a subject or object. It lets you write with an academic, essay-like voice. Noun clause একটি noun-এর মতো কাজ করে (subject/object)। এটি একাডেমিক কণ্ঠ দেয়।
| Pattern | Academic example |
|---|---|
| that-clause (object) | Researchers argue that passive smoking harms non-smokers. |
| The fact that… (subject) | The fact that working hours have risen surprises many. |
| What… (subject — cleft) | What the data reveal is a steady decline in literacy. |
| wh-clause | It is unclear why the population began to fall. |
| whether-clause | Scientists question whether zoos genuinely protect species. |
| It + be + adj + that… | It is widely accepted that education reduces poverty. |
Two elegant Band 7–8 openers for Task 2 and Speaking Part 3: "What is clear is that…" and "The fact that … suggests that…". They sound analytical and control the sentence.
Task 2 ও Speaking Part 3-এর দুটি সুন্দর শুরু: "What is clear is that…" ও "The fact that … suggests that…"।
Band 6 → Band 7 Errors (যে ভুল ঠিক করলে ব্যান্ড ওঠে)
These four errors keep good candidates at Band 6. Fix them and your accuracy rises. এই চারটি ভুল Band 6-এ আটকে রাখে। ঠিক করলে নির্ভুলতা বাড়ে।
Your Turn — Combine into Complex Sentences (অনুশীলন)
Join each pair into ONE complex sentence using the clause type in brackets. Try first, then reveal a model. প্রতিটি জোড়াকে বন্ধনীর clause দিয়ে একটি জটিল বাক্যে যুক্ত করুন।
Show a model answer
Although zoos claim to protect animals, few species are actually saved.
Show a model answer
Because the seabed is soft, engineers must predict how far it will sink.
Show a model answer
Fibre optics, which are thin glass fibres, carry light very fast.
Show a model answer
Wildlife will recover provided that habitats are protected. (or: as long as / if)
Show a model answer
Cities designed for older forms of transport cannot cope with modern traffic. (reduced relative)
Show a model answer
What is clear is that working hours have increased since 1970.
Apply these in real essays with our Cambridge IELTS Writing companions. Next guide: Conditionals & Hypothetical Language.
প্রয়োগ করুন Cambridge IELTS গাইড-এ। পরের গাইড: Conditionals।