IELTS Computer Delivered Tests + Band Score

use of relative pronouns - that or when?

Is it - I remember the day THAT or WHEN the accident happened?

Comments for use of relative pronouns - that or when?

Click here to add your own comments

May 14, 2014
 use of relative pronouns - that or when?
by: IELTS buddy

Hi,

The relative clause you have used is essential to the sentence which means 'that' or 'when' can be used.

Check out this lesson on relative clauses for more information on essential and non-essential (or defining and non-defining) clauses.

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Grammar Questions.

Clauses and the passive voice

by DEEPAK MALIK
(SONIPAT)

Dear sir,

I have a problem in how make a proper sentence with clause and some difficulties in passive voice and past indefinite tense.

Regards,
DEEPAK MALIK

Comments for Clauses and the passive voice

Click here to add your own comments

Aug 21, 2013
 clauses, passive and past tenses
by: IELTS buddy

Hi,

That is quite a lot to explain in one email! I have done some lessons on those so I think it is better that I point you to those:

The passive is explained in this lesson on processes.

Sentence clauses are explained on the grammar lesson pages.

I haven't done a lesson yet on the past tense. The indefinite (or past simple) is used to refer to a completed action in the past. For example:

"He arrived yesterday".

But there is too much to explain in one email so a quick internet search will bring up lots of information on this.

Thanks

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Grammar Questions.

Commas in compound sentences

by robbie
(Brisbane, Queensland, Australia)

hi,

My question is when we write a compound sentence. For example;

"Computers are important, but they can be dangerous too".

IF we use two comma's, one before and one after

"Computers are important, but, they can be dangerous too".

Is this a acceptable form of grammar? I usually write that in most complex sentence formation. Is that the same case with using 'so'?

Another question is:

you have used commas before writing 'and' in your compound sentence structure. If we remove then comma before 'and', is it going to be wrong?

For instance:

"Computers are used widely in most countries now, and they are a sign of progress. We must ensure everyones has access to them". (your quote)

"Computers are used widely in most countries now and they are a sign of progress. We must ensure everyones has access to them". (My question)

Comments for Commas in compound sentences

Click here to add your own comments

Jul 08, 2013
 Commas in compound sentences
by: Anonymous

Question 1

No, I would not put a comma after the coordinating conjunction, any of them (and, or, but, so).

You may see a comma after those words but my guess is that it is not in academic English. It is more likely to be in stories or books. It will be being used to indicate a pause in speaking.

Question 2

Don't worry too much about whether you should have a comma or not before coordinating conjunctions.

A lot of grammar books teach that a comma should go before the conjunction. This though tends to be more American English. Often in British English it is not there.

If you remember, put it in, but your score will not be affected by something as minor as that.

Commas to separate complex sentences, however, are important. So make sure you understand how they work. You can check this here:
Complex Sentences

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Grammar Questions.

Number of clauses in sentence?

I saw the sentence

"It's cold outside so I think I'll stay in."
and apparently it has 2 clauses?

I thought the clauses were 'It is', 'I think' and 'I will', why is that wrong?

Comments for Number of clauses in sentence?

Click here to add your own comments

Sep 21, 2013
 Sentence Clauses
by: Anonymous

Hi,

I think you saw that on another page I wrote.

I did that in error - you are right, it has 3 clauses.

"It's cold outside..."
"I think (that)..."
"I'll stay in..."

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Grammar Questions.

Does this sentence contain an adverb clause?

by Bill
(York, PA, USA)

"We went to the game early so we could get good seats".

My argument is it does contain an adverb clause, which would be "so that we could get good seats." "So that we could get good seats" is answering why the people "went" to the game early and modifies the verb "went".

However, quite a few people I know have been arguing it's a compound sentence because "so" is functioning as a coordinating conjunction. I realize "so" can be a coordinating conjunction, but I didn't think it was being used to convey "therefore" in this sentence, which would then mean it's functioning as a subordinating conjunction with that being omitted.

Thanks for any thoughts you have.

Comments for Does this sentence contain an adverb clause?

Click here to add your own comments

Sep 25, 2014
 so that - adverb clause
by: IELTS buddy

Hi,

I would agree with you. It cannot be replaced with 'therefore' (as 'so' can be when used as a coordinating conjunction) but it could be replaced with 'so that' or 'in order that', both of which would make it an adverb clause.

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Grammar Questions.

sentence structure

by jiral
(surat)

How to make different types of sentence structure?

How use pronoun, verb and adjective?

Comments for sentence structure

Click here to add your own comments

Jul 28, 2013
 Constructing sentences
by: IELTS buddy

Have a look at this link here for sentence structure:
Sentence Structure

Your other questions about pronouns, verbs and adjectives can't really be answered in a post like this. There are lots of rules etc.

They would each need to be a lesson in themselves.

I will try to do some in the future but I would do an individual search on each one on the internet.

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Grammar Questions.

She has never and would never ________ to her son to join politics.

by sohanlal
(cheeka)

# Is it grammatically correct?
# Which form of the verb will be used in
the given blank space - allow,
allowed, be allowed?
# Please rectify only this sentence.

Comments for She has never and would never ________ to her son to join politics.

Click here to add your own comments

Jul 08, 2013
 'has never' and 'would never'
by: IELTS buddy

Hi,

I am guessing you are asking this question because if you say the sentences separately then they use a different form of the verb allow. i.e.

- "She has never allowed..." (present perfect)

- "She would never allow..." (conditional)

So what do you use when these are put together? Of course you could write this:

"She has never allowed and would never allow her son to join politics". (you must delete the 'to' - that is an error).

If you want to just put one verb though, you should follow the last structure which is 'would', so you would write it like this:

"She has never and would never allow her son to join politics".

To me, that looks fine.

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Grammar Questions.

cleft - Using "what + to be clause + is"

by Makhmal
(Ofocolo)

Dear sir

I have a question about "cleft structure". Is this statement a correct cleft:

"What is important to me is that..."

I mean can I use what + to be clause + is ?

Best Regards,
Makhmal

Comments for cleft - Using "what + to be clause + is"

Click here to add your own comments

Nov 22, 2013
 cleft
by: IELTS buddy

Hi,

Yes, your sentence is fine.

Thanks

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Grammar Questions.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Band 7+ eBooks

"I think these eBooks are FANTASTIC!!! I know that's not academic language, but it's the truth!"

Linda, from Italy, Scored Band 7.5

ielts buddy ebooks