Complex sentences and advanced cohesion: learn

In this lesson you will

Use concessive, relative and participle clauses to express precise relationships between ideas
Use nominalisation and “this + summary noun” to link sentences smoothly
Build cohesion through reference and lexical chains rather than overused linking words
Rewrite a choppy paragraph as fluent, cohesive academic prose

Before you start

Think about these questions, or answer them aloud.

→Compare “Prices rose. People bought less.” with “As prices rose, people bought less.” Which sounds more mature, and why?
→Which linking words do you use most in essays? Do you think you overuse any of them?

Range with control

In the public IELTS band descriptors, a band 7 script uses a variety of complex structures with some flexibility, and error-free sentences are frequent. At band 8 the range is wide and the majority of sentences are error-free. Two points follow from this.

Complex is not the same as long. A complex sentence has a main clause and at least one subordinate clause that shows how the ideas are related: contrast, cause, condition, time or comment. A fifty-word sentence held together by and… and… and is long, not complex.
Range only counts if it is controlled. One accurate concessive clause does more for your score than three tangled sentences that the reader has to decode.

Six structures worth mastering
Structure	What it does	Example
Concessive clause (although, while, even though; despite + noun or -ing)	Admits a counter-point before your main claim	Although remote work saves commuting time, it can blur the line between work and home.
Non-defining relative clause (, which / , who / , whose)	Adds information or comments on a whole idea	Many firms have reduced their office space, which has lowered their costs.
Participle clause (-ing / -ed / having + past participle)	Shows cause, time or result concisely	Faced with rising rents, many young adults stay with their parents.
Precise conditionals (unless, provided that, as long as)	Sets an exact condition	Unless governments invest in rail, car use will keep rising.
Nominalisation (verb or adjective → noun phrase)	Turns an event into a noun that can be the subject of the next sentence	Prices rose sharply. → The sharp rise in prices reduced demand.
Cleft sentence (What … is … / It is … that …)	Puts emphasis on the key idea	What most concerns economists is the speed of the change.

Build a sentence

Quick check: build a complex sentence

Put the chunks in order to make one accurate sentence with a participle clause and a comment on the whole idea.

Tap the words below in the right order

Cohesion beyond linking words

At C1 level, examiners notice when every sentence begins with Moreover, Furthermore or In addition. The band descriptors for coherence and cohesion reward cohesive devices that are used flexibly and penalise those that are mechanical or overused. These tools connect ideas more naturally:

Reference: this, these, such, the former, the latter and pronouns point back to something already said.
This/these + summary noun: “…many graduates cannot find work in their field. This mismatch …” Useful summary nouns: trend, approach, problem, shift, measure, policy, view, tendency, development.
Lexical chains: keep the topic alive with synonyms and word families: pollution → emissions → dirty air → contamination.
Substitution: “Some cities have introduced congestion charges; others have yet to do so.”
Given → new order: begin a sentence with information the reader already knows and end with the new information. The next sentence can then start from that new point.

Same ideas, better links

Choppy: Many young people move to cities. They want better jobs. Rural areas lose workers. Rural areas become poorer.
Cohesive: Drawn by better job prospects, many young people move to cities. This migration leaves rural areas short of workers, which in turn makes them poorer.
Choppy: Governments taxed sugary drinks. Moreover, sales fell. Moreover, people bought more water.
Cohesive: Following the introduction of a tax on sugary drinks, sales fell, with many consumers switching to water instead.

Original paragraph (about band 6)

Many governments want people to use public transport. They build new train lines. They lower ticket prices. Moreover, many people still drive. Moreover, cars are more convenient. Cars take people from door to door. Public transport often does not do this. Governments should think about this problem. They should improve connections between stations and homes. For example, they can provide bike-sharing near stations. This would help more people use trains.

Revised paragraph (band 8 level)

In an effort to encourage the use of public transport, many governments have built new rail lines and cut ticket prices. Despite these measures, a large proportion of commuters continue to drive, largely because cars offer a door-to-door convenience that trains and buses rarely match. What is often overlooked, therefore, is the final stage of the journey: the distance between a station and a person's home or workplace. Unless this gap is closed, investment in the main network is likely to have only a limited effect. One relatively inexpensive solution would be to provide bike-sharing schemes at major stations, which would allow passengers to complete their journeys quickly and cheaply.

How a strong writer does it

In an effort to… opens with a purpose phrase instead of a separate sentence.
these measures is a summary noun that refers back to two actions (building lines, cutting prices).
Despite these measures replaces the illogical Moreover: the idea is a contrast, not an addition.
largely because adds a precise cause in the same sentence.
What is often overlooked… is is a cleft sentence that highlights the key point.
this gap is another summary noun, and Unless sets a precise condition.
which would allow comments on the solution without starting a new sentence.
Lexical chain: public transport → rail lines → trains and buses → the main network. The writer never repeats public transport three times.

Notice that there are only five sentences, but every relationship between the ideas is now clear.

Gap fill

Summary nouns

Complete each sentence with a summary noun from the box. Use each word once.

1. Over the past decade, more and more consumers have started buying second-hand clothes. This is expected to continue. 2. Some schools have banned mobile phones during lessons. Supporters claim that this has improved concentration. 3. Many coastal towns now flood every winter. This is likely to become more serious as sea levels rise. 4. Some economists argue that wealthy nations should cancel the debts of poorer countries. Critics reject this , saying it rewards poor financial management. 5. In the 1990s, most people read the news in print; today, most read it on their phones. This from paper to screen has transformed journalism.

Put in order

Follow the cohesion clues

Put the sentences in order. Use the reference words and summary nouns (this decline, such technology, these larger operations) as clues.

1The result is a farming sector that employs fewer people and is increasingly dominated by a handful of companies.
2This decline is partly explained by mechanisation, as a single machine can now do the work of dozens of labourers.
3Over the last fifty years, the share of people working in agriculture has fallen steadily in most countries.
4Smaller producers, unable to compete on price, have often been forced to sell their land to these larger operations.
5Such technology, however, is expensive, and it is mainly large farms that can afford it.

Writing task

Rewrite a choppy paragraph

Keep all the ideas, but rewrite the paragraph as fluent academic prose. Aim for 6–8 sentences.

Rewrite the paragraph below in at least 120 words. Use at least one concessive clause, one relative or participle clause and one “this/these/such + summary noun”. Do not start any sentence with Moreover or Furthermore.

Many people now shop online. Online shopping is convenient. People can compare prices easily. Moreover, local shops are closing. Moreover, town centres are becoming empty. Some towns are trying to solve this. They are turning empty shops into cafés and community spaces. They are also holding markets and events. These ideas bring people back to the town centre. However, they cost money. Local councils have small budgets. So governments should give councils more money for this.

Write at least 120 words · about 15 minutes

15:000 / 120 words

Save words to review them later with flashcards.

cohesion
the way sentences and ideas in a text are connected to each other
“Summary nouns improve cohesion between sentences.”
concessive
admitting that something is true before making a contrasting point
““Although” introduces a concessive clause.”
nominalisation
turning a verb or adjective into a noun phrase
“Nominalisation makes academic writing more concise.”
mechanisation
the use of machines to do work that people or animals used to do
“Mechanisation reduced the number of farm workers.”
migration
the movement of people from one place to another to live or work
“Migration from the countryside has changed the size of many cities.”
initiative
a new plan or action to solve a problem or achieve something
“The council launched an initiative to support local shops.”
vacant
empty; not being used
“Vacant shops were turned into art studios.”
revive
to bring something back to life or make it active again
“Weekly markets helped to revive the town centre.”
stretched
(of money or resources) only just enough, with nothing extra
“Hospital budgets are already stretched.”
a handful of
a small number of
“The market is dominated by a handful of companies.”

Key points

Complex sentences show precise relationships between ideas: contrast, cause, condition and comment.
Concessive, relative and participle clauses, nominalisation and cleft sentences add range, but only where they make the meaning clearer.
Link sentences with this/these + summary noun, reference words and lexical chains, not a string of Moreover and Furthermore.
Put known information at the start of a sentence and new information at the end.
Range only counts when it is accurate: check punctuation and verb forms in every long sentence.

Check your answers in the practice exercises to record a score.

Up next · Writing C1 Advanced

Collocations and paraphrasing (lexical resource)

Go to lesson

Warm-up

In this lesson you will

Before you start

Range with control

Quick check: build a complex sentence

Cohesion beyond linking words

Original paragraph (about band 6)

Revised paragraph (band 8 level)

How a strong writer does it

Summary nouns

Choose the best combined sentence

Follow the cohesion clues

Rewrite a choppy paragraph

Key points

Warm-up

In this lesson you will

Before you start

Range with control

Quick check: build a complex sentence

Cohesion beyond linking words

Original paragraph (about band 6)

Revised paragraph (band 8 level)

How a strong writer does it

Summary nouns

Choose the best combined sentence

Follow the cohesion clues

Rewrite a choppy paragraph

Key points