Grammatical Range & Accuracy (GRA) is one of four equally-weighted criteria in IELTS Writing. It accounts for 25% of your Writing band score. The examiner is looking for two things: the range of structures you use (not just simple sentences) and the accuracy with which you use them (no systematic errors).

Most Band 6 candidates use grammatically correct sentences — but they are all simple or compound. Band 7 requires complex structures used accurately. This guide gives you eight.

What the Examiner Is Counting

At Band 6: "uses mix of simple and complex sentences, makes some errors with complex structures but errors rarely cause comprehension difficulties."

At Band 7: "uses a variety of complex structures with some flexibility and accuracy; makes grammar and punctuation errors but they rarely reduce communication."

The key difference: variety of complex structures and flexibility. You cannot reach Band 7 using three types of sentence repeatedly, even if those three types are error-free.

Target: use at least 5 different complex structures in one Task 2 essay.

Structure 1: Noun Clauses as Subject

Pattern: [What/That + clause] + [verb] + [complement]

Simple: "Education is important. This is widely accepted." Complex: "That education plays a pivotal role in social mobility is a view widely accepted across the political spectrum."

Simple: "Many people do not vote. This is concerning." Complex: "What concerns policymakers is the growing tendency among young people to disengage from the democratic process."

Using a noun clause as subject elevates your sentence immediately and avoids "It is + adjective + that..." which examiners see thousands of times.

Structure 2: Concessive Clauses with "Although/While/Whereas"

Pattern: Although/While/Whereas + [clause], + [main clause]

Simple: "Technology has many benefits. It also has problems." Complex: "While technology has undeniably transformed how people communicate, its impact on face-to-face social skills remains a matter of genuine concern."

Simple: "Some people prefer cities. Others prefer rural areas." Complex: "Whereas urban dwellers typically cite career opportunities and cultural amenities as primary benefits of city life, those in rural communities often emphasise quality of life and community cohesion."

Concessive structures show the examiner you can hold two contrasting ideas in one sentence — a mark of analytical sophistication.

Structure 3: Relative Clauses (Defining and Non-defining)

Defining: The [noun] that/which + verb + [rest of sentence] Non-defining: The [noun], which/who + verb, + [rest of sentence]

Defining: "Policies that prioritise short-term economic growth often overlook environmental sustainability."

Non-defining: "The industrial revolution, which transformed agricultural societies into manufacturing economies within a single generation, remains the most dramatic economic shift in recorded history."

Non-defining relative clauses (with commas) are particularly strong for GRA because they add information mid-sentence and require correct punctuation — demonstrating grammar control.

Structure 4: Passive Voice for Academic Objectivity

Pattern: [Object] + [be + past participle] + [by + agent] (optional)

Active (less academic): "Researchers have widely documented the link between poverty and poor health outcomes." Passive (more academic): "The link between poverty and poor health outcomes has been widely documented in epidemiological research."

In Task 1 Academic (especially process diagrams) and Task 2 formal essays, passive voice signals academic register. Avoid over-using it — alternate with active constructions.

Key passive structures for Task 2:

"It has been argued that..."
"This view is supported by..."
"The policy was introduced in response to..."
"These figures can be attributed to..."

Structure 5: Conditional Sentences (Type 2 and 3)

Type 2 (hypothetical present): If + [past simple], + [would + infinitive] Type 3 (hypothetical past): If + [past perfect], + [would have + past participle]

Type 2: "If governments were to invest more heavily in renewable energy, the rate of carbon emission reduction would accelerate substantially."

Type 3: "If stricter environmental regulations had been implemented in the 1990s, the current climate crisis would arguably be less severe."

Conditionals are essential for IELTS writing because they allow you to discuss hypotheticals, counter-arguments, and policy outcomes — all common in Task 2 essays.

Structure 6: Participial Phrases

Present participial: [verb + -ing], + [main clause] — simultaneous action Past participial: [past participle], + [main clause] — prior action or cause

Present: "Drawing on decades of educational research, policymakers have begun to question the effectiveness of standardised testing."

Past: "Driven by rapid urbanisation, many cities now face severe housing shortages that conventional planning frameworks were not designed to address."

Participial phrases avoid sentence-initial "Because of" constructions (overused in IELTS) and create a more sophisticated, varied sentence rhythm.

Structure 7: Cleft Sentences for Emphasis

It-cleft: It is/was + [focus] + that/who + [rest] What-cleft: What + [clause] + is/was + [focus]

It-cleft: "It is the long-term structural unemployment caused by automation, rather than short-term job displacement, that poses the greatest economic challenge."

What-cleft: "What distinguishes high-performing education systems is not simply per-pupil spending but the quality of teacher training and professional development."

Cleft sentences allow you to emphasise specific information — a technique that signals the examiner you are making a precise, deliberate argument rather than just listing points.

Structure 8: Inversion for Formal Emphasis

Pattern: [Negative adverbial] + [auxiliary] + [subject] + [main verb]

Normal: "Social inequality has never been higher." Inverted: "Never before has social inequality reached the levels observed in contemporary developed economies."

Normal: "The government rarely intervenes in such cases." Inverted: "Rarely does government intervention in such cases produce the intended outcome."

Common inversion triggers: Never, Rarely, Seldom, Not only... but also, Only when, Hardly

Inversion is a high-register structure that appears in academic writing. Using it even once in an essay signals to the examiner that your grammar extends to advanced constructions.

How to Practise These Structures

Step 1: Take one simple sentence and rewrite it using all 8 structures. Not all will work for every sentence — that is fine. Identify which 3–4 feel natural for that content.

Step 2: In your next Task 2 essay, consciously include at least 5 different structures from this list. Underline each one after writing. This forces active use rather than passive knowledge.

Step 3: Submit your essay for AI grammar feedback and review the GRA score specifically. Compare it to your previous attempts.

Action Checklist

Write 2 examples of each structure from scratch
Rewrite a Band 6 paragraph using 3 structures from this list
Write a full Task 2 essay and underline at least 5 different structures
Check that passive voice and active voice alternate in your essay
Submit for Writing AI scoring and check GRA criterion

Next Steps

Grammar range is a skill that improves with deliberate production — passive reading of grammar rules never produces fluent use. Write one sentence using each structure today, then write a full essay that deploys at least 5 of them. The IELTS Writing practice tool scores your Grammatical Range & Accuracy criterion separately so you can track improvement directly.

IELTS Writing Grammar: 8 Structures for Band 7+