WritingSpeakingGlossary
Complex sentence
A sentence made of one independent clause and at least one dependent clause, which has a subject and a verb but does not make sense on its own. Using them is part of what Grammatical Range and Accuracy assesses, the criterion marked in both Writing and Speaking.
Guides that use this term
Grammatical Range and Accuracy in Speaking: How Errors Are Actually Counted
A few basic errors persist at band 7 and at band 8. Accuracy is measured as error density and communicative effect, not as a count of mistakes, and range is the half most candidates neglect.
Speaking
Why You Are Stuck at Band 6.5, and What Moves You Past It
An overall 6.5 is an average, not a level. How to find which section and which criterion is holding your score, and what band 7 requires there.
General
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Range Without Errors
How grammatical range and accuracy is scored in IELTS Writing, why both playing safe and overreaching cap the band, and what band 7 asks for.
Writing
Checked against ielts.idp.com and ielts.org on 18 September 2026.