Why Agreement & Punctuation Matter (কেন গুরুত্বপূর্ণ)
Band 7 explicitly needs "good control of grammar and punctuation". Two things quietly break "error-free" sentences: subject–verb agreement (a singular subject with a plural verb) and punctuation (especially the comma splice — joining two full sentences with only a comma). Both are easy to fix once you can spot them.
Band 7-এ স্পষ্টভাবে "ব্যাকরণ ও বিরামচিহ্নের ভালো নিয়ন্ত্রণ" লাগে। দুটি জিনিস নীরবে বাক্য নষ্ট করে: subject–verb agreement ও বিরামচিহ্ন (বিশেষত comma splice)। চিনতে পারলে ঠিক করা সহজ।
Part of the Band 7+ grammar series. Full index on the Grammar hub.
Agreement Basics (মৌলিক নিয়ম)
The verb must match the real subject in number — singular subject → singular verb. The trap is words between the subject and verb. ক্রিয়া প্রকৃত কর্তার সঙ্গে সংখ্যায় মিলবে। ফাঁদ হলো কর্তা ও ক্রিয়ার মাঝের শব্দ।
| Subject | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| singular noun / uncountable | is / has / -s | Pollution is rising. · Research shows… |
| plural noun | are / have / base | Cars are a problem. · Studies show… |
| two subjects + and | plural | Coal and gas are fossil fuels. |
| subjects + or / nor | agree with the nearer one | Neither the teacher nor the students were ready. |
Tricky Agreement Cases (কঠিন ক্ষেত্র)
| Structure | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a number of | plural (= many) | A number of species are endangered. |
| the number of | singular (= the figure) | The number of species is falling. |
| one of the … who/that | the verb after who/that is plural | She is one of the students who work hardest. |
| each / every / one of | singular | Each of the countries has a different policy. |
| everyone / everybody / nobody | singular | Everyone is affected by climate change. |
| there is / there are | agree with the noun after | There is a solution. · There are many causes. |
| collective nouns (government, team, public) | usually singular (a unit) | The government has announced a plan. |
| percentages / fractions | agree with the noun of | 50% of the population lives in cities. · 50% of people live… |
| uncountables | singular | The news is good. · This equipment is new. |
Commas & the Comma Splice (কমা)
The most common punctuation error is the comma splice: joining two complete sentences with only a comma. Here is how to join clauses correctly. সবচেয়ে সাধারণ বিরামচিহ্ন-ভুল হলো comma splice: দুটি সম্পূর্ণ বাক্য শুধু কমায় জোড়া।
| Use a comma… | Example |
|---|---|
| in a list | the UK, Germany, France and Italy |
| after a fronted subordinate clause | Although it is costly, it is worthwhile. |
| after an introductory linker | However, … / In conclusion, … |
| around a non-defining clause | The Amazon, which is huge, is shrinking. |
| with FANBOYS joining two clauses | It is clean, but it is expensive. |
Semicolons, Colons & Apostrophes (অন্যান্য বিরামচিহ্ন)
| Mark | Use it to… | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ; semicolon | join two closely-related full sentences | Solar power is clean; however, it is costly. |
| : colon | introduce a list or an explanation | There are three causes: traffic, industry and heating. |
| ' apostrophe (possession) | show ownership | the company's profits (one) · the companies' profits (many) |
| its vs it's | its = possessive · it's = it is | The city improved its transport. (not "it's") |
| — dash (use sparingly) | add emphasis or an aside | One factor — cost — is decisive. |
| Capital letters | sentence start, names, I, months, countries | In June, Bangladesh received heavy rain. |
Avoid contractions in Writing. Write do not, cannot, it is — not don't, can't, it's — in Task 1 and Task 2 (they are fine in Speaking).
Writing-এ contraction এড়ান। "do not/cannot/it is" লিখুন; Speaking-এ ঠিক আছে।
Band 6 → Band 7 Errors (সাধারণ ভুল)
Your Turn — Fix Agreement & Punctuation (অনুশীলন)
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The number of cars… has risen. (the number of = singular)
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Renewable energy is clean, as it produces no emissions. (or: …clean; it produces… / …clean. It produces…)
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Everyone… is affected. (everyone = singular)
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There are three main causes: traffic, industry, and heating.
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…researchers who have studied this for years. (who → the plural "researchers")
Next guide: Word Formation & Parts of Speech. Then test everything in the Proofreading Workshop.
পরের গাইড: Word Formation।