Grammar: Complex Sentences

Why This Matters (কেন গুরুত্বপূর্ণ)

PTE's Summarize Written Text task forces you to compress an entire idea into exactly one sentence, which is impossible without relative and subordinate clauses. In Write Essay, a script built entirely from short simple sentences signals limited grammatical range, even if every sentence is technically correct.

Summarize Written Text-এ পুরো ধারণা এক বাক্যে বলতে হয়, যা relative ও subordinate clause ছাড়া অসম্ভব। Write Essay-তে শুধু ছোট সরল বাক্য সীমিত ব্যাকরণগত পরিসীমা দেখায়।

For deeper teaching on clause structure, see the IELTS Complex Sentences guide.

Relative Clauses (Relative Clause)

Relative clauses ("which," "that," "who," "whose") let you attach extra information to a noun without starting a new sentence — essential for one-sentence summaries.

TWO SENTENCES"Vertical farming grows crops indoors. It uses far less water than traditional farming."
ONE SENTENCE"Vertical farming, which grows crops indoors, uses far less water than traditional farming."
DEFINING"Students who study abroad often develop stronger independence." (কোন ছাত্রছাত্রী তা নির্দিষ্ট করে, কমা লাগে না)
NON-DEFINING"My advisor, who has published widely on this topic, recommended the approach." (অতিরিক্ত তথ্য, কমা লাগে)

Subordinate Clauses (Subordinate Clause)

Words like "although," "because," "since," "while" and "whereas" join two ideas into one sentence while also showing the logical relationship between them.

CONTRAST"Although renewable energy remains more expensive to install, it produces no ongoing fuel costs."
REASON"The library extended its hours because demand during exam season had risen sharply."
CONTRAST BETWEEN TWO FACTS"Whereas urban commute times have increased, rural commute times have remained stable."

Avoiding Run-On Sentences (Run-On এড়ানো)

Adding more clauses is only useful if the result is still one grammatically correct sentence — simply joining independent clauses with a comma (a "comma splice") is a common error under time pressure.

COMMA SPLICE"Vertical farming saves water, it also reduces transport costs."
FIX"Vertical farming saves water, and it also reduces transport costs." — add a coordinating conjunction, or use a semicolon instead of a comma.

Your Turn (অনুশীলন করুন)

Combine each pair of sentences into one grammatically correct sentence, then reveal a model answer.

1 "Coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor. They support around a quarter of all marine species."
Show a model answer

"Coral reefs, which cover less than one percent of the ocean floor, support around a quarter of all marine species."

2 "The bridge required expansion joints. Materials expand and contract with temperature changes."
Show a model answer

"The bridge required expansion joints because materials expand and contract with temperature changes."

3 "Some students prefer online classes. Other students prefer in-person classes."
Show a model answer

"Whereas some students prefer online classes, others prefer in-person classes."

4 Fix the run-on: "The report was published last year, it received little public attention."
Show a model answer

"The report was published last year, but it received little public attention." — or use a semicolon in place of the comma.