Lesson 4, Readability: Grammar & Sentence Craft
Readability covers grammar, sentence structure, punctuation and spelling. It’s one of four equally weighted criteria, and it’s the one where Writing is stricter than Speaking, a dropped article vanishes in speech but sits on the page for the rater to see.
This lesson does two jobs: eliminate the errors that cost you marks, and build the structures that earn them.
Part 1, Complex sentences
The single biggest lever in the course
Error-free simple sentences cap out around Level 8.
Combining ideas is what demonstrates range. Two clauses joined properly outscore two correct short sentences every time.
Level 8: “The heating does not work. I reported it. Nobody replied.” Level 11: “Although I reported the heating fault three times in October, I have not received a reply.”
Target: at least two complex sentences per task. Three or four is better. Count them when you proofread.
The starter list, memorize these
| Function | Starters |
|---|---|
| Cause | since · because · as · given that · owing to the fact that |
| Contrast | although · even though · while · whereas · despite the fact that |
| Condition | if · unless · provided that · in the event that |
| Time | when · once · as soon as · by the time · after |
| Addition | not only… but also · besides the fact that |
| Result | so that · with the result that · which meant that |
Three patterns that always work
1. Front-load the subordinate clause: the easiest upgrade available
“Although the body of the camera seems fine, the lens is cracked.”
2. Not only… but also
“Not only is the park cheaper to maintain, but it would also serve far more residents.”
3. The which-clause add-on
“…which has increased my monthly electricity bill substantially.”
Part 2, Punctuation that earns marks
The semicolon
Reads as more advanced than a comma and is genuinely easy to use correctly. One per task is plenty.
Use 1, joining two closely related complete sentences
“Adding parking spaces attracts more traffic; the problem simply reappears within a year.”
Use 2, before a connector, with a comma after
“The building is dated; nevertheless, it remains fully functional.”
The one rule: what sits on each side must be able to stand alone as a sentence.
❌ “The heating is broken; which is a problem.” (second half can’t stand alone) ✅ “The heating is broken, which is a problem.”
Never start a sentence with “which”
“Which” attaches to the clause before it. This is one of the most common errors in the whole test.
❌ “I bought two heaters. Which was expensive.” ✅ “I bought two heaters, which was expensive.”
The appositive, extra information between commas
A cheap, reliable range marker:
“My neighbor, who has lived here for twenty years, raised the same concern.” “The report, originally due on Friday, will now be ready on Wednesday.”
Exclamation marks, by register only
Informal: yes, two or three. They carry warmth, and in a friendly email an exclamation mark often communicates more than a full stop would.
Formal: none. Not one.
Part 3, The high-frequency error list
These account for most lost Readability marks. Don’t try to fix all of them: write three practice responses, find which two or three you actually make, and drill those.
| # | Error | ✗ | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Articles | ”I have problem with heating" | "I have a problem with the heating” |
| 2 | Plurals for general nouns | ”a park is good for child" | "parks are good for children” |
| 3 | Subject–verb agreement | ”the people is unhappy" | "the people are unhappy” |
| 4 | Tense consistency | ”Last week I go there and I saw…" | "Last week I went there and saw…“ |
| 5 | Present perfect for ongoing | ”I wait since October" | "I have been waiting since October” |
| 6 | Adverb vs adjective | ”he responded very quick" | "he responded very quickly” |
| 7 | Uncountables | ”many informations / advices" | "a lot of information / advice” |
| 8 | Comparatives | ”more cheaper" | "cheaper” |
| 9 | Preposition + -ing | ”sorry to break it" | "sorry for breaking it” |
| 10 | Run-on / comma splice | ”It was late, I was annoyed." | "It was late**, so** I was annoyed.” |
Spelling: the ones that actually appear
receive · definitely · separate · necessary · accommodation · recommend · occurred · disappointed · convenience · apologize/apologize (pick one and stay consistent) · immediately · unfortunately
No spellcheck on the real test. If you know you misspell a word, avoid it, a simpler word you can spell beats a precise word you can’t.
Part 4, Sentence variety
Readability explicitly includes variety of sentence structure. Five sentences with the same shape is a Readability problem, not just a stylistic one.
❌ “There is a problem with the heating. There are two radiators affected. There is no response from the manager. There is a cost to me.”
Rotate your openings. Four options, and using all four is enough:
| Opening | Example |
|---|---|
| Subject | ”The radiators produce almost no heat.” |
| Subordinate clause | ”Although I reported it three times, nobody replied.” |
| Adverb | ”Unfortunately, the situation has not improved.” |
| Prepositional phrase | ”Over the past two months, temperatures have fallen sharply.” |
Also vary length. A short sentence after two long ones creates emphasis:
“…which has increased my electricity bill substantially. Working from home has become genuinely difficult.”
Drills
Drill 1, Combine (10 min)
Take ten pairs of short sentences and join each into one complex sentence using a different starter each time.
“The camera was damaged. The lens is cracked.” → “The camera was damaged when the bag fell, although only the lens is cracked.”
Drill 2, Punctuation rewrite (10 min)
Take a paragraph you’ve written and add: one semicolon, one appositive, one which-clause. Check each is correct.
Drill 3, Opening rotation (5 min)
Write four sentences about the same situation, each starting a different way (subject / subordinate / adverb / prepositional).
Grade your own readability
- At least two complex sentences
- One correctly used semicolon
- No sentence begins with “which”
- Sentence openings rotated, not five of the same shape
- Articles checked (a / an / the)
- General nouns pluralised
- Tense consistent throughout
- Adverbs used where verbs are modified
- No comma splices
- Exclamation marks matched to register, none in formal
- Nothing I couldn’t spell
9+ ticks = Readability is not what’s holding you back.
Your practice
Open one set on Celpora and put today’s lesson to work.
Practice Writing. After writing, read every sentence out loud. Fix any that make you stumble.
