IELTS Writing criteria
IELTS Grammatical Range and Accuracy
One of the four IELTS Writing criteria, worth 25% of every task. It rewards two things at once: the variety of sentence structures you can produce, and how accurately you produce them. Get one without the other and your score stalls.
In short
- Range means using complex sentences (relative, conditional, subordinate clauses), not just simple ones.
- Accuracy means frequent error-free sentences with correct grammar and punctuation.
- Band 7 needs both together; it is one of the two criteria that most often hold scores at 6 or 6.5.
Range and accuracy are scored together
The criterion name is two ideas joined by "and", and the examiner cannot reward one while ignoring the other. Range is the spread of structures you reach for: simple sentences, compound sentences joined with and or but, and complex sentences built with subordinate clauses. Accuracy is how often those sentences are correct in grammar, word form and punctuation.
This is why two opposite essays can both land at band 6. One student writes ambitious sentences full of relative and conditional clauses but makes errors in almost every line. Another writes cleanly but uses nothing beyond short simple sentences. The first has range without accuracy; the second has accuracy without range. Band 7 belongs to the writer who does both, producing a variety of complex structures and frequent error-free sentences.
A useful rule when you draft: only add a structure you can finish correctly. Reaching for a complex sentence you cannot punctuate costs you accuracy marks and rarely buys back enough range to be worth it.
Building range you can control
Range does not mean every sentence must be long. It means showing you can express relationships between ideas, not just stack facts. A few reliable complex structures, used accurately, lift the score more than constant experimentation. Here are the forms examiners reward, with worked phrases you can adapt.
- Subordinate clauses (cause and contrast): "Although the cost is high, the long-term savings justify it." This signals contrast in one sentence instead of two.
- Relative clauses: "Governments, which fund most public transport, can shape commuter behaviour." The added clause defines without starting a new sentence.
- Conditionals: "If schools introduced cooking lessons, children would form healthier habits." Conditionals show consequence and are easy to control once practised.
- Passive and noun phrases: "Measures have been introduced to reduce congestion." Useful in Task 1 process and report writing where the actor is unimportant.
Punctuation is part of accuracy, so the most common loss is the comma splice, where two full sentences are joined with only a comma: "The plan worked, sales rose." Fix it with a full stop, a semicolon, or a linking word: "The plan worked, so sales rose." In Task 1 your 150 words and in Task 2 your 250 words give limited room, so a small set of controlled structures beats a long list of half-finished ones.
Band 6 versus band 7 in practice
The descriptors describe the jump precisely. Band 6 uses a mix of simple and complex forms but with errors that, while they do not block communication, are frequent. Band 7 uses a variety of complex structures and produces frequent error-free sentences with only occasional errors. The table shows what that looks like at the sentence level.
| Feature | Band 6 tendency | Band 7 tendency |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence variety | Mostly simple, a few complex attempts | A range of complex forms used naturally |
| Error frequency | Errors in most sentences | Frequent error-free sentences |
| Punctuation | Comma splices, run-ons | Clauses punctuated correctly |
| Articles and tense | Slips that stay noticeable | Only occasional slips |
| Effect on reader | Meaning clear despite errors | Reads smoothly, errors rarely distract |
The fastest way to see which side you sit on is to have a real response marked sentence by sentence. A human teacher can point to the exact structures you control, the ones you reach for and miss, and the recurring error that repeats across the page. That is what a correction gives you that a band estimate cannot.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: common questions
What is Grammatical Range and Accuracy in IELTS Writing?+
It is one of the four criteria, worth 25% of each task. It measures two things together: the range of sentence structures you use (simple, compound and complex) and how accurate your grammar and punctuation are across the response.
How do I improve Grammatical Range and Accuracy to band 7?+
Band 7 needs a variety of complex structures plus frequent error-free sentences. Use relative, conditional and subordinate clauses, but only when you can control them. Adding complexity you cannot punctuate or conjugate lowers the score, so build range and accuracy together.
Do grammar mistakes matter more than range?+
Both are scored together, so neither wins alone. A response with rich structures but constant errors stays around band 6, and so does an error-free response built only from simple sentences. Band 7 requires good control of complex forms and frequent error-free sentences.
What counts as a complex sentence in IELTS?+
A complex sentence joins a main clause with at least one subordinate clause using words such as although, because, which, while or if. It shows you can express relationships between ideas, not just list them, which is what range rewards.
Does punctuation affect this criterion?+
Yes. Comma splices, missing commas in subordinate clauses, and run-on sentences are accuracy errors. Clean, correctly punctuated complex sentences are exactly what examiners look for when separating band 6 from band 7.