Commas, semicolons and apostrophes — the marks the band descriptors name by name.
How this drill works, and why it is built this way›
Punctuation is written into the Grammar descriptor at every band from 5 to 8. Band 5: “punctuation may be faulty”. Band 7: “good control of grammar and punctuation”.
You need four marks and no more: full stop · comma · semicolon · apostrophe. Exclamation marks and dashes have no place in an IELTS essay.
The comma rule that matters most: a comma cannot join two full sentences on its own. It needs a joining word beside it, or it must become a full stop or semicolon.
The apostrophe has exactly two jobs: it shows possession (the school's roof) and it marks a missing letter (it's = it is). It never makes a plural.
Worked example
Which is correct?
A The scheme was costly, however, it worked. · B The scheme was costly; however, it worked.
Answer: B
However is an adverb, not a joining word, so it cannot hold two sentences together with commas alone. The semicolon does the joining, and however then sits inside the second sentence with its own comma. The point: ask what is doing the joining. If the answer is a comma, it is wrong.
Moderate · CEFR B1around band 5 – 5.5change level:
The drill moves you up or down on its own. Two good sets and it gets harder; two hard ones and it steps back.
The band range is what this level practises for — it is a guide, not a score. Only your first answer to each item counts towards the level decision.
Your answers and explanations open after the set is complete, the attempt is saved and your email is verified.
