Original BandLadder material
Along the way you get worked examples with the key words marked, before-and-after fixes that show why the first version loses marks, a one-page visual summary, a quick check to test yourself and a recap of the rules to remember. Each card holds one idea, so you can read it on a phone between practice sessions.
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The first 3 of 9 cards
a full stop is not enough
A capital letter and a full stop do not make a sentence. Three of these four are unfinished.
Most workers still drive. Although buses are cheaper.side idea, no main idea Parking near the office being free.'being' is not a full verb Buses running every ten minutes.'running' needs a helper
Read each one aloud. Has it finished its thought?
subject and verb first, then the thought
Commands hide 'you': 'Check the date.' is a complete sentence.
add the missing helper
| Stuck | Finished |
|---|---|
| Sales falling since May. | Sales have been falling since May. |
| Rents to rise again. | Rents will rise again. |
| Prices risen since March. | Prices have risen since March. |
| Buses running late. | Buses are running late. |
| The figures shown in the chart. | The figures are shown in the chart. |
The helper carries the tense: are, have, will. Add one and the fragment is finished.
Card 4 of 9 onwards
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The PDF download comes with any BandLadder plan. Free accounts read the lesson online in the study reader, on the web and in the app.
The BandLadder team wrote and checked it. It is original BandLadder material, not copied from books or other websites, and its exam facts are checked against the official IELTS and PTE pages.
Both. The lesson is in the IELTS and the PTE study library, so it opens whichever exam you prepare for.
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