VCE English as an Additional Language (EAL) (Year 12) · Language and Listening Skills · 14m read

Language Control — Academic Vocabulary, Grammar and Sentence Variety

Clear, controlled English makes your ideas easy to follow — and assessors notice it in every task. A few targeted fixes can lift your writing quickly.

Learning objective: Improve accuracy and clarity in analytical writing by fixing common grammar errors, using academic vocabulary and varying sentence structures.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can find and fix my most common grammar errors (tense, articles, agreement, run-on sentences).
• I can use precise academic vocabulary and linking words.
• I can combine simple sentences into compound and complex sentences.

Grammar is a clean window. When the glass is clean, the reader sees your ideas clearly. Every error is a smudge that makes them look harder.

Five errors to check every time

• TENSE — write analysis in the PRESENT tense: "The author suggests…", not "The author suggested…".
• SUBJECT–VERB AGREEMENT — "The character feels…" (singular), "The characters feel…" (plural). Watch: "One of the characters IS…".
• ARTICLES (a / an / the) — use "the" for something specific or already mentioned, "a/an" for one of many. Do not use an article before most abstract nouns used generally: "Love is…", not "The love is…".
• RUN-ON SENTENCES — two complete sentences joined with only a comma. Fix with a full stop, a semicolon, or a linking word.
• PRONOUN CLARITY — make sure "he/she/they/it" clearly refers to one person or thing.

Academic vocabulary and sentence variety

LINKING WORDS
• Adding: furthermore, moreover, in addition
• Contrasting: however, whereas, although, conversely
• Cause/effect: therefore, consequently, as a result
• Example: for instance, this is evident when

PRECISE WORDS FOR ANALYSIS
• Instead of "shows": suggests, reveals, highlights, emphasises, exposes, conveys
• Instead of "bad": destructive, corrupt, oppressive, cruel
• Instead of "sad": despairing, grief-stricken, isolated

SENTENCE VARIETY
• Simple: The town rejects her.
• Compound: The town rejects her, but she refuses to leave.
• Complex: Although the town rejects her, she refuses to leave, which reveals her resilience.

Worked example (Medium)

Correct this sentence: "The author showed that the power is dangerous, the characters who has it become cruel."

1. Tense. showed → shows (present tense for analysis).
2. Article. "the power" → "power" (general abstract noun).
3. Run-on and agreement. Replace the comma with "because"; "characters who has" → "characters who have".

Answer: "The author shows that power is dangerous because the characters who have it become cruel."

Common mistakes

• Using very complex words you are unsure of A misused word confuses the meaning. Fix: Use words you know well; precision beats complexity.
• Starting many sentences with "And" or "But" It reads as informal in analytical writing. Fix: Use "Furthermore" or "However", or join the sentences.

Practice questions

1. Which sentence is grammatically correct?

   1. One of the characters are lonely.
   2. One of the characters is lonely.
   3. One of the character is lonely.
   4. One of characters lonely.

   (1 marks)

2. Combine into one complex sentence: "The father works long hours. He wants a better life for his children. He rarely sees them."

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Check tense, agreement, articles, run-ons and pronouns every time.
• Use linking words and precise analytical verbs.
• Mix simple, compound and complex sentences.
• Proofread for your personal error list.