Poor sentence structure could mean that your tutor cannot understand the points you are making in your academic writing. Even if they can work it out, it is hard work and tutors who are made to work hard do not give high marks! It also gives an unprofessional impression and if you get it wrong in a job application you can say goodbye to the shortlist.

There are many ways that your sentence structure could be wrong, but the five most common errors are:

Fragments (incomplete sentences)
Run-ons (two separate ideas put together with no punctuation)
Comma splices (two independent clauses separated by a comma)
Overlong sentences
Non-parallel structure (mixed verb use in sentences involving lists)

There are many other issues but these are less common and will not be covered in these pages. However, if you would like a more comprehensive resource we would recommend any of websites below:

BBC Skillswise Sentence Structure Pages
The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar (will require Shibboleth login off campus)
Sentence Structure from The British Council
Purdue Online Writing Lab (Exercises)