HEEEEEEE
This is such a common problem and it's almost never actually vocabulary — it's that you're trying to think and write at the same time, which makes everything come out tangled.
A few things that actually help:
Say it out loud first.
Before you write a sentence, say your point out loud like you're explaining it to a friend. Then write exactly what you just said. Your spoken sentences are almost always cleaner than what you'd write from scratch.
Write fast, fix later.
The crossing-out happens because you're editing while you're drafting. Give yourself permission to write a messy first sentence, finish the paragraph, then go back and clean it up. Crossing out mid-thought breaks your flow and makes everything worse.
Start with the shortest possible version.
If you're trying to write "The author's use of contrast highlights the tension between societal expectations and individual identity" — just write "The author uses contrast to show tension." Then add the detail after. Build out, don't try to land the whole thing in one go.
Short sentences are not the enemy.
QCE markers reward clarity. A clear short sentence gets more marks than a complicated twisty one that kind of makes a point. Two sentences that are clear beat one that's a mess.
The fluency comes with practice but the "say it first" trick will help you immediately — try it on your next paragraph.
