You may have noticed that IELTS examiners assess Grammatical Range and Accuracy when they mark your Writing and Speaking tests.
As part of the assessment criteria, IELTS bands are separated according to how many grammar errors are made as well how many types of grammatical structures are used.
At the top bands from 7 to 9, a speaker or writer should only make a few, occasional or rare errors. In the middle bands like from 4 to 6, grammar mistakes are more frequent, but the difference with band 6 is that the mistakes do not impact on the writer’s or speaker’s message from coming through.
Learning how to self-correct and edit your writing is an important skill to have. In this article, we look at some common grammar mistakes you should look out for when you take your IELTS Writing test.
Subject-verb agreement
The subject and verb in a sentence must match or agree. When the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. When plural, both subject and verb must be plural.
Singular
The man has 10,000 books in his library. (The subject "man" is singular, so the verb "has" is also singular.)
She dances in the competition. (The subject "she" is singular, so the verb "dances" is also singular.)
He is the strongest athlete. (The subject "he" is singular, so the verb "is" is also singular.)
The head of the committee is 37 years old. (The subject "head" is singular, so the verb "is" is also singular.)
One of my co-workers is here. (The subject “one” is singular, so the verb “is” is also singular.)
Plural
The men have their lunch break at 12 o’clock. (The subject "men" is plural, so the verb "have" is also plural.)
They dance as a couple. (The subject "they" is plural, so the verb "dance" is also plural.)
They are a stronger team. (The subject "they" is plural, so the verb "are" is also plural.)
The members of the committee are in the meeting room. (The subject "members" is plural, so the verb "are" is also plural.)
Some of my co-workers are here. (The subject “some” is plural, so the verb “are” is also plural.)
Conditionals
Conditional sentences take different forms, so it’s important to learn the different structures and when to use them.
Conditional | Structure | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Zero Conditional | Present Simple + Present Simple | Describes general truths, scientific facts, or situations that are always true when the condition is met. | If water reaches 100C, it boils. Things get wet if it rains. |
First Conditional | Present Simple + will/won’t | Refers to real and possible situations in the future, where the condition is likely to happen. | If you take too long, you will miss the bus. I won’t participate if it’s not fair. |
Second Conditional | Past Simple + would/wouldn’t | Describes hypothetical or unlikely situations in the present or future. | If I were a cat, I would sleep all day. I would travel around the world if I won the lottery. |
Third Conditional | Past Perfect + would have/wouldn’t have + Past Participle | Describes hypothetical situations in the past that did not happen and their imagined results. | She would have passed the test if she had studied harder. If the team had worked together, they wouldn’t have lost the finals. |
Mixed Conditional | Various depending on meaning - see examples. | Combine different time references in the condition and result clauses. They are used to express scenarios where the condition and its consequence occur at different times e.g. past and present. | If she had received the certificate, she would be an instructor now. I would be in the middle of nowhere now if I hadn’t checked the GPS. If I knew you didn’t like broccoli, I wouldn’t have served it to you last night. |
Word order
English has specific rules about word order. These make sentences clear and easy to understand.
Sentence structure
Subject + Auxiliary Verb + Verb + Object
× I have played for six years basketball.
✓ I have played basketball for six years.
Subject + Adverb of Frequency + Verb + Object
× I go often to the park.
✓ I often go to the park.
Question structure
Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Verb + Object
× You have played basketball?
✓ Have you played basketball?
The use of commas
Commas are often used incorrectly. They can be used too much, too little, or not at all.
Overuse of commas
When there is an independent clause followed by a dependent clause in the same sentence, you don’t need a comma.
Example:
The house plant died because I didn’t water it.
They recorded the album while they were on tour.
Missing commas
There needs to be a comma after discourse markers, prepositional phrases or dependent clauses.
Example:
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.
On the other hand, social media has some benefits.
Once the timer has finished, please put down your pencil.
Commas are necessary when separating two independent clauses in a compound sentence.
Example: They wanted to play football in the park, but it was raining.
Comma splice error
A comma splice happens when two independent clauses are joined together by just a comma. Instead, we should separate two independent clauses with a full stop.
× I go shopping every Saturday, I buy clothes from different stores.
✓ I go shopping every Saturday. I buy clothes from different stores.
Sentence fragments
Another common mistake is sentence fragments. When there is a sentence fragment, there is something missing in the sentence.
Missing a subject
× is a good place to live.
✓ It is a good place to live.
Missing a verb
× The athlete his trophy.
✓ The athlete was displaying his trophy.
Dependent clause
× After I start university.
✓ I’ll come home less often after I start university.
Quiz
Check how much you remember. Correct ONE mistake in each sentence. You can find the answers at the end of the quiz.
Q1: Their team captain are retiring next month.
Q2: If I could live anywhere, I will live in Los Angeles.
Q3: If you will freeze water, it turns to ice.
Q4: I would have say hello if I had seen you.
Q5: She goes sometimes to the museum.
Q6: You have ever been camping?
Q7: Fortunately no one was injured in the accident.
Q8: I recently took up swimming, I try to go to the pool three times a week.
Q9: was a beautiful day.
Q10: Because it was raining.
Answer to quiz
Q1: Their team captain is retiring next month. (Subject-verb agreement)
Q2: If I could live anywhere, I would live in Los Angeles. (Use would + infinitive for second conditional hypothetical situations)
Q3: If you freeze water, it turns to ice. (Use zero conditional for facts)
Q4: I would have said hello if I had seen you. (Use past participle for third conditional)
Q5: She sometimes goes to the museum. (Word order error)
Q6: Have you ever been camping? (Word order error)
Q7: Fortunately, no one was injured in the accident. (See 'Use of commas')
Q8: I recently took up swimming. I try to go to the pool three times a week. (Comma splice error)
Q9: It was a beautiful day. (Sentence fragment error. We need to add a subject).
Q10: This is a sentence fragment error. We need to add an independent clause to it to make a complete sentence. Example: We had to cancel the barbecue because it was raining.
Grammar mistakes can easily be made, but they can also be easily fixed. Always double-check your writing when doing the IELTS test. Fewer mistakes could result in a higher band score.