IELTS Mistakes Introduction
Grammar plays a vital role in your IELTS Writing and Speaking scores, making up 25% of your band score in both tasks. Many test takers lose points due to small but frequent grammar mistakes that can be easily fixed with the right strategies.
This article provides a detailed breakdown of the most common IELTS grammar mistakes, including verb tense errors, article misuse, subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure problems. Whether youβre aiming for Band 6 or Band 8, correcting these mistakes can make a big difference in your performance.
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Why Grammar Matters in IELTS
Grammar is assessed under the Grammatical Range and Accuracy criterion in both the Writing and Speaking components. This means the examiner looks at:
- How many different sentence structures you use
- How accurately you use grammar (e.g. tenses, articles, prepositions)
- Whether your sentences are error-free and easy to understand
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Common IELTS Grammar Mistakes
1. β Wrong Verb Tense
Many IELTS candidates switch between tenses or use the wrong one entirely. Inconsistent tense usage confuses the reader or listener and lowers your accuracy score.
Example Mistake:
People are believing that education is important.
Correction:
People believe that education is important.
π Tip: Use the present simple for general facts and opinions, and the past simple for completed events.
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2. β Incorrect Article Usage (a/an/the)
Articles are small but powerful. Misusing them is a common mistake for learners from article-free native languages.
Example Mistake:
She wants to become teacher.
Correction:
She wants to become a teacher.
Quick Rules:
- Use a/an for general, singular nouns
- Use the when the noun is specific or previously mentioned
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3. β Subject-Verb Agreement Errors
This occurs when the subject and verb do not match in number (singular/plural).
Example Mistake:
The students enjoys the lecture.
Correction:
The students enjoy the lecture.
π Always make sure singular subjects use singular verbs, and plural subjects use plural verbs.
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4. β Run-On Sentences
Too many IELTS candidates write long sentences without proper punctuation, leading to confusion and lower coherence.
Example Mistake:
People think the government should provide free healthcare it would help many poor people.
Correction:
People think the government should provide free healthcare because it would help many poor people.
β Break long sentences or add conjunctions like βbecauseβ, βsoβ, or βalthoughβ.
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5. β Misusing Prepositions
Preposition use can be tricky, especially with time and place phrases.
Common Mistakes:
- In Monday β should be on Monday
- Discuss about the issue β should be discuss the issue
- Different than β should be different from
Tip: Learn common preposition + noun combinations to improve accuracy.
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6. β Confusing Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Some nouns are uncountable in English but may be countable in other languages.
Example Mistake:
She gave me many informations.
Correction:
She gave me a lot of information.
Other Uncountable Nouns: advice, furniture, news, luggage, money
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7. β Poor Use of Passive Voice
Using passive voice correctly can improve your grammatical range, but incorrect usage can be confusing.
Mistake Example:
The internet is using by people every day.
Correction:
The internet is used by people every day.
Tip: Use passive voice for formal writing when the doer is unknown or not important.
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8. β Missing Relative Clauses
Short, choppy sentences can hurt your fluency and range. Relative clauses help link ideas more naturally.
Poor Style:
My friend is a teacher. She works in a college.
Better:
My friend, who works in a college, is a teacher.
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9. β Incorrect Word Order in Questions
In Speaking Part 3, candidates often struggle with forming grammatically correct questions.
Mistake:
Why you think this is important?
Correction:
Why do you think this is important?
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10. β Misusing Modal Verbs
Modal verbs (can, could, should, must, might) are often misused or left out.
Example Mistake:
You must to finish the task.
Correction:
You must finish the task.
Tip: Modal verbs are followed by the base form of the verb (no βtoβ).
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π Quick Grammar Fix Checklist for IELTS
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Keep verb tenses consistent
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Use correct articles (a, an, the)
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Match subject and verb correctly
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Avoid run-on sentences
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Learn preposition rules
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Donβt count uncountable nouns
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Use passive voice properly
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Combine sentences with relative clauses
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Practise question structure
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Review modal verb usage
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Grammar in IELTS Writing
In IELTS Writing Task 2, grammar mistakes can lower your band score under:
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Coherence and Cohesion
Using a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, along with accurate grammar, is key for achieving Band 7 or higher.
π Related: IELTS Writing Task 2 Overview
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Grammar in IELTS Speaking
In the IELTS Speaking test, grammar affects your fluency and range score. Examiners look for:
- Use of different tenses
- Variety of sentence structures
- Accuracy in forming questions and conditional statements
Practice common speaking questions with attention to tense and sentence formation.
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Learn More with our Resources
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π Other Resources for Grammar Practice
- British Council: Grammar Practice
- Cambridge English Grammar Exercises
- Grammarly Handbook (use with caution; not always accurate for academic British English)
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Glossary
- Run-on sentence (noun): A sentence that joins two or more ideas without correct punctuation
- Relative clause (noun): A clause that describes a noun, starting with who, which, or that
- Uncountable noun (noun): A noun that cannot be made plural or counted individually
- Modal verb (noun): A helper verb like can, must, should used to show possibility or necessity
- Passive voice (noun): A sentence style where the action is more important than the doer (e.g. βThe book was read by himβ)
