Examiner’s Note: “I deduct marks for these errors in 9 out of 10 essays I grade.” – James, IELTS examiner since 2015
Why Grammar Accuracy Matters
- ⚠️ 70% of Band 6 test-takers lose 0.5-1.0 in Grammatical Range & Accuracy (Cambridge Assessment data)
- 📉 Just 5 consistent errors can prevent you from reaching Band 7
- 💡 Good news: These mistakes are 100% fixable!
The Deadly 10 (With Before/After Examples)
1. Subject-Verb Disagreement
❌ “The government want to reduce pollution.”
✅ “The government wants to reduce pollution.”
📌 Rule: Singular subjects need -s/-es endings (exception: “I/you” subjects).
2. Article Confusion
❌ “Education is important for future.”
✅ “Education is important for the future.”
📌 Memory trick: Use “the” for specific nouns, “a/an” for general ones.
3. Run-on Sentences
❌ “Many people like coffee it gives them energy.”
✅ “Many people like coffee because it gives them energy.”
📌 Fix: Use FANBOYS conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
4. Wrong Prepositions
❌ “Depend from”
✅ “Depend on”
🔍 Common pairs:
- interested in (❌ “interested for”)
- responsible for (❌ “responsible about”)
5. Double Comparatives
❌ “More better”
✅ “Better”
💀 Examiner pet peeve! Also avoid: more easier, more happier.
6. There is/are Errors
❌ “There is many solutions.”
✅ “There are many solutions.”
📊 Statistics: This error appears in 43% of Band 6 essays (IELTS.org).
7. Missing Verb “To Be”
❌ “The internet very useful.”
✅ “The internet is very useful.”
🚨 Red flag: Every English sentence needs at least one conjugated verb.
8. Incorrect Modal Verbs
❌ “People can to improve by practicing.”
✅ “People can improve by practicing.”
📝 Modal list: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would (never add “to”).
9. Although/But Confusion
❌ “Although it’s expensive, but people buy it.”
✅ “Although it’s expensive, people buy it.”
🧠 Logic: “Although” and “but” serve the same purpose – use one only.
10. Countable/Uncountable Nouns
❌ “Students need many advices.”
✅ “Students need much advice.” OR “Students need many pieces of advice.”
🗂️ Tricky uncountables: information, equipment, research, knowledge.
Real Essay Makeover (Band 5.5 → 7.0)
Original (5.5):
“Nowaday, many student think social media have negative affect to they study. They spend to many time on it and their grade get worse.“
Examiner’s Edit (7.0+):
“Nowadays, many students believe social media has negative effects on their studies. They spend too much time on these platforms, causing their grades to deteriorate.”
Key Fixes:
- Added missing -s/-es (students, has, effects)
- Corrected “affect” (verb) → “effects” (noun)
- Fixed preposition (“to” → “on”)
- Improved word choice (“get worse” → “deteriorate”)
Test Your Grammar (Quiz)
- “There (is/are) several reasons for this trend.”
- “The data (show/shows) that pollution (have/has) increased.”
- “She (don’t/doesn’t) like to eat spicy food.”
- “Neither of them (is/are) coming to the party.”
- “Each student (has/have) their own opinion.”
- “The committee (discuss/discusses) the issue tomorrow.”
- “Either you or I (am/is) responsible for this mess.”
- “My family (is/are) going on vacation next week.”
- “The news (is/are) always interesting.”
- “One of the boys (have/has) a new bicycle.”
Pro Tips to Improve
- The 5-Minute Trick: Before submitting, check for:
- -s/-es endings
- articles (a/an/the)
- complete sentences
- Use Tech: Grammarly (free version) catches 80% of these errors.
- Read Aloud: Your ears often catch mistakes your eyes miss.
