Grammar 101: 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid

You don't need to be a grammar expert to get a Band 7, but you do need to avoid what examiners call "systematic errors"—mistakes you make over and over again. These errors signal to the examiner that you haven't mastered the basics.

Here are 5 of the most frequent grammar mistakes in IELTS, and how to fix them.

1. Subject-Verb Agreement

This is the most common error, even for advanced students, especially when speaking quickly.

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  The Mistake: Forgetting the 's' for third-person singular (he/she/it).

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    Wrong: "The government need to solve this." / "He go to work."
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    Right: "The government needs to solve this." / "He goes to work."
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  The Fix: When checking your writing, find every verb and ask "Who is doing this?" If it's singular, check the 's'.

2. Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns

Some words in English cannot be counted, which means they cannot be plural.

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  The Mistake: Adding 's' to uncountable nouns.

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    Wrong: "I need some advices." / "The informations are correct." / "Too much traffics."
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    Right: "I need some advice." / "The information is correct." / "Too much traffic."
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  The Fix: Memorize the common uncountable nouns: advice, information, equipment, furniture, luggage, knowledge, research, traffic.

3. Tense Consistency

Switching tenses confuses the reader about when events happened.

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  The Mistake: Starting a story in the past tense and drifting into the present.

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    Wrong: "I went to the shop and I buy some milk."
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    Right: "I went to the shop and I bought some milk."
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  The Fix: Before writing or speaking, decide: "Is this story happening now or in the past?" Stick to that decision.

4. The "Comma Splice"

This is a common punctuation error where two independent sentences are joined only by a comma.

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  The Mistake: "I like studying, it is interesting."
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  The Fix: You need a conjunction (and, but, so) or a semi-colon/period.

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    Right: "I like studying because it is interesting."
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    Right: "I like studying**;** it is interesting."
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    Right: "I like studying**. It** is interesting."

5. Article Errors (The / A)

Using "the" when talking generally.

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  The Mistake: "The computers are useful for the education."
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  The Fix: When making general statements with plural or abstract nouns, use no article.

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    Right: "Computers are useful for education."

Conclusion

Grammar doesn't have to be perfect, but it must be accurate enough not to impede communication. By eliminating these five common errors, your writing will immediately look more polished and professional, pushing you closer to that target band score.

Check out our other IELTS resources and practice tests to help you achieve your target band score!