Avoiding common IELTS grammar mistakes is essential for a high score. Whether you’re aiming for a Band 6.5 or pushing toward Band 8+, your grammar matters—a lot. Avoiding IELTS grammar mistakes is one of the fastest ways to boost your Writing band score. The IELTS Writing Task is not just about expressing your ideas clearly but also about using accurate and appropriate grammar. Unfortunately, many test-takers make the same avoidable mistakes that cost them valuable points.
In this guide, we’ll explore the most common IELTS grammar mistakes and typical errors candidates make, why they happen, and how to fix them.
Preparing for the IELTS Writing exam? You’re not alone—and you’re not the only one making IELTS grammar mistakes that cost valuable points. Many test-takers struggle with basic yet important grammar rules, even after hours of studying. These mistakes can lower your writing score, no matter how strong your ideas are.
Here are 8 of the most common IELTS grammar mistakes—plus quick tips on how to avoid them. Fixing these issues can instantly make your writing more accurate, polished, and examiner-friendly.
This is one of the most common grammar problems that appear in IELTS Writing responses, especially at Band 6 and below. Subject-verb agreement means your verb must match the subject in both number (singular/plural) and person (first, second, third).
Mistake: He go to school every day.
This is incorrect because “he” is a singular third-person subject, but the verb “go” is not in the correct form.
Why it’s a problem: Examiners immediately notice these errors because they signal a lack of control over basic grammar structures. Even one or two mistakes can negatively impact your score under the Grammatical Range and Accuracy criterion.
How to fix it: Always check that your subject and verb agree. For third-person singular subjects (he, she, it), add -s or -es to the base verb in present simple tense.
✅ He goes to school every day.
✅ They go to school every day.
Subject-verb agreement errors are some of the most frequent IELTS grammar mistakes examiners see.
Pro Tip: Read your sentences out loud when proofreading. If something “sounds off,” it probably needs fixing.
Another issue that plagues IELTS test-takers is switching tenses inappropriately within a sentence or paragraph.
Mistake: Last year, I am going to France for a holiday.
Here, “Last year” signals a past event, but the verb “am going” is in the present tense.
Why it’s a problem: Inconsistent tense confuses your reader and suggests you don’t have control over when things happened—a key skill in both Task 1 and Task 2.
How to fix it: Be consistent. If you’re writing about a past event, keep your verbs in the past. Reserve present tense for general truths or current events.
✅ Last year, I went to France for a holiday.
Tense inconsistency is another major IELTS grammar mistake that can lower your score.
Using a, an, and the correctly is a surprisingly tricky part of English grammar, but one that makes a big difference in IELTS writing.
Mistake: I bought new phone yesterday.
Why it’s a problem: Native speakers expect articles in specific places, and skipping them makes your writing sound incomplete or careless.
How to fix it: Use “a” or “an” when mentioning something for the first time (indefinite), and “the” when the thing is already known or specific (definite).
✅ I bought a new phone yesterday.
✅ The phone I bought was expensive.
Pro Tip: If your language doesn’t use articles, spend extra time learning when to include them in English.
Trying to express too many ideas in one sentence without proper punctuation leads to run-ons or comma splices.
Mistake: I enjoy learning English it is very interesting.
Why it’s a problem: This sentence tries to combine two independent clauses with no connector or punctuation, making it grammatically incorrect and difficult to read.
How to fix it: Break the sentence into two, or connect the clauses using words like because, and, or so.
✅ I enjoy learning English because it is very interesting.
✅ I enjoy learning English. It is very interesting.
Prepositions—small words like in, at, on, and to—may seem harmless, but using the wrong one can change the meaning of a sentence entirely.
Mistake: I am good in writing essays.
Why it’s a problem: Prepositions in English don’t always follow logic and often don’t translate directly from your native language. This makes them a frequent source of errors in IELTS writing.
How to fix it: Learn collocations and set phrases. These are word combinations commonly used in English, like “good at” or “interested in.”
✅ I am good at writing essays.
✅ She is interested in history.
Tip: Create a list of common prepositional phrases and review them regularly.
The passive voice is grammatically correct, but if used too much, it can make your writing vague or overly formal.
Mistake: The essay was written by me in the test by using a pen.
Why it’s a problem: This sentence is correct but clunky. IELTS examiners prefer clarity and natural flow. Overusing the passive can make your writing feel stiff.
How to fix it: Use the active voice when the subject is clear and you want to emphasize the doer of the action.
✅ I wrote the essay during the test using a pen.
Pronouns must agree with their antecedents (the nouns they refer to) in number and gender.
Mistake: When the student arrived, they was tired.
Why it’s a problem: “They” is plural, but “student” is singular, and the verb “was” should match the pronoun.
How to fix it: If referring to one student, use “he” or “she.” If you’re being gender-neutral for a single student, ensure the verb still agrees.
✅ When the student arrived, he was tired.
✅ When the students arrived, they were tired.
A sentence must express a complete idea. Fragments are incomplete sentences that leave the reader hanging.
Mistake: Because I wanted to improve my English.
Why it’s a problem: This is a dependent clause—it begins with a word like “because” and needs an independent clause to complete the thought.
How to fix it: Complete the sentence by adding the main idea.
✅ I studied every day because I wanted to improve my English.
This is one of the common IELTS grammar mistakes that many candidates make.
Now that you’re aware of the most common grammar pitfalls in the IELTS Writing test, the real challenge is turning that knowledge into lasting improvement. Reading about mistakes is only the beginning. To truly eliminate grammar errors and achieve a higher band score, you need a plan that includes active practice, expert feedback, and consistent learning.
Here’s how you can build long-term grammar accuracy—and take your writing to the next level:
If you’re aiming for Band 7 or higher, going it alone may not be enough. A structured IELTS course helps you target exactly what the examiners want: clear grammar, varied sentence structures, and precise expression.
Why it works:
Experienced instructors can spot patterns in your grammar mistakes.
You’ll get timely corrections and targeted exercises to improve your weak points.
Real test practice under exam-style conditions builds confidence and stamina.
If you find yourself making repeated errors with tenses, articles, or sentence structure, it might be a sign that you need to review the basics. Many IELTS candidates skip this step, focusing only on exam strategies—but weak fundamentals often hold back their scores.
Start by revisiting:
Verb tense timelines (past, present, future)
Article usage (a, an, the)
Countable vs. uncountable nouns
Sentence types and punctuation
Online grammar checkers like Grammarly, Quillbot, and built-in spelling tools can help you spot mistakes quickly during practice. They’re useful for improving drafts and learning from corrections—but they’re not a substitute for understanding grammar rules.
Use them wisely when:
Editing your IELTS essays after writing
Keeping a grammar-focused journal
Practicing sentence transformation or paraphrasing
But remember: these tools won’t be allowed in the IELTS test room. You need to internalize the grammar rules, not just rely on software to fix them.
Pro Tip: After using a grammar checker, go back and understand why it suggested a change. Keep a notebook of common corrections to track your progress.
In the IELTS Writing test, grammar isn’t just a minor detail—it plays a crucial role in your overall score. One of the four main scoring criteria is Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and it can make the difference between Band 6.5 and Band 7 or higher.
Here’s what examiners specifically look for under this category:
✅ Variety of sentence structures – Can you use a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences?
✅ Accuracy of grammar – Are your verb tenses, articles, and prepositions used correctly?
✅ Proper punctuation and word form – Do you avoid run-on sentences and spelling mistakes?
✅ Overall clarity and fluency – Is your grammar helping your ideas flow smoothly and logically?
To achieve a Band 7 or above, you must show that you can use a wide range of grammatical structures with a high degree of accuracy. Occasional errors are acceptable, but persistent or distracting mistakes will hold your score back—no matter how strong your ideas are.
Tip: Quality matters more than quantity. Using basic grammar correctly is far better than misusing complex structures just to “sound advanced.”
Avoiding common IELTS grammar mistakes is the key to boosting your writing score. By focusing on correcting these frequent errors through consistent practice and expert feedback, you’ll improve your grammar accuracy and gain the confidence examiners look for.
Don’t leave your writing score to chance.
Join our IELTS Preparation Course at Lingua Learn and take the next confident step toward your target band.
If you feel your grammar foundation needs more support, explore our General دورة اللغة الإنجليزية to build clarity and control from the ground up.
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