How to Improve Grammar for IELTS

What Is Grammar and Why It Matters for IELTS

Objective

By the end of this lesson, you’ll:
✅ Understand what grammar really is (without boring definitions!)
✅ Discover how it directly affects your IELTS Writing & Speaking scores
✅ Identify your common grammar weak spots through fun, diagnostic tasks

🌍 1. What Is Grammar, Really?

Think of grammar as the engine of the English language. You can have all the vocabulary in the world, but without grammar, your ideas can’t move smoothly — just like a car with no engine.

Grammar is the set of rules that tell us how words work together to form sentences.
It covers things like:

Tenses (past, present, future)
Sentence structure (word order, clauses)
Articles, prepositions, and punctuation
Subject-verb agreement

It’s not just about memorizing rules — it’s about making your ideas clear, logical, and easy to follow.

🎯 2. Why Grammar Matters in IELTS

Grammar is not a separate skill in IELTS, but it’s part of two crucial bands in your score:

IELTS Criterion	Role of Grammar
Grammatical Range & Accuracy	Measures how correctly and flexibly you use grammar (sentence variety, tenses, conditionals, etc.)
Coherence & Cohesion	Grammar helps link ideas logically using correct connectors and sentence structures

💡 Example:

❌ People is like watching movie because it help them to relax.
✅ People like watching movies because it helps them to relax.

See the difference?
Correct grammar doesn’t just sound better — it boosts your score and helps the examiner understand your message clearly.

🧠 3. Common Grammar Challenges for IELTS Students

Here are the top “Grammar Traps” IELTS candidates often fall into:

Grammar Area	Common Mistake	Correct Form
Subject-verb agreement	She go to work every day.	She goes to work every day.
Articles (a, an, the)	I saw cat on road.	I saw a cat on the road.
Tenses	Last year I go to Dubai.	Last year I went to Dubai.
Prepositions	He is good in English.	He is good at English.
Complex sentences	I study hard. I can pass IELTS.	I study hard so that I can pass IELTS.

✍️ 4. Examples: IELTS Grammar in Action

Let’s look at how grammar transforms your writing from band 5 to band 8.

❌ Band 5-level sentence:

Many people thinking that technology make life more difficult.

✅ Band 8-level sentence:

Many people think that technology makes life more complicated than before.

What changed?

Corrected verb form (think → thinking)
Correct subject-verb agreement (technology makes)
Added comparison for clarity (than before)

Small grammar tweaks → big IELTS impact!

🧩 5. Practice Activities

🧭 A. Diagnostic Grammar Quiz (Mini Self-Test)

Answer these quickly to check your grammar sense:

The students ___ playing football when it started to rain.
a) was b) were c) are
She ___ finished her homework yet.
a) didn’t b) hasn’t c) don’t
I’m interested ___ learning English.
a) for b) to c) in
If I ___ enough money, I would buy a new laptop.
a) have b) had c) has

Answer Key: 1️⃣ b 2️⃣ b 3️⃣ c 4️⃣ b

✅ Your Score:

4/4 = Grammar Guru 🧠
3/4 = Almost there!
1–2/4 = Time for some GoatGuru magic 🐐✨

🔍 B. Error Spotting (IELTS Edition)

Find and correct the grammar mistakes:

People enjoys to travel because it make them happy.
If I will study hard, I can achieve higher band score.
The pollution is serious problem in many cities.

Suggested Answers:

People enjoy traveling because it makes them happy.
If I study hard, I can achieve a higher band score.
Pollution is a serious problem in many cities.

🎓 IELTS Tip of the Lesson

💡 Grammar directly affects two band scores — “Grammatical Range & Accuracy” and “Coherence & Cohesion.”
So instead of memorizing complex structures, focus on clarity, correctness, and sentence variety.
Remember: a simple correct sentence is better than a complicated incorrect one.

🐐 Final Thought from GoatGuruEnglish

Grammar isn’t a monster — it’s your best IELTS ally. The more confidently you control it, the more powerfully you express your ideas.