Grammar is the conventions of presenting language and is an aid to communication. Grammar is one of the tools of language but is not the purpose, which is to communicate well. The aim of all IELTS students should be to use the conventions of the language that are used by native speakers. Native speakers in all languages express ideas in the simplest way possible, and students should do the same. Keeping language as simple as possible aids communication and helps avoid confusion. Using unnecessarily complex grammar can confuse native speakers because it is not standard language. This is particularly true if the vocabulary used is not precise. If a student confuses the examiner, it will have a significant impact on their score.

Tip: Keep grammatical structures as simple as possible.

Improve your grammar by doing our IELTS Writing Task 2 Course.

Use Passive Forms

In formal writing, such as an IELTS examination, it is almost always best to use passive forms. The overuse of the first person makes essays seem informal and is a style that is most commonly adopted by children. It is acceptable to use the first person, but it should be understood that using the first person is a literary device designed to draw the reader closer to the writer. If the first person is used, it should be used rarely.

For example:

The environment is very important to us because it provides many of the things that we need.

Should be:

The environment is very important because it provides many of our needs.

Use Plural Forms

In academic essays (Task 2), students will usually be writing about general ideas, and therefore plural forms without an article (no “the”) should be used.

For example:

In many cities around the world, traffic jams present major problems to commuters.

It should be noted that each of “traffic jams,” “major problems,” and “commuters” are plural, and none have “the” (an article) in front of them.

Tip: Practice your passive forms before the exam.

Use Simple Past and Present Tenses

In IELTS Task 1 Writing, students are usually required to either describe events that have occurred in the past (General) or historical data (Academic). For this reason, the simple past is almost always the correct tense in Task 1 Writing. In the simple past tense (often the “-ed” form), it should be used for the main verb.

For example:

In the 1940s in the UK, only 8% of students attended university.

Task 2 essays are usually concerned with current issues. The subjects are events that were occurring in the past, are occurring now, and are likely to continue to occur in the future.

If the event is continuing, use the present form for the main verb.

For example:

In most Western countries, students expect that they will have the opportunity to attend university.

For secondary verbs, the infinitive (“to attend”) or gerund (“-ing”) form (“attending”) should generally be used. A common mistake that students make is to confuse the two forms and add “to” in front of the “-ing” form of the verb.

Tip: You can use a range of tenses in your writing, but IELTS Writing Task 2 is generally written in the present tense.

C) Articles (A/An/The/No Article)

Articles are one of the most common sources of error, and problems are difficult to avoid because articles are used often, and there are many exceptions in their use. However, using the table below as a guide will allow students to reduce the number of errors to an acceptable level.

Article Table:

Article | Singular | Plural | Specific | General | When to Use

a/an | ✓ | ✖ | ✖ | ✓ | One of many

the | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✖ | It is clear which one(s) you are talking about

no article | ✖ | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | Speaking/writing in general terms

The aim should not be to remove every error with articles but to remove the majority of errors.

A good Task 2 essay will usually cover general ideas, so in most cases, the “no article/plural” form will be required.

Tip: The most common error is to introduce “the” when general information is being provided.

D) Learn More About Grammar in Our IELTS Writing Task 2 Course

Do a course designed by a former IELTS Examiner with hundreds of 5* reviews. Find out what really improves your score in the exam.

Click here to learn more.