IELTS Writing Task 2 Grammar Tips – Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Grammar is a very important part of your IELTS Writing Task 2 score. Grammar mistakes can really hurt your band, even if your thoughts are great and your vocabulary is huge.

What you’ll learn in this piece is:

• The language rules that IELTS test takers use
• Top language mistakes that will hurt your grade
• How to fix those mistakes in the real world
• Language examples from Band 6 and Band 8
• Suggestions for tools to help you improve your grammar

What Grammar Does to Your IELTS Score

Grammatical Range and Accuracy is one of the four official writing band traits, and it’s worth 25% of your total score. It is made up of two main parts:

• Do you use a range of sentence patterns, such as simple, compound, and complex?
• Correctness: Do you have the right verb tenses, articles, prepositions, grammar, and word forms?

What kind of grammar do I need for Band 6–9?

Band What It Means:

• Band 6: Corrects simple grammar; makes a lot of mistakes in complicated sentences
• Band 7: Some grammar mistakes and a mix of forms
• Band 8: A lot of complicated sentences and mostly correct grammar
• Band 9: Perfect grammar and natural, error-free speech

Top Grammar Mistakes in Task 2 of the IELTS Writing

These are the most common language mistakes that keep students from getting a Band 7+:

1. Tense Accuracy
   “The government built many roads last year.”
   Tip: Match the tense to the time range (past, present, or future). For events that have already happened, use past simple. For facts, use present simple. For new changes, use present perfect.
2. Agreement of Subject and Verb
   “Many people think that technology is bad.”
   Tip: Make sure the number of the verb fits the number of the subject (singular or plural).
3. Mistakes in the Article (a, an, the)
   “Education is important for a developing country.”
   Tip: For singular words that are not specific, use “a” or “an.” For specific or known nouns, use “the,” and for plurals or general ideas, don’t use an article.
4. Bad Use of Prepositions
   Incorrect: “People are worried about pollution on cities.”
   Correct: “People are worried about pollution in cities.”
   Tip: Learn how to use common prepositions with verbs and nouns, like “focused on,” “interested in,” and “rely on.”
5. Bad Use of the Passive Voice
   Incorrect: “We should give people better facilities.”
   Correct: “People should be given better facilities.”
   Tip: If you want to sound more formal, use passive voice and stress acts over people.
6. Sentences and Fragments That Don’t End
   Example: “Pollution is bad, and it needs to be stopped.”
   Tip: Use correct conjunctions or punctuation to connect thoughts.
7. The Wrong Way to Form a Word
   Incorrect: “It is a benefit solution.”
   Correct: “It is a beneficial solution.”
   Tip: Make sure you use the right word form, whether it’s a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb.
8. Mixing Up Countable and Uncountable Nouns
   Correct: “There is a lot of information online.”
   Tip: Learn common nouns that don’t have a count: furniture, information, advice, study.
9. Mistakes with Punctuation
   Correct: “In the end, the government must act.”
   Tip: Use commas every time you join two phrases or make a complicated sentence.
10. Sentences That Are Used More Than Once
    Band 6-style: “School is important. Learning is good for everyone. It should be free to go to school.”
    Band 8: “Many people say that education should be open to everyone because it is so important for personal growth and national progress.”
    Tip: Use different types of sentences (simple, compound, and complex) and different words.

Band 6 vs. Band 8 Grammar Comparison

Feature	Band 6	Band 8
Building a Sentence	Simple or repeated a lot	A lot of different shapes
How to Write the Truth	A lot of mistakes	Mostly correct
Verbs with Objects	Not often or correctly used	That is right and natural
Using Punctuation	Not consistent	Correct and on purpose

7 Grammar Tips to Get Better at IELTS Writing

1. Mix Sentence Types Together

• Simple Sentence: “Pollution is bad for health.”
• Compound Sentence: “Pollution is bad for health and the environment.”
• Complex Sentence: “Pollution is a big problem, but not many governments deal with it properly.”
  Goal: Each paragraph should have two to three different types of sentences.

2. Use Sentences with Conditions

• First Conditional: “Pollution will go down if the government does something now.”
• “Next, I would make public travel better if I were in charge.”

3. Get Good at Passive Voice

• Passive: “Too much plastic is being thrown away.”
• Active: “People throw away too much plastic.”
  Tip: To sound serious and academic, use the passive voice.

4. Use Verbs That Change Forms

• Example: “More money should be put into schooling by the government.”
• “There’s a chance that this trend will continue.”
  Tip: Modals show ideas, feelings, or the need for something.

5. Get Used to Using Articles and Prepositions
   Example: “The climate, on the other hand, is a chance that is at risk.”
   Tip: Practice common pairs of articles and prepositions.
6. Go Over It Again with Hemingway or Grammarly

• Check Grammarly for spelling and grammatical mistakes
• Use Hemingway Editor to ensure sentences are clear and easy to read
  Tip: Don’t just take suggestions at face value; learn from the changes.

7. Use a Grammar Checker to Double-Check Your Work
   Ask yourself:

• Does every word agree with every subject?
• Do the tenses match up?
• Is there a mistake with the article or preposition?
• Is there a range of sentences?
• Do you use linking words correctly?

Activities to Do
Change these words to make the sentence better:
“Recycling is good for the environment, so people should do it.”
Improved: “Reusing things is good for the earth, so people should do it.”

Helpful Links for Using the Grammar Practice Tool

• Cambridge Grammar for IELTS is a complete grammar book that can help you prepare for the IELTS.
• Free English practice by subject
• IELTS Grammar lessons designed for the IELTS
• Tools to Check Your Grammar: Hemingway, Grammarly, and Quillbot

Grammar Practice Activities to Do Every Day

Task	Time
Write one sentence in IELTS style with complex structure	5 minutes
Change a Band 6 line to a Band 8 level	10 minutes
Find three mistakes in language in an old paper and fix them	10 minutes
Use five lines with prepositions in your own writing	10 minutes

Thoughts for Now

A high IELTS Writing score starts with correct language. You can improve both your accuracy and your speed by learning about common mistakes and taking steps to fix them.

Think about:

• Range: Don’t just use simple words
• Accuracy: Don’t make careless spelling mistakes
• Clarity: Make sure your writing is proper, makes sense, and flows well

Band 7–9 grammar is definitely doable with daily practice and helpful comments.

Call to Action
Which part of language do you find hardest: different sentence types, tenses, or prepositions? Leave a comment below, and I’ll send you my own workouts!