One of the main criteria for getting a high score in your IELTS writing is having accurate grammar. In this PDF, we look at some of the most common grammar mistakes made in Task 1.

Verb Tenses

1. Remember to check the graphic to decide whether you should be using the present or past tense.
2. Be careful with irregular past simple verbs

Exercise: Do you know the past simple of these common irregular verbs?

• The percentage of students (go) _______ up significantly in 2010.

• The US (lead) _______ in student numbers during the period.

• It (become) _______ the most popular destination by 2012.

• China (hold) _______ the top position in 2015.

• The figures (keep) _______ rising until 2018.

Subject-verb agreement

• Confusing singular nouns: the figure, the number (e.g. the figure increases throughout the period)
• Confusing plural nouns: none of the, both, a few, many (e.g. none of the countries increase throughout the period)

Exercise: choose the correct option

1. The number of students going abroad is/are increasing.
2. A number of students is/are choosing to study abroad.
3. The figure for studying abroad is/are increasing.
4. None of the students is/are studying abroad.
5. Both of the students is/are studying abroad
6. All of the students is/are studying abroad.
7. Everyone is/are studying abroad.
8. A couple of students is/are studying abroad.
9. Living in foreign countries is/are becoming more popular.
   
   

Active vs. Passive

Active: I created this course.

Passive: This course was created by me.

Form: we form the passive with the verb “be” + past participle.

When to use the passive:

•  With reporting verbs (see, observe, witnessed, register, note)

•   To connect two sentences around the same key information:  “The amount of rainfall in Scotland decreases from October. A similar drop can be seen in Spain.”

•   When the graphic has predictions for the future: “By 2028, the use of Petrol and Diesel vehicles is estimated to have shrunk to 11% and 27% respectively.”

•   With a process diagram or map diagram: “The grapes are picked and collected to be juiced.”

Prepositions (at, in, on, etc.)

There are many preposition rules. Here are some basic rules which will help you use prepositions accurately.

Prepositions of time

  At: hours (at 19:00)

  On: days (on Monday)

  In: weeks, months, years, decades (in 2010)

Prepositions of place

  At: specific point/place (at the bus stop)

  In: enclosed spaces (in the garden)

  On: surface (on the wall)

Word formation

One of the most common mistakes is confusion between adjectives and adverbs.

Exercise: choose the correct option

1. The number of Brazilian students studying abroad great/greatly increased throughout the period.
2. The number of Brazilian students studying abroad increased continuously/continuous throughout the period.
3. There was a dramatical/dramatic increase in students studying abroad after 2005.
4. There was a large/largely increase in students studying abroad after 2005.
5. The number of students from Brazil was approximately/ approximate 20,000.
6. The number of students from Canada experienced a slightly/slight drop in 2015.

Explaining Figures

Another common mistake is with the word “million” and “percent”:

Million vs. Millions: Put an “s” if there is no number of quantity before it.

  20 million phones were sold in 2005. (not “millions”)

 Millions of students go abroad each year. (not “million”)

Percent vs. Percentage: Use percent with a number.

 The percentage of students studying abroad increased throughout the period. (not “percent”)

 The number of Brazilian students studying abroad increased by 109 percent. (not “percentage”)