The IELTS exam assesses your English language proficiency for studying or migrating abroad. IELTS offers two versions of the test- IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. You can take either, depending on your requirements. IELTS Academic is taken by individuals who want to study abroad, while IELTS General Training is taken by individuals who want to work or migrate abroad. There are four sections in the IELTS exam - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
Think of your vocabulary and grammar usage as a toolbox for communication. The more tools you have, the more tasks you can easily tackle. Discussing global news? A sharp synonym for "important" might come in handy. Sharing your daily routine? A colourful verb to describe your morning commute could do the trick.
Similarly, while preparing for the IELTS exam, expanding your English vocabulary and grammar is the key to unlocking effortless conversation and more profound comprehension, whether Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking.
To achieve an IELTS band score of 7 and higher, you must be flexible in discussing various topics. You must be able to use uncommon and idiomatic vocabulary, showing that you are aware of style and collocation.
Additionally, being aware of appropriate style and collocation, such as using words that naturally complement each other grammatically (e.g., 'environmental pollution,' 'steep rise,' 'an improvement in'), is imperative. If you find difficulty in accessing precise words, you must be able to paraphrase, enabling effective communication by substituting synonyms or antonyms when necessary. Accessing a range of words and phrases about different topics will make reaching a higher band easier.
By incorporating these strategies and themes into your vocabulary-building efforts, you'll enhance your language skills and increase your readiness for the specific challenges posed by the IELTS exam.
Additional Read: Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking
Grammar significantly affects your speaking, reading, and overall language comprehension. Although the IELTS test doesn't have a designated grammar section, a strong understanding of grammar fundamentals is essential for success in the Writing and Speaking sections. Moreover, a proficient grasp of grammar remains important for achieving proficiency in the Listening and Reading sections of the test.
Let’s examine how you can enhance your grammar skills for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.
Grammar is an important aspect of the IELTS Academic test, which evaluates your English proficiency in an academic setting. Given that academic language tends to be more formal than everyday English, it is imperative to grasp the fundamentals of academic writing.
Consider the following tips for maintaining proper grammar in academic writing:
Learn more: IELTS Academic Practice Tests
The IELTS General Training test assesses your English proficiency in real-life, practical situations encountered in both work and social settings. Here are some valuable tips for everyday grammar:
Learn more: IELTS General Training Practice Tests
While having a strong foundation in English grammar overall is beneficial, it's advisable to concentrate on specific areas to refine your grammar skills specifically for the IELTS examination. Let’s discuss these in more detail:
Mastering a variety of sentence structures is important, including simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. Familiarise yourself with these structures to enhance your performance in the IELTS test.
The correct arrangement of words significantly impacts your English proficiency. Follow this guideline for constructing sentences: subject + auxiliary verb + main verb + object + adverb of time. Ensure proper word order to convey your message effectively.
For example,
Correct: They studied Psychology for four years.
Incorrect: They for four years studied Psychology.
For questions, use the format: auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + object.
For example,
Correct: Have you studied Psychology?
Incorrect: You have studied Psychology?
Mastery of English tenses—past, present, and future—is essential for success in the IELTS Writing and Speaking tests. Understand and use various tense forms, such as simple past, past continuous, past perfect, past perfect continuous, simple present, present continuous, present perfect, present perfect continuous, simple future, and future continuous.
For example,
Proper punctuation is important for the Writing test, influencing sentence meaning. Avoid common errors like inadequate use of commas or using too many commas, as they can alter the intended meaning. Pay attention to details like its/it's and their/they're for accurate expression.
For instance,
Use 'its' or 'their' for possessive pronouns, and 'it’s' or 'they’re' if the words can be replaced by 'it is' or 'they are.'
Understand the distinction between passive and active voice. The active voice is direct and engaging, suitable for speech and communication. The passive voice, more formal, is often apt for academic or professional writing. Use them appropriately to convey the desired tone in your writing and speaking.
For example,
Active: The cat chased the mice.
Passive: The mice were chased by the cat.
Active: Diya will present the final presentation tomorrow.
Passive: The final presentation will be presented tomorrow by Diya.
Access IDP’s IELTS Familiarisation Tests to be familiar with the test format and question types.
The assessment of the Writing and Speaking sections in IELTS involves evaluating candidates based on four distinct descriptors, one of which is grammar.
In the Writing section, candidates are scored across four descriptors:
Band | Grammatical range and accuracy |
---|---|
9 |
A broad spectrum of structures related to the task is employed with complete flexibility and mastery. Punctuation and grammar are consistently applied appropriately. Occasional minor errors are rare and have negligible impact on the overall communication. |
8 |
A diverse array of structures relevant to the task is employed with flexibility and precision. Many sentences are devoid of errors, and punctuation is skillfully handled. While occasional and non-systematic errors or inaccuracies may arise, their impact on communication is minimal. |
7 |
A diverse array of intricate structures is employed with flexibility and precision. Overall, there is control over grammar and punctuation, resulting in frequent error-free sentences. While a few grammatical errors may still be present, they do not hinder the overall clarity of communication. |
6 |
The writing incorporates a combination of simple and complex sentence structures; however, the ability to vary sentence construction is somewhat constrained. While more intricate sentence forms are present, they may not exhibit the same precision as the simpler structures. Occasional errors in grammar and punctuation are noted, though they seldom hinder the overall clarity of communication. |
5 |
The variety of sentence structures is constrained and tends to be repetitive. While attempts are made at constructing complex sentences, they often exhibit flaws, with the highest level of accuracy observed in simpler sentences. Grammatical errors may occur frequently, posing potential challenges for the reader. Issues with punctuation may be evident. |
4 |
The writing uses only a few different sentence structures. There are not many complex sentences, and most sentences are simple. While some structures are correct, frequent grammar mistakes can make it challenging to understand the meaning. Punctuation is often incorrect or lacking. |
3 |
The sentence forms are attempted, but there are many errors in grammar and punctuation, especially if it's not a memorised phrase or taken from the original text. Because of these errors, it's hard to understand the intended meaning. The sentences might be too short to show a good command of sentence structures. |
2 | There isn't much or any proof of using different sentence structures, except when relying on memorised phrases. |
1 |
Answers with 20 words or less receive a Band 1 rating. If there's no understandable language, no rating is assigned. |
0 | The test taker did not attempt the questions. |
In the IELTS Speaking section, your performance is evaluated based on four aspects:
Band | Grammatical range and accuracy |
9 | The structures are always precise and accurate, except for occasional errors that are typical in the speech of native speakers. |
8 |
Uses a variety of sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are free of errors. Some occasional mistakes and non-systematic errors may occur. A few simple errors might still be present. |
7 |
Various sentence structures are employed with flexibility. Error-free sentences are common. Effective use of simple and complex sentences is demonstrated, albeit with some errors. A few basic errors still exist. |
6 |
Frames sentences that are a combination of short and complex forms using various structures with some limitations in flexibility. While there are often things that could be improved in complex structures, they seldom hinder overall communication. |
5 | Simple sentences are generally accurate. While there's an effort to use more complex structures, the range is limited, errors are common, and sometimes, the sentences must be rephrased for clarity. |
4 | Can frame simple sentences and some short statements without mistakes. Longer sentence structures are uncommon; generally, the expressions are brief, often repetitive, with frequent errors. |
3 | Simple sentence structures are tried, but there are many grammatical mistakes, except when expressions seem memorised. |
2 | Basic sentence formations need to be more evident. |
1 | Language proficiency will only be assessed if it is memorised. |
0 | The test taker did not answer the questions. |
To achieve a high IELTS band score, you can access IDP’s IELTS Preparation material and IELTS practice test videos.
The significance of a strong vocabulary and grammar cannot be overstated in the context of IELTS success. These two elements help in effective communication, influencing performance across all exam sections. Understanding difficult passages in the reading part, expressing thoughts clearly in writing, or speaking fluently all depend on having good vocabulary and grammar skills. These are essential for getting a high IELTS band score.