Part 4 IELTS Grammar Guide

Ultimate Grammar Guide for IELTS
In Part 3 of this guide, we learnt about different types of tenses and how to use them correctly.
Today, we will understand what are the most common grammatical mistakes students make in IELTS.
To reiterate, grammar forms 25% of your Band score in IELTS and you only need very specific grammar
to ace IELTS.
Just like how I teach in my Ultimate Guide To Hacking IELTS online course, I have simplified all the
English grammar rules in a short and easy 4-part guide.
Today, we are going to cover, the last part, Part 4 of this Ultimate Grammar Guide for IELTS.
Ultimate Grammar Guide for IELTS

▪ Part 1: Understanding Clauses The Simple Way
▪ Part 2: Forming Sentences The Right Way
▪ Part 3: Become A Pro With Use of Tenses
▪ Part 4: 10 Most Common Mistakes People Make
Let’s dive in.

Part 4: 10 Most Common
Mistakes People Make
I have checked over 1000 practice essays by my students since 2018. After going through them, I can
clearly see the similar patterns of mistakes getting repeated again and again.
In this part of the Ultimate Grammar Guide, I have compiled a list of 10 of the most common mistakes
people make when giving their IELTS.
I have also discussed how you can avoid such mistakes.
1) Using the word ‘The’
The first most common mistake is using the word ‘the’ wrong.
Here are the instances where you should use ‘the’.
We use ‘the’ when only one of something exists in that area, such as the police, the cinema, the
hospital, the train station, the airport, etc.
It is also used when there is only one of something in the entire world. For example, the atmosphere,
the sun, the sky, the sea among many others.
‘The’ can also be used with cardinal numbers, such as the first, the second, the third, the fourth, and so
on.
We can use it with superlatives. Some examples are the best, the worst, the tallest, the shortest, the
prettiest, and many more.
It can be used with names of countries where name refers to a group of states or islands like the USA,
the UAE, the UK, and the Middle East.
It is also used before nouns that describe general actions or activities. For example, “I spent most of my
day at the swimming pool” and “We took our cars to the race track.”
‘The’ is also used before abstract nouns that are describing a process or a situation. It can be used in
sentences like this: “The frequency of customers increased after the summer sale.”
Conversely, we do not use ‘the’ before something that is plural. It is also wrong to use ‘the’ when
mentioning a single place like a country or a city.
2) Uncountable Nouns
Some nouns in English are uncountable. This means that they will always be in their singular form.
Some of the more common uncountable nouns that students mistake are: advice, advertising,
knowledge, food, traffic, entertainment, and happiness.
If a noun is uncountable, it is wrong to use a plural form of it.
3) Noun-Verb Agreement
This is yet another common mistake. The noun and verb must always agree with each other, meaning
that if the noun is plural, the verb must be plural as well.
For example, “There is kids in the playground,” is incorrect, but “There are kids in the playground” is
correct.
4) Gerunds or [to + Infinitive] Verb
Students are often seen making mistakes when using gerunds and infinitives. They make mistakes in
choosing the verbs that follow gerunds and infinitives.
This has been explained in-depth in previous parts.
5) Commas
When we are writing, we often link ideas. To do this, we use words like, however, nevertheless,
moreover, furthermore, in conclusion, and though.
Whenever these words are used at the beginning of a sentence, we must place a comma after it.
For example, “In conclusion, it is important to have good Grammar to score better in IELTS.”
There may be instances where you have to place it in the middle of the sentences. When this happens,
we must place a comma on both sides of the word.
Here’s an example, “Regular exercise is key to staying healthy, however, a balanced diet is just as
important.”
6) Use of Articles before Noun Phrases
We should include a/an before a combination of adjective and singular noun.
Such as: an incredible sight, a large house, a delicious steak, etc.
Sometimes we have to use the word ‘of’ after a noun phrase, for example, a large number of, a small
number of, etc.
7) Verb Tenses
Using the wrong tenses is yet another common and a major error in IELTS.
Verb tenses have been explained in detail in the previous parts. Using the correct tense is a crucial part
of your Grammar so make sure you do them right.
8) Apostrophes
Apostrophes are very important. They can change the entire meaning of your sentence if placed
incorrectly, so make sure you understand them.
Apostrophes are used for multiple purposes. They are used to make contractions and shorten words,
such as, changing I will to I’ll, or changing should not to shouldn’t.
Apostrophes can also be used to show possession.
For example, “We went to the beach in David’s new car.”
9) Common Spelling Mistakes
People often make spelling mistakes as well, and while it’s difficult to be perfect, there is a trick to make
lesser mistakes.
The trick is simple, read out loud when rechecking your work. This is simple and extremely effective.
10) Prepositions After Adjectives And Nouns
This is a problem faced by many students. They often get confused about which preposition to place
after the adjective or noun.
Below are some common prepositions:
At: We use ‘at’ when we are talking about a skill or ability, such as, bad at something, good at
something, amazing at something, talented at something.
About: ‘About’ is usually used with adjectives of feeling to explain the cause of them. Happy is a feeling,
so you can use ‘about’ to tell that you were happy about the promotion, or perhaps you were nervous
about your IELTS exam.
With: With is similar to ‘about’ because it too, is used to talk about feelings. However, the difference is
that ‘with’ is used when you are referring to a person. Such as, you were happy with the work your
employee turned in. Or, you were angry with someone.
In: Some examples of the preposition ‘in’ are, fall in, get in, drop in, rise in, etc.
Of: Some common uses of this preposition are, example of, number of, use of, made of, and many more.
To: This preposition is used to show the connection between two things, such as, He is married to her, I
want to tour France, etc.
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Congratulations, by now, you have learned – in a simple manner - everything there is about Grammar
you need to ace your IELTS.
To reiterate, you do NOT need a perfect Grammar to get 8+ Band in your IELTS. As I teach in my
Ultimate Guide To Hacking IELTS online course, the most important thing is the structure and smart
strategies to do each section of the IELTS.
When I got 8.5 Band in IELTS, I didn’t have nearly as much command over Grammar as I have today. That
is proof that you do not need to be a pro at Grammar.
However, it doesn’t hurt to learn everything I’ve taught in this Ultimate Grammar Guide so that even if
you falter a bit in your structure and the use of smart strategies, you score extra for the Grammar
component.
I hope you will keep this guide with you and use it to ace your IELTS exam the next time you take it ☺

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Ultimate Grammar Guide for IELTS

Ultimate Grammar Guide for IELTS

▪ Part 2: Forming Sentences The Right Way

▪ Part 3: Become A Pro With Use of Tenses

▪ Part 4: 10 Most Common Mistakes People Make

Let’s dive in.

I have also discussed how you can avoid such mistakes.

1) Using the word ‘The’

Here are the instances where you should use ‘the’.

If a noun is uncountable, it is wrong to use a plural form of it.

4) Gerunds or [to + Infinitive] Verb

This has been explained in-depth in previous parts.

6) Use of Articles before Noun Phrases

We should include a/an before a combination of adjective and singular noun.

Such as: an incredible sight, a large house, a delicious steak, etc.

Apostrophes can also be used to show possession.

For example, “We went to the beach in David’s new car.”

9) Common Spelling Mistakes

Below are some common prepositions:

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