8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

FluentU IELTS Blog

Want to speak English naturally?

3
Shares

by ANAMARIAHOPARTEAN

Grammar for IELTS: 7 Key

English Grammar Rules You
Should Know
Good grammar is essential for taking the IELTS exam.

Grammar is not tested directly in this exam, so you

might be surprised to hear this.

But it is true: Proper English grammar is very

important for getting a high IELTS score!

Even though there is no part of the IELTS that focuses

only on grammar, you will need to study grammar to
get on the path to exam success.

Grammar helps you make progress in all the four

skills, reading, writing, listening and speaking.

You’ll be able to feel your progress in speaking and

writing mainly, because this is where you will actively
use grammar structures to express your ideas.
However, knowing grammar will also help you
understand language, both in reading and in
listening, because you’ll become more familiar with
grammar structures and will understand what others
want to say right away.
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 1/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

The best way to improve your grammar is to study

each rule one by one, read some examples, make
your own examples and then practice each rule by
doing exercises.

We selected some important grammar rules for you

3 to learn so that you feel more confident in the IELTS
Shares exam. Each rule is followed by examples and a short
exercise. Once you’ve done the exercises, you can
check with the answer key at the end of the post.
2
 

 
7 English Grammar Rules You
Need to Get a Higher IELTS
Score

1. The Simple Aspect

We use the simple aspect to talk about general,

permanent or repeated actions.

Here, the present simple is used to refer to a general,

habitual action:

I often read business magazines online.

In the above example, it is implied that you read

these magazines online all the time. This is
something you do regularly.
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 2/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

We use the continuous aspect to focus on

progressive actions that usually happen around the
moment of speaking.

Here, the present continuous is used to refer to an

action that is happening at the moment of speaking:
3
Shares
I am reading an interesting book.

The same rule applies to all the verb tenses, past,

2
present and future. If you want to focus on the
continuity of the action, use the continuous aspect. If
you are more interested in the result of the action,
then use the simple aspect.

Why is this useful for IELTS?

In IELTS Speaking Part 1 you have to answer

questions about yourself.

You will need to make sure you use the right verb

tense and the right aspect—simple or continuous—
depending on what you want to say. If you want to
talk about general things that you do regularly, then
you need the present simple. If, however, you want to
refer to actions that are temporary and happen
around the moment of speaking, then you need the
present continuous.

You may also need this grammar rule in Writing Part 1

when describing trends shown in graphs or charts.
You are probably going to use the past simple quite a
lot because in this part you report on situations that
happened in the past.

Examples:

Between January and March, the profit rose by

10%.

They produced twice the amount of cars in June.

Hungary accounted for 10% of the students

involved in the competition.

Let’s practice this rule by putting the verbs in the

right tense and aspect:

1. I ___(exercise) every other day, but I ___(not

like) going to sports competitions.

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 3/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

2. The graphs ___(show) how the total number of

students ___(change) in the past 5 years.

3. I ___(do) an internship this spring, so I ___(not

want) to take another job just yet.

3 4. Alan ___(watch) a movie when I ___(arrive).

Shares

2. The Simple Past and Present Perfect

2 Verb Tenses

When using the past tense, we see these past

actions as having no connection with the present.
They belong to the past, so we use the past tense to
express them.

I ate my breakfast with Tony and then we saw a

movie.

The action above happened in the past. There is no

connection with the present, so we use the simple
past.

If, however, the action happened in the past but it has

some kind of impact on the present, or if it continues
into the present, we need to use the present perfect.

I haven’t eaten breakfast yet, I’m starving.

The above is present perfect because it is a past

action but it has an obvious impact on the present,
the speaker is now hungry.

I have been waiting here since 10 a.m.

The above is present perfect because the action

started in the past but is continuing into the present,
when the speaker is still waiting.

Why is this useful for IELTS?

In the IELTS speaking test you may have to talk about

different events from the past, either about yourself
or about other matters. Decide if the actions are still
relevant in the present, if they still have an impact or
not.

You have more time to make this decision when you

are writing than when speaking, but if you practice

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 4/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

this rule you’ll be able to think faster.

Have a look at the following sentences and decide

whether to use the past or the present perfect:

5. I ___(start) studying for the IELTS exam two

3 months ago but I still ___(not decide) whether to
Shares
move to Australia.

6. According to the bar chart, more women than

2
men ___(take) the course last year.

7. Entertainment ___(change) a lot since people

___(start) using the Internet every day.

3. The Passive Voice

The passive voice can be used whenever you want

to sound more formal and impersonal.

You form the passive voice by using the verb

“to be” in the tense you want, plus the past participle
(the third form of the verb; for example, for the verb
“write” you would use “written”).

Examples:

Almost 50% more courses were chosen in the

second semester as compared to the first one.
(the passive voice is used here, with the past
tense of the verb “to be” and the past participle
of the verb “choose”).

More research needs to be done before

choosing a certain supplier. (“do” is used in the
passive voice in the infinitive, with the verb “be”
used in the infinitive and the past participle of the
verb “do”).

Why is this useful for IELTS?

You can use the passive voice in both writing tasks in

the IELTS exam, particularly in reports where a more
formal tone is needed.

Now try using the verbs in parentheses in the right

passive voice form. These are examples you could
use in your own formal reports!

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 5/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

8. As can ___(see) from the figures, the number

of first year students decreased dramatically in
the last five years.

9. As ___(show) in the diagram, there was a

marked increase in the number of students
3 driving their own cars to school.
Shares

10. More language courses ___(choose) by

students in the second semester.
2

4. Modal Verbs

You can use modal verbs when you want to express

different nuances like degrees of certainty.

Could, might and may are modal verbs and can

be used to refer to possible but uncertain actions
in the future, with might being slightly less
certain than may.

Examples:

We could be late if we stop for drinks now.

I may want to spend my holiday in Europe,

but everything depends on my partner.

We might want to move to a different class if

the problem persists.

Could have, might have and may have are used

to express possible actions in the present or past
—you are suggesting that these actions are or
were possible, or that they are or were
completed.

Examples:

They could have left hours ago.

It’s almost midnight in Spain, the plane might

have landed by now.

I may have mentioned your name to my

colleague.

Can is used to make general possible statements

about the present, while could is used as the
past of can with this meaning.

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 6/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

Examples:

My boss can be very demanding at times.

Students can be difficult to motivate in

evening classes.
3
Shares
My boss could be very demanding when I
first got hired.
2
Students could be difficult to motivate when
I was an inexperienced teacher.

Can’t (cannot) is used to express impossibility.

Example:

These conclusions can’t be right.

Must is used when we are sure something is true

and must have is used with the same meaning
for the past.

Examples:

There must be a better explanation for why

they haven’t arrived yet.

They must have changed their marketing

strategy to afford such good prices.

Why is this useful for IELTS?

In the IELTS exam, you may find modal verbs in

reading and in listening and if you get their meaning
right you stand a better chance of getting that part of
the test right.

In speaking you may want to use them in Part 3 when

extending the discussion from yourself to other
aspects the examiner might ask you about. Modal
verbs can be used to express probability when
making generalizations and talking more abstractly.

Now try practicing them by filling in the gaps with the

right modal verbs studied above:

11. This ___(not be) your phone, I know you had a

different ringtone.

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 7/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

12. It ___(be) Donna at the door, she called to say

she is sick.

13. They ___(change) their plans, but they

haven’t said anything to me.

3
Shares
5. The Definite Article

The definite article (the), as the name suggests, is

2 used for talking about people or things that are
known to the speaker, already mentioned earlier,
described in some detail or unique.

Examples:

Can you turn the TV on? (The speaker knows

which TV they are talking about.)

We are not going by car. The car is not big

enough for all of us. (The car has already
been mentioned, so we know what car the
speaker is referring to.)

The gift they brought was a bit inappropriate.

(We know what gift the speaker is talking
about.)

I can’t open the door, as I don’t have the key.

(The key is unique.)

The can also be used with superlatives, ordinal

numbers, countries that have plurals in them or
that include the words “republic” or “kingdom.”

Examples:

This is the best movie I’ve seen in a while.

(superlative)

This is the second time I’ve met him today.

(ordinal number)

The Czech Republic is one of my favorite

country in Europe. (country that includes the
word “republic”)

Why is this useful for IELTS?

In the IELTS Writing exam, leave a few minutes at the

end to proofread for grammar mistakes. If you’re still
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 8/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

having doubts whether you are using the correctly,

try practicing in writing first and then in speaking, as
you have more thinking time to decide if you should
use the or not. It’s easy to erase it in case you decide
that the person or thing is in fact undefined, new or
not specified.
3
Shares To practice making this decision, use the or nothing
in the following gaps:

2
14. I don’t like ___ romantic comedies, I prefer
___ thrillers, but I like ___ one you suggested
last week.

15. Moving to ___ United States was a big

decision, but not ___ best they took.

16. ___ employees don’t like it when their

bonuses are being cut.

6. Comparing Adjectives

You should use adjectives as often as you can to

describe people or things because they prove you
have a wide range of vocabulary in speaking and
writing. You may need to compare them using
comparatives or superlatives, depending on what
you are trying to say. There are a few rules you need
to keep in mind:

Most one syllable adjectives take -er and -est at

the end to form the comparative and the
superlative.

Examples:

My plan is safer than yours.

This is the safest plan of them all.

Two-syllable adjectives can form the comparative

and superlative either by adding -er and -est or
by using more and the most. In most cases, both
forms can be used.

Examples:

This is a simpler version of what I’ve just

said.

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 9/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

I’ve never lifted a heavier bag.

This is the narrowest path I’ve ever walked

on.

His was the most complete answer I got.

3
Shares Adjectives of three or more syllables use more
and the most to form the comparative and the
superlative.
2

Examples:

I’ve never heard a more beautiful song.

This is the most interesting story I’ve ever

read.

Pay special attention to irregular adjectives that don’t

follow the rules above:

good ⇒ better ⇒ the best

bad ⇒ worse ⇒ the worst

far ⇒ farther ⇒ the farthest

little ⇒ less ⇒ least

In the IELTS exam you may want to use adjectives to

prove your wide range of vocabulary, but pay
attention to spelling while taking the writing test.

Adjectives ending in consonant + y: The

y changes to an i when adding -er or -est.

Examples:

Shiny ⇒ shinier ⇒ shiniest

Icy ⇒ icier ⇒ iciest

Adjectives ending in e: The e is dropped when

adding -er or -est.

Examples:

Polite ⇒ politer ⇒ politest

Gentle ⇒ gentler ⇒ gentlest

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 10/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

Adjectives ending in a consonant with a single

vowel preceding it, double the consonant when
adding -er or -est.

Examples:

3 Big ⇒ bigger ⇒ biggest

Shares

Red ⇒ redder ⇒ reddest

2
Sad ⇒ sadder ⇒ saddest

Have a look at the following sentences and fill in the

gaps with the correct comparative or superlative
form:

17. This is the ___(fast) route to our destination.

18. The salad your mom makes is ___(delicious)

than this one.

19. His report is ___(comprehensive) than I

expected it to be.

7. Watch Out for Frequent Spelling

Mistakes

Here’s a list of frequent spelling mistakes students

make. Make sure you understand the rule behind
each mistake so that in the IELTS Writing exam you
don’t make these mistakes!

Double l in adverbs. Normally, you can add –ly to

many adjectives and turn them into adverbs. For
example, interesting becomes the adverb
interestingly. However, if the adjective ends in
l already, then its adverb will have a double l:

Examples:

Beautiful ⇒ beautifully

Adding -ing and -ed to verbs. If the verb ends in

an -e, then the -e is dropped before you add -ing
or -ed:

Examples:

Live ⇒ living ⇒ lived

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 11/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

Fake ⇒ faking ⇒ faked

If the verb ends in a consonant + vowel +

consonant pattern of letters, then we double the
final consonant when adding -ing or -ed:

3 Examples:
Shares

Plan ⇒ planning ⇒ planned

2
Stop ⇒ stopping ⇒ stopped

If the verb ends in -ie, we change it to –ying

when adding -ing:

Examples:

Lie ⇒ lying

Die ⇒ dying

Now have a look at the following sentences and

correct the spelling mistakes if you find any. Some
sentences are correct.

20. I have never studyied Geography and I regret

it.

21. They’ve been planing to visit, but never got

the chance to do it.

22. The clock stopped working hours ago.

23. I’ve been listenning to this lecture for one

hour and I still don’t get the point of it.

24. The little girl is tying her shoelaces.

25. He was fixing his bike when I got there.

These are just a few basic grammar rules you need

to know to get a higher IELTS score. Remember that
just doing IELTS tests is usually not enough. You
need to improve your general level of English to
notice progress.

The best part about learning grammar is that you feel

more confident in all the four skills—reading, writing,
listening and speaking.

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 12/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

Before you leave, check out the answer key below to

see how your answers were!

Answer Key

1. exercise, don’t like

3 2. shows, changed
Shares 3. am doing, don’t want
4. was watching, arrived
5. started, haven’t decided
2 6. took
7. has changed, started
8. be seen
9. (is) sown
10. were chosen
11. can’t be
12. can’t be
13. might have changed
14. -, -, the
15. the, the
16. –
17. fastest
18. more delicious
19. more comprehensive
20. studied
21. planning
22. correct
23. listening
24. correct
25. correct

 
And One More Thing…

How can you stay motivated while studying for the

IELTS?

When you need a break from textbooks and

exercises, mix it up with fun, authentic English
learning on FluentU.

FluentU takes real-world videos like music videos,

commercials, news and inspiring talks and turns them
into English learning experiences. You’ll learn English
as it’s spoken in real life—which will make English
tests way easier, too.

FluentU has a lot of fun videos—topics like popular

talk shows, music videos and funny commercials, as
you can see here:
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 13/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

3
Shares

FluentU makes it really easy to watch English videos.

Don’t understand a word? Just tap on it to see an
image, definition, and useful examples.

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 14/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

3
Shares

For example, tap on the word “brought” and you see

this:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 15/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

3
Shares

And FluentU is not just for watching videos. FluentU

is a complete system for learning English. Learn all
the vocabulary in any video with useful questions.
Multiple examples are always available for the word
you’re learning.

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 16/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

3
Shares

The best part is that FluentU remembers your

vocabulary. Using those words, FluentU recommends
you new examples and videos. Your experience is
truly personalized.

You can start using FluentU on the website with your

computer or tablet or, better yet, download the
FluentU app from the iTunes store or from the
Google Play store.

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 17/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

3
Shares

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll

love FluentU, the best way to learn English with real-
world videos.

Experience English immersion online!

 5 Top Tips for Scoring High on the IELTS Reading Section

Comments are closed.

Search

Search...

Categories
IELTS Study Methods
IELTS Study Tips
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 18/19
8/19/2019 7 Grammar Rules You Need to Get a Higher IELTS Score | FluentU IELTS Blog

IELTS Vocab and Grammar

About FluentU Partnerships

FluentU brings language learning to life with real-world Interested in sharing your
videos. language learning
3 Learning a foreign language becomes fun and easy resource with our
Shares
when you learn with movie trailers, music videos, news audience? Contact Us to
and inspiring talks. request information
about sponsored posts
2
and product reviews.
Try FluentU for Free

FTC Disclosure
FluentU is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC
Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising
fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We also
participate in other affiliate advertising programs for
products and services we believe in.

By purchasing through our affiliate links, you are

supporting our ability to provide you with free language
learning content.

© 2019 FluentFlix Limited. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us Follow Us

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/ielts/ielts-grammar/ 19/19