7 English Grammar Rules You Need to Get a

Higher IELTS Score

1. The Simple Aspect
Weuse the simple aspect to talk about general, permanent or repeated actions.
Here,the present simple is used to refer to ageneral, 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.

We use the continuous aspèct 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:
Iam reading an interesting book.
The same rule applies to allthe verb tenses, past, present and future. If youwant 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 IELTSSpeaking Part 1 you have toanswer questions about yourself.
Youwill need to make sure you use the right verb tense and the right aspect
simple or continuousdepending 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 tenporary and happen around the momentof
speaking. then you need the present continuous.
You may also need this grammar rule in Writing Part 1 when describing trends
shown ingraphs 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'spractice this rule by putting the verbs in the right tense and aspect:
1.I (exercise) every other day, but I n'(not like) going to sports competitions.
2. The graphs (show) how the totalnumber of students ho (change) in the past 5
years.

3.I((do) an internship this spring, so I o(not want) to take another job just yet.
watehiy
ws
4. Alan (watch)a movie when I (arrive).
2. The Simple Past and Present Perfect 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.
Iate 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 som kind of impact on the
present, or if itcontinues into the present, we need touse the present perfect.
Ihaven'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.
Ihave 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 stillwaiting.
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.
Youhave more time to makethis decision when you are writing than when speaking,
but if youpractice this rule you'll be able to think faster.
Have a look at the following sentences and decide whether to use the pastor
the present perfect:
 S. Coneue Cohnfidn ce t
2ales

5.I(start) studying for the IELTS exam twomonths ago but I still (not decide)
whether tomove to Australia.

6. According to the bar chart, more women than men (take)the course last year.
7. Entertainment hasch

(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 tothe
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!
8. As can (see)from the figures, the number of first year students decreased
dramaticaly in the last five years.
9. As s (show) in the diagram, there was a marked increase in the number of
students driving their own cars to school.

10.More language courses choose) by students in the second semester.

(occet)
4he wt mobile hons slde deren
13
 Th

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.
Imay want to spend mny 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 possibleactions in the
present or pastyouare suggesting that these actions are or were possible, or that
they are or were completed.

Examples:
They could have left hours ago.
It'salmost midnight in Spain, the plane might have landed by now.
Imay 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.

Examples:
My boss can be very demanding at times.
Students can be difficult to motivate in evening classes.
My boss could be very demanding when Ifirst got hired.
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.
Inspeaking youmay 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.

12. It (be) Donnaat the door, she called to say she is sick.

13. They (change) their plans, but they haven't said anything to me.
5. The Definite Article
The definite article (the), as the name suggests, is used for talking about people or
things that are known to the speaker, already mentioned earlier, described in some
detail or unique.

Examples:
Can youturn 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.)
Ican'topen the door, asI don'thave 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 l've seen in awhile. (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 having doubts whether you are using thecorrectly, 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.
To practice making this decision, use the or nothing in the following gaps:

14. I don't like romantic comedies, I prefer thrillers, but Ilike 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 comparativesor superlatives, depending on what you
are trying to say.There are a few rules youneed 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.
I've never lifted a heavier bag.
This is he narrowest path l've ever walked on.
His was the most complete answer I got.
Adjectives of three or more syllables use more and the most to form the comparative
and the superlative.

Examples:
've never heard a more beautiful song.
This isthe 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 ine: The e is dropped when adding -er or -est.
Examples:
Polite ’ politer ’ politest
Gentle gentler gentlest
Adjectives ending in a consonant with a single vowel preceding it, double the
consonant when adding -er or -est.
Examples:

Big ’ bigger ’ biggest

Red ’ redder ’ reddest

Sad ’ sadder ’ saddest

Have a look at the following sentences and fill in the gaps with the correct
comparativeor 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 youunderstand
the rule behind each mistake so that in the IELTS Writing exam you don't make these
mistakes!

Double / 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 / already, then its adverb will have a double
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
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:
 Examples:
Plan ’ planning ’ planned
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
find any. Some sentences are correct. spelling mistakes if you

20. Ihave never studyied Geography and Iregret 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 knowto 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.
Before you leave., check out the answer key below to see how your
answers were!
 Answer Key
1. exercise, don't like
2. shows, changed
3. am doing, don't want
4. was watching, arrived
5. started, haven'tdecided
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