In IELTS Writing Task 2, grammatical precision is crucial for achieving a high band score. This chapter explores common grammatical errors and provides tips on how to avoid them, enhancing the clarity and sophistication of your writing.

Verb Tense Errors

Explanation and Examples

Students often struggle with maintaining the correct tense throughout their essay. This can occur when switching between past, present, and future tenses inappropriately.

Incorrect: The government will provided more funds to public services last year.
Correct: The government provided more funds to public services last year.

Tips for Improvement

1. Contextual Awareness: Always keep the timeframe of your actions in mind.
2. Consistency: Once you choose a tense, maintain it across related subjects unless a change in the timeframe is required.
3. Review and Practice: Regularly review tense rules and practice writing sentences in different tenses.

Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

Explanation and Examples

The subject of a sentence must agree with its verb in number (singular or plural).

Incorrect: The advantages of exercise is numerous.
Correct: The advantages of exercise are numerous.

Tips for Improvement

1. Identify the Subject: Always find your subject first, and determine whether it’s plural or singular.
2. Regular Check: After writing a sentence, quickly check if the subject corresponds correctly to the verb.
3. Exception Awareness: Be aware of subjects that may appear plural but are singular in meaning, and vice versa.

Misplaced Modifiers

Explanation and Examples

Modifiers need to be placed next to the word they are intended to describe; otherwise, they can lead to confusing sentences.

Incorrect: Running quickly improves your health, according to many doctors.
Correct: According to many doctors, running quickly improves your health.

Tips for Improvement

1. Proximity Principle: Keep modifiers close to the words they modify.
2. Clarity Check: Read sentences out loud to ensure they sound logical.
3. Restructure If Needed: If a sentence sounds awkward, restructure it for clarity.

Comma Splices and Run-on Sentences

Explanation and Examples

Comma splices occur when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined by a comma. Run-on sentences happen when two or more independent clauses are connected without appropriate punctuation or coordinating conjunctions.

Incorrect (Comma Splice): Education is vital, many people do not have access to it.
Correct: Education is vital, but many people do not have access to it.

Incorrect (Run-on): Education is vital many people do not have access to it.
Correct: Education is vital. Many people do not have access to it.

Tips for Improvement

1. Conjunction Use: Use coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to connect independent clauses correctly.
2. Punctuation Correctly: Use periods or semicolons to separate independent clauses if not using a conjunction.
3. Avoid Overuse of Conjunctions: While conjunctions are helpful, overusing them can lead to poor sentence variety.

Incorrect Use of Articles

Explanation and Examples

Determiners such as 'a', 'an', and 'the' can be perplexing for many learners, especially those from languages without articles.

Incorrect: The education is important for all children.
Correct: Education is important for all children. (General concept)

Incorrect: University students need understanding of a culture.
Correct: University students need an understanding of culture.

Tips for Improvement

1. General vs. Specific: Use 'the' for something specific and omit it for general concepts.
2. Countable Nouns: Use 'a' or 'an' for singular, countable nouns when referring to them in general terms.
3. Uniqueness: Use 'the' when something is unique or the only one of its kind.

Passive Voice Overuse

Explanation and Examples

While not always grammatically incorrect, the overuse of passive voice can make sentences less direct and more cumbersome.

Incorrect Overuse: Many crimes were committed, and it was found that unemployment was the cause by the researchers.
Correct Usage: Researchers found that unemployment caused many crimes.

Tips for Improvement

1. Subject Emphasis: Start with the doer of the action unless you want to emphasize the receiver.
2. Active Voice Practice: Whenever possible, practice changing passive sentences to active to enhance directness and engagement.
3. Appropriate Usage: Recognize when passive is suitable, such as when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

This chapter’s focus on common grammatical mistakes aims to aid IELTS Writing Task 2 candidates in recognizing and correcting errors that can negatively affect their band score. A strong grammatical foundation enables clearer, more compelling essays that meet the IELTS criteria for high-level proficiency.