A Comprehensive Guide to IELTS Grammar: IELTS Grammar Syllabus, Books, Topics, Preparation

Importance of IELTS Grammar Syllabus

When it comes to the IELTS grammar syllabus, there's no rigid syllabus set in stone. Your thorough understanding of the subject will help you excel, allowing you to apply your knowledge in a structured manner. There are specific topics in English grammar for IELTS that you should be familiar with, and we'll delve into these later in this article.

Below is the table that shows marks, question types, and syllabus of all 4 sections:

Let's discuss a few key points of all 4 sections regarding the IELTS grammar syllabus.

IELTS Writing

You are given two writing portions to complete in the IELTS writing section. Additionally, you must write a minimum of 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2 on various subjects and scenarios. Your written grammar in this area ought to be correct. You should spend a lot of time practising grammar, as it will give you the highest score in the writing portion.

IELTS Reading

Comparatively speaking, less understanding of English grammar is needed for the reading portion of the IELTS. To fully comprehend the content, you need to be well-versed in the idioms, phrasal verbs, and other grammatical devices that journalists and writers employ in their writing. Be aware that you will be receiving high-quality literature, and it will be challenging to grasp these concepts at their core.

IELTS Listening

The IELTS listening part involves understanding many voice recordings and responding to questions about them. Again, understanding English is crucial for this part, the recording may use speaking devices like metaphors, sarcasm, and irony, which can be challenging to comprehend if one is not well-versed with grammar.

IELTS Speaking

This portion mostly examines and tests your confidence and fluency in English conversation. Your command of speaking English clearly and fluently is demonstrated by the manner in which you speak and the quality of your grammar. Furthermore, punctuation is crucial in the speaking portion of the IELTS.

Topics to Study Grammar for IELTS

This portion mainly tests your confidence and fluency in English conversation. Your proficiency in speaking English clearly and fluently is shown by how you speak and the quality of your grammar. Furthermore, in the speaking portion of the IELTS, punctuation is crucial.

• Tenses 

• Modals

• Metaphor, simile, figures of speech

• Verbs

• Pronouns and prepositions

• Adjectives and nouns

• Articles use

• Degree of comparison use

Apart from these, students can achieve good points in their writing and speaking portions by learning repetitive terms, having a large vocabulary, and attracting the reader by creating engaging compositions. There is no correct response for those parts, achieving a 9 depends on how well you can use the language overall.

How to Improve Grammar for IELTS?

Improving the basic grammar for IELTS is not a single-day task, it takes years of continuous IELTS preparation and practice to achieve the perfect grammar for IELTS, which you can use while taking your IELTS examination.

Here are a few ways to help you improve your grammar for IELTS.

• Reading: Reading is undoubtedly one of the most crucial components of developing your English language skills. Reading many books introduces you to good grammar use, expands your vocabulary, and enables you to recognise various writing styles, figures of speech, and the deeper meanings concealed in seemingly straightforward works. Newspapers and well-written books are great reading material.

• Listening to podcasts: Podcasts are a lifesaver for those who don't have the time to read books these days since they've become a convenient substitute for reading books and other materials. To improve speaking and listening, listen to podcasts with insightful messages and effective speaking.

• Web series and movies: Start seeing English-language movies and web series with subtitles and different accents if you want to learn the language while having fun. This will not only help you grasp the language better and indicate your understanding of the previous three components, but it will also help you listen better.

• Writing: Writing is the only way to get better at it. Whenever you have time, start writing down notes to yourself, random emails, responses to questions on Quora, and random writings. In this manner, you can discover a method to give your thoughts wings and allow them to flow inside a controlled framework. Writing regularly will help you become more proficient at expressing yourself, and proofreading your work with a grammar checker will reveal any errors. 

• Preparation books: Undoubtedly, buying an English grammar book specifically designed for the IELTS is one way to prepare for your test's grammar. Tell us more about this approach.

Best Book to Learn Basic Grammar for IELTS

Purchasing an English grammar book for the IELTS is useful for those looking to perform well on the exams. The best IELTS grammar books for you to look at are as follows:

Marking Criteria and Question Types of Grammar for IELTS

Below are the types of questions asked in each IELTS section.

Common Mistakes Made in Grammar for IELTS

Despite having a strong core in grammar, students often make grammatical mistakes in the IELTS test across different sections. Here are some common grammatical mistakes that students make while taking the IELTS test:

• Subject-verb agreement: This is one of the most common mistakes students make during the IELTS exam. Confirm that your subject and verb agree in number (singular or plural). For example, "I go to school every day." is correct, but "We go to school every day." is incorrect.

• Tense consistency: Make sure all your verbs are in the same tense. For example, "I studied English for two years, and now I am studying French" is correct, but "I studied English for two years, and now I study French" is incorrect.

• Articles (a/an/the): Ensure you use the correct article before a noun. Use "a" or "an" before a singular countable noun, use "the" before a singular, uncountable noun or a plural noun, and don't use an article before a non-countable noun. For example, "I have a cat" is correct, but "I have a cat" is incorrect if you are talking about cats in general.

• Prepositions: Prepositions are words like "in," "on," "at," "to," "from," and "of." They can be tricky to use because many different prepositions can often be used with the same verb. For example, you can say, "I went to the store" or "I went to the store," but you cannot say, "I went in the store."

• Countable and uncountable nouns: Some nouns are countable, which means you can count them (for example, apples, books, chairs), and some nouns are uncountable, which means you cannot count them (for example, air, water, knowledge). Make sure you use the correct verb with countable and uncountable nouns. For example, you can say, "There are two apples on the table" (countable noun), but you cannot say, "There are two air on the table" (uncountable noun).

• Punctuation: Punctuation can be tricky, but it is important to use it correctly because it can affect the meaning of your sentence. For example, "I went to the store, and I bought milk, eggs, and bread" is correct, but "I went to the store, and I bought milk, eggs and bread" is incorrect because the commas are missing.

• Spelling: Make sure you spell all of your words correctly. If you are unsure how to spell a word, you can use a dictionary or spell checker.

• Word order: The word order in a sentence can be different in English than in other languages. For example, in English, we say, "I went to the store," but in Spanish, we say, "Fui a la tienda." Make sure you learn the correct word order in English.

• Contractions: Words created by mixing two words together are called contractions. For example, "I am" becomes "I'm", and "they are" becomes "they're." Contractions are often used in spoken English but are not as common in written English. You should avoid using contractions in the IELTS writing test.

• Idioms: Idioms are expressions that have a different meaning than the literal meaning of the words. For example, "It's raining cats and dogs" doesn't mean that it's raining animals, but rather that it's raining very heavily. While understanding and using idioms in spoken English can be impressive, it's best to avoid them in the IELTS test as they can confuse the examiner and potentially detract from your band score.

IELTS Grammar Preparation Tips

• "Grammatical Range and Accuracy" is the scoring factor in the IELTS exam. To better understand, let's divide this into two parts:

  • Range: This pertains to tenses, sentence forms, and complexity.

  • Accuracy: It's the ability to form sentences without errors.

  • Achieving equilibrium between the two is crucial. Both, an excessive emphasis on phrase complexity and an excessive emphasis on precision can reduce your range.

• Answering the questions should be your first concern; don't become preoccupied with using an excessive number of various sentence forms.

• Avoid attempting to memorise the contents of the books indicated above. Instead, discover how to use the material in real-world discussions and practice exams.

• Your sentences don't have to be too complicated. You have to concentrate on answering the questions correctly. You build your ability to compose complex sentences during your preparation.

• Give your weak areas additional attention. You will learn about your weak points after taking a diagnostic test or a simulated exam. Make an effort to be as explicit as possible. By this, we mean that you should be able to identify the specifics—nouns, tenses, subject-verb agreement, etc.—where you are falling short.

• Utilising the previously stated resources, practise a great deal of questions. You won't benefit from knowing the rules of language until you put them into practice.

• Think about enrolling in an IELTS study program. This can offer you individualised feedback, organised instruction, and insightful advice from knowledgeable teachers. Seek classes customised to your personal learning style and specific band score targets.

• Make contacts with other IELTS examinees. You can communicate with other test-takers on social media networks, study groups, and online forums by asking questions, sharing experiences, and encouraging one another.

• Keep yourself informed and current with the most recent IELTS test news and trends. For any revisions or modifications to the curriculum, format, or scoring guidelines, visit the official website and trustworthy reference sources.

• For the IELTS test to be successful in all sections, time management is essential. Throughout your study, time yourself in exam-like situations and devise plans for effectively allocating your time to each exam segment on the test day.

Conclusion

To conclude, a good band score on the IELTS exam is required for studying in an English-speaking nation, and it can only be attained by using proper grammar. A candidate's answer choice is based on their grammar, which impacts their grammar score. Thus, to ace that test, be aware of the fundamentals of grammar, pay attention to the advice, and remain informed.

If you want to know more about IELTS Grammar or want to prepare for IELTS,  we recommend you sign up for our IELTS courses designed by our experts. Please contact Prepare IELTS Exam (PI) expert counsellors if you need further guidance. Our team of education experts is dedicated to assisting you in the best possible way for the IELTS exam. You can also get a one-on-one counselling session online via our platform. Contact us at info@prepareieltsexam.com or call us at +91 9773398388.