When it comes to the IELTS test, having a strong command of grammar is important for achieving a high score. Whether you are aiming for a high band score in the Writing or Speaking sections, or simply want to enhance your overall language proficiency, understanding and applying the 11 grammar rules can significantly improve your performance.
From subject-verb agreement to correct verb tenses, knowing these rules will not only make your English more accurate and coherent but also demonstrate your language proficiency to the examiners. In this blog, we will explore the 11 rules of grammar that you must know to maximise your chances of scoring well on the IELTS test.
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What are the 11 English grammar rules?
Here are the 11 grammar rules that you should know when preparing for your IELTS test. By including these in your IELTS prep you can achieve your desired score:
1. Subject-verb agreement:
The subject (the main noun or pronoun) and the verb (action word) in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural).
Example:
Incorrect: "The cats is sleeping."
Correct: "The cats are sleeping."
2. Punctuation:
Proper use of punctuation marks such as periods, commas, semicolons, and quotation marks to convey meaning and clarity.
Example:
Incorrect: "Let's eat Grandpa!"
Correct: "Let's eat, Grandpa!"
3. Capitalisation:
Correctly capitalizing the first letter of sentences, proper nouns, and titles.
Example:
Incorrect: "the eiffel tower is in paris."
Correct: "The Eiffel Tower is in Paris."
4. Tense:
Using appropriate verb tenses to indicate when an action takes place (past, present, future).
Example:
Incorrect: "She will visit Rome last summer."
Correct: "She visited Rome last summer."
5. Sentence structure:
Understanding and using various sentence structures, including simple, compound, and complex sentences.
Example:
Simple: "I read books."
Compound: "I read books, and he watches movies."
Complex: "Although it was raining, they went for a walk."
6. Pronouns:
Using pronouns (he, she, it, they, etc.) correctly and ensuring agreement with their antecedents.
Example:
Incorrect: "John ate John's lunch."
Correct: "John ate his lunch."
7. Modifiers:
Properly placing adjectives and adverbs to modify nouns and verbs for accurate description.
Example:
Incorrect: "She's very beautiful woman."
Correct: "She's a very beautiful woman."
8. Articles:
Using articles (a, an, the) appropriately before nouns.
Example:
Incorrect: "I saw interesting movie."
Correct: "I saw an interesting movie."
9. Prepositions:
Using prepositions (in, on, under, with, etc.) to show relationships between words in a sentence.
Example:
Incorrect: "The book is the table."
Correct: "The book is on the table."
10. Conjunctions:
Using coordinating (and, but, or) and subordinating (because, although, if) conjunctions to connect ideas.
Example:
Coordinating: "I like coffee, and she prefers tea."
Subordinating: "Because it was raining, we stayed indoors."
11. Word Order:
Following the appropriate word order in sentences, especially in questions and negative statements.
Example:
Incorrect: "Yesterday park went I to the."
Correct: "Did I go to the park yesterday?"
These explanations and examples cover some of the fundamental grammar rules in the English language. Keep in mind that grammar is a complex and nuanced subject, and these rules provide a starting point for understanding how sentences are structured and how language is used effectively.
Knowing the 11 rules of grammar is beneficial to achieving a high score on the IELTS test.
Using these 11 grammar rules can help with your language fluency, well communication, and thought expression which can maximise your chances of scoring high in each section of the IELTS test.
By understanding and applying these rules effectively, you can demonstrate your language proficiency and enhance your overall performance in the IELTS test. Therefore, it is essential to put effort into studying and practicing these grammar rules to maximise your chances of success in the IELTS test. Additionally, if you want to know more about the IELTS test, you can visit your nearest IDP IELTS test centre.