🎓 Prepared by students from Boğaziçi University

What is Grammatical Accuracy?

Grammatical accuracy in IELTS Writing refers to using correct grammar, proper sentence construction, and appropriate tenses throughout your essay. IELTS examiners assess not just accuracy, but also your ability to use complex sentence structures and less common grammatical forms.

Short answer

Grammatical accuracy is using correct grammar, proper verb tenses, correct article usage, and accurate sentence structure without errors that impede comprehension.

Step-by-step worked examples

Correct this sentence: 'He go to school every day and he are late sometimes.'

Identify errors: subject-verb agreement (go→goes, are→is)
Correct tense: present simple for regular actions
Result: 'He goes to school every day and he is late sometimes.'

Improve this by adding complexity: 'I studied hard. I passed the exam.'

Combine with a subordinating conjunction or causal relationship
Use a complex structure: 'Because I studied hard, I passed the exam.' or 'I passed the exam as a result of studying hard.'

Identify and fix the error: 'The data show that pollution are increasing every year.'

Error: subject-verb agreement (data is plural, so 'are' seems correct, but 'pollution' is singular)
Fix: 'The data show that pollution is increasing every year.'
Or: 'Pollution levels are increasing every year.'

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.Which sentence has correct grammar?

Correct answer: B. Committee is a collective noun treated as singular in British English; 'has' is correct. 'Decided' is the correct past participle form.

Q2.Identify the error: 'If he would have studied more, he will pass the exam.'

Correct answer: B. Mixed conditional: 'would have' (past) with 'will' (future). Correct: 'If he had studied more, he would have passed' (third conditional).

Q3.Which demonstrates complex grammar?

Correct answer: C. Option C uses subordinate clauses and shows clear causal relationships — more sophisticated grammatical control than simple or compound sentences.

Q4.What is the main issue: 'Education are important for children development.'?

Correct answer: D. 'Education' is singular (→ is), and it should be 'children's development' or 'a child's development' — both errors present.

📄Download this topic as a printable worksheet (PDF)Summary + 10 questions + answer key — print it, share it in class.↓

Study better with Bounlu apps

Notek

The full card deck, worked steps and AI-tutor support for “What is Grammatical Accuracy?” are in Notek — study by hand before your exam.

Get it free

PromyNever miss an exam or homework deadline with Promy: AI turns the dates in your inbox into reminders automatically.

Common mistakes

✗

Mixing tenses in the same paragraph: 'I went to the store and I buy milk.' — Correct: Keep tenses consistent: 'I went to the store and I bought milk.'

✗

Forgetting subject-verb agreement: 'The number of students are growing.' — Correct: 'The number' is singular: 'The number of students is growing.'

✗

Using wrong article forms: 'I have an important information for you.' — Correct: 'Information' is uncountable: 'I have important information for you.'

✗

Dangling modifiers: 'Walking to school, the rain started.' — Correct: 'While walking to school, I got rained on.' (clarify who is walking)

FAQ

What is grammatical accuracy in IELTS Writing?

It is using correct grammar, proper tenses, accurate sentence structures, and demonstrating control over complex grammatical forms without disrupting meaning.

How much does grammar affect the IELTS Writing score?

Grammatical Accuracy is one of four criteria (alongside Task Response, Coherence, and Lexical Range). Errors impact clarity and band achievement significantly.

What are the most common grammar mistakes?

Subject-verb disagreement, tense inconsistency, incorrect articles, missing prepositions, run-on sentences, and fragments.

Should I use only complex sentences for a high score?

No — use a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences. Balance and variety show maturity; overusing complex structures can introduce errors.