Why Grammar Is 25% of Your Score
Grammatical Range and Accuracy is assessed in both Writing and Speaking. It rewards two things: using a variety of structures AND using them correctly. Making complex structures with errors is not better than simple structures used accurately.
A candidate who writes only simple sentences correctly may score Band 6 for grammar. A candidate who attempts complex structures with frequent errors may also score Band 6. The Band 7 candidate uses complex structures with only occasional errors.
Articles: The Most Common Error for Non-Native Speakers
Speakers of Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and many other languages struggle with English articles because their languages do not have them — or have them very differently.
The Three Rules
Rule 1: First mention = “a/an”, second mention = “the” A student came to see me. The student had a question about the exam.
Rule 2: Unique or specific = “the” The government should invest in the environment. The sun rises in the east.
Rule 3: General statements = no article Education is important. Children need stability. Technology has transformed communication.
Writing “the education is important” or “the technology has changed society” — using “the” before uncountable nouns in general statements. Remove the article: Education is important. Technology has changed society.
Tenses for Writing Task 1
| Chart Type | Tense to Use |
|---|---|
| Past data (2000–2020) | Simple past: increased, fell, rose |
| Current or recent data | Present perfect: has increased, has fallen |
| Future data / projections | Future: is expected to rise, is projected to fall |
| Overview sentence | Simple present (reporting): The graph shows, The table illustrates |
If a graph shows 1990–2010 data, use past tense throughout. Switching between past and present within the same description signals poor grammatical control to the examiner.
Tenses for Writing Task 2
Task 2 essays discuss general truths, so present tense dominates:
- Governments invest in education because…
- Children develop better when…
Use past for historical examples:
- The industrial revolution demonstrated that…
Use conditionals for hypotheticals:
- If governments invested more in healthcare, outcomes would improve.
Arguments and evidence in Task 2 should use present simple for general truths: Research shows that, Studies suggest that, Evidence indicates that. Not past tense.
Relative Clauses: The Gateway to Band 7 Grammar
Relative clauses are one of the clearest markers of grammatical range. Compare:
Band 5: Social media has problems. The problems affect young people.
Band 7: Social media has problems that disproportionately affect young people.
Types to use:
- Defining: The students who study regularly perform better.
- Non-defining: Social media, which has grown rapidly, presents new challenges.
- Object relative: The research that scientists conducted revealed surprising results.
Do not try to use all complex structures at once. In each practice essay, focus on one structure — relative clauses, conditionals, or passive voice. Master it before adding the next.
Grammar errors are not about intelligence — they are about habits. The same errors repeat because they were never corrected. Identify your personal top 3 errors, practise fixing them, and your grammar score will rise measurably.