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IELTS grammar rules for Writing and Speaking: what band 7 needs, the sentence types examiners look for, the most common errors and how to fix them.
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Oct 19, 2026
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5 min read
Key Takeaways
Grammar is a quarter of your IELTS Writing score and a quarter of your Speaking score. In both tests, grammatical range and accuracy is one of four equally weighted criteria, and in Writing it assesses the range of structures you use, the accuracy of simple, compound and complex sentences, and the density and effect of your errors.
That definition is the whole game. Examiners are not counting how many rare structures you can squeeze in. They are checking whether you vary your sentences and how many of them come out error-free. The rules below are the ones that move that balance.
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The Writing band descriptors describe each band in two halves: how wide your range is, and how accurate it is.
| Band | Range | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | A wide range of structures, used flexibly and accurately | The majority of sentences are error-free; punctuation is well managed |
| 7 | A variety of complex structures, with some flexibility | Grammar and punctuation generally well controlled; error-free sentences are frequent |
| 6 | A mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but flexibility is limited | Complex structures are less accurate than simple ones; errors rarely impede communication |
| 5 | A limited, rather repetitive range | Complex sentences tend to be faulty; errors may be frequent and cause difficulty |
The jump from 6 to 7 is the one most test takers need. At 6, your complex sentences contain more errors than your simple ones. At 7, error-free sentences are frequent across the whole response, complex ones included.
The criterion names three sentence types. Range means using all three, not writing every sentence as long as possible.
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | One independent clause | Public transport reduces congestion. |
| Compound | Two independent clauses joined by and, but, or, so, yet | Public transport reduces congestion, but it needs steady funding. |
| Complex | An independent clause plus a dependent clause | Although public transport reduces congestion, it needs steady funding. |
A practical mix for a 250-word essay: two or three short simple sentences for emphasis, and the rest split between compound and complex sentences.
| Context | Main tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Task 1, past data | Past simple, past perfect for “by” a date | Sales rose to 40% in 2015. By 2020, they had doubled. |
| Academic Task 1, no time frame | Present simple | The table shows the cost of… |
| Academic Task 1, projections | Future forms | The figure is expected to reach… |
| Process diagrams | Present simple passive | The leaves are dried and then crushed. |
| Task 2 essays | Present simple, present perfect for recent change | Remote work has become common, and many firms now… |
| Speaking Part 2 stories | Past simple and past continuous | I was living in Hanoi when I first… |
Switching tense without a reason is one of the most common errors at band 6. Decide the time frame before you write and check every verb against it.
| Use | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a / an | A singular countable noun mentioned for the first time, or one of many | A new policy was introduced. |
| the | Something specific, already mentioned, or unique | The policy reduced waiting times. |
| the | Superlatives and ordinals | the highest figure, the second year |
| no article | Plural or uncountable nouns used in general | Education improves employment prospects. |
The fastest check: every singular countable noun needs a, an, the, or another determiner (this, my, each). “Government should invest” is wrong; “The government should invest” or “Governments should invest” is right.
| Trap | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Long subject | The number of students in rural areas have risen. | The number of students in rural areas has risen. |
| A number of vs the number of | A number of problems has appeared. | A number of problems have appeared. |
| Uncountable nouns | The informations are useful. | The information is useful. |
| Each / every | Each of the countries have… | Each of the countries has… |
| People | People is worried about… | People are worried about… |
| Structure | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Concession | Although / While + clause, main clause | While online courses are cheaper, they demand more self-discipline. |
| Relative clause | noun + who / which / that + clause | Students who work part-time often manage their time better. |
| Non-defining relative | noun, which + clause, | The scheme, which began in 2019, has cut costs. |
| Second conditional | If + past, would + verb | If cities taxed cars, more people would cycle. |
| Third conditional | If + past perfect, would have + past participle | If I had started earlier, I would have finished. |
| Passive | be + past participle | Stricter rules should be introduced. |
| Participle clause | Having + past participle, main clause | Having finished school, many young people travel. |
| Cleft sentence | What + clause + is/was… | What worries most parents is screen time. |
Use a structure only once you can produce it accurately. The band 6 descriptor is explicit: complex structures that are less accurate than simple ones hold you at 6.
| Error | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Comma splice | Prices rose, demand fell. | Prices rose, so demand fell. / Prices rose; demand fell. |
| Fragment | Because it is cheaper. | Many people choose it because it is cheaper. |
| However mid-sentence | Costs are high, however it is popular. | Costs are high; however, it is popular. |
| Missing comma after an opening clause | Although it is popular it is expensive. | Although it is popular, it is expensive. |
Punctuation sits inside the same criterion in Writing. Band 7 needs it “generally well controlled”, band 8 “well managed”.
Speaking uses the same criterion name, but the key indicators of range are specific to speech: the length of spoken sentences, subordinate clauses, the complexity of the verb phrase (continuous and perfect aspect, modals, the passive), and moving elements around for focus. Accuracy is judged on error density and how much errors affect meaning.
| Part | Structures to show | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Present perfect, frequency, preference | I’ve lived here for six years, and I’d rather walk than drive. |
| Part 2 | Narrative tenses, relative clauses | It was a trip that I’d been planning for months. |
| Part 3 | Conditionals, modals of speculation, passive | If housing were cheaper, fewer people might move abroad. |
| Band 6 version | Band 7 version | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Many people use cars. This causes pollution. | The number of people who drive to work has risen, which has worsened air quality. | Relative clauses, present perfect |
| Some people think school uniforms are good. Others disagree. | While some argue that uniforms reduce peer pressure, others believe they limit self-expression. | Concession, reported views |
| The government must build more houses. | More affordable housing should be built, particularly in fast-growing cities. | Passive, modal, added detail |
| If people exercise, they are healthy. | If more people exercised regularly, healthcare costs would fall. | Second conditional |
Grammatical range and accuracy is one of four equally weighted criteria in both Writing and Speaking, so it accounts for a quarter of each of those two bands.
In Writing, a variety of complex structures used with some flexibility, generally well-controlled grammar and punctuation, and frequent error-free sentences. In practice, accurate complex sentences matter more than rare ones.
No. Simple sentences only cap your range: band 5 describes a limited, repetitive range, and band 6 still expects a mix of simple and complex forms. Use complex structures you can control, and keep simple sentences for emphasis.
Tense shifts, missing or extra articles, subject-verb agreement after long subjects, plural uncountable nouns such as “informations”, and comma splices.
Yes, in Writing. Punctuation is assessed under grammatical range and accuracy, and the band 7 and 8 descriptors both mention it.
The name is the same, but the indicators differ. Speaking looks at sentence length, subordinate clauses, verb forms such as perfect and continuous aspect, modals and the passive, plus how often errors occur and how much they affect meaning.
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