Do I need to study grammar for the IELTS?

As you probably know by now, the IELTS test is divided into four parts: Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking, and since ‘grammar’ is not included in these categories, many students think that studying grammar is a waste of time when preparing to sit the test. However, understanding how English grammar works is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself.

The truth is that grammar is interwoven into the fabric of the test. Without some awareness of it, you wouldn’t be able to understand the texts and the recordings in the reading and listening parts of the test. Additionally, the reading and listening tasks can be a lot easier if you have grammar on your side. As an example, in the reading part of the test you might encounter a ‘match sentence ending’ task, which asks you to match two halves of a sentence. Knowing grammar can make things much easier for you then. Look at a very simplified example below:

Mary exercises in the morning… A. …because she had to work in the morning.
Yesterday, Mary exercised in the afternoon… B. …because she works in the afternoon.

Here, grammar knowledge would be helpful because if you can see that the first half of the sentence is in a specific point in the past, such as in “Yesterday, Mary exercised in the afternoon”, you can assume that the second half of the sentence will also be in the past, “because she had to work in the morning”. The same goes for the sentence that is in the present. Therefore, letter A completes number 2, while letter B completes number 1.

In the speaking and writing parts of the test, however, awareness of grammar is essential. It is part of the marking criteria, so the examiner will be analysing your use of grammar to grade you accordingly. You can find more details about the marking criteria here: https://www.ielts.org/for-organisations/ielts-scoring-in-detail .

It’s impossible to predict what type of task you will encounter in the speaking and writing parts of the test. You might be asked, for example, to talk about your childhood, or to describe a person in your life. Each requires the use of a different aspect of grammar. Understanding how the English language is structured will give you the freedom and flexibility to communicate clearly in any situation. By giving yourself the opportunity to study and get the grammar right, you’ll be giving yourself a much better chance to get the IELTS band you need (or even higher!) to make your dreams come true.

To learn more about preparing for the IELTS test, join our free mini course! It’s called SMASH IELTS and you can check it out here: https://witteway.uk/free-course/ .