4 grammar rules you need to score high in IELTS

English language is considered one of the easiest languages in the world. But even English has a lot of tricky rules which baffle even the best English writers and speakers. One of the sore points is Grammar. Grammar is the cornerstone of the English language and is widely tested in English proficiency tests like IELTS, TOFEL, and CLEP. 

Even students who are preparing for IELTS Online have struggled with these rules time and again. A lot of IELTS coaching centers miss out on the importance of grammar. Whether you are writing or speaking English, being grammatically correct is vital. There are some rules of grammar which you think only the maestros in English can finesse and use but that is not so.

If you want to polish your writing and take it up a notch then this blog is just for you. We have explained four rules of grammar which will add oomph in your writing and you will be able to impress even the Queen of England with ease.

1. Compound it with Complex Sentences

In simple words, use compound and complex sentences. Compound sentences generate the reader’s interest in your writing and you get to convey more in less, better-phrased words. Want to know how? Let’s break it down for you and make compound sentences simple to understand. 

Psst, the sentence we used above is a compound sentence! Compound sentences are nothing but two independent sentences joined together to create one sentence. 

Let’s break it down for you. That will make complex sentences simple to understand.

We used the conjunction “and”, joined these two statements, and created a compound sentence. 

Complex sentences are a little different as they have dependent and independent clauses. 

How so? 

“He heated his coffee and cooked his sandwich whilst working on the presentation.” 

The part of the sentence which is in bold is a dependent clause, additional information that needs context to be understood. The beginning of the sentence is an independent clause as it can be understood on its own. 

Pretty sure, you will be able to create complex and compound sentences now. 

2. Add Action by Infinitives and Gerunds

As the heading says, infinitives and gerunds are words you can use to express actions. They might sound intimidating but are pretty easy to use and we are sure you have used them quite often in your writing.

Infinitives are nothing but verbs which have been clubbed with “to”. 

Infinitives = to + Verb. For example, to write, to run, to eat, to email, to study… The list is endless. So, an infinitive sentence is, “he went to eat in a restaurant”. 

Simple enough? 

Gerunds are even simpler! Gerunds are verbs used in simple tense ending with “ing”. 

Gerund = verb + ing For example, writing, running, eating, emailing, studying… get the gist? 

So, if you want to use a gerund, you can write, “he was eating in a restaurant in the morning”. Although the meanings and usage of infinitives and gerunds seem similar in some cases, the usage differs like, “I am afraid to swim in the ocean.” (specific meaning) “He is afraid of swimming.” (general meaning) 

Do you get the difference? Gerunds usually convey general meanings whereas infinitives are more specific and convey direct thoughts. 

3. Know your Verbs, Use them Right

Verbs are the words that add action, color, and excitement to your characters, scenes, and writing as a whole. But verbs are a tricky bunch to understand and easy to use incorrectly in your writing. 

Irregular Verbs are verbs which don’t follow the usual usage, for example, everyone knows the usage of these verbs study – study, studies, studied start – start, starts, started. 

But there are some irregular verbs which don’t follow this structure for example: Begin – begin, began, begun Break – break, broke, broken Know – know, knew, known. 

There are several examples of irregular verbs and these are important to use correctly. To learn more about these you can attend Grammar classes by expert instructors at Yuno Learning. 

Phrasal Verbs are another interesting set of words you can use, these are idiomatic verbs which have the verb followed by a preposition or an adverb. 

Phrasal verb = verb + preposition/adverb. 

Phrasal verbs add an interesting dimension to your writing and enhance the reading experience. Adding a preposition or adverb to the verb changes the meaning of the verb also. 

Let’s discuss some commonly used phrasal verbs and as an exercise, you can note how the meanings of the verbs have changed: 

Lookout: We both need to look out for each other to survive. 

Made up: He made up a bunch of lies in front of the police to avoid getting arrested.

Ran into: They both ran into each other at the supermarket. 

4. Active and Passive Voice

Just like when we give a speech we lay emphasis on certain words to convey their importance, we can use passive voice to take the reader’s attention to specific information. 

When the readers read the content, they tend to automatically segregate information in their heads as to what is important and what isn’t. 

Active and Passive voice can help you direct this segregation as per your will. Let’s look at it with an example: 

His team laid the entire pathway in a day.

The entire pathway was laid by his team in a day. 

Can you gauge the difference between the two? Even though both sentences convey the same meaning but because we have changed the order, or have changed active voice into passive voice the emphasis has been shifted. 

In the first sentence, the emphasis is on “his team”, the subject, as it is mentioned first. But if you want to emphasize the gravity of work accomplished you can talk about the object “entire pathway” first. 

You can use this technique next time you write an article or a letter and see the difference for yourself. 

You can check out some free grammar sessions by Yuno Learning to learn the usage better. These grammar rules though a little tricky can add flair in your writing and you can impress your readers by making just minute changes in how you write. 

Join Yuno Learning’s IELTS course today and brush up your grammar skills. In addition to that, it will also improve your speaking and writing ability by understanding the correct usage of grammar. The course is taught by the best instructors with significant experience in the English language. 

Highlights of the course:

• 24+ hours of live online classes by expert trainers
• 3 days a week classes (60 minutes each)
• Modules covered – basics of Grammar
• 48 assignments
• 23+ grammar topics covered in the course

To join Yuno Learning’s Grammar Course you can send an inquiry on [email protected] or give us a call at 098739 98199.