The IELTS is a pivotal gateway for people aspiring to study, work, or immigrate to English-speaking countries worldwide.
So, if you are one among them, you’ll need a respectable score in the IELTS exams. However, the journey to success in IELTS is often filled with challenges, chief among them being the common mistakes that can thwart your efforts. So, in this blog, we will show you 10 common IELTS mistakes and how you can fix them.
Complicated writing
One of the common mistakes in IELTS writing is using long, complicated sentences with too many clauses. This can make your writing difficult to follow and increase the chances of making grammatical errors. IELTS examiners appreciate well-written sentences that clearly and correctly give the message.
You should aim to write simple and clear sentences that express one main idea. You can also use connectors and transition words to link your sentences and paragraphs coherently.
Excessive or incorrect use of idioms
Using idiomatic language, such as fixed expressions, in the speaking test can make you sound more proficient and improve your speaking score. However, overusing idioms or using them incorrectly can make you sound unnatural.
If you need clarification on using idioms, it is better to use them sparingly. You can still get a high score without using a lot of idioms. So, you should only use idioms that you are familiar with and that are relevant to the topic.
Wrong use of mixed conditionals
Using mixed conditionals is a common way of showing that you have a wide variety of grammar structures in your writing or speaking. These are sentences that combine different types of conditional clauses to express hypothetical or unreal situations.
However, because this area of grammar can be confusing, many test takers make mistakes when using mixed conditionals. To avoid this mistake, you should check the tense and the form of the verbs in each clause.
Losing focus
For many people, the most common mistakes in IELTS are not even about English. They are about your concentration and attention. For good results in the listening and reading sections, you can only make a few mistakes, so focus and concentration are essential. Some test takers lose focus because they are nervous, tired, hungry, or distracted.
To avoid losing focus, you should make sure you are well-prepared and well-rested before the test day. You should also eat well and drink enough water before the exam.
Subject-verb disagreement
One of the most common grammatical errors in English is when people use the subject and verb of a clause in ways that do not match. This can happen when you use a singular verb with a plural subject.
To avoid this, you should always check the number and the person of the subject and the verb in each clause. You should also be careful with subjects that are singular but look plural, such as collective nouns, uncountable nouns, or nouns ending in -s.
Pronoun-antecedent disagreement
“Antecedent” describes something that was previously mentioned or discussed and is now being referred to in a later context. In this case, it means the noun that a pronoun replaces. For example, in the sentence “She loves her dog”, the pronoun “she” replaces the antecedent “Mary”.
One of the common mistakes in IELTS is using a pronoun that does not match the antecedent in number, person, or gender. So, always make sure that the pronoun and the antecedent agree in number, person, and gender.
Using run-on sentences
A run-on sentence is a sentence that lacks punctuation. It features two or more independent clauses that should either be linked by punctuation or words, or divided into two distinct sentences. For example:
I like reading books they are very interesting.
This is a run-on sentence because it has two independent clauses (“I like reading books” and “they are very interesting”) that are not separated by any punctuation or conjunction.
Use a period, a semicolon, or a comma with a coordinating conjunction to join two independent clauses. You can also use a subordinating conjunction to make one clause dependent on the other.
Using sentence fragments
A sentence fragment is a group of words that pretends to be a sentence but is missing something grammatically and thus is considered incomplete. For example:
Because I was late for the exam.
This is a sentence fragment because it has a subordinating conjunction (“because”) that makes it dependent on another clause.
Make sure that every sentence in your writing has a subject and a verb and can express a complete thought. You should also avoid starting a sentence with a subordinating conjunction unless you have another clause to complete it. For example, you can write:
Because I was late for the exam, I missed the first question.
Spelling errors
Spelling errors are one of the most common and easily avoidable mistakes in IELTS writing. You should also be aware of the differences between British and American spelling and use the same spelling throughout your writing. For example, instead of writing:
I prefer to travel by aeroplane rather than by car.
You should write:
I prefer to travel by aeroplane rather than by car. (British spelling) I prefer to travel by airplane rather than by car. (American spelling)
Punctuation errors
Punctuation errors are another common and easily avoidable mistake in IELTS writing. They can affect your grammar, coherence, and readability scores, as they show a lack of accuracy and control. To avoid this, remember to review the rules of punctuation and practice using them in your writing. For example, instead of writing:
Its a beautiful day, isnt it?
You should write:
It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?
If you want to learn more about how to avoid common IELTS mistakes and improve your band score, you can visit The CNA Training Institute for the best IELTS Coaching in Dubai. You can also call us for any queries about IELTS training.
