Here's the thing. Most Band 6 writers think they need perfect grammar to reach Band 7. They don't. What they actually need is to stop making the same five grammar mistakes over and over again. That's where most students mess up: they fix one error and miss the pattern underneath it.
In this post, I'm going to show you exactly which IELTS Task 1 grammar mistakes are holding you back at Band 6, how examiners spot them, and the precise fixes that push you to Band 7. By the end, you'll have a checklist you can use on every Task 1 essay you write.
Let me be blunt. Task 1 is short. You're writing 150 words minimum, often closer to 180-200. That means every single sentence is visible. Every single grammar choice gets scrutinized.
The IELTS band descriptors spell it out. Band 7 means "uses a range of structures with some flexibility and accuracy." Band 6? "Makes some errors in grammar and punctuation, but they do not impede communication." That's the gap. Not zero errors. Fewer errors. Errors that don't derail your meaning.
Here's what matters: Task 1 doesn't reward fancy grammar. It rewards consistent, accurate grammar. Examiners would rather see five simple correct sentences than two complex sentences with errors hiding in them.
This error shows up in roughly 40% of Band 6 essays. Students lose focus on who's doing what.
Weak: "The number of tourists visiting the city increase every year."
Why's that wrong? "Number" is singular. The verb must be "increases." Students see "tourists" and pair it with a plural verb. Don't fall for it.
Good: "The number of tourists visiting the city increases every year."
Here's a trickier one: plural subjects with collective nouns.
Weak: "A variety of factors are shown in the graph."
In American English, "variety" can take a plural verb. But IELTS uses British English, which is stricter. Check your verb against the head noun, not the object of the preposition.
Good: "A variety of factors is shown in the graph."
Quick trick: When you see a prepositional phrase between subject and verb, cover it with your finger. Does the sentence still make sense? If yes, you've found your real subject.
Task 1 essays should stay in one tense. Usually present simple or past simple, depending on the task. But even when writers pick the right tense, they slip mid-sentence.
Weak: "The chart shows that sales increased by 20%, and revenue continues to rise."
You started in past simple ("increased"), then switched to present simple ("continues"). For a static chart description, stay consistent.
Good: "The chart shows that sales increased by 20%, and revenue rose by 15%."
Both verbs now describe past events. Clean. Consistent. Band 7 material.
That said, you can mix tenses on purpose. Just make sure you have a real reason. Comparing a past state to a general truth works fine.
Good: "In 2015, the UK produced 40% of its energy from coal, but today renewable sources are more common."
"In 2015" signals past. "Today" signals present. The tense shift is intentional and clear.
Articles aren't grammar in the strict sense, but IELTS examiners treat article errors as grammatical mistakes. And they're everywhere at Band 6.
Weak: "The data shows a decline in smoking rates among a teenagers."
Two problems. First, "a teenagers" doesn't work because "teenagers" is plural. Second, you need either no article (speaking generally) or "the teenagers" (specific teens from the chart).
Good: "The data shows a decline in smoking rates among teenagers."
The rule that saves you: Use "the" when you're referring to something specific. The graph. The data. The year 2020. Use "a" or "an" when you're introducing something countable and singular for the first time. Use no article when you're speaking generally about uncountable nouns or plurals.
Pro tip: In Task 1, you'll mention "the chart," "the graph," "the table," or "the diagram" in your first sentence. After that, "the" is your best friend because you're always referring to those specific visuals.
This one's sneakier. It doesn't break a rule so much as it confuses meaning.
Weak: "Declining sharply, the report shows that sales fell by 50%."
Who's declining? Grammatically, it sounds like the report is declining. Absurd. The sales are declining. You've left the modifier ("declining sharply") without a clear subject.
Good: "Sales declined sharply, falling by 50% according to the report."
Or even simpler:
Good: "The report shows that sales declined sharply, falling by 50%."
Band 6 writers love participial phrases ("declining," "rising," "showing"). They add variety. But make sure the thing you're modifying is crystal clear. In Task 1, simple sentences are always safer than fancy ones with misplaced modifiers.
You join two independent clauses with just a comma. No connecting word. No period. IELTS examiners mark this as a punctuation and grammar error. It happens constantly at Band 6.
Weak: "The chart illustrates consumer spending, it increased by 15% in the last year."
"The chart illustrates consumer spending" is a complete sentence. "It increased by 15% in the last year" is another complete sentence. You can't join them with a comma alone.
You've got three fixes.
Good: "The chart illustrates consumer spending. It increased by 15% in the last year."
For Task 1, shorter sentences actually help your score. Fewer chances for error. Clearer communication. That's Band 7 thinking.
Quick test: Read your sentence aloud and pause at the comma. If you naturally take a longer pause (like a period), you've got a comma splice.
After writing your Task 1 essay, you've got about 4 minutes left. Use it strategically.
Don't read for "goodness." Read for specific errors. Go through your essay once and only look for subject-verb agreement. Circle every verb. Make sure it matches its subject. That's one pass. Next pass, look only for tense shifts. Do you switch tenses without a reason? One more pass: underline every article. Does it belong? Is it correct?
This sounds slow, but it takes 2-3 minutes and catches 70% of the errors that keep you at Band 6.
Real talk: Focused error-hunting beats generalized proofreading every single time.
Let's say you get this prompt: "The chart below shows the proportion of energy produced from renewable sources in four countries between 2010 and 2020. Summarize the information and make any relevant comparisons."
Here's a Band 6 response with grammar errors:
Weak: "The chart show the renewable energy production in four countries over ten years. Germany start with 20% and end with 45%, this represent a significant increase. France and Spain increases gradually, but the UK were relatively stable. The data suggests that renewable energy are becoming more important, and all countries are investing in green technology. In conclusion, the chart demonstrate that renewable energy production have increased in most countries."
Count the errors. "Show" should be "shows." "Start" should be "started." "End" should be "ended." Comma splice after "increase." "Increases" should be "increased." "Were" should be "was." "Are" should be "is." "Demonstrate" should be "demonstrates." "Have" should be "has." That's nine grammar errors in five sentences. Band 6 writing.
Now the Band 7 version:
Good: "The chart illustrates renewable energy production in four countries between 2010 and 2020. Germany showed the highest growth, rising from 20% to 45%. France and Spain also increased their renewable energy share, while the UK remained relatively stable at around 10%. Overall, all countries demonstrated an upward trend in renewable energy production, indicating a shift toward cleaner energy sources."
Same information. Zero grammar errors. Consistent past tense. Clear subject-verb agreement. Proper article use. That's the difference between Band 6 and Band 7.
You can run your essay through our IELTS writing grammar checker to catch these errors before submission. It flags subject-verb agreement issues, tense inconsistencies, article mistakes, and comma splices instantly. You get feedback on each grammar mistake, plus an estimated band score for Grammatical Range and Accuracy. This is how many test takers catch errors they'd otherwise miss under exam pressure.
Use our free IELTS essay checker to catch grammar errors and get instant band scores. Get line-by-line feedback on every grammar mistake, including the five errors covered in this guide.
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