Here's the truth: grammar mistakes in Task 1 don't just lose you a few points. They tank your Grammatical Range & Accuracy score, which makes up 25% of your overall writing band. You could nail task response and coherence, but sloppy grammar keeps you stuck at Band 6 or 6.5 when Band 7 or 8 is within reach.
This guide shows you exactly which grammar errors IELTS examiners mark hardest, how they affect your band score, and how to spot them before you hit submit. Whether you're using an IELTS writing checker or reviewing manually, these patterns will help you identify what's costing you points.
Task 1 is a formal letter or email. You've got around 150 words and 20 minutes. Examiners expect clarity, accuracy, and control. Unlike Task 2, where you can sometimes hide grammar weaknesses behind strong arguments, Task 1 puts your grammar under a microscope.
The IELTS band descriptors for Grammatical Range & Accuracy are strict here. At Band 7, you need "mostly accurate" grammar with only "occasional" errors that don't affect meaning. At Band 6, errors are more frequent and sometimes do mess with clarity. That gap between Band 6 and Band 7 is what most students are fighting to close.
Here's the irony: most students dump 70% of their writing prep into Task 2 and rush through Task 1. Then they wonder why their grammar score won't budge.
Not all grammar errors cost you equally. Some drop you to Band 5. Others keep you stuck at Band 6. Let's look at the ones that really sting.
This looks basic, but examiners see it constantly. You match a plural subject with a singular verb, or vice versa. It reads sloppy, and it signals you're not in control.
Weak: "The details of your application was received on Monday." (Details is plural, so it needs "were", not "was")
Good: "The details of your application were received on Monday."
Collective nouns trip people up too. "The team is" or "the team are" can both work depending on whether you're treating the team as one unit or as individual people. Just stay consistent.
You start in present, jump to past, then suddenly future. Examiners flag this because it looks like you don't have full control of grammar.
Weak: "I am writing to enquire about the course. I completed my degree last year and will be very interested in joining."
Good: "I am writing to enquire about the course. I completed my degree last year and am very interested in joining."
Most Task 1 letters use present tense for why you're writing and past tense for background info. Mixing tenses randomly looks careless and costs you points.
This one trips up non-native speakers especially. You drop "the" when you need it, or throw "the" in where it doesn't belong.
Weak: "I would like to receive information about accommodation and fee structure for the course."
Good: "I would like to receive information about the accommodation and fee structure for the course."
Use "the" when you're talking about something specific that's already been mentioned or understood. "Accommodation" here refers to a specific place at that institution, so it gets "the".
You've got phrases like "in accordance with", "in response to", "regarding", "concerning". Mix one up and you sound off, even if people still understand.
Weak: "I am writing in regarding your advertisement."
Good: "I am writing regarding your advertisement." (Or: "I am writing in response to your advertisement.")
Task 1 has formulaic language. Learn the correct prepositions for common phrases and lock them down. "Regarding", "concerning", "in response to", "with reference to" all work. Just don't smash them together.
You write an incomplete thought as if it's a full sentence. Or you chain three independent clauses together with commas when you need proper punctuation.
Weak: "Because I am very interested in this opportunity. And I have relevant experience." (This is a fragment. "Because" needs an independent clause after it)
Good: "Because I am very interested in this opportunity and have relevant experience, I would be grateful for your consideration."
A sentence fragment screams "Band 5". It's the grammatical equivalent of leaving a typo in and hoping no one notices. Examiners catch it and mark you down hard.
Here's what the band descriptors actually say about grammar:
Notice the pattern. Band 7 allows "occasional errors". Band 6 says "fairly frequent". The difference between them is often 3-5 grammar mistakes across 150 words.
That's not much room. A single subject-verb agreement mistake, one tense shift, and two article errors? You're looking at Band 6.5, not Band 7.
Tip: Band 7 doesn't mean perfect. It means deliberate, controlled grammar with rare slips. You can have one or two small errors and still hit Band 7 if they're truly minor, like a missing comma. What tanks you is multiple errors or errors that mess with clarity.
You've got maybe 20 minutes for Task 1. You can't waste time checking badly. Here's a system that actually works.
First pass: Tense check. Read through once and underline every verb. Make sure they all match the same tense, usually present and past, not future. Spend 30 seconds max.
Second pass: Subject-verb agreement. Find the subject of each sentence. Does the verb match it? Plural subject needs a plural verb. Singular subject needs a singular verb. Watch for tricky ones like "each", "everyone", "the majority of". 45 seconds max.
Third pass: Articles and prepositions. Look at common Task 1 phrases you use: "in response to the request", "regarding the information", "the course fees". Do they sound right? Your ear will flag article errors here fast because something just sounds off. 30 seconds max.
Fourth pass: Sentence structure. Read each sentence out loud, in your head. If it doesn't sound like a complete thought, it's probably a fragment. Mark it and fix it. 45 seconds max.
That's about 2.5 minutes of editing. Totally doable within 20 minutes total.
Tip: Don't check everything at once. If you're looking for subject-verb agreement while also worrying about commas, you'll miss stuff. One thing per pass works faster and catches more errors.
Task 1 relies on set phrases. Master these and you eliminate a huge chunk of errors before you even start writing.
Memorize these. Use them exactly as written. They work, they're grammatically solid, and they save you mental energy during the exam. When you're working on Task 1 letter structure, these phrases become your foundation.
Save this somewhere. Before you finish any Task 1 practice, check these five things:
That's it. Five checks. Do these, and you'll jump from Band 5/6 territory into Band 6.5 to 7 range, assuming your letter purpose and coherence are solid.
Let's look at a full example. This is a complaint letter, a common Task 1 prompt.
"Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to lodge a formal complaint regarding the poor quality of service I received at your restaurant last Saturday evening. My family and I arrived at 7:30 p.m., and we was seated at a dirty table. The waiter was rude and ignored our requests for nearly twenty minutes. Additionally, my main course arrived cold, and my wife's meal were not delivered until forty-five minutes after mine."
Found the errors? There are three:
Two clear grammar errors here. This would score Band 6, not Band 7, because of the subject-verb mistakes. Here's the corrected version:
"Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to lodge a formal complaint regarding the poor quality of service I received at your restaurant last Saturday evening. My family and I arrived at 7:30 p.m., and we were seated at a dirty table. The waiter was rude and ignored our requests for nearly twenty minutes. When my main course arrived, it was cold, and my wife's meal was not delivered until forty-five minutes after mine."
Same content, tight grammar. Now it reads at Band 7 level. If you need help identifying whether your letter tone is formal enough, grammar patterns matter too. Using an IELTS essay checker can highlight these patterns instantly.
An IELTS writing checker gives you instant feedback on grammar, but you should understand what it's catching. Use it after you've written your first draft, not during. Here's the workflow that works:
This way, you build your grammar intuition while also getting the safety net of a tool. Over time, you'll spot these errors yourself and won't need the checker as much.
Our IELTS writing correction tool flags every grammar error, article mistake, and verb tense slip in your Task 1 letter. Know exactly what's keeping you from Band 7.
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