IELTS Grammar: The 10 Most Tested Structures (With Examples)

Introduction

IELTS does not have a dedicated grammar section — grammar is assessed through your Writing and Speaking scores. But there are 10 grammar structures that appear in the highest-scoring Band 7+ responses, and that are conspicuously absent in Band 5–6 answers.

If you learn these 10 structures and practise using them accurately, you will meet the Grammatical Range and Accuracy criteria that IELTS examiners use to award higher band scores. Not sure whether IELTS is the right exam for you? See our IELTS vs TOEIC vs Cambridge guide first.

Quick answer: The 10 most tested IELTS grammar structures are: passive voice, conditional sentences (all types), relative clauses, perfect tenses, comparison structures, modal verbs, reported speech, inversion for emphasis, cleft sentences, and nominalisations. Using a variety of these structures accurately is what separates Band 6.0 from Band 7.0.

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How Grammar Is Assessed in IELTS

In IELTS Academic Writing:

Band	Grammatical Range and Accuracy description
5.0	Uses a limited range of structures; errors are frequent and may impede communication
6.0	Uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms; some errors, but meaning is clear
7.0	Uses a variety of complex structures; most sentences are error-free; some errors occur
8.0	Wide range of structures used with full flexibility and accuracy; rare minor errors

Key insight: Moving from Band 6 to Band 7 is primarily about range (using more complex structures) and accuracy (using them without error). You need both.

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Structure 1: Passive Voice

The passive voice is essential in IELTS Academic writing, which often discusses processes, research, and phenomena — not personal actions.

Formation: be + past participle (in any tense)

Tense	Passive form	Example
Present simple	is/are + pp	Greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.
Past simple	was/were + pp	The policy was introduced in 2015.
Present perfect	has/have been + pp	Several studies have been conducted on this topic.
Future	will be + pp	The report will be published next month.
Modal	must/should be + pp	These emissions must be reduced significantly.

IELTS usage: Describing graphs, processes (Task 1), and stating general facts (Task 2) all frequently require passive voice.

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Structure 2: Conditional Sentences

IELTS Writing Task 2 often asks for causes, effects, hypotheticals, and recommendations — all of which require conditional structures.

Type	Form	Use in IELTS
Zero	If + present, present	General truths, scientific facts
First	If + present, will	Likely future scenarios
Second	If + past, would	Hypothetical arguments, policy suggestions
Third	If + past perfect, would have	Historical analysis, counterfactuals
Mixed	If + past perfect, would	Past cause, present effect

Band 7+ examples:

• If governments invested more in public transport, carbon emissions would fall significantly. (second conditional — policy recommendation)
• Had the policy been introduced earlier, fewer people would have been affected. (inverted third conditional — historical analysis)

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Structure 3: Relative Clauses

Relative clauses allow you to combine information and avoid short, simple sentences that signal a Band 5–6 range.

Type	Example
Defining	People who exercise regularly tend to live longer.
Non-defining	The report, which was published last year, found significant differences.
Reduced defining	The policy introduced in 2020 has had mixed results.
Relative of place	This is the city where the policy was first tested.

Practice: Take any two-sentence idea and combine them with a relative clause. "The study was conducted in 2022. The study found significant results." → "The study conducted in 2022 found significant results."

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Structure 4: Perfect Tenses

IELTS Writing Task 1 (trend graphs) and Task 2 (background context, result statements) both require perfect tenses.

Tense	Use	Example
Present perfect	Recent trends, current state	Rates have increased significantly over the past decade.
Present perfect continuous	Ongoing process	Researchers have been investigating this phenomenon for years.
Past perfect	Earlier past action in a narrative	By 2010, the government had already implemented three policies.
Future perfect	Prediction by a deadline	By 2030, emissions will have fallen by 40%.

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Structure 5: Comparison Structures

IELTS Academic Task 1 requires you to compare data. Task 2 often requires comparing perspectives or solutions.

Structure	Example
Comparative adjective	Urban populations grew faster than rural ones.
Superlative	The highest proportion was recorded in 2020.
as … as	Renewable energy is not as expensive as it was a decade ago.
While / whereas	While developed nations reduced emissions, developing countries saw an increase.
In contrast to	In contrast to the UK, France maintained stable employment rates.
Double comparative	The more urbanised a population, the greater the demand for infrastructure.

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Structure 6: Modal Verbs

Modal verbs allow you to hedge claims, make recommendations, and discuss possibilities — all essential for Band 7+ writing.

Modal	Use	Example
must	strong obligation, logical deduction	Governments must take immediate action.
should	recommendation	Schools should teach critical thinking skills.
may / might	possibility, hedging	This trend may reverse in coming decades.
could	suggestion, possibility	Taxation could be used as an incentive.
would	hypothetical	An investment in infrastructure would create jobs.
can / cannot	possibility, impossibility	Technology cannot solve all environmental problems.

Band 7+ insight: Vary your modals. Band 5–6 essays often use only should and must. Band 7+ essays use may, might, could, would, and tend to for appropriate hedging.

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Structure 7: Reported Speech

IELTS Task 2 may ask you to discuss opinions, research, or arguments — which require accurate reported speech.

Direct	Reported
"Globalisation benefits everyone."	Some argue that globalisation benefits everyone.
"We will reduce emissions by 2030."	The government stated that it would reduce emissions by 2030.
"Stop using single-use plastics."	Campaigners urge governments to stop using single-use plastics.

Reporting verbs for IELTS: argue, suggest, claim, indicate, demonstrate, reveal, contend, assert, propose, acknowledge, note

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Structure 8: Inversion for Emphasis

Inversion is a C1 structure that signals grammatical range to IELTS examiners. It is particularly effective at the start of a paragraph for emphasis.

Structure	Example
Not only…but also	Not only does air pollution damage health, but it also reduces economic productivity.
Rarely	Rarely have governments acted so decisively on climate change.
Under no circumstances	Under no circumstances should personal data be sold to third parties.
Negative adverbials	Seldom is a problem as simple as it first appears.
Conditional inversion	Were governments to invest more in education, inequality would decrease.

Usage tip: One or two inversions per essay is appropriate. More than that sounds forced.

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Structure 9: Cleft Sentences

Cleft sentences emphasise a specific element of a clause:

Type	Example
It is/was… that	It is education that makes the greatest difference.
What… is	What the data clearly shows is that the trend has reversed.
The reason… is (that)	The reason crime has fallen is that more resources were invested in prevention.

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Structure 10: Nominalisations

Nominalisation — turning verbs or adjectives into nouns — is a hallmark of academic register. IELTS examiners award higher band scores for academic vocabulary.

Verb/Adjective	Nominalisation	Example
grow	growth	Economic growth has slowed.
develop	development	Sustainable development is a priority.
argue	argument	The argument for taxation is persuasive.
significant	significance	The significance of this trend cannot be ignored.
improve	improvement	There has been a measurable improvement.
reduce	reduction	A significant reduction in emissions was observed.

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Your Band Score Grammar Roadmap

Current band	Priority structures to add
5.0–5.5	Passive voice, basic conditionals, present perfect
5.5–6.0	Relative clauses, comparison structures, reported speech
6.0–6.5	Perfect tenses (all), modal range, nominalisations
6.5–7.0	Inversion, cleft sentences, mixed conditionals
7.0+	Consistent accuracy across all structures + register control

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Practise IELTS Grammar Now

EngQuiz Pro has free B2 grammar exercises targeting the exact structures assessed in IELTS Writing and Speaking — passive voice, conditionals, perfect tenses, and more. No sign-up required.

→ Start a free IELTS-level grammar exercise →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does IELTS have a grammar test? No — there is no separate grammar section. Grammar is assessed as part of Writing (Grammatical Range and Accuracy criterion) and Speaking (Grammatical Range and Accuracy criterion). Both criteria account for 25% of each section's score.

What band score do I need to study at a UK university? Most UK universities require an overall IELTS Band 6.0–6.5 for undergraduate admission and 6.5–7.0 for postgraduate. Individual section minimums vary — writing and reading sections often have specific floor requirements.

Are grammar mistakes penalised heavily? Frequent basic errors (subject-verb agreement, wrong tense, wrong article) signal a Band 5 range. Occasional complex errors do not significantly penalise a Band 7 candidate — examiners expect some slips at this level. The key distinction: errors that impede communication vs errors that do not.

Should I memorise IELTS essay structures? A structural template helps with organisation (Task Response and Coherence criteria), but memorised phrases are penalised if examiners suspect rote learning. Learn the grammar structures, not fixed phrases.