Getting verbs right — the form, the time, and matching them to the subject. The biggest single grammar fault in IELTS writing.
How this drill works, and why it is built this way›
In a study of IELTS essays, verb form was the biggest grammar error — 17.7% of everything marked wrong. It is also the easiest to fix.
Band 7 does not ask for perfect sentences. It asks for frequent error-free ones. One reliable check on every verb is worth more than a new tense.
The check has three steps: find the verb. Find its real subject. Find the time word. Most mistakes happen when other words sit between the subject and its verb.
As the levels go up, the mistake stops looking like a mistake. At the hardest level the sentence sounds fine when you read it aloud. That is the point.
Some items mark things that are completely normal in Indian English. Your English is not wrong. IELTS just marks against British usage, so this is a change of style for the exam.
Worked example
The number of students who apply for engineering courses have fallen since 2020.
A have · B has · C are · D is
Answer: B has
The subject is the number, which is one thing. It is not students. Eight words sit between the subject and its verb, and they pull your ear towards the plural. Cover the middle and read it again: the number has fallen. The point: find the real subject, then ignore everything between it and the verb.
Moderate · CEFR B1around band 5 – 5.5change level:
The drill moves you up or down on its own. Two good sets and it gets harder; two hard ones and it steps back.
The band range is what this level practises for — it is a guide, not a score. Only your first answer to each item counts towards the level decision.
Your answers and explanations open after the set is complete, the attempt is saved and your email is verified.
