Hello! Welcome to the next lesson in our "Academic Writing Foundations" module.
In our last lesson, we focused on using hedging to make your claims more cautious and academic. We saw how phrases like "it seems that" or "may lead to" are crucial for achieving a sophisticated and objective tone. Now that you have tools to build complex arguments, it's essential to ensure your writing is also grammatically correct. A great argument can lose its power if it's full of errors.
Today, your learning outcome is to review your writing to identify and correct grammatical errors. This skill is fundamental to achieving a high score in the "Grammatical Range and Accuracy" criterion for the IELTS Writing test. We will focus on two key areas:
- Developing a systematic process for proofreading your own work.
- Identifying the most common grammatical mistakes to look for.
1. The Proofreading Process: More Than Just Grammar Knowledge
Many people think that good proofreading is just about knowing grammar rules. While that's important, the secret to finding your own mistakes is having a methodical process. Your brain often sees what it expects to see, not what is actually on the page, which is why you can read your own writing and miss obvious errors.
Let's watch a video that introduces some powerful strategies to trick your brain into seeing your text with "fresh eyes."
Proofreading: catch more errors
This video, 'Proofreading: catch more errors' by Dr Clare Lynch, explains that proofreading is a process. It offers practical techniques that go beyond just knowing grammar rules.
Watch from 00:27 to 04:03. Pay close attention to these key strategies: Taking your time. Letting your work 'sit' for a while. Taking breaks. Reading the document aloud. Proofreading on paper with a ruler.
Think about how you can apply these techniques during your IELTS preparation. Even in the exam, you can't leave your essay overnight, but you can take 30 seconds to close your eyes before re-reading. And you can certainly read it "aloud" silently in your head, which helps you hear awkward phrasing and missing words.
2. A Hit List: Common Errors to Hunt For
Now that you have a process, let's focus on what to look for. We'll build a "hit list" of common errors, paying special attention to those frequently made by IELTS candidates and Arabic speakers.
a) Subject-Verb Agreement
This is one of the most common errors in English writing. The rule is simple: a singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural verb. However, it can be tricky when sentences are complex.
Avoid These Common Grammar Mistakes in IELTS Writing Test
This article from IELTS IDP gives clear examples of subject-verb agreement.
Please read the section 'Subject-verb agreement'. Notice how the verb changes depending on the subject ('man has' vs. 'men have'). Pay special attention to the examples with 'one of my co-workers' and 'members of the committee'.
- Incorrect: The increase in patients are due to the new clinic.
- Correct: The increase (singular subject) in patients is due to the new clinic.
b) Articles (a, an, the)
Articles are notoriously difficult. As a native Arabic speaker, you might find this especially challenging, because Arabic has different rules. A common mistake is using "the" when talking about something in general.
Common English Language Mistakes Made by Arabic Speakers
This blog post from Wimbledon School of English discusses common mistakes made by Arabic speakers, including the use of articles.
Read point number 5, 'Articles, articles articles!'. The author explains how Arabic speakers sometimes overuse 'the'.
So, when do you use "the"? Let's watch an excellent explanation.
IELTS Writing - Common Grammar Mistakes
In this video, an experienced IELTS examiner explains that we use 'the' when the reader or listener knows exactly which specific thing you are talking about.
Watch from 00:17 to 02:31. The key idea to remember is 'shared knowledge'. If you and your reader both know which specific item you mean, use 'the'.
- Incorrect: The governments should invest in the public health. (Too general)
- Correct: Governments should invest in public health.
- Correct: The government of Saudi Arabia announced a new policy for public health. (Specific government, so 'the' is correct).
c) Sentence Structure Errors
For your writing to be clear, every sentence must be correctly structured. Two common problems are sentence fragments and having too many verbs in one clause.
1. Sentence Fragments: A fragment is an incomplete sentence. It might be missing a subject or a verb, or it might be a dependent clause standing alone.
Avoid These Common Grammar Mistakes in IELTS Writing Test
The IDP article we looked at earlier has a great section on this.
Read the section 'Sentence fragments'. Notice how each incorrect example is missing a key piece of information.
2. One Verb Per Clause: A simple clause should only have one main verb. If you need to include another action, you often need to use a gerund (-ing form) or an infinitive (to + verb).
IELTS Writing - Common Grammar Mistakes
Let's return to the 'IELTS Writing - Common Grammar Mistakes' video for a clear explanation of this rule.
Watch from 04:23 to 08:34. The video explains the 'one verb per clause' rule and then shows how to use gerunds and infinitives when you need a verb to act as a noun (subject or object).
- Incorrect: I like study dentistry. (Two main verbs: 'like' and 'study')
- Correct: I like to study dentistry. (Infinitive)
- Correct: I like studying dentistry. (Gerund)
3. Creating Your Personal Proofreading Checklist
The most effective way to improve is to focus on your recurring mistakes. In this section, you will create a personal checklist to use every time you write.
Here is an example of a general checklist for IELTS writing.
Now, let's create a more focused grammar checklist for you.
Activity: Spot the Errors
Read the following short paragraph, which is about a topic familiar to you. It contains 5 common grammatical errors we've discussed today. Try to find and correct them.
Many dental student worries about their final exams. The stress are often very high. Because the exams cover so many topics. A good strategy is prepare a detailed study schedule. This helps students to feel more in control and reduces the anxiety.
Click to see the corrections
- Many dental student worries -> Many dental students worry (Subject-verb agreement: plural subject 'students' needs plural verb 'worry').
- The stress are often very high -> The stress is often very high (Subject-verb agreement: singular subject 'stress' needs singular verb 'is').
- Because the exams cover so many topics. -> This is a sentence fragment. It should be connected to the previous or next sentence. For example: "The stress is often very high because the exams cover so many topics."
- A good strategy is prepare a detailed study schedule. -> A good strategy is to prepare a detailed study schedule (One verb per clause error. We need an infinitive here).
- ...and reduces the anxiety. -> ...and reduces anxiety. (Article error. We are talking about anxiety in general, not a specific anxiety that the reader already knows about).
Your Turn:
Based on the errors you found in the exercise and what you know about your own writing, create your own Personal Grammar Hit List. Write down the top 3-5 errors you want to hunt for every time you proofread. It might look something like this:
- Subject-Verb Agreement: Does my verb match my subject? (e.g., increase is, not increase are)
- Articles: Did I use "the" only for specific things?
- Sentence Fragments: Is every sentence a complete thought?
- Verb 'to be': Did I forget to use 'is' or 'are'? (e.g., He is happy, not He happy)
- Capital Letters: Have I capitalized names, places, and the start of sentences?
Keep this list next to you when you practice writing. Before you finish, go through your text once for each item on your list. This focused approach is far more effective than just "checking for mistakes."
Conclusion
Great job today! You've learned that effective proofreading is a skill you can develop through a systematic process. By creating and using a personal error checklist, you can efficiently identify and correct the grammatical mistakes that might be lowering your IELTS score.
Key Takeaways:
- Proofreading is a methodical process. Use strategies like reading aloud and taking breaks to see your work more clearly.
- Focus your proofreading on a "hit list" of common errors, such as subject-verb agreement, articles, and sentence fragments.
- As an Arabic speaker, pay special attention to the correct use of articles and the verb 'to be'.
- Creating a personal error checklist is the most effective way to target and eliminate your own recurring mistakes.
In this lesson, we focused on grammatical accuracy. In our next lesson, we will move on to the final topic in this module: "Review your writing to improve vocabulary choice and coherence." We'll learn how to make sure your writing is not only correct but also flows smoothly and uses precise, academic language.