IELTS Speaking Explained: Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Grammatical range refers to the number of different tenses that you use in your answers. The
examiner is looking for more than simple tenses, including evidence of some complex structures
(like past and present conditionals). ‘Simple tenses’ for IELTS would be the tenses that are easy
to master like the simple present or the present continuous.
Let’s compare the usage of simple grammar and complex grammar structures through
some examples:
Basic Grammar Complex Grammar

These days, people of all generations can

media, because it helps them to connect w
These days everyone is on social media. across physical and time differences.

TikTok has become increasingly popular

TikTok is popular with many people these days. years.

If students have part-time jobs, they can earn money. Then, they By having a part-time job, a student can b
can use this money to buy school supplies and uniforms. can purchase not only school supplies bu

If people exercise every day, they will have good physical and By exercising daily, people have the pote
mental health. physically and mentally.

If English language learners watched TED talks on the internet, Were English language learners to watch
they would expand their knowledge. As a result, they would be they would be able to expand their conten
more intelligent. becoming more intelligent.
You can clearly see the complex grammar structures contain several bits of information
appropriately combined together in one long sentence. This is exactly the ability you need to
demonstrate to achieve a score for Grammatical Range. Your flexibility in switching from one
tense to the other while communicating can also help you get a higher band score.

Grammatical accuracy
You must be able to understand advanced structures of grammar and use them correctly to
score well in this criterion. Errors happen when you do not know how to use a grammatical
concept. However, you can still score well if you make small “slips” (mistakes) that are
unintended because these can happen in a natural conversation even though you are aware of
the correct grammatical structure.
Slips are small one-time mistakes that may happen due to carelessness, or simply a slip of the
tongue. On the other hand, consistent errors that you repeat throughout your
test would negatively impact your speaking score.

Tips to improve grammatical range and accuracy

You do not have to be perfect and absolutely correct while using English and grammar.
However, control is important. You should understand and use complex grammar for the test in
order to achieve band 6.5 or higher.
Here is a list of the complex structures that can be learned and mastered to boost your
Grammatical Range and Accuracy score effectively.
Tip 1: Use the present continuous
Use the present continuous for near-future plans.
 I am thinking about spending a year in the U.K.
Tip 2: Use the present perfect
Use the present perfect to talk about wishes.
 I’ve always wanted to learn how to swim.
 I’ve never been to Paris, but it’s somewhere I’ve always dreamed of going to.
Tip 3: User the past continuous + used to
Use the past continuous with “used to” to talk about the past.
 When I was growing up, I used to love sweets but not anymore.
 When I was studying at the university, I used to work part-time.
Tip 4: User the present perfect continuous
Use the present perfect continuous in Part 1 of the Speaking test.
 I have been living in this city for the last 3 years.
 I have been playing the guitar for seven years now and I think I am quite good at it.
Tip 5: Use the past simple + past perfect
Use the past simple with the past perfect to show something happened before something
else in the past.
 Before I moved to a metropolitan city, I had never seen an underground train
station.
Tip 6: Use the future perfect
Use the future perfect to describe a finished action but in the future.
 I hope by the time I’m forty-five, I will have retired.
Tip 7: Use the second conditional
Use the second conditional to answer hypothetical questions.
 If I could visit any place, it would be my hometown.
 If I had more time, I would learn how to ski.
Tip 8: Use the third conditional
Use the third conditional for an imagined situation in the past.
 If I knew how difficult it is to live alone, I would have never fought with my parents.
 If I had worked harder in school, I would have got a higher percentage.
Tip 9: Use co-ordinating conjunctions
Use coordinating conjunctions like ‘for’, ‘and’, ‘nor’, ‘but’, ‘or’, ‘so’, and ‘yet’ to join two parts of a
sentence or separate phrases within a sentence.
 The weather was wet and cold, yet we enjoyed it very much.
Tip 10: Use subordinating conjunctions
Use subordinating conjunctions to join a dependent clause to a main or independent clause.
 Parents often get busy browsing their phones (independent clause), rather
than (subordinating conjunction) conversing and playing with
their children (dependent clause).
Tip 11: Begin the sentence with a prepositional phrase
 Since the beginning of this year, I have been saving to go on a holiday trip with
my friends.
Tip 12: Use relative pronouns
Use relative pronouns to link subordinate clauses like who, whom, which, whoever, whomever,
whichever, and that in your sentences.

 IELTS test takers who often read test preparation blogs have a deeper
understanding of the test.
In order to become more accurate, you need to take care of the errors that you may have in the
way you use English grammar. You should record your answers when you practice and listen
back for grammatical errors. Tackle them one by one through learning with a friend or taking up
an IELTS preparation class. Mistakes also can negatively affect your accuracy. Understand your
mistakes in the use of articles, plurals, uncountable nouns, subject-verb agreement, verb tenses
and prepositions and work on them.
What you can do best is to prepare yourself to use the correct grammar structure in the various
parts of the speaking test so that your chances of making a mistake are reduced. For example-
Part 1and 2 usually require past tense, not always but use it wherever required. Learn the past
tense forms of some regular and irregular verbs to be more accurate. In part 3, use ‘will/going
to/I hope to’ to talk about future possibilities.
Though we’ve been talking much about the need of having a variety of grammatical structures
and their accurate use, you do not have to panic. Remember, not all sentences need to be
complex. You do not need to compromise your accuracy for the sake of introducing a variety of
sentences. Get over your nervousness and communicate confidently. Practice with a friend and
reduce systematic errors. Invest some time in learning new grammatical patterns. Record your
answers while practising and listen for mistakes like subject-verb agreement, use of articles, etc
and try not to repeat them.

Conclusion
It’s essential to work hard for your Grammatical Range and Accuracy score as it contributes to
25% of your IELTS Speaking score. You need to be accurate in your
grammar use and demonstrate your skills by using a wide variety of structures.
Focus on learning and mastering various kinds of grammatical patterns that can be useful in
communicating. Prepare under timed test conditions so that you get a good idea of test pressure
and test timing.