Is grammar important for IELTS and OET — and how easy is it to learn? A step-by-step guide

Short answer: yes — grammar matters a lot for international English exams such as IELTS and OET, and you can learn it steadily with a clear, practical plan. This article explains why grammar is important, how hard it is to learn, where to start, and gives a step-by-step list of the grammar items a test taker should be familiar with, plus study tips and a simple practice plan.

Why grammar matters in IELTS and OET

Both IELTS and OET assess language ability in real exam tasks (speaking, writing, listening, reading). Examiners and marking criteria look for accuracy and range of grammar:

• In IELTS the Grammar Range and Accuracy component is part of the Writing and Speaking band descriptors — errors that affect clarity lower your score; a wider, controlled range raises it. (Official IELTS guidance).

• In OET (for health professionals) grammar affects clarity and professionalism in speaking and writing; the test rewards clear, correct language that helps you communicate clinical information safely. (OET official guidance).

So grammar is not just “correctness for its own sake” — it directly affects how clearly you can express ideas, report facts, explain procedures, and interact with others in realistic tasks (Murphy; British Council). These exams reward accuracy and the ability to use grammar appropriately for purpose and audience. (Murphy, 2019; British Council, website).

How easy is grammar to learn?

“Easy” depends on three things: your starting level, study method, and frequency of practice.

• If you already understand basic sentence structure, learning more grammar is largely a question of practice and feedback — targeted study + lots of use = steady improvement.

• Many learners find discrete grammar points (e.g., present simple vs present continuous) straightforward after a few focused sessions. The harder parts are often using those forms accurately under pressure (speaking/writing), and expanding to less frequent structures (e.g., mixed conditionals, reduced relative clauses).

• The fastest route is to combine clear explanations with lots of controlled practice, then move to real tasks (writing sample answers, speaking practice) so you learn to apply grammar under exam conditions. (Swan; Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS).

So it’s realistic: with a disciplined plan and the right resources you can make measurable gains in 6–12 weeks; deep mastery takes longer and depends on starting level.

Where should you start? A practical entry point

Start with two simple questions:

1. Can I make a clear, correct sentence? If not, review basic sentence structure (subject + verb + object) and subject–verb agreement.

2. Can I describe time and sequence? Tenses are central: be able to place events in time with reasonable accuracy (present/past/future forms and common perfect and continuous uses).

Begin with accuracy (common mistakes), then expand to range (more complex structures). Don’t jump to advanced grammar before basic accuracy is solid.

Step-by-step list of grammar items for test takers

Below is a practical order you can follow. For each item, practise both controlled exercises and exam tasks (e.g., write a short IELTS Task 1/2 paragraph using the target grammar).

1. Sentence structure & word order — clauses, main vs dependent clauses, basic word order in statements and questions.

2. Subject–verb agreement — singular/plural, tricky subjects (collective nouns, none, everybody).

3. Basic verb forms — base, -s, -ed, -ing.

4. Present forms — present simple vs present continuous; stative vs dynamic verbs.

5. Past forms — past simple vs past continuous; common irregular verbs.

6. Perfect tenses — present perfect (have + past participle) for experience and recent events; past perfect for sequencing.

7. Future forms — will, going to, present continuous for planned future, and future perfect/simple distinctions for writing.

8. Modals & semi-modals — can/could, may/might, must/have to/should — for ability, permission, deduction, obligation (very important in OET).

9. Conditionals — zero, first, second, third and mixed conditionals — useful in hypothesis/explanations.

10. Passive voice — when to use passive vs active (common in reports, OET letters and IELTS Task 1).

11. Reported speech — reporting what someone said (important in speaking and professional communication).

12. Relative clauses & reduced forms — defining and non-defining clauses; reduced relative clauses for concise formal writing.

13. Noun phrases & determiners — articles (a/an/the), quantifiers (some, many, few), countable vs uncountable.

14. Adjectives & adverbs — order, comparatives/superlatives, adverb placement (important for clear modification).

15. Linking words & cohesive devices — however, therefore, despite, although, on the other hand (vital for IELTS coherence and OET clarity).

16. Complex sentence structures — subordinators, noun clauses, purpose and result clauses (to show cause/effect in higher band responses).

17. Grammar for tone and register — formal vs informal structures, hedging language (e.g., may, might, could) — especially relevant for OET letters and professional speech.

Work through these progressively: master 1–6 for basic clarity, 7–12 for intermediate accuracy, and 13–17 to raise your writing/speaking band and show range.

How to study each grammar item — practical steps

For every grammar item follow this micro-cycle:

1. Learn the core rule(s) — short, plain explanation and 3 example sentences.

2. Do focused exercises — 15–30 minutes of gap fills or sentence transformation; correct answers and note errors.

3. Produce controlled output — write 3–5 sentences or a short paragraph using the target grammar.

4. Apply to exam tasks — e.g., write an IELTS Task 2 paragraph using conditionals, or draft an OET referral letter using passive structures.

5. Get feedback — teacher, language partner, or use self-check lists (compare to model answers).

6. Recycle later — spaced repetition: revisit each item after 1 day, 3 days, 1 week.

Do this cycle for each grammar point. The combination of focused practice + exam application is what transfers knowledge into exam performance.

Common problem areas and quick fixes

• Tense confusion in writing: make a quick plan before you start writing to fix the timeline (what happens when).

• Article errors (a/an/the): ask “is it general or specific?” If general → no article or "a"; if specific → "the".

• Overuse of complex sentences: clarity beats complexity. If a sentence is long and confusing, split it.

• Wrong word order in questions: remember auxiliary verb + subject for most question forms (e.g., Do you have…?).

• Passive overuse: use passive where the doer is unknown or unimportant (common in reports), but prefer active for clarity where possible.

Simple diagnostic: record a short speaking response or write a paragraph; mark recurring errors and target those first.

Practice plan — 8-week example (for intermediate learners)

Week pattern (per day, 60–90 minutes):

• 20 min: focused grammar study (one item)

• 20–30 min: controlled practice (exercises)

• 20–30 min: exam application (speaking prompt / writing task) + quick self feedback

Week 1–2: basics (items 1–6)
Week 3–4: tenses & modals (items 7–9)
Week 5: passive and reported speech (10–11)
Week 6: complex clauses & relative clauses (12–14)
Week 7: linking and cohesion (15)
Week 8: review, full practice tests, error log correction

Adjust time based on needs. Even 30–45 focused minutes a day produces steady progress.

Resources and how to use them

Use a mix of:

• Reference books for explanations (clear rules and examples). Example titles include English Grammar in Use and Practical English Usage.

• Official exam guides and sample tests — practise with real IELTS/OET tasks to apply grammar in exam formats.

• Online exercises and apps — for extra repetition, but pair with writing/speaking practice.

• A teacher or language exchange partner — for feedback, correction, and realistic speaking practice.

When using resources, always map them to the micro-cycle above: learn → practise → apply → get feedback → recycle.

Final tips for exam day

• In Writing, aim for accuracy first: fewer complex structures correctly used are better than many errors.

• In Speaking, use a mix of simple and one or two more complex forms naturally — examiners note both range and accuracy.

• Use variants carefully: correct use of modals and hedging is particularly valued in OET for professional tone.

• Keep an error log and glance through it the day before the test — this helps avoid repeating the same mistakes under pressure.

Quick checklist for revision (printable)

• Can I form basic sentences and questions?

• Do I use tenses correctly to show time?

• Can I use present perfect and past perfect appropriately?

• Do I use modals for advice, obligation, and deduction?

• Can I form conditionals for hypotheses?

• Can I use passive voice when necessary?

• Do I use linking words to organise paragraphs?

• Am I comfortable with articles and count/uncountable nouns?

• Have I practised these points in real IELTS/OET tasks?

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Conclusion

Grammar is both important and learnable. Its importance lies in clarity and the exam assessment criteria: accurate grammar helps you convey ideas clearly and convincingly. Learning is easiest when you combine brief, focused explanations with repeated practice and real exam application. Follow the step-by-step list in section 4, use the micro-cycle for study, and recycle errors until they disappear. With disciplined practice and useful feedback you’ll see clear improvements in weeks — and continued progress over months.

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References

Murphy, R. (2019) English Grammar in Use. 5th edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Book)

Swan, M. (2005) Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Book)

Cullen, P., French, A. and Jakeman, V. (2014) The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Book)

British Council (n.d.) LearnEnglish — Grammar. Available at: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/ (Accessed: date). (Website)

IELTS (n.d.) Band descriptors and Writing/speaking assessment criteria. Available at: https://www.ielts.org/ (Accessed: date). (Website)

OET (n.d.) OET for healthcare professionals — test details and assessment. Available at: https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/ (Accessed: date). (Website)