Grammar: A Blessing or a Burden? Unlocking Its Role in IELTS Mastery

In my latest opinion poll on my blog here on Telegram, I asked my readers if they consider learning and knowing grammar important for having a good command of English and scoring high in IELTS. As of October 20, 94% said “yes, of course,” while only a marginal 6% voted "no, it wasn’t so important."

In today’s post, I would like to talk about the importance of grammar and whether it is really crucial when trying to master English and score high in the IELTS exam.

I would say that both groups of people have some truth. Being born and raised in a non-English-speaking country, I strongly believe that anyone learning English here must ensure they also know grammar very well.

This is because we don’t live in an English-speaking country. It’s as simple as that. If you’re Uzbek and speak Russian fluently, it’s mostly because you’ve grown up listening, reading and speaking Russian from childhood.

I speak Russian quite well, but if you ask me about Russian grammar, I know almost nothing about it. Ask me about Uzbek grammar and I know nothing about that either. But I speak Uzbek fluently and Russian quite well.

The same goes for English. If you aren’t born and raised in an English-speaking country or environment, then, without a doubt, you’ll need grammar. Just see grammar as the backbone or skeleton on which the whole body of your general English hangs. Without it, it’s very hard to maintain fluency and you will always make mistakes in your speech.

In general, I also encourage you to see grammar and your knowledge of it as a blessing rather than a curse. Talk to any native English speaker from England or the USA; most of them don’t know grammar well because their schools stopped teaching grammar back in the 1960s. Like us, they pick up grammar naturally while interacting with each other on a daily basis, so schools these days focus more on literature and writing rather than on teaching grammar.

So, what does this mean if you’re preparing for the IELTS exam? You know that IELTS consists of four parts: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Mastering grammar will help you perform well in speaking and writing, as ‘grammatical range and accuracy’ is a key assessment criterion in the exam.

If you know grammar well, you’ll be able to use a wide range of structures, making your speech sound professional and well-organized. Additionally, you’ll make fewer mistakes, boosting your overall scores in speaking and writing.

That said, I’m not saying that you spend all day learning grammar. This is where those 6% of poll respondents may have a point. Balance is key! Beyond learning grammar and preparing for IELTS, you also need to enjoy using the language in your daily life.

I hope you found today’s post useful. Don’t forget to share it with your friends who need to improve their grammar.

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