When my students ask, “What separates a Band 6.5 essay from a Band 9 essay?”, my answer often surprises them:
“It’s not just ideas. It’s grammar accuracy, variety, and control.”
Reaching Band 9 in IELTS Writing Task 2 requires essays that are:
- ✅ Accurate – with almost no grammar mistakes
- ✅ Varied – showing a range of sentence structures
- ✅ Academic – using formal tone and cohesive devices naturally
In this bonus guide, I’m sharing my IELTS Band 9 Grammar Writing Checklist so you can self-assess before your exam and make sure your essay is ready to impress the examiner.
If you haven’t yet, review the IELTS Writing Task 2 Grammar for Band 7–9 pillar guide for a complete breakdown of the grammar skills you need.
Why Grammar Matters for Band 9
Grammatical Range and Accuracy is 25% of your Writing Task 2 score.
Band 9 candidates are expected to:
- ✅ Use a wide range of complex structures naturally
- ✅ Avoid errors in tenses, articles, and punctuation
- ✅ Write sentences that are clear, cohesive, and academic
You can check official marking criteria here:
IELTS Band 9 Grammar Writing Checklist
Here is the ultimate self-checklist I give my students to evaluate grammar before finalizing their essays.
1. Tense Accuracy and Consistency
- ✅ Use the correct tense for general truths, trends, and examples
- ✅ Avoid switching tenses unnecessarily within a paragraph
Quick Self-Check:
- Present tense for facts and opinions:
“Global warming is a major issue.” - Past tense for historical examples:
“The government introduced reforms in 2010.” - Future forms (will/going to) for predictions:
“If this trend continues, pollution will increase.”
2. Sentence Variety (Simple, Compound, Complex)
Band 9 writing demonstrates grammatical range.
- ✅ Simple sentences for clear points
- ✅ Compound sentences with coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or)
- ✅ Complex sentences with subordinating clauses (because, although, if)
Example:
“Urbanization is rising. (Simple) It is rising because more people are seeking jobs in cities. (Complex)”
3. Conditional Sentences and Hypotheticals
- ✅ Use Type 2 and Type 3 conditionals to discuss consequences and missed opportunities
- ✅ Include inversion for Band 9
Examples:
- “If governments invested in renewable energy, pollution would decrease.”
- “Had stricter laws been implemented, air quality would have improved.”
4. IELTS Modals for Academic Tone
- ✅ Use may, might, could, should, must to hedge statements
- ✅ Avoid absolute language like always, never
Example:
“Raising fuel prices could encourage people to use public transport.”
5. Cohesion and Transitions
- ✅ Use linking words naturally (Moreover, However, As a result)
- ✅ Avoid starting every sentence with a connector
Example:
“Public transport is essential in reducing congestion. As a result, cities investing in metro systems often see fewer traffic jams.”
6. Relative Clauses and Embedded Phrases
- ✅ Combine sentences to avoid choppiness
- ✅ Use non-defining clauses for additional information
Example:
“Electric cars, which produce zero emissions, are gaining popularity in major cities.”
7. Parallelism and Sentence Balance
- ✅ Keep lists and comparisons grammatically parallel
- ❌ Avoid mixed forms in one sentence
Correct:
“The government should improve education, invest in healthcare, and develop infrastructure.”
Incorrect:
“The government should improve education, healthcare investment, and develop infrastructure.”
8. Punctuation and Capitalization
- ✅ Use commas correctly for non-defining clauses
- ✅ Avoid run-on sentences and fragments
- ✅ Ensure periods, commas, and capitalization are error-free
Example:
“Renewable energy, which is increasingly cost-effective, should be prioritized.”
9. Formal and Academic Style
- ✅ Avoid contractions (don’t, can’t, won’t)
- ✅ Replace informal words with academic alternatives
Before: “Kids spend too much time online.”
After: “Children spend excessive time online.”
10. Proofreading Routine
- ✅ Spend the last 2–3 minutes reviewing your essay
- ✅ Check for subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and missing articles
Teacher Tip:
Read your essay aloud in your head – you will catch more errors than reading silently.
Sample Band 9 Self-Check in Action
“Global warming, which is primarily driven by human activity, continues to threaten ecosystems worldwide. If governments invested more in renewable energy, pollution could decrease significantly. Moreover, public awareness campaigns might encourage citizens to adopt greener lifestyles, leading to long-term environmental benefits.”
- ✅ Tense accuracy (present for general truth)
- ✅ Complex sentences with relative clauses
- ✅ Conditional and modal usage for academic tone
- ✅ Smooth transitions and parallel structure
Quick Practice Exercise
Check this sentence for Band 9 grammar readiness:
“People are using cars, it cause traffic, the government must ban cars.”
Corrected Band 8–9 Version:
“People increasingly use private cars, which causes traffic congestion. The government could implement policies to encourage public transportation instead.”
FAQ Section
Q1: What is the IELTS band 9 grammar writing requirement?
You need error-free, varied, and complex grammar with accurate sentence structures and academic tone.
Q2: How do I check my grammar before the IELTS exam?
Use this IELTS grammar checklist to review tenses, modals, conditionals, cohesion, and punctuation in every essay.
Q3: Can grammar alone get me Band 9 in IELTS Writing?
No. You also need clear ideas, task achievement, and strong vocabulary, but grammar is crucial for Band 8–9 scores.
Conclusion
Achieving IELTS band 9 grammar writing is possible with practice, awareness, and self-checking.
When you:
- ✅ Write error-free sentences with varied structures
- ✅ Use modals, conditionals, and relative clauses naturally
- ✅ Proofread for cohesion and academic tone
… your essay is ready to impress the examiner and reach Band 7–9.
🔗 Next step: Print this checklist, use it for every practice essay, and combine it with the strategies from our IELTS Writing Task 2 Grammar for Band 7–9 to secure the highest score possible.
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