Frequent Tense Errors in IELTS

Jan 17, 2022

Frequent tense errors are made by aspirants for IELTS exams. Tenses are three types. They are present, past and future tenses. There are various types of tense mistakes made by the candidates during sentence formation. While candidates who receive 5 Band scores have basic mistakes in sections like writing and speaking, students getting IELTS band 7 or above may make mistakes when writing complex sentences.

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Grammatical Errors in IELTS

A regular practice of IELTS vocabulary, idioms, phrases helps to lessen the tense errors in all the sections of IELTS exam. Here are a few lists of IELTS grammar tense errors that are to be corrected while answering IELTS exam.

Here each table identifies the mistakes, and teaches you the correct form. Including these tips to correct sentences in your IELTS preparation helps to master this section.

Frequent common errors and correct sentences for Present Simple Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular/plural subject + verb (1) + object	Every day, I woke up early in the morning.	Every day, I wake up early in the morning.
Assertive	Singular subject (3rd person) + verb (1+s) + object	She usually take my help.	She usually takes my help.
Negative	Singular subject + DO NOT + verb (1) + object	I does not watch movies every Sunday.	I do not watch movies every Sunday.
Negative	Singular subject (3rd person) + DOES NOT + verb (1) + object	Amelia do not like pizzas.	Amelia does not like pizzas.
Interrogative	DO + Singular / plural subject + verb (1) + object + (?)	Does you called me by my name?	Do you call me by my name?
Interrogative	DOES + Singular subject + verb (1st + s) + object + (?)	Do John attend regularly?	Does John attend regularly?

Frequent common errors and correct sentences for Past Simple Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular subject + verb (2) + object	Yesterday, I go to school.	Yesterday, I went to school.
Assertive	Plural subject + verb (2) + object	I visit Amsterdam in 2020.	I visited Amsterdam in 2020.
Negative	Singular subject + DID NOT + verb (1st) + object	You do not carry me a basket last week.	You did not carry me a basket last week.
Negative	Plural subject + DID NOT + verb (1st) + object	They have not lived here during the ancient period.	They did not live here during the ancient period.
Interrogative	DID + Singular subject + verb (1st) + object + (?)	Do you prepare well for the last exam?	Did you prepare well for the last exam?
Interrogative	DID + Plural subject + verb (1st) + object + (?)	Did they asked him for help when you met him?	Did they ask him for help when you met him?

Frequent common errors and correct sentences for Future Simple Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular/plural subject + shall/will + verb (1) + object	I come to meet you tomorrow.	I shall come to meet you tomorrow.
Negative	Singular/plural subject + SHALL/WILL NOT + verb (1) + object	We do not go to the park today evening.	We shall not go to the park today evening.
Interrogative	SHALL/WILL + Singular/plural subject + verb (1) + object + (?)	Did you drop a letter next month?	Will you drop a letter next month?

Read More about- Uses of Confusing Verbs in IELTS Grammar

Frequent common errors and correct sentences for Present Continuous Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular/Plural subject + am/is/are + verb (participle) + object	I wrote an essay now.	I am writing an essay now.
		You doing homework and listening to music	You are doing homework and listening to music
		She was preparing meals at this moment.	She is preparing meals at this moment.
Negative	Singular/Plural subject + am/is/are NOT + verb (participle) + object	I did not hiding anything from you.	I am not hiding anything from you.
		You are not wearing uniform now,	You are not wearing uniform now,
		She was not carrying anything with her now.	She is not carrying anything with her now.
Interrogative	Am/Is/Are Singular/Plural subject + verb (participle) + object + ?	Do I roll the paper now?	Am I rolling the paper now?
		Was she wearing a necklace at this moment?	Is she wearing a necklace at this moment?
		Did you preparing well for the tomorrow’s exam?	Are you preparing well for the tomorrow’s exam?

Frequent common errors for and correct sentences Past Continuous Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular/Plural subject + was/were + verb (participle) + object	I am sleeping when they came.	I was sleeping when they came.
Assertive		They have wandered in the city when the mishap occurred.	They were wandering in the city when the mishap occurred.
Negative	Singular/Plural subject + was/were NOT + verb (participle) + object	He were not smoking when I saw him.	He was not smoking when I saw him.
Negative		The children was not writing when the teacher entered classroom.	The children were not writing when the teacher entered classroom.
Interrogative	Was/were Singular/Plural subject + verb (participle) + object + ?	Is she feeding birds at that moment?	Was she feeding birds at that moment?
Interrogative		Were you measure the length while I was noting down?	Were you measuring the length while I was noting down?

Frequent common errors for and correct sentences Future Continuous Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular/Plural Subject + shall/will + verb (participle) + object	I was drawing diagrams by this time tomorrow.	I shall be drawing diagrams by this time tomorrow.
Assertive		They are growing vegetables in the next season.	They will be growing vegetables in the next season.
Negative	Singular/Plural Subject + shall/will NOT + verb (participle) + object	She has not learnt anything today evening.	She will not be learning anything today evening.
Negative		We did not follow our master by this time tomorrow.	We shall not be following our master by this time tomorrow.
Interrogative	Shall/Will Singular/Plural subject + verb (participle) + object + (?)	Was I waiting for you tomorrow morning?	Shall I be waiting for you tomorrow morning?
-		Will they be stitch clothes by tomorrow evening?	Will they be stitching clothes by tomorrow evening?

Frequent common errors and correct sentences for Present Perfect Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular/Plural subject + have/has + verb (V3) + oject	I did my homework just now.	I have done my homework just now.
Assertive	Singular/Plural subject + have/has + verb (V3) + oject	He arrived just now.	He has arrived just now.
Negative	Singular/Plural subject + have/has NOT + verb (V3) + object	You had not completed the task yet.	You have not completed the task yet.
Negative	Singular/Plural subject + have/has NOT + verb (V3) + object	She is not modifying the design till now.	She has not modified the design till now.
Interrogative	Have/Has Singular/Plural subject + verb (V3) + object ?	Have you drew their attention?	Have you drawn their attention?
-	Have/Has Singular/Plural subject + verb (V3) + object ?	Has she follow our guidelines?	Has she followed our guidelines?

Frequent common errors and correct sentences for Past Perfect Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular/Plural subject + had + verb (V3) + object	I wrote the exam and came out of the hall.	I had written the exam and came out of the hall.
Negative	Singular/Plural subject + had NOT + verb (V3) + object	We have not read well but submitted the form.	We had not read well but submitted the form.
Interrogative	Had Singular/Plural subject + verb (V3) + object ?	Did you intimated them before you came here?	Had you intimated them before you came here?

Frequent common errors and correct sentences for Future Perfect Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular/Plural Subject + shall/will have + verb (V3) + object	I shall have join the meeting by this time tomorrow.	I shall have joined the meeting by this time tomorrow.
Assertive		They have presented gifts by 7 PM tomorrow.	They will have presented gifts by 7 PM tomorrow.
Negative	Singular/Plural Subject + shall/will NOT have + verb (V3) + object	We do not have caught the train by this time tomorrow,	We shall not have caught the train by this time tomorrow,
Negative		People will not gathered there by this date next month.	People will not have gathered there by this date next month.
Interrogative	Shall/Will Singular/Plural subject have + verb (V3) + object?	Will you done my work by this time tomorrow?	Will you have done my work by this time tomorrow?

Frequent common errors and correct sentences for Present Perfect Continuous Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular/Plural subject + have/has + been + verb (participle) + object	I am doing work for three hours.	I have been doing work for three hours.
-		She was waiting for him since morning.	She has been waiting for him since morning.
Negative	Singular/Plural subject + have/has NOT + been + verb (participle) + object	I did not expect you to come since yesterday.	I have not been expecting you to come since yesterday.
Negative		He has not been grown birds for many days.	He has not been growing birds for many days.
Interrogative	Have/Has Singular/Plural subject + been + verb (participle) + object?	Do you ring a bell for half an hour?	Have you been ringing the bell for half an hour?
-		Is she travelling for a week?	Has she been travelling for a week?

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Frequent common errors and correct sentences for Past Perfect Continuous Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular/Plural subject + had + been + verb (participle) + object	I have been visiting several places for a while last year.	I had been visiting several places for a while last year.
Negative	Singular/Plural subject + had NOT + been + verb (participle) + object	We were not plucking flowers from 10 AM to 12 PM yesterday.	We had not been plucking flowers from 10 AM to 12 PM yesterday.
Interrogative	Had Singular/Plural subject + been + verb (participle) + object?	Were you sending messages to her throughout the last month?	Had you been sending messages to her throughout the last month?

Frequent common errors and correct sentences for Future Perfect Continuous Tense are tabulated below:

Type of Sentence	Structure	Frequent Common Error	Correct Sentence
Assertive	Singular/Plural subject + shall/will + have/has + been + verb (participle) + object	I shall move around the places for six months next year.	I shall have been moving around the places for six months next year.
Assertive		They will be repairing the lawn from morning to evening tomorrow.	They will have been repairing the lawn from morning to evening tomorrow.
Negative	Singular/Plural subject + shall/will + have/has NOT + been + verb (participle) + object	She will not work since morning tomorrow.	She will have not been working since morning tomorrow.
Interrogative	Shall/Will + Singular/Plural subject + have been + verb (participle) + object?	Will you has been harvesting fruits from morning to evening tomorrow?	Will you have been harvesting fruits from morning to evening tomorrow?