5 Must-Have Grammar Books for IELTS Preparation to Score 8+ Bands

Let me guess, you are all set to start your amazing journey abroad and you are preparing for the IELTS exam to make it to your desired universities. IELTS is one of the most popular and easy exams but it still requires prior planning and hard work to get 8+ bands. In this blog, I will cover what is supposed to be the most important part of the IELTS exam- Grammar books for IELTS.

There is no section in IELTS which is dedicated to testing your Grammar, but the IELTS exam tests your grammar in all four sections- Writing, Listening, Speaking, and Reading. If you have a good command of grammar in general then you will surely be able to score high in all of these four sections. 

What is the need for Grammar Books for IELTS?

You must have learned grammar in your school years, but everyone requires a quick revision of all the tenses. Let’s face it many of us still don’t know the correct use of past participle tense or present perfect tense! To score well in the grammar of IELTS, you don’t need to revise all your school textbooks again. All you need is a book that can serve as your complete guide for the grammar of IELTS.

Don’t be too relieved yet; the hard part is yet to come. The hardest part is to shortlist a particular book from the ocean of grammar books for IELTS on the market. 

I will get you relieved from this exact problem in this blog. I will provide you with a list of the best grammar books for IELTS. In this blog not only will I provide a list of the best books, but I will also provide you a detailed summary of all the books which help you to choose the perfect book for you.

Before that, firstly explore the various need to study grammar books for IELTS. 

1. Strong Grammar Foundation: IELTS assesses English proficiency across all four skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. While there is no dedicated grammar section in the test, a solid understanding of grammar principles is essential for effective communication in all aspects of the exam.

2. Error Reduction: Grammatical errors can significantly impact your IELTS score. Grammar books provide clear explanations of grammar rules, helping you identify and avoid common mistakes that could lower your overall band.

3. Improved Accuracy: Consistent practice with grammar exercises enhances accuracy and fluency in your written and spoken English. Grammar books offer a variety of practice tasks, ranging from basic sentence structure to complex sentence patterns.

4. Vocabulary Expansion: Grammar books for IELTS often incorporate vocabulary-building exercises, exposing you to new words and phrases that are relevant to the IELTS context. This helps you express yourself more precisely and effectively in your answers.

5. Exam Preparation: Grammar books for IELTS often include IELTS-specific sample questions and practice tests, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the exam format and assess your grammar skills in a simulated test environment.

6. Self-Paced Learning: Grammar books for IELTS provide a structured approach to grammar improvement, allowing you to learn at your own pace and focus on specific areas of weakness.

7. Supplemental Resources: Grammar books for IELTS can complement other IELTS preparation resources, such as online courses, tutorials, and language apps.

8. Confidence Boost: Improved grammar skills can boost your confidence in using English, which can translate into better performance on the IELTS exam.

9. Long-Term Benefits: Strong grammar skills go beyond the IELTS test and can enhance your overall English proficiency for academic, professional, and personal communication.

10. Accessibility: Grammar books are widely available and affordable, making them an accessible resource for IELTS preparation.

5 Must-have Grammar books for IELTS

1. IELTS Grammar For Bands 6.5 and above with answers and downloadable audio

Grammar is too vast to cover it whole in a limited amount of time. This amazing book for IELTS grammar is written by Diana Hopkins and Pauline Cullen, both of these authors are bestsellers when it comes to Grammar books for IELTS. This book offers all the grammar you possibly need to score 7+ bands in IELTS.

IELTS Grammar for Bands 6.5 and above provides clear explanations and extensive practice of all the grammar you need for scoring 6.5+ bands in the IELTS exam. The specialty of this book is that it is suitable for IELTS Academic and IELTS GT (General Training).

This book not only offers great explanations of all the grammar concepts required for IELTS but also includes a wide range of tasks from the IELTS Reading, Writing, and Listening sections, with answers. It also includes an entry test to help you discover your strengths and weaknesses.

This will maximize your chance of getting all the grammar questions correct. IELTS Grammar for Bands 6.5 and above presents grammar through listening material, so your listening skills will develop while you study from this book. The audio part of this book can be downloaded using the code on the inside front cover. Previously this book was titled Cambridge Grammar for IELTS. This is the best Grammar Book for IELTS.

The prize for IELTS Grammar for Bands 6.5 and above is rupees 3,041 on Amazon. This book also comes with a fabulous 5-star rating which makes it one of the bestsellers among all the Grammar books for IELTS.

2. Cambridge Grammar for IELTS Student’s Book with Answers and Audio CD

This book covers all the important concepts you need for grammar in the IELTS. If you are someone who has always been confused about basic concepts like clauses, conjunctions, verbs, and prepositions then this book is a must for you!

Cambridge Grammar for IELTS Student’s Book contains 25 units. Each of these units are divided into four parts. The four parts are as below:

Context listening section This part of each unit gives you a basic idea of the grammar which that particular unit contains. Often, you spend time reading all the grammar concepts but most of them aren’t relevant to the IELTS exam. This part of each unit of this book solves this problem. 

This part contains only those topics of grammar that are required in the exam. In this way, this gives your study a flow. The unique property of this Cambridge Grammar for IELTS Student’s Book is the useful listening preparation it provides. You can listen to the recording and answer the questions, and you can also check your answers in the key before you read the grammar section.

Grammar section This book is more focused on clearing the concepts and then testing those concepts with several grammar exercises. Before you approach all the exercises you should study through this section. 

This section contains explanations and examples for each rule of grammar. In this way, you can learn all the rules and remember them till the end. You can also refer again to this section whenever you face difficulties in solving the exercises.

Grammar exercises section If you are among those students who get confidence and prepare by practicing exercises and questions, then this section is definitely for you. When you solve these exercises, don’t forget to check your answers from the answer key. Also, if you face any difficulty while solving, you can refer to the Grammar section.

Test practice section Lastly, each unit has a test task. These tasks will help you mimic the real IELTS exam. These tests also contain practice for all the different parts of the IELTS exam.

This book is available on Amazon at a low price of rupees 471. It has also secured a rating of 4.5 stars from over 350 reviews. That’s why it is the best grammar book for IELTS.

3. Oxford Practice Grammar Advanced

Oxford Practice Grammar Advanced is a great book for you if you are someone who has always been confused about tenses.This book is written by George Yule, one of the bestsellers for Grammar books for IELTS. George Yule is divided into 17 units that contain great concepts about tenses that are required for the IELTS.

This books is from Oxford which defines its quality. Each unit contain specific sections for different tenses that will help you clear all your doubts regarding the grammar in IELTS.

Oxford Practice Grammar Advanced also contain exercises that are especially designed for you.This book also comes with a CD to build up your listening skills. The price of this book is quite high for the paperback version on Amazon, which is rupees 23,700, but you can get the kindle edition for lower prices on other websites. That’s why it is the best Grammar Book for IELTS.

4. Get IELTS Band 9 Grammar Secrets

This book shows you how to develop and use the most important factor of the IELTS exam – Academic English grammar. This book guides you how to change your grammar into more formal, precise and advanced English.

If you are someone who faces problems in organising your sentences, your paragraphs and your entire Task 2 essay then IELTS band 9 Grammar secrets is the right book for you. This book contains examples, models and guidelines to follow. This book also teaches you the grammar methods to quickly change your writing from day-to-day English into Band 9 Academic English.

The author of this book is Cambridge IELTS Consultants. They are a team of IELTS trainers and past examiners based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. This team of consultants have many years experience of preparing students for IELTS at University level, assessing the tests and developing course books to guide candidates through the IELTS process. 

This book is available on Amazon at rupees 199 for the Kindle edition. The paperback version is not available on Amazon. IELTS band 9 Grammar secrets has a 4.5 star rating.

5. Cobuild English Grammar [Advanced]

Collins Cbuild English Grammar is a comprehensive book made for students like you as well as teachers of the language. This book offers you a user-friendly style and simple explanations of grammar which can help you gain clarity and confidence. This book comprises of notes on the various situations in which certain grammar points typically appear, authentic examples are provided. 

This book also contains information and the key differences between British and American grammar, but as a student preparing for IELTS grammar you can afford to skip this part. However, this part which contains accents can help you improve your accent for the British and the American English.

The book also includes two supplements that focus on the main contexts in which English is used around the world: academic and business English. These supplements identify the important areas of grammar that you need to master if you want to score high in the Grammar of all the sections of the IELTS.

The new edition of Collins Cbuild English Grammar is also accompanied by a series of engaging blogs and guided worksheets that can help students to understand the usage of English grammar in the writing part of the IELTS exam.

This book is available on Amazon at a price of rupees 1,224 for the paperback version, and the Kindle version is available for rupees 491. This book has gained 4.5 star reviews from 49 reviewers. 

How to improve Grammar for IELTS?

Enhancing your grammar for the IELTS exam requires a combination of focused study, consistent practice, and strategic exposure to the English language. Here’s a comprehensive guide to improving your grammar for IELTS:

Conclusion

Lastly, I will suggest you to go through the contents and the summary of all the books. All the books are different, so you should identify the book which suits you the best. Just buying is not enough, you also need to study whatever book you buy sincerely to achieve all the things that the book aims to provides. All the best for your preparation.

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