Mastering verb tenses is crucial for excelling in the IELTS speaking test. Proper use of tenses enhances your grammatical accuracy, clarity, and coherence, which are all vital for achieving a high score. Here’s why tenses matter and how you can improve your use of them.

Why Tenses Matter in IELTS Speaking


1)Grammatical Accuracy:

Correct tense usage demonstrates your command of English grammar, which is essential for a high score.

2)Clarity and Coherence:

Using appropriate tenses helps convey your ideas clearly and logically, making your speech easier to follow.

3) Task Achievement:

Different tasks in the test require different tenses. Using the correct tense ensures you fully address the task requirements.

4) Fluency:

A range of tenses shows flexibility and fluency in your language use,  and will impact your band score in a good way.

Now let’s talk about how you can master your tenses for IELTS speaking

Understand the Different Tenses:

• Present Simple: Routine actions and general truths (e.g., "I read every day.")
• Present Continuous: Actions happening now (e.g., "I am reading a book.")
• Past Simple: Completed past actions (e.g., "I read that book last week." – note the past tense pronunciation of the word “read” in this sentence)
• Past Continuous: Ongoing past actions (e.g., "I was reading when you called.")
• Present Perfect: Actions with present relevance (e.g., "I have read many books.")
• Future Simple: Future actions (e.g., "I will read that book next.")

Next, practice your tenses with timelines and by visualizing tenses on a timeline to understand when actions occur.

Describe daily routines: "I usually wake up at 7 AM."

Talk about current activities: "I am studying for my exams."

Narrate past experiences: "I visited Paris last year."

Discuss life achievements: "I have lived here for five years."

Express future plans: "I will travel to Japan next month."

So, using tenses correctly is essential for success in the IELTS speaking test. It ensures your responses are accurate, clear, and coherent. By understanding and practicing different tenses, you can improve your speaking performance and achieve a higher score.

Regular practice and feedback are key to mastering tenses and excelling in your IELTS speaking test. Take an IELTS Speaking class to kick off your practice.