IELTS Writing Checker
- Scores your essay across all 4 IELTS criteria: TR, CC, LR, GRA.
- Identifies which criterion is the band score bottleneck.
- Ranks fixes by score impact — fix the right problem first.
- Designed specifically for Task 1 and Task 2 exam writing.
- Shows why your essay might score 6.0 even with perfect grammar.
Grammarly
- Excellent grammar, spelling, and punctuation correction.
- Sentence clarity and tone suggestions for general English.
- Synonym suggestions to avoid word repetition.
- Does not evaluate Task Response or Coherence criteria.
- Does not provide an IELTS band score estimate.
Why fixing grammar first can be the wrong move
Most IELTS candidates assume that more grammar corrections = higher band. But grammar (GRA) is only 25% of the total score. If your essay is losing marks because it does not fully answer the question (Task Response), or because ideas jump between paragraphs without clear structure (Coherence), then grammar polishing will not move your band at all.
The IELTS checker tells you where the real score loss is. Grammarly handles the polish after you fix the structure.
Side-by-side comparison
The 25% problem
Grammar Range and Accuracy is only 25% of your IELTS Writing score. Grammarly addresses that 25%. The IELTS checker addresses all 100% — and often finds that the other 75% is the real issue.
When to use Grammarly
After you have diagnosed and fixed your main criterion issue with the IELTS checker, use Grammarly to clean up any remaining grammar and punctuation errors before your final submission or next practice attempt.
The polished-but-low trap
Students who only use Grammarly often score 6.0 on a grammatically clean essay because Task Response or Coherence is still weak. The essay reads well in English but fails the IELTS-specific criteria.
Best workflow: diagnose first, polish second
Step 1
Write your Task 1 or Task 2 draft under timed conditions.
Step 2
Run it through the IELTS checker — see the criterion score breakdown and the main fix.
Step 3
Revise based on the highest-impact criterion issue (often TR or CC, not grammar).
Step 4
Run the revised draft through Grammarly to fix any remaining grammar and punctuation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Grammarly good for IELTS writing preparation?
Grammarly is genuinely useful for cleaning up grammatical errors, catching punctuation mistakes, and improving sentence clarity. The problem is that IELTS is not only about grammar. A polished, error-free essay can still score 6.0 if Task Response is incomplete or paragraphs lack logical development. Grammarly will not show you those issues.
Can I use Grammarly and an IELTS checker together?
Yes — and this is the recommended workflow. Use the IELTS checker first to find the main score blocker (often Task Response or Coherence, not grammar). Fix those structural problems first. Then use Grammarly to polish grammar and punctuation in your revised draft. If you do it the other way around, you risk spending time on surface grammar when the real issue is argument development.
Why does Grammarly not improve my IELTS band score?
Because Grammar Range and Accuracy is only one of four equally weighted IELTS criteria. If your Task Response is incomplete — you did not fully answer the question — you will score below Band 7 regardless of how perfect your grammar is. Grammarly only addresses the grammar criterion. The IELTS checker looks at all four.
Does the IELTS checker fix grammar like Grammarly?
Not in the same way. The checker identifies grammar patterns that reduce your GRA score, but it does not provide Grammarly-style line-by-line grammar correction. For IELTS preparation, the most useful workflow is: run the IELTS checker to diagnose the band, fix the high-impact criterion issue, then use Grammarly for final grammar polish.
Which tool should I use first before my IELTS exam?
Use the IELTS checker first. It shows you whether your essay would actually pass the examiner's content criteria — Task Response, Coherence, and Vocabulary. If those are solid, run Grammarly to clean up grammar and punctuation. Doing it this way stops you from spending revision time on the wrong problem.