IELTS Writing for Full-time workers: How to Fix Subject-verb agreement mistakes

Find the real subject of each verb and make the verb match it in number. Watch for long subjects, 'the number of', 'a variety of' and subjects after phrases such as 'as well as'.

At a glance

For: Full-time workers
Problem: Subject-verb agreement mistakes
Scoring criterion: Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Task affected: Task 1 and Task 2
IELTS test: Academic or General Training (check your requirement)
Typical effort: one to two weeks
First step: Underline the subject and verb of each sentence in your essay.

Why this happens to full-time workers

Agreement slips happen when other words come between the subject and verb. They are small errors, but they appear in every paragraph for many candidates and limit the accuracy score.

Why this affects full-time workers: practice is squeezed into evenings, so tired, rushed essays become the norm.

Habitual shorthand and informal phrasing leak into essays.

A strength to build on: Workplace writing, such as emails and reports, already builds clarity and structure.

Fix it in four steps

Underline the subject and verb of each sentence in your essay.
Cross out any phrase between them and check the verb matches the subject alone.
Remember: the number of is singular, a number of is plural.
Check each 'there is' or 'there are' against the noun that follows.

Before and after

Before

The number of cars in cities are increasing.

After

The number of cars in cities is increasing.

Ten-minute drill: Write ten sentences with a long subject and check agreement. Swap with a different sentence set the next day.

Questions and answers

How can full-time workers fix subject-verb agreement mistakes?

Find the real subject of each verb and make the verb match it in number. Watch for long subjects, 'the number of', 'a variety of' and subjects after phrases such as 'as well as'. Habitual shorthand and informal phrasing leak into essays.

How long does it take full-time workers to fix subject-verb agreement mistakes?

Most learners need one to two weeks. Two focused sessions per week plus a daily 10-minute drill is more sustainable than one long weekend session.

Which structures cause most agreement errors?

Long subjects, 'a number of' versus 'the number of', collective nouns and 'there is/are'.

Are agreement errors serious?

A single error is minor, but frequent errors show weak accuracy and can hold the Grammar score at Band 6.

What does a good practice drill look like for full-time workers?

Write ten sentences with a long subject and check agreement. Swap with a different sentence set the next day. Two focused sessions per week plus a daily 10-minute drill is more sustainable than one long weekend session.

How can full-time workers tell they have fixed subject-verb agreement mistakes?

A verb-only proofread finds no agreement errors in three consecutive essays.

What should full-time workers know about their IELTS Writing target?

Candidates working full time need a short, consistent routine focused on the lowest criterion rather than broad study.

Should full-time workers practise this on Task 1, Task 2 or both?

It shows up in both tasks. Fix it in Task 2 first, because Task 2 carries about twice the weight of Task 1, then check Task 1 with the same checklist. Workplace writing, such as emails and reports, already builds clarity and structure.

Can an AI checker help full-time workers with subject-verb agreement mistakes?

An AI checker can show where this pattern appears in your own essay and which criterion it affects, which makes the fix concrete. It gives a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score, so use it to choose the next revision, rewrite, and check again. The first check on this site is free.

Check your own essay

See where subject-verb agreement mistakes appears in your own writing and which criterion it affects, then rewrite the weakest paragraph.

Run a free first check

Feedback is a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score. Last reviewed 2026-11-11. Score requirements change, so confirm them with the organisation that will read your result.