IELTS Preparation Unit 8: Grammar - Nouns & Verbs

Hello, I'm Rachel and I teach both IELTS and IELTS Writing at Kaplan Manchester. I've been teaching for 11 years and academic English courses are my absolute favorites!

I'll be offering tips and advice for the IELTS exam to help you prepare properly, focus fully and improve immediately! The sky is the limit! Good luck!

IELTS GRAMMAR TIP - Noun vs. Verb

For IELTS Reading, Listening and Writing, it is essential to use the correct form of words.

Confusing nouns and verbs is a very common mistake. There are 3 simple steps to remember to take.

Step 1: Think of the job the word does in the sentence
Step 2: Think about the differences between noun & verb spelling
Step 3: Re-read your work to check what you have written

The mistakes may be due to:

• spelling
• mis-identification of the word needed
• lack of knowledge

Examples:

1) ______________ in the number of cars on the road means city center traffic is worse than ever.

Does the answer need a noun or a verb? If it is a noun, you will usually have to include the article too.

an increase (n.) ✔

2) Nowadays, governments give citizens simple, effective _________ regarding ways to protect the environment on an individual scale.

Does the answer require a noun or verb? Be careful of uncountable nouns as there will not be a/an/the to help.

advise (v.) x vs. advice (n.) ✔

3) As a result of deforestation, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere  _________ and there is _________ in the Earth's temperature too.

Be careful of nouns and verbs which have the same spelling. You will need to include the article with nouns.

rise (v.) ✔ a rise (n.) ✔

Now it's your turn. Decide whether the words need to be nouns or verbs and then choose a suitable word for each space. Remember the 3 steps above!

1) Litter is a huge ___________ in the modern world. Individual families can ________ the level of pollution by throwing rubbish in bins.

2) Some countries are currently experiencing extreme weather conditions with either _________ or _________ in temperature, reaching +50 and -40 in some areas.

3) Greenhouse gases are a major _______ for environmentalists around the globe as they fight with ___________ to ___________ carbon emissions.

There are several words you can use in the exercise questions above: Share your answers in the comments and we'll let you know if you are correct! 

Our other IELTS preparation articles:

1. Reading for Keywords
2. Capitalization
3. Tips for Speaking
4. Writing on the Subject
5. Pronouncing "S" and "Z"
6. Reading to Expand Your Vocabulary
7. Listening Practice