“Grammar Exercise: Identifying and Correcting Preposition Errors in IELTS Essays”

As an IELTS candidate, it’s important to be able to identify and correct grammatical errors in your writing. Not only will this improve the overall quality of your essay, but it can also boost your score in the grammar and coherence and cohesion criteria of the IELTS writing test. In this exercise, we will go through a sample essay and identify common grammatical errors, then provide the corrected version for each sentence. Try to identify the mistake before you look at the correct sentence.


  1. In the past decade the amount of obese children has been risen by almost by 20 percent in the urban community.
    Corrected: In the past decade, the number of obese children has risen by almost 20 percent in the urban community.

  2. This essay will discuss why this has occurred and examine the consequences of this worrying trend.
    Corrected: This essay will discuss the reasons why this has occurred and examine the consequences of this concerning trend.

  3. Nowadays, children less indulge in physical activities.
    Corrected: Nowadays, children are less likely to participate in physical activities.

  4. Schools, governments, parents emphasize more on grades rather than any sports.
    Corrected: Schools, governments, and parents place more emphasis on grades than on sports.

  5. For instance, the mobile, internet, video games have taken the seat of sports and became preferences.
    Corrected: For example, mobile phones, the internet, and video games have replaced sports as preferred activities.

  6. Parents also find it secure rather than sending a child out to play.
    Corrected: Parents also find it safer to keep their children indoors rather than sending them out to play.

  7. There is so much of junk food is available in market to attract children which is impacting their health.
    Corrected: So much junk food is available in the market to attract children, which is impacting their health.

  8. Food like pizza, burger and other snacks options which children like to eat than healthy food.
    Corrected: Food such as pizza, burgers, and other snack options are more appealing to children than healthy food.

  9. Less physical activities making them obese and from the very young age there have been cases of diabetics, high blood seen in children.
    Corrected: Less physical activity leads to obesity, and there have been cases of diabetes and high blood pressure seen in children at a very young age.

  10. They feel lonely and depressed and start looking for other modes; eventfully they spend more time on mobile or Internet.
    Corrected: They feel lonely and depressed and start looking for other ways to cope; eventually, they spend more time on their mobile phones or the internet.
    In conclusion, it’s important to take the time to proofread your IELTS essays and identify and correct grammatical errors. By focusing on common errors such as verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions, you can improve the overall quality of your writing and increase your chances of achieving a higher score on the IELTS test. Remember to book a free class with a coach to get benefited through a live class and achieve your desired band.