Grammar Mistakes That Destroy Your PTE Writing Score

PTE Writing Grammar Mistakes — What Nepali Students Get Wrong Most

Grammar errors in PTE Academic Writing reduce your Grammar sub-score (Skills Profile diagnostic), which feeds into the Writing communicative-skill score on your overall result. For students targeting 79 in Writing, consistent grammar errors are often the final barrier. These are the most common grammar mistakes Nepali students make and how to fix them before your exam.

For broader context, see the PTE score requirements guide and the PTE Writing tips and templates.

1. Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

Nepali grammar does not use the same subject-verb agreement rules as English. This makes agreement errors frequent and often invisible to Nepali writers.

Wrong: "The number of students who fail the exam are increasing."

Right: "The number of students who fail the exam is increasing." (subject = "number", singular)

Fix: Always identify the true subject of your main verb. Ignore any relative clause or prepositional phrase between subject and verb when checking agreement.

Pearson scoring is updated periodically — see the latest PTE Academic Scoring page for current criteria.

2. Article Errors (a / an / the / zero article)

English articles are one of the most complex systems for speakers of languages without articles (Nepali, Chinese, Japanese). Common patterns that affect PTE Writing scores:

• Using "the" before a general concept: "The education is important" → "Education is important"
• Omitting "the" before a specific reference: "Government should address problem" → "The government should address the problem"
• Using "a" before plural: "a improvements" → "improvements"

Fix: First mention of a specific noun — use "a/an". Subsequent mentions or a unique reference — use "the". General concepts (society, education, technology) — use no article.

3. Tense Inconsistency

Switching between present and past tense within a paragraph (without a logical reason) disrupts Written Discourse scoring. PTE Academic essays should use consistent present tense for general arguments and claims.

Wrong: "Technology has transformed society. People depended more on devices and this affected relationships."

Right: "Technology has transformed society. People have become more dependent on devices, which has affected personal relationships."

4. Relative Clause Construction

Relative clauses are essential for SWT one-sentence summaries and for complex sentence construction in essays. Common errors:

• Incorrect use of "which" vs "who": Use "who" for people, "which" for things
• Dangling relative clauses: "The study was conducted by researchers, which found..." → "The study, which found..." (attach to the noun, not the previous clause)

5. Parallelism Errors in Lists

When listing ideas with "and", "or", or "but", all items must follow the same grammatical form.

Wrong: "The benefits include saving time, to reduce costs, and improving efficiency."

Right: "The benefits include saving time, reducing costs, and improving efficiency."

How to Fix These Before Your Exam

The fastest way to reduce grammar errors is targeted proofreading practice:

1. Write one essay or SWT daily
2. After writing, re-read ONLY for subject-verb agreement errors — nothing else
3. Next read: check all articles
4. Next read: check tense consistency
5. Three targeted reads catch more than one general proofread

Top 5 Grammar Errors That Cost Nepali Students Marks

Error category	Example (wrong)	Fix (correct)	Frequency
Article use (a/an/the)	"In conclusion, technology has transformed society"	"In conclusion, the technology has transformed society" (depends on context — most academic uses need definite/indefinite)	Very high — Nepali first-language interference
Subject-verb agreement	"The data shows that students is improving"	"The data shows that students are improving"	High — common in retake essays
Preposition use	"We discussed about the issue"	"We discussed the issue" (no preposition needed)	High
Tense consistency	"The author argues that we should focused on..."	"The author argues that we should focus on..."	Medium — under time pressure
Comma splices	"Climate change damages ecosystems, governments must respond"	"Climate change damages ecosystems, and governments must respond"	Medium — esp. in SWT

Mistake → Fix: Grammar Patterns That Repeat in Retakes

• Mistake: Using "discuss about" / "explain about" — Nepali-Indian English carryover.
  Fix: "discuss" and "explain" are transitive — no "about." "We discuss the topic." "She explains the concept."
• Mistake: Using "many a times" or "day by day" as connectors.
  Fix: These are first-language patterns. Use standard academic connectors: "frequently," "increasingly," "over time."
• Mistake: Plural forms with uncountable nouns ("informations," "advices," "researches").
  Fix: These are uncountable in standard English. Use "information," "advice," "research" (singular forms).
• Mistake: Run-on sentences in SWT to fit content into one sentence.
  Fix: Use subordinating conjunctions ("while," "although") and relative clauses ("which suggests"). One sentence does not mean one long stream.
• Mistake: Misspelling repeated keywords ("envoirnment" four times in one essay).
  Fix: Spelling errors compound. Drill your top-misspelled words from past attempts before booking the test.

Step-by-Step Proofreading Method (3 minutes)

1. Minute 1: Read for grammar — articles, subject-verb agreement, prepositions, tenses.
2. Minute 2: Read for word count — verify against the task's target range.
3. Minute 3: Read for spelling — slow down on multi-syllable words and academic vocabulary.

Use this discipline on every Writing task. Three minutes of structured proofreading catches more errors than fifteen minutes of careful drafting.

Why Grammar Scoring Is Heavier Than Vocabulary

The Grammar enabling skill weighs heavily across Writing tasks. A student with strong vocabulary but weak grammar scores lower than a student with average vocabulary and clean grammar. This is why Nepali students who memorise advanced vocabulary lists often plateau at 70-72 in Writing — the grammar gaps overwhelm the vocabulary gains. Fix grammar accuracy first; vocabulary expansion second.

Daily Grammar Drill Schedule for Nepali Students

1. Monday — Articles drill: 30 sentences requiring a/an/the. Use a reference list of the most common article-error patterns.
2. Tuesday — Subject-verb agreement: 30 sentences with tricky subjects (data, news, government, family).
3. Wednesday — Prepositions: 30 collocation sentences (impact on, responsible for, depend on).
4. Thursday — Tense consistency: 10 short paragraphs to maintain consistent tense throughout.
5. Friday — Comma splices and run-ons: Rewrite 20 problem sentences using subordinating conjunctions.
6. Weekend — Apply to one full essay + one SWT: Real timed practice. Self-mark for the week's grammar focus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PTE penalise for every single grammar error?

No. PTE's Grammar enabling skill assesses the range and accuracy of your grammatical structures across the full response. One or two minor errors in a structurally complex response score better than no errors in a very simple response.

Is it better to use simple grammar correctly or complex grammar with some errors?

At the Writing 79+ level, you need to demonstrate grammatical range — i.e., using complex structures (relative clauses, passive voice, conditionals) alongside simple ones. Correct simple sentences only (no errors, but also no complexity) typically cap Writing at around 70-73.

Writing Score Improvement

Grammar coaching is part of both the 15-day group batch and the 1-on-1 mentorship. The 1-on-1 approach provides direct feedback on your specific grammar patterns from your written responses. Browse free study materials or read the full PTE Academic guide.

Continue Your PTE Preparation

Related guides for Nepali students preparing for PTE Academic and PTE Core:

• Flexible essay framework
• SWT formula
• The one-sentence swt rule
• Writing word-limit penalties
• SST and your Writing score
• Free score assessment

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Last fact-checked on 2026-05-08 against official sources (Pearson PTE, Australia Department of Home Affairs, AHPRA, IRCC, GOV.UK, INZ). Test fees, score requirements, and visa rules can change at any time — always verify the latest details on the relevant official website before booking or applying.