Nouns and Prepositions for IELTS Writing

Is it ‘in, on, by or to’?

Using prepositions is important in explaining both the overview and the reporting the details in Task 1 writing.

To gain a high score you need to be able to use basic prepositions well enough so they don’t draw unnecessary attention to your writing.

They are especially important in IELTS Band Scoring as they are a feature of both the lexical resource, grammar and the coherence band scores.

Where are prepositions used in IELTS?

You will find the need to use prepositions in Charts, Graphs and Tables, as well as in Maps and Process Diagrams.

It’s not possible to predict the prepositions you will need in the IELTS Test, so just need to be as confident as you can be in using them.

Be aware that prepositions in your language do not always translate directly and this can create problems in your writing.

Italian speakers may come up with sentence constructions like

‘I go to the home’

while other languages may use just one preposition for many situations.

Always check the correct form and usage in English!

Examples

In the chart …

at around 5 % …

reached a peak of 1600 ….

the metro stop on the main road…

the percentage stood at ….

the number of people dropped to ….

the position of the school library moved from ……..to.…..

The total number is about …

The overall number dropped to a low figure ….

Why are prepositions important?

Having a good command of prepositions is vital.

They add precision to the details that you are giving, necessary for task achievement.

They add to the coherence of your writing, making it easier to read.

If they are used grammatically well, they will not look wrong, odd or out-of-place.

In other words, these small words used well, can really improve your writing.

Try this test.

Can you choose the best propositions for the phrases below.

The answers are below.

The Answers are

Propositions with Nouns

There has been a slight rise in the number of men employed.

Experts expect there to be a fall of approximately 30% over the next decade.

The introduction of digital downloads has led to a decline in CD sales.

Can you spot the pattern – when to use [ in ] and when to use [ of ]

Can you remember it and use it?

Rise + in the number (noun phrase)

Fall + of approximately (Noun + adverb)

Decline + CD sales (noun phrase)

Good news

The good news is, although learning prepositions can be difficult and confusing, especially for beginners, it is easy to practice remembering these small words for Task 1 Writing.

Always create a good habit

Practice and then develop your knowledge of prepositions with the basic, simple phrases.

Just repeat them, so they become a good habit formed!

The more often you do this, the easier it will become.

Easy! 🙂

Using Prepositions Trends Changes

Any questions about this post, comment below and please share!

Jonathan