Makshud.

Writing · Unit 2: Common mistakes

W15: "He go", "people is": agreement and tense slips

Target band 6 to 6.5

"People is worried." "The number of students are increasing." "He go to university every day." These mistakes are small, but examiners notice every one. They're called subject-verb agreement errors, and with tense mixing, they're among the most common grammar slips in our writing.

Why this matters

Each slip makes a sentence "not error-free". At band 7, you need many error-free sentences. These mistakes are also very visible. An examiner sees "people is" and immediately thinks band 6 or below.

Part 1: Subject-verb agreement

The verb must match the subject. Singular subject, singular verb. Plural subject, plural verb.

The third-person -s rule

  • He goes. She works. It seems.
  • Not: He go. She work. It seem.

Tricky subjects

Subject Singular or plural? Example
people plural People are worried.
everyone, everybody singular Everyone has a phone.
each of the students singular Each of the students has a laptop.
the number of students singular The number of students is rising.
a number of students plural A number of students are absent.
information, advice, research uncountable, singular This information is useful.
the government usually singular in IELTS The government has introduced a law.

Watch for long subjects

When the subject is long, find the main noun.

  • The cost of living in big cities is rising. (Not: are, even though cities is plural.)
  • One of the main reasons is traffic. (Not: are.)

Part 2: Tense consistency

Pick the right tense for your task, and stay in it.

Task 1 (past data):

  • Use past simple for completed past periods: rose, fell, was.
  • Use present perfect for change up to now: has increased since 2010.
  • Use future forms for projections: is expected to reach.

Task 2:

  • Use mostly present simple for general truths: Technology changes how we live.
  • Use past simple for specific past examples: When I was at school, we had no computers.
  • Don't switch randomly between past and present.

Common tense slips

Wrong Right
In 2010, sales increase sharply. In 2010, sales increased sharply.
Nowadays people used social media a lot. Nowadays people use social media a lot.
Since 2015, prices rose steadily. Since 2015, prices have risen steadily.

Try it yourself

Correct the mistakes.

  1. The number of cars in Dhaka are increasing every year.
  2. Everyone want a good job.
  3. In 2020, the figure drop to 30%.
  4. One of the biggest problem are pollution.
Show the answers

  1. The number of cars in Dhaka is increasing every year.
  2. Everyone wants a good job.
  3. In 2020, the figure dropped to 30%.
  4. One of the biggest problems is pollution.

Honest note

You probably know these rules already. The problem is speed. When you write fast, the rules disappear. That's why a final check, looking only for agreement and tense, is so valuable.

Your task today

In your last essay, underline every verb. Check that each one matches its subject and fits the tense.

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