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Using a grammar book

to get the band score you need.

Instructions
Read the essay below. The tutor has marked grammar errors in the text,
using a coding system. The codes indicate the type of error. Correct the
errors in the text on the right. Use a grammar book to help you.

The British politicians Tony Blair and Gordon Brown first met in 1983.

1. tense:

By May 1994, they were senior members of the Labour Party and
tense1

were friends for eleven years. The Labour Party was out of

2. vb:

government, and Blair and Brown were determined to modernise the

party so that it can defeat the Conservative government. Ten years
vb 2

3. word:

later their friendship was over; the two men were still colleagues but
they deeply distrusted themselves.

4. sp:

word 3

How did this happen? The principle reason was the choice of Blair as

Important

sp4

party leader after the sudden death of the existing leader, John Smith,

5. vb:

in 1994. Both Blair and Brown had a realistic possibility to win the
vb5

leadership election, but after long discussions Blair persuaded Brown

6. order:

to not be a candidate. In return, Blair promised he would let Brown

order6

become leader after ten years.

7 cap:

In 1997 the labour party won the general election. Tony Blair became
cap7

8. order:

Prime Minister and Gordon Brown became Chancellor of the

Exchequer, the second role most important in government. But
order8

Brown never accepted really the situation. He felt that if he would

9. order:

order

have challenged Blair for the party leadership in 1994, he would have
tense10

10. tense:

won and become prime minister in 1997.

As time went by, Blair and Brown's relationship reached such low
11

^
point that they did not used to talk to each other for weeks at a time.

11. ^:

vb12

When, after ten years as leader, Blair did not resign, Brown grew even
more embittered and tried to force Blair to resign. Blair eventually

12. vb:

resigned in June 2007 and Brown became prime minister, but his
three years in job were generally unsuccessful and ended in election

13. a/the:

13

a/the

defeat in May 2010.

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IELTS preparation and practice

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Using a grammar book

1. had been

This is the past in the past. We use the past perfect to look back from the past (May 1994) to a
point further back (1983).

2. could

The main sentence is written in the simple past, so this verb must be written in past tense.

3. each other

Blair distrusted Brown, and Brown distrusted Blair. Distrusted themselves would
mean that Blair distrusted himself, and Brown distrusted himself.

4. principal

This is the correct spelling of the adjective which means 'main' or 'primary'. Principle is a noun.

5. possibility of winning

After possibility, use of + -ing form not infinitive with to.

6. not to be

Put not before an infinitive with to.

7. Labour Party

Use capital letters because this is the name of a specific organisation.

8. the second most important role

The superlative form goes before the noun.

9. really accepted

Put really before the verb.

10. if he had challenged

In an if clause which talks about the past, use the past perfect.

11. such a low point

After such, use a or an.

12. did not use to

The negative of used to is did not use to.

There is no d at the end of use because it is the infinitive form.

13. in the job

Use the because this was a specific job.

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