Free IELTS Essay Checker
IELTS essay checker — every error found and corrected
Grammar, vocabulary, coherence, and task errors — all highlighted directly in your essay text with corrections and plain-English explanations. Know exactly what to fix before you sit the exam.
No account needed to try · 2 free checks per month · No credit card
How it works
Three steps to a clean essay
Paste your essay
Copy and paste your Task 1 or Task 2 essay. Select the task type so the checker applies the right error criteria.
AI scans all 4 error categories
The AI reads your essay against official IELTS band descriptors and identifies every error across grammar, vocabulary, coherence, and task achievement.
Every error highlighted with a fix
Errors appear highlighted directly in your essay text. Each one shows the correction, the category, and a plain-English explanation so you understand the rule.
Error categories
What types of errors does it find?
IELTS essays are marked on four criteria. The checker catches errors in every one of them — not just grammar. Each error is tagged by category so you know which part of your score it affects.
Subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, article usage, prepositions, and sentence structure. Each grammar error is flagged with the corrected form and a brief rule explanation.
"The government have invested" → "The government has invested" (singular subject)
Wrong word choice, overused words, informal register, and collocation errors. The checker suggests band-appropriate alternatives drawn from academic vocabulary.
"A lot of people" → "A significant proportion of the population" (register + precision)
Weak linking words, abrupt topic shifts, missing topic sentences, and paragraph organisation problems. Coherence errors are the most invisible — they silently lower your CC score.
"However, education is important. Moreover, jobs are scarce." → transition mismatch flagged
Off-topic arguments, missing position statements, unsupported claims, and failure to address all parts of the question. Task Achievement errors alone can cap your band at 5.
Task asks for causes AND solutions — essay only discusses causes — flagged as incomplete
Band score impact
Why error checking matters for band scores
Each error type affects a different IELTS criterion. Fixing only grammar while ignoring task and coherence errors is one of the most common reasons students plateau at Band 6.
Task Achievement (TA)
Task errors are the most severe — a single missed question part can drop TA to Band 5, capping your overall score regardless of grammar.
Coherence & Cohesion (CC)
Coherence errors are invisible until an examiner reads the whole essay. Poor paragraph flow drags CC down even when grammar is perfect.
Lexical Resource (LR)
Vocabulary errors — especially overused words and wrong collocations — prevent LR from exceeding Band 6, even with a large range.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy (GRA)
Grammar errors are the most noticeable, but examiners also reward range. Having zero errors with only simple sentences still caps GRA at Band 6.
The overall band score is the mean of all four criteria rounded to the nearest 0.5. A Band 5 in Task Achievement pulls down even a Band 7 in Grammar — which is why checking all error types together matters.
What you get
Everything in a free check
Inline error highlighting
Every error flagged directly in your essay text — no hunting through a separate list to find where the problem is.
Correction and explanation for each error
See the corrected version alongside a plain-English explanation of the rule so you learn, not just copy.
Errors grouped by category
Grammar, vocabulary, coherence, and task errors separated so you can focus on whichever criterion needs most work.
#1 priority fix
The single change that will raise your band score the most — stated clearly at the top of your report.
Band score across all 4 criteria
TA, CC, LR, and GRA each scored on a 0–9 scale so you can see which criterion the errors are dragging down most.
FAQ
Common questions
How accurate is the IELTS essay error checker?
The checker uses a frontier AI model (Claude) calibrated to the official IELTS Writing Band Descriptors. In consistency tests, it identifies the same grammar and vocabulary errors across repeated checks of the same essay. For task and coherence errors — which require understanding intent — accuracy is slightly lower but still meaningfully better than generic grammar tools. No AI catches 100% of errors; treat it as a thorough first pass before submitting.
How many errors does a typical Band 6 essay have?
In our analysis of Band 6 essays, students average 8–14 grammar errors, 5–9 vocabulary errors, 3–5 coherence errors, and 1–3 task errors per 250-word Task 2 essay. Band 7 essays typically drop below 5 grammar errors and have far fewer vocabulary and task errors. The biggest jump between Band 6 and 7 usually comes from fixing task and coherence issues, not just grammar.
Does it catch grammar errors or style issues — what's the difference?
The checker identifies both. Grammar errors are rule violations: wrong verb form, missing article, incorrect preposition. Style issues are not wrong but sub-optimal: informal register, overused transitions, repetitive sentence structure. Both categories are flagged separately so you know which errors will cost you marks versus which suggestions are optional upgrades.
Can it find errors that Grammarly misses?
Yes — significantly so for IELTS-specific issues. Grammarly has no concept of IELTS register, task fulfilment, or coherence. It won't flag 'a lot of people' as inappropriate vocabulary, won't catch a missing position statement in an opinion essay, and won't detect that you've only addressed one part of a two-part question. The IELTS checker is purpose-built for the exam's specific marking criteria.
Are errors highlighted in the essay text or listed separately?
Both. Errors are highlighted inline so you can see exactly which sentence or phrase triggered the flag. The full error list is also shown below, grouped by category (grammar, vocabulary, coherence, task), with each error's correction and explanation. This makes it easy to skim all grammar errors at once or focus on a specific category.
Does the checker work for Task 1 as well as Task 2?
Yes. For Task 1 Academic, it checks grammar, vocabulary, and coherence errors, plus task-specific issues like a missing overview paragraph or failure to describe key trends. For Task 1 General Training (letters), it additionally checks register — formal vs informal — and flags inappropriate tone. Select your task type before submitting for accurate error detection.
Will fixing all the errors guarantee a higher band score?
Fixing errors removes the things that cost you marks, but band score is also determined by what you do well — vocabulary range, sentence variety, argument development. Think of error-checking as setting a floor: eliminating errors ensures you're not penalised. Building vocabulary range and coherence builds the ceiling. The checker shows both what to remove and your #1 priority fix for positive improvement.
Ready to find every error in your essay?
Free to try — no account needed. Every error highlighted with a fix in under 60 seconds.
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