Many students treat grammar as something instinctive. They rely on what “sounds right” rather than what is right. Unfortunately, grammar does not work that way.
Grammar is governed by a clear set of rules. When students rely on intuition instead of understanding these rules, they turn exams into guesswork, and guesswork leads to inconsistent results.
Across Primary, Secondary, A-Level, and IBDP, weak grammar foundations quietly but significantly affect scores, confidence, and writing quality.
Why Guessing Grammar Is Risky in Exams
Students often say:
- “This sounds correct.”
- “This doesn’t sound right.”
While this may work in casual conversation, exams do not reward instinct. They reward accuracy. If grammar is guessed, marks become unpredictable, and students are left confused about where they went wrong.
Primary School: Grammar Builds the Foundation
In primary school, grammar is tested heavily through:
- MCQs
- Sentence correction
- Composition writing
Once grammar errors appear at this stage, students are not just losing marks, they are building a shaky foundation. Incorrect grammar habits get reinforced, making them harder to fix later.
Exams are not a place for intuition. If students are guessing, their scores will reflect that uncertainty.
Also read: How to Prepare Your Child for Secondary School After PSLE: Essential Transition Tips for Parents
Secondary School: Editing Can Cost (or Gain) 10 Marks
At Secondary level, grammar becomes more technical, especially in editing passages.
It is not uncommon to see students score only 2 or 3 marks out of 10, not because they do not understand English, but because:
- One missed rule leads to multiple errors
- A few mistakes compound into a large loss of marks
- “It sounds right” is no longer enough
Once students master grammar rules and practise consistently, editing becomes the easiest 10 marks added to their paper.
A-Level: Too Late to Be Learning Grammar from Scratch
At A-Level, grammar is assumed knowledge. Yet, many students still make frequent grammatical errors in essays.
The issue is timing. Learning foundational grammar at this stage is difficult because:
- A-Level schedules are extremely packed
- There is little time to relearn basics
- Grammar mistakes affect fluency, clarity, and language scores
Even strong ideas lose impact when grammar disrupts flow. Writing becomes less eloquent, and students are penalised despite good content.
IBDP: Grammar Is Closely Monitored
In the IBDP, essay writing is central across subjects. Grammar accuracy is monitored closely and directly affects assessment.
Some students still treat grammar as guesswork at this stage, but by now, that approach is costly. At this point, grammar should be secure and automatic, allowing students to focus on argument, analysis, and insight.
How Can Students Fix Grammar Effectively?
Grammar improvement does not require memorising everything at once. It requires clarity and consistency.
Students should be able to:
- Identify the 8 main word classes confidently
- Pick out the subject and verb in every sentence
- Apply tense rules consistently and accurately
When these basics are secure, grammar stops feeling confusing and writing improves naturally.
Also read: Overcoming Short Attention Spans: Focus Strategies for Singapore PSLE, O-Level, A-level & IB English
Why Mentored Learning Works: The Production Effect
There is a well-researched learning principle called the production effect.
Students remember information far better when they:
- Read rules aloud
- Hear explanations spoken
- Engage verbally with a mentor
Speaking and hearing information creates stronger memory traces than silent reading. This is why students recall grammar rules more effectively when a mentor talks them through examples step by step.
Grammar sticks when it is explained, practised, corrected, and reinforced verbally.
The Right Support Makes the Difference
Grammar is not intuitive, but it is learnable.
With the right guidance, students stop guessing, start understanding, and gain confidence across all writing tasks.
At Scholars Hall, our mentors work closely with students to:
- Build strong grammar foundations
- Eliminate guesswork
- Improve accuracy, fluency, and exam performance
Book a complimentary 45-minute consultation with our English mentors to find out how we can support your child’s grammar and writing journey, from primary school to IBDP and beyond.
Written by Divyata Raut,
English Mentor at Scholars Hall