Looking at key areas of the English language.
OET Grammar
There is no specific Grammar test paper in the OET. However, there are some areas of Grammar that are important to know and be accurate when using them. Each paper requires you to have a good understanding of Grammar for you to be successful in the OET.
This exam is about funtioning well in a workplace environment. The most important thing in that context is communication; both understanding and being understood. You are not expected to have perfect grammar.
Listening - grammar can often make the difference between an answer being right and wrong. Pay particular attention to the wording of the question as a slight change in grammar can make a huge change in meaning.
Speaking - it is important to find a balance between fluency and accuracy, there is no point in speaking quickly if it means you make more mistakes, and equally, there is no point in being perfect if it takes a few minutes to say each sentence. So you must try to get lot's of practice if you want to get better.
Reading - this paper will contain the most challenging texts and for you to be able to read and understand them quickly, it is important to recognise different sentence structures, as well as being able to read between the lines (understand the implied meaning). To be able to function well with high level text both grammar and vocabulary are vitally important.
Writing - in OET letter writing there are four main tenses: Simple Present, Present Continuous, Present Perfect and Simple Past. These tenses cover 90-95% of what you will need in a letter. However, there are many other areas that are important too, such as dependent prepositions, use of articles, and using the correct part of speech (e.g. Verb, Noun, Adjective). There are specific Grammar exercises in this section and you can practise what you have learned in the other sections.
Tenses
It is important to be able to use the correct tense both in your writing and speaking, and for you to be able to understand their purpose when used by others. The following exercises and explanations will help you to become a confident user of tenses in English.
Modal verbs
Modal verbs are used to show likelihood, ability, permission or obligation. They include must, shall, will, should, would, can, could, may and might.