Collocations: the quickest way to sound natural in IELTS
Why collocations matter more than rare words, 30 high-frequency IELTS collocations, and how to check them.
By IELTSora teaching team · Updated · 2 min read
What collocations are
Collocations are word partners that native speakers use together. We say "heavy traffic", not "strong traffic"; "make progress", not "do progress". Using the natural partner is a clear sign of a wide, accurate vocabulary.
Thirty useful collocations
Grouped by common IELTS topics:
- Environment: reduce emissions, renewable energy, climate change, environmental damage, a serious threat
- Education: acquire knowledge, academic performance, higher education, tuition fees, a broad curriculum
- Work: a heavy workload, job satisfaction, flexible hours, career prospects, earn a living
- Health: a balanced diet, regular exercise, mental health, a sedentary lifestyle, public health
- Technology: rapid advances, online privacy, social media platforms, access information, digital skills
- Change: a sharp rise, a gradual decline, remain stable, reach a peak, fluctuate slightly
How to check a collocation
If you're not sure two words go together, search for the exact phrase in quotation marks in a learner's dictionary or a large news site. Natural collocations appear thousands of times; unnatural ones rarely appear at all.
Common collocation errors
These mistakes are very common in IELTS essays. Each one is understandable, but it marks the writing as less natural:
- "do a mistake" → make a mistake
- "strong rain" → heavy rain
- "big traffic" → heavy traffic
- "increase knowledge" → expand / broaden knowledge
- "make a crime" → commit a crime
- "high price of living" → high cost of living