A collocation is a pair or group of words that naturally occur together in English — 'make a decision' (not 'do a decision'), 'raise awareness' (not 'increase awareness'), 'tackle a problem' (not 'fight a problem'). Mastering collocations is the most reliable way to move from Band 6 to Band 7 Lexical Resource, because examiners reward natural-sounding vocabulary use — which means correct collocational choices. This guide provides 50 high-value collocations across five IELTS topic areas.
1Environment Collocations (10 pairs)
combat climate change, reduce carbon emissions, deplete natural resources, tackle environmental issues, address the root causes, mitigate the effects of, preserve biodiversity, promote sustainable development, implement environmental policies, raise environmental awareness. Example sentences: 'Governments must combat climate change through binding international agreements.' 'Sustainable development requires simultaneously addressing economic growth and environmental preservation.' 'Raising environmental awareness among consumers is a necessary but insufficient response to systemic ecological challenges.' Note the natural pairings: 'raise awareness' ✓ (not 'increase awareness'), 'tackle issues' ✓ (not 'fight issues'), 'implement policies' ✓ (not 'do policies').
2Education Collocations (10 pairs)
pursue higher education, develop critical thinking, acquire knowledge and skills, provide equal opportunities, foster a love of learning, address educational inequality, implement curriculum reforms, promote lifelong learning, equip students with (skills), broaden academic horizons. Example sentences: 'Tertiary institutions must equip students with both technical competencies and the critical thinking skills required in a rapidly changing economy.' 'Educational inequality is most effectively addressed by improving the quality of provision in disadvantaged areas rather than solely expanding access to elite institutions.' 'Fostering a genuine love of learning from early childhood produces students who pursue knowledge intrinsically rather than instrumentally.',
3Society and Health Collocations (10 pairs)
bridge the gap, address social inequality, tackle poverty, promote social cohesion, strengthen community ties, improve public health, adopt a healthy lifestyle, alleviate suffering, enhance well-being, reduce healthcare disparities. Example sentences: 'Progressive taxation systems help bridge the gap between the wealthiest and poorest members of society.' 'Investment in community infrastructure strengthens community ties and fosters the sense of belonging essential for social cohesion.' 'Preventing non-communicable diseases through public health campaigns is significantly more cost-effective than treating them once established.'
4Economy and Government Collocations (15 pairs)
stimulate economic growth, drive innovation, boost productivity, create employment opportunities, impose regulations, generate revenue, distribute wealth, attract foreign investment, implement fiscal policy, foster entrepreneurship, alleviate poverty, reduce unemployment, invest in infrastructure, promote free trade, regulate the market. The most commonly misused economic collocations: 'Governments should create (not 'make') employment opportunities.' 'The policy will stimulate (not 'increase') economic growth.' 'Imposing (not 'putting') regulations on corporations.' 'Attracting (not 'bringing') foreign investment.' Correct collocation use is an immediate indicator of vocabulary range and precision — one of the most visible Lexical Resource signals to examiners.
🎯 Key Takeaway
Learning collocations transforms vocabulary use from tentative and awkward to confident and natural. The most efficient learning method: study collocations in context (example sentences), not as bare pairs. Write one sentence per collocation the day you learn it, review 5 days later, then review again at 2 weeks. This spaced repetition converts collocations into active vocabulary within three reviews.