Natural vocabulary: collocations over rare words

A collocation is a pair or group of words that naturally go together. We say heavy rain, not strong rain. We make a decision, not do a decision. Native speakers don't think about these combinations. They just sound right. For learners, collocations are the secret behind vocabulary that sounds natural, and natural vocabulary is what band 7 and 8 are about.

Why this matters

The band descriptors mention collocation directly in Lexical Resource. At band 7, writers use less common vocabulary with awareness of style and collocation. At band 8, they use a wide range fluently and flexibly. Learning collocations by topic is the most efficient way to build that range.

Types of collocation

Type	Examples
adjective + noun	a major concern, a growing number, a significant impact
verb + noun	pose a threat, raise awareness, take measures, play a role
adverb + adjective	highly effective, widely accepted, deeply concerned
verb + adverb	rise sharply, vary considerably, depend heavily on
noun + noun	traffic congestion, energy consumption, job security

Collocations by IELTS topic

Education

acquire knowledge, gain qualifications
academic performance, a well-rounded education
tuition fees, higher education

Environment

reduce emissions, tackle climate change
renewable energy, carbon footprint
endangered species, natural habitats

Health

a sedentary lifestyle, a balanced diet
raise awareness, public health campaigns
the risk of disease, mental wellbeing

Technology

rapid technological advances, digital literacy
online privacy, screen time
replace human workers, access information

Work and economy

job security, career prospects
a competitive job market, unemployment rate
economic growth, the cost of living

Society and government

take measures, implement policies
social inequality, low-income families
commit a crime, crime rates

How to use them

Collocations work best inside your own ideas, not forced in.

Forced: "Climate change is a burning issue which poses a threat and we must take measures and raise awareness."

Natural: "Rising sea levels pose a serious threat to low-lying countries such as Bangladesh, so governments need to take urgent measures to protect coastal communities."

How to learn collocations

Notice them in reading. When two words seem to belong together, write them down as a pair.
Learn them by topic. Group them under education, environment, and so on.
Check them. Free online collocation dictionaries show what goes with what.
Use five new ones a week in practice essays.

Try it yourself

Choose the natural collocation.

(make / do) progress
(strong / heavy) traffic
(pose / give) a risk
(high / expensive) cost of living

Show the answers

1) make. 2) heavy. 3) pose. 4) high.

Honest note

A few well-used collocations are better than many forced ones. If a collocation doesn't fit your idea naturally, leave it out.

Your task today

Choose one topic from this lesson. Write a paragraph using at least five of its collocations naturally.