Common Collocations to Boost Your IELTS Writing Score (70+ Examples)

Here’s something many IELTS candidates don’t realize: it’s not just which words you use — it’s how naturally they fit together. Native speakers don’t randomly combine words; they use predictable word partnerships called collocations. Saying “make a decision” sounds natural. Saying “do a decision” sounds wrong, even though the grammar is technically fine.

Examiners notice this immediately. Using accurate collocations is one of the fastest ways to boost your score under the Lexical Resource criterion, because it signals that you understand English the way a fluent speaker actually uses it — not just as a list of individual words.

This post gives you 60+ high-value collocations, grouped by IELTS Writing topic, along with example sentences showing natural use. Learn these in phrases, not single words, and your writing will immediately sound more fluent and precise.

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What Exactly Is a Collocation?

A collocation is simply a natural combination of words — usually a verb + noun, adjective + noun, or adverb + adjective — that native speakers use together habitually.

For example:

• We say “heavy rain”, not “strong rain.”
• We say “make progress”, not “do progress.”
• We say “raise awareness”, not “increase awareness” (though “increase” isn’t wrong, “raise” is far more natural here).

Learning vocabulary in these fixed chunks — rather than as isolated words — is one of the most efficient ways to sound more fluent, both in Writing and Speaking.

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Collocations for Environment Topics

1. Take action (against pollution) → Governments must take action to reduce plastic waste.
2. Raise awareness → Campaigns aim to raise awareness about climate change.
3. Natural resources → Overconsumption depletes the planet’s natural resources.
4. Renewable energy → Investment in renewable energy has grown steadily.
5. Global warming → Global warming is accelerating the melting of polar ice.
6. Carbon emissions → Stricter regulations aim to cut carbon emissions.
7. Environmentally friendly → More consumers are choosing environmentally friendly products.
8. Endangered species → Deforestation puts many endangered species at risk.
9. Adverse effects → Pesticides can have adverse effects on soil quality.
10. Strike a balance (between development and conservation) → Cities must strike a balance between growth and sustainability.

Collocations for Education Topics

11. Acquire knowledge → Students acquire knowledge more effectively through practical experience.
12. Broaden one’s horizons → Studying abroad helps students broaden their horizons.
13. Lifelong learning → Lifelong learning is essential in a rapidly changing job market.
14. Academic performance → Sleep quality strongly influences academic performance.
15. Higher education → Access to higher education remains unequal in many countries.
16. Practical skills → Schools should focus more on practical skills, not just theory.
17. Meet the demands (of the job market) → Curricula must evolve to meet the demands of the job market.
18. Foster creativity → Art classes help foster creativity in young children.
19. Play a vital/key role → Teachers play a key role in shaping students’ futures.
20. Draw on experience → Vocational courses allow students to draw on real-world experience.

Collocations for Technology Topics

21. Cutting-edge technology → Cutting-edge technology has transformed the healthcare industry.
22. Keep pace with (change) → Regulations struggle to keep pace with technological change.
23. Have access to → Not everyone has access to reliable internet connections.
24. Bridge the gap → New initiatives aim to bridge the digital gap between rural and urban areas.
25. Pose a threat (to privacy) → Facial recognition technology poses a threat to personal privacy.
26. Streamline processes → Automation has helped companies streamline their processes.
27. Widespread use → The widespread use of smartphones has changed how people communicate.
28. Rely heavily on → Modern businesses rely heavily on digital infrastructure.
29. Rapid advances (in technology) → Rapid advances in AI have raised ethical questions.
30. Data breach → Companies face serious consequences after a data breach.

Collocations for Health Topics

31. Lead a healthy lifestyle → Regular exercise helps people lead a healthy lifestyle.
32. Physical and mental well-being → Work-life balance contributes to physical and mental well-being.
33. Adopt a diet → Many people adopt a diet high in processed foods.
34. Take a toll on (health) → Long working hours take a toll on employees’ health.
35. Increase the risk of → A sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of heart disease.
36. Access to healthcare → Access to healthcare varies significantly between regions.
37. Combat obesity → Public health campaigns aim to combat childhood obesity.
38. Boost immunity → A balanced diet can help boost immunity.
39. Chronic illness → Chronic illness places a heavy burden on healthcare systems.
40. Alleviate stress → Regular exercise can help alleviate stress.

Collocations for Society & Crime Topics

41. Commit a crime → Poverty is often linked to a higher likelihood of committing a crime.
42. Impose a fine/penalty → Authorities have imposed heavy fines on repeat offenders.
43. Deter crime → Stricter laws are intended to deter crime.
44. Social cohesion → Community programs help strengthen social cohesion.
45. Widening gap (between rich and poor) → There is a widening gap between rich and poor in many cities.
46. Uphold the law → Citizens are expected to uphold the law.
47. Address the issue → Governments must address the issue of rising inequality.
48. Marginalized communities → Marginalized communities often lack access to basic services.
49. Public safety → New measures aim to improve public safety in urban areas.
50. Root cause (of crime) → Poverty is often cited as the root cause of crime.

Collocations for Economy & Work Topics

51. Economic growth → Rapid economic growth has lifted millions out of poverty.
52. Create job opportunities → New industries can create job opportunities for young people.
53. Cost of living → The rising cost of living has affected household budgets.
54. Boost the economy → Tourism can significantly boost the local economy.
55. Financial stability → Steady employment contributes to financial stability.
56. Widen the income gap → Automation may widen the income gap between skilled and unskilled workers.
57. Generate revenue → Small businesses generate significant revenue for local economies.
58. Job security → Many workers value job security over higher pay.
59. Meet basic needs → A living wage should be enough to meet basic needs.
60. Stimulate demand → Tax cuts are often used to stimulate consumer demand.

Useful General Academic Collocations

61. Draw a conclusion → It is difficult to draw a firm conclusion from limited data.
62. Play a significant role → Government policy plays a significant role in shaping behavior.
63. Have a profound impact → Social media has had a profound impact on communication.
64. Give rise to → Rapid urbanization has given rise to housing shortages.
65. In light of (recent events) → In light of recent events, new regulations have been proposed.
66. A growing body of evidence → A growing body of evidence suggests a link between diet and mental health.
67. Come at a cost → Progress often comes at a cost to the environment.
68. Serve as a reminder → This serves as a reminder of the importance of preparation.
69. Far outweigh (the disadvantages) → In my opinion, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
70. Reach a consensus → Experts have yet to reach a consensus on this issue.

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How to Practice Collocations Effectively

Simply reading this list won’t improve your score — you need to actively use these phrases. Try the following:

• Learn in chunks, not single words. Instead of memorizing “raise,” learn the full phrase “raise awareness.”
• Write example sentences yourself. Don’t just copy the examples above — create 2–3 original sentences for each new collocation.
• Group by topic. Since IELTS Writing Task 2 questions repeat common themes (environment, education, technology, etc.), organizing collocations by topic makes them easier to recall under exam pressure.
• Use them in past practice essays. Go back to an essay you’ve already written and revise it by swapping in 5–6 collocations from this list.
• Read to reinforce them. When you read news articles or sample essays, actively notice collocations in context — this builds natural recognition over time.
• Don’t overload a single paragraph. Using 2–3 natural collocations per paragraph looks fluent. Cramming in ten feels forced and can hurt coherence.

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Share Your Practice

Try rewriting one paragraph from a past essay using at least three collocations from this list, and share it in the comments below — we’ll give you feedback on how naturally they’re used.

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