Collocations in IELTS Speaking

IELTS Speaking requires candidates to use collocations while giving their responses. Collocations for IELTS Speaking are a collection of words in which candidates have to use these groups of words appropriately. Collocations for IELTS Speaking are used to test candidates’ understanding of phrases frequently used by native speakers. Candidates preparing for the IELTS test must learn how to use English phrases correctly to convey an appropriate message. Using collocations in your IELTS speaking responses can help you sound more natural and fluent. In this article, we will provide you with some of the frequently asked collocations in IELTS Speaking.

Collocations in IELTS Speaking

Collocations are groups of words that frequently appear together in natural English, and using them correctly demonstrates a strong command of the language. In IELTS Speaking, proper use of collocations helps convey ideas clearly, sound more natural, and make responses coherent. Collocations are essential for achieving fluency, demonstrating lexical range, and meeting the criteria assessed in the speaking band descriptors.

For example, saying I play a sport every weekend sounds more natural than I do a sport every weekend. Similarly, I make a significant contribution to a project is more precise and native-like than I do a big contribution to a project. Accurate use of collocations shows that a candidate can employ multi-word expressions effectively, enhancing both coherence and overall performance in the test.

Explore: Most Useful Words for IELTS Writing Task 1

Common Collocation Categories for IELTS Speaking

Following the discussion on why collocations are crucial for fluency and higher band scores, it is helpful to focus on frequently used collocations across common IELTS topics. Learning these collocations allows candidates to speak naturally, convey ideas clearly, and demonstrate a wide lexical range, all of which are assessed in the Speaking test.

The table below presents 100 commonly used collocations, arranged alphabetically for ease of learning and reference:

List of Collocations for IELTS Speaking	Use of Collocations	Example Sentence
Acquire knowledge	Academic or learning	University courses help students acquire knowledge in their chosen fields.
Act responsibly	Daily routine or behaviour	Teenagers are encouraged to act responsibly in school and at home.
Achieve goals	Career, personal development, or study	Setting clear targets helps individuals achieve goals efficiently.
Attend lectures	Academic or university life	Students should attend lectures regularly to understand the syllabus.
Balance work and life	Lifestyle or career	It is important to balance work and life to avoid stress.
Break the habit	Lifestyle or personal improvement	Joining a fitness program helped him break the habit of being inactive.
Build relationships	Social life or networking	Team projects provide opportunities to build relationships with colleagues.
Carry out research	Academic or study	Scientists carry out research to find solutions to global problems.
Catch up with friends	Social life or free time	I usually catch up with friends during the weekends.
Complete tasks	Work or daily routine	Completing tasks on time improves productivity at work.
Conduct experiments	Academic or science	Chemistry students conduct experiments in the laboratory every week.
Contribute actively	Work or community	Volunteers are encouraged to contribute actively to community projects.
Control emotions	Daily routine or behavior	Meditation helps individuals control emotions during stressful situations.
Create opportunities	Career or personal growth	Learning new skills can create opportunities for better jobs.
Deliver results	Work or career	Hardworking employees are expected to deliver results efficiently.
Develop skills	Academic, career, or personal growth	Internships help students develop skills needed for future employment.
Do exercises	Health or fitness	It is important to do exercises regularly to stay healthy.
Do homework	Academic or study	Children must do homework to reinforce what they learn in class.
Draw conclusions	Academic or research	After analyzing the data, researchers draw conclusions based on evidence.
Enjoy leisure	Free time or lifestyle	On weekends, I enjoy leisure activities such as reading or hiking.
Experience culture	Travel or leisure	After analysing the data, researchers draw conclusions based on evidence.
Expand knowledge	Academic or learning	Attending seminars helps professionals expand knowledge in their field.
Explore ideas	Academic or discussion	Brainstorming sessions encourage students to explore ideas creatively.
Face challenges	Personal growth or life	Entrepreneurs often face challenges when starting a new business.
Follow instructions	Academic or work	It is essential to follow instructions carefully during exams.
Gain experience	Career or work	Volunteering abroad helps students gain experience in different environments.
Gain knowledge	Academic or learning	Reading scientific articles helps students gain knowledge quickly.
Go sightseeing	Travel or leisure	Tourists go sightseeing in historic cities to learn about local culture.
Go shopping	Lifestyle or leisure	Many people go shopping on weekends to buy clothes and gifts.
Go travelling	Leisure or holidays	After exams, students love to go traveling to relax and explore new places.
Have an impact	Opinion or discussion	Effective leadership can have an impact on community development.
Have a conversation	Daily life or communication	It is important to have a conversation politely during interviews.
Have a good time	Free time or social life	We went to the beach and had a good time with friends.
Hold a view	Opinion or discussion	Many experts hold a view that technology improves education.
Improve performance	Academic or career	Regular practice helps athletes improve performance in competitions.
Improve skills	Academic, career, or personal growth	Workshops help employees improve skills relevant to their job.
Increase awareness	Social issues or discussion	Campaigns are launched to increase awareness about environmental problems.
Influence decisions	Opinion or work	Social media can influence decisions made by young adults.
Join activities	Lifestyle or social life	Students are encouraged to join activities to make friends.
Keep in touch	Social life or communication	Even after graduation, it is good to keep in touch with classmates.
Lead a healthy lifestyle	Health or daily routine	Balanced diet and exercise help individuals lead a healthy lifestyle.
Learn a lesson	Personal growth or experience	After failing the test, he learned a lesson about preparation.
Learn new skills	Academic or personal growth	Online courses help people learn new skills quickly.
Make a difference	Opinion or social issues	Volunteering can make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children.
Make a mistake	Daily life or personal growth	Everyone makes a mistake at some point, and it is important to learn from it.
Make an effort	Personal growth or career	Students must make an effort to complete assignments on time.
Make progress	Academic, career, or personal growth	With constant practice, learners make progress in their English proficiency.
Meet deadlines	Work or academic	Employees must meet deadlines to ensure smooth project completion.
Participate actively	Academic or social life	Students are encouraged to participate actively in classroom discussions.
Play a role	Opinion or discussion	Teachers play a role in shaping students’ values and behavior.

Practice regularly	Academic, career, or fitness	To improve language skills, it is important to practice regularly.
Prepare a presentation	Academic or career	Students must prepare a presentation before the seminar.
Present ideas	Academic or work	During the meeting, she presented ideas to improve efficiency.
Pursue a career	Career or work	Many students pursue a career in medicine after graduation.
Raise awareness	Social issues or discussion	Campaigns are organized to raise awareness about climate change.
Reach goals	Personal growth or career	Setting realistic plans helps individuals reach goals faster.
Receive feedback	Academic or work	Employees should receive feedback to improve their performance.
Reduce stress	Lifestyle or health	Meditation and yoga help reduce stress in daily life.
Respect rules	Social life or work	Students must respect rules in school to maintain discipline.
Set goals	Personal growth or career	Athletes set goals to stay motivated and focused.
Solve problems	Work, daily life, or social	Teamwork helps individuals solve problems more effectively.
Spend quality time	Lifestyle or social life	Families should spend quality time together on weekends.
Stay focused	Academic or career	During exams, it is important to stay focused on studies.
Stay healthy	Lifestyle or health	A balanced diet and regular exercise help stay healthy.
Study hard	Academic or learning	Students who study hard often achieve better grades.
Take a break	Daily routine or leisure	Taking a break every hour improves concentration and productivity.
Take a course	Academic or career	She decided to take a course in digital marketing.
Take part in activities	Lifestyle or leisure	Students are encouraged to take part in activities to gain experience.
Take responsibility	Personal growth or career	Employees should take responsibility for their actions at work.
Take risks	Personal growth or career	Entrepreneurs must take risks to achieve business success.
Talk about experiences	Speaking or discussion	During the interview, candidates were asked to talk about experiences.
Teach lessons	Academic or work	Teachers teach lessons to help students understand new concepts.
Test knowledge	Academic or learning	Quizzes are a good way to test knowledge in class.
Think critically	Academic or opinion	Students should think critically when analyzing information.
Travel abroad	Leisure, study, or experience	Many students travel abroad to improve language skills.
Try local cuisine	Travel or leisure	Tourists love to try local cuisine when visiting new countries.
Understand concepts	Academic or learning	Reading textbooks helps students understand concepts clearly.
Use technology	Academic, work, or daily life	Schools encourage students to use technology to enhance learning.
Visit landmarks	Travel or leisure	Tourists often visit landmarks to learn about history.
Volunteer actively	Social life or community	Students are encouraged to volunteer actively in local projects.
Watch a movie	Leisure or free time	After a busy day, I like to watch a movie to relax.
Work efficiently	Career or work	Planning ahead helps employees work efficiently and meet deadlines.
Work hard	Career, academic, or personal growth	Athletes must work hard to achieve success in competitions.
Work in teams	Career, social, or academic	Employees are expected to work in teams to complete projects.
Work under pressure	Career or academic	Doctors need to work under pressure during emergency situations.
Write assignments	Academic or study	University students often write assignments to demonstrate understanding.
Write essays	Academic or study	Writing essays regularly improves academic writing skills.
Achieve success	Career or personal growth	Dedication and effort are essential to achieve success.
Build confidence	Personal growth or academic	Public speaking helps students build confidence.
Communicate effectively	Social life, academic, or work	Leaders must communicate effectively with their teams.
Enhance skills	Academic, career, or personal growth	Online courses can enhance skills in various areas.
Experience challenges	Personal growth or life	Travelling alone allows individuals to experience challenges and grow.
Explore opportunities	Career or travel	Graduates should explore opportunities before making career decisions.
Follow instructions	Academic or work	Employees need to follow instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.
Gain confidence	Personal growth or academic	Practising presentations regularly helps students gain confidence.
Generate ideas	Academic or discussion	Brainstorming sessions are used to generate ideas for projects.
Improve communication	Academic, career, or social life	Group discussions help students improve communication skills.
Maintain balance	Lifestyle, work-life, or health	Professionals must maintain balance between work and personal life.
Overcome difficulties	Personal growth or life	Hard work and patience help individuals overcome difficulties.
Solve issues	Work, social, or daily life	Managers must solve issues effectively to ensure smooth operations.

Also Read: Common Idioms for IELTS Writing Task 2

How to Practice Collocations for IELTS Speaking

Following the discussion on common collocations, the following are the ways to practice them effectively for IELTS Speaking. Regular practice helps candidates internalize collocations, making speech more fluent and coherent. To understand more, here is the step-by-step guide to practicing collocations for different IELTS Speaking topics and situations.

• Organise collocations by IELTS topics such as education, work, travel, lifestyle, and social issues. Practice using relevant collocations while answering Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 questions. For example, when discussing hobbies, use collocations like take part in activities or spend quality time.
• Take each collocation and create multiple sentences around it. For instance, for make progress, you could say Students make progress when they practice English daily. This strengthens your ability to recall and apply collocations accurately.
• Practice speaking aloud rather than just writing sentences. Record yourself answering sample IELTS questions using collocations. This improves pronunciation, intonation, and fluency.
• Simulate IELTS Speaking tests with a partner or mentor and consciously use collocations. Feedback will help you refine accuracy and avoid overusing simple words.
• Expose yourself to podcasts, news, and interviews. Observe how native speakers combine words naturally. Mimic their usage to develop a more authentic speaking style.

Following the practical strategies outlined above, consistent practice with collocations can importantly enhance IELTS Speaking performance. By organising collocations by topic, creating sentences, practising aloud, participating in mock tests, and observing native usage, candidates can speak more naturally and fluently. Mastery of collocations not only improves lexical range but also helps convey ideas clearly, demonstrating language proficiency and boosting confidence during the test. Integrating these techniques into daily preparation ensures a more effective and structured approach to achieving higher band scores.

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