For those aiming a Band 7+ in IELTS Writing, using academic collocations would be the smartest thing to start with.
These are natural word combinations that commonly appear in formal English—phrases like “play a vital role,” “address the issue,” or “have a negative impact on.” But why are they so important?
- They Boost Your Vocabulary Score: One key criterion in IELTS writing is the Lexical Resource, that is vocabulary. If you stick to basic words like ‘a big problem’ or ‘good effect’, your bands may get stuck. If you really want to improve, use more academic phrases, such as ‘a pressing concern’ or ‘positive impact’. This shows that you have mastered more advance, natural -sounding phrases.
- They Make Your Writing More Formal: IELTS Writing Task 2 is academic in tone. That means no slang or informal words. Academic collocations help keep your writing formal and polished. For example:
- instead of ‘a lot of people’, you may write ‘a large proportion of the population’
- instead of ‘get better’, you may use ‘show significant improvement’
Let’s see some sentences with academic collocations that can be used in essays:
- Technological advancements have made a significant contribution to modern healthcare and communication systems.
- Governments around the world are under increasing pressure to address the issue of income inequality.
- Raising public awareness about environmental issues is essential for long-term sustainability.
- The rise of social media has had a profound effect on how people communicate and interact.
