Collocations for 7 band Essay....

Do you want a list of words which will help you notch up 7 bands in IELTS
writing? Dude, it’s already there right on your study table. Your dictionary!
Kidding apart, many students think that there might be an exclusive collection of
words which will enable them to get 7 bands in IELTS writing. Unfortunately it is
almost impossible to compile such a unique and handy list.
Huh, no way out? Wait. It’s not words but the way you put them together that will
enable you to get 7 bands or above. One type of such paired use of words is
called ‘collocations’.
A collocation is a sequence of words or terms that co-occur more often than
would be expected by chance. Many students memorize a number of synonyms
of ordinary words and use them wherever they like. Though I don’t discourage
learning as many synonyms as possible, make it a point that you use the right
word in the right place, that too, in the right context.
For example ‘strong tea’ is an accepted collocation in English while ‘powerful tea’
is not accepted as Standard English despite the fact that ‘strong’ is synonymous
with ‘powerful’.
Now, look at the following sentence:
[Unless governments take some action against consumerism, the future
generations will have to face the consequences.]
This sentence is a correct sentence but now let’s see how we can improve the
effect of this sentence with the help of some collocations:
[Unless governments take some stringent action against excessive
consumerism, the future generations will have to face the dire consequences.]
In the modified sentence, I used some collocations with ‘actions’, ‘consumerism’
and ‘consequence’. When they are modified with collocating words, see how
impressive they sound – just like you change your casuals and put on some
formals! This is one of the features that the examiners consider when they mark
you on vocabulary. In addition, using a few collocations can add a few more
words to your essay which will lengthen your work. A little relief for those who
find it difficult to write at length, isn't it?
This is just an example of how to use collocations. It does not mean that the
particular sentence given above (without collocation) cannot be a part of a 7
band essay. A good essay consists of simple sentences, compound sentences
and complex sentences. Such a response includes both sentences with
collocations and those without them.
A word of caution: by saying ‘use collocations in your essays’, I do not mean that
you must use rare difficult words; collocations are the most-frequently appearing
word pairs in good pieces of writing by expert writers. If you are a good reader,
you will definitely be able to use them at will.
There are several different types of collocation.
Collocations can be:
1. adjective + noun
2. adverb + adjective
3. verb + noun
4. verb + expression with preposition
5. verb + adverb etc.
Collocations with adjective + noun:
Incredible performance/tale/wealth/talent etc
Stringent action/steps/guidelines/measures/punishment etc
Unwanted consequences
Dire consequences
Inevitable consequence
Utter failure
Sheer ignorance
Grave negligence
Adequate resources
Appropriate action/solution
Workable solution
Fruitful results
Unexpected results/outcomes/consequences
Adverse effect
Unpardonable offence
Punishable act
Devastating effects/impact/consequence
Invaluable contribution
Unchallenging faith
Unprecedented growth
Undesirable results/consequences/effects
Enviable growth
Multifaceted career
Ruthless crimes
Cold-blooded murder
Unending options
Thoughtless acts
Burgeoning price/demand
Ever-growing trend
Trendy accessories/clothes
High-end products/computers/gadgets/gizmos
Relentless enthusiasm/zest/hard work/ spirit
Uphill/Herculean task
Innate abilities
Acquired abilities
Civilized societies/citizens/people
Established customs/practices/organizations
Tech-savvy generation
Deplorable condition
Inadequate facilities
Exorbitant rates/prices
Cold-blooded murder
Hardcore criminals
Aspiring singers/performers/sportsmen
Demoralizing impact/effect
Excruciating pain
Unbearable poverty/heat
Underprivileged people
Handsome salaries/remuneration/rewards
Unbridgeable gap/divide
Immense courage/wealth
Irreversible change/damage/trend
Cultural degeneration
Anti-social elements
Toxic fumes/gases
Excessive consumption
Underrated film/person/society/field
Tremendous amounts of time
Substantial sums/amounts
Collocations with adverb + adjective:
Entirely different
Physically challenged
Utterly stupid
Practically impossible
Virtually everywhere
Deeply motivated
Richly decorated
Fully aware
Completely ignorant
Meticulously calculated/planned
Beautifully crafted/designed/planned
Cleverly devised
Totally confused
Totally alien
Heavily armed/guarded
Perfectly arranged
Thoroughly damaged
Deeply attached
Readily available
Widely used
Hideously bad
Finely/perfectly/delicately balanced
Extremely beneficial/dangerous/useful/important
Heavily built
Elegantly designed/crafted
Highly recommended
Deeply conservative
Highly contagious/critical/controversial/acclaimed
Hotly debated
Seriously/badly/severely damaged
Highly/quite delighted
Sharply/strongly criticized
Deeply distressed/depressed
Highly/fully/well developed
Completely/ entirely/ totally/ utterly/ significantly/ markedly/ subtly different
Bitterly/ deeply/ terribly/ extremely disappointed
Highly educated
Badly affected
Poorly designed
Highly effective
Highly enjoyable
Perfectly fitting
Heavily polluted
Extremely/fairly/highly flexible
Utterly futile
Perfectly genuine
Totally harmless
Perfectly healthy
Widely held
Seriously/ critically/ gravely/ terminally ill
Utterly/ almost/ nearly/ practically/ seemingly/ virtually impossible
Totally incompetent
Actively/ deeply/ heavily involved
Highly/ hardly likely
Totally logical/illogical
Entirely loyal
Grossly/ highly/ seriously misleading
Entirely/ painfully/ totally/ immediately/ fairly/ extremely/ perfectly obvious
Deeply offended
Bitterly/ completely/ diametrically opposed
Completely overlooked
Perfectly rational/reasonable
Widely recognized
Highly relevant
Incredibly/extremely rich
Completely/perfectly right
Utterly ruthless
Perfectly safe
Totally/ hardly surprising
Highly technical
Seriously threatened
Highly toxic
Utterly/painfully tragic
Highly trained
Totally/highly/entirely unaccepted
Seriously undermined
Perfectly understandable
Desperately unhappy
Totally unjustified
Completely untenable
Highly valuable
Highly volatile
Terribly worried
Highly significant
Fairly/ quite/ broadly/ roughly/ remarkably/ strikingly similar
Heavily/ densely/ highly/ thickly/ sparsely/ lightly/ thinly populated
Highly/fully/ suitably/ well qualified
Collocations with verb + noun:
Take exercise
Make mistake
Commit crime
Commit suicide
Make a speech
Give a presentation
Draw salary
Take exam
Achieve target
Curb global warming
Gain weight
Lose weight
Set a record
Break a record
Hike price
Exercise franchise
Devote time
Thwart a plan/an attempt
Take/make a decision
Eradicate poverty
Uproot social evils
Aid the poor
Amend law
Devise a plan
Worsen a situation
Mitigate a problem
Resolve an issue
Replenish energy
Delay a process
Endanger life/ wild life
Take action
Invite danger
Hamper the progress
Overcome a difficulty
Fix a problem
Script success
Make effort
Oppose a suggestion/idea/plan
Cultivate good habits
Spruce up the city
Speed up a procedure
Hurt somebody’s feelings
Ensure safety
Refute a theory/statement/claim/argument
Instill courage/confidence
Inculcate good manner
Rectify a situation/one’s ways
Belittle one’s skills/ability
Exploit nature
Cash in on an opportunity
Spring to action
Initiate a process/an action
Prolong a decision
Curtail one’s liberties
Collocations with verb + adverb
Act accordingly
Bleed profusely
Act instantly
Rise steeply
Fail badly
Spend lavishly
Invest wisely etc
Exercise:
Underline some collocations in the following paragraph.
In order to curb drugs, the authorities need to take action against the sale and
purchase of illegal drugs in every country. Drug dealers must be given
punishment. In addition, the governments should make people aware about the
bad effects of drug use on their health, career and social life. Besides, those who
are already using drugs need to be rehabilitated so that they can function well in
the society.
Answers:
curb drugs
take action
illegal drugs
drug dealers
make people aware
bad effects
social life
function well etc
Well. The paragraph given above is already a good paragraph. However for
further practice on using collocations, see how I have rewritten it with some
modifications:
In order to curb the menace of drugs, the authorities need to take stringent action
against the widespread sale and purchase of illegal drugs in every country. Drug
dealers must be given exemplary punishment. In addition, the governments
should make people well aware about the undesirable consequences (bad
effects) of drug use on their health, career and social life. Those who are already
addicted to (using) drugs need to be entirely rehabilitated so that they can
function smoothly (well) in the society.
Now, fill in the blanks of the following paragraph with meaningful collocating
words:
In addition, the _______________ pollution can also be attributed to the
_______________ popularity of private cars. The _______________ quantities
of _______________ fumes emitted by them _______________ affect not only
the humans but also the flora and fauna. Furthermore, 99 percent of the motor
vehicles in the world run with the help of fossil fuel. If used _______________,
the day is not so far when the nature’s storehouse of fossil fuel dries up
completely.