Hello! Welcome to your next lesson.
In our last session, we focused on using individual words from the Academic Word List (AWL) to build sentences. As promised, today we will build on that by exploring how words work together. Our goal is to learn how to use common academic collocations in writing and speaking.
A collocation is a group of two or more words that are often used together, like heavy rain or make a mistake. Using the right collocations will make your English sound much more natural and fluent, which is essential for achieving a high band score in the IELTS Speaking and Writing tests.
1. What Is a Collocation and Why Is It Important?
Let's start with a clear definition. Words don't just exist in isolation; they form partnerships. Understanding these partnerships is key to mastering a language.
The following video provides an excellent introduction to collocations. It even uses an example from Arabic to show how collocations are specific to each language, which you may find interesting.
The Academic Collocation List (ACL)
To understand the basics, please watch this first segment from the video 'The Academic Collocation List (ACL)' by EAPFoundation.com.
Watch the section from 00:28 to 01:58. The speaker defines collocations and gives examples from different languages to show why you can't always translate them word-for-word.
As the video explained, saying strong rain instead of heavy rain might be understood, but it sounds unnatural. This is a common issue for language learners. In your IELTS exam, using correct collocations shows the examiner that you have a sophisticated command of English vocabulary.
As noted in the academic paper, Collocational Competence in English for Dental Medicine, using collocations correctly is a matter of convention and is crucial for fluent speech and all levels of writing. For example, in English, we perform an experiment, not "do an experiment," and a patient can make a full recovery, not "do a full recovery."
2. Exploring Common Academic Collocations
Now that we know what collocations are, let's focus on the ones used in academic contexts. Just like the Academic Word List (AWL) contains common academic words, the Academic Collocation List (ACL) contains common academic phrases.
This next part of the video you just watched introduces the ACL and the most common types of collocations you'll find.
The Academic Collocation List (ACL)
Let's continue with the same video to learn about academic collocations specifically.
Please watch from 01:58 to 05:36. This part introduces the Academic Collocation List (ACL) and explains the different types, such as adjective + noun ('academic achievement') and verb + noun ('achieve a goal').
The most frequent types are adjective + noun and verb + noun. Focusing on these will give you the most benefit.
To see some of the most useful collocations in action, let's watch a few clips from another video. These are some of the most frequent collocations in academic English, so you will see and use them often.
25 Common Collocations for Academic English Writing
This video, '25 Common Collocations for Academic English Writing,' highlights the most frequent and useful phrases from the ACL. We'll look at a few powerful examples.
Watch the following short segments to learn these key collocations: 01:18 - 02:14: Learn play a role, a very common verb-noun collocation (e.g., "Technology plays a crucial role in modern dentistry."). 02:14 - 03:26: Learn high level and low level, which are great for describing data in Writing Task 1 (e.g., "There was a high level of bacteria."). 05:20 - 05:49: Learn provide information and provide evidence (e.g., "The study provides evidence for the new treatment's effectiveness."). 06:28 - 06:56: Learn a wide range of, which is perfect for showing variety (e.g., "The clinic offers a wide range of services.").
3. Collocations for Health and Dentistry
The best way to learn vocabulary is to connect it to topics you know well. Since health is a very common topic in the IELTS exam and is directly related to your studies in dentistry, let's focus on health-related collocations.
This resource provides a fantastic list of collocations related to health.
IELTS Collocation Pack: Health — 60 High-Value Phrases with ...
The article 'IELTS Collocation Pack: Health' contains 60 high-value phrases that will be extremely useful for you. We will focus on becoming familiar with them.
Please read through the four categories of collocations under the heading 'Essential Health Collocations Pack (60 High-Value Phrases)'. You don't need to memorize all of them now. Just get familiar with the types of phrases used to discuss: Healthcare Systems and Services Health and Wellness Medical Conditions and Treatment Public Health and Policy Notice how these phrases are much more formal and precise than simple words.
These collocations—like preventive care, chronic disease, and medical research—will allow you to discuss health topics with greater accuracy and sophistication.
To make this even more specific to you, here are some collocations from the field of dental medicine, taken from the resource Collocational Competence in English for Dental Medicine:
- inhibit caries: "Fluoride helps to inhibit caries."
- remove plaque: "The dental hygienist will remove plaque and tartar."
- place a crown: "The dentist had to place a crown on the damaged tooth."
- administer an injection: "The first step is to administer an injection of local anaesthetic."
- take a medical history: "It's important to take a full medical history before starting treatment."
4. Practice Your Collocation Skills
Now it's time to put your knowledge into practice.
Activity 1: Sentence Completion (5 minutes)
Let's use the health collocation pack you just reviewed. Complete the five sentences in "Exercise 1: Health Collocation Completion." This will test your understanding of the phrases in context. You can find this exercise at the bottom of the article.
(Answers: 1. medical care; 2. medical treatment; 3. Health promotion / Preventive care; 4. Health outcomes; 5. healthcare systems)
Activity 2: Create Your Own Sentences (10 minutes)
Just like in our last lesson, creating your own sentences is the best way to master new language.
- Choose four collocations from the lists you've seen today. Try to pick two general academic ones (e.g.,
play a role,provide evidence) and two health/dental specific ones (e.g.,mental health,remove plaque). - Write one complete sentence for each collocation. The sentence should be relevant to health, science, or dentistry.
Example:
If you choose the collocation health outcomes, you could write:
- "Countries that invest in public health education generally see better health outcomes in their populations."
Write your sentences in your notebook. This practice is vital for moving these phrases into your active vocabulary.
Conclusion
Excellent work today! You have learned that words have partners, and using these natural word partnerships, or collocations, is a sign of an advanced English user. Mastering them is a key step on your journey to an IELTS band score of 7.
Key Takeaways:
- Collocations are words that frequently appear together. Using them makes your English sound more natural.
- The Academic Collocation List (ACL) provides high-frequency phrases for academic writing and speaking.
- Focusing on topic-specific collocations, such as those for health and dentistry, is an efficient way to prepare for IELTS.
- Practice is essential to move collocations from your passive understanding to your active use.
In our next lesson, we will continue to refine your academic vocabulary. We will learn to distinguish between formal and informal vocabulary choices. This will help you maintain the appropriate academic tone required in the IELTS exam.