IELTS Grammar & Vocabulary: Collocations Practice Questions
Test yourself on Collocations with 13 original IELTS practice questions. Pick an answer to see instant feedback and a full explanation.
Free original practice questions for study purposes. Open Exam Prep is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the makers of IELTS.
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Answer the questions below — you get instant feedback and a full explanation for each.
1. Choose the word that correctly completes the collocation: 'The new policy will help to ___ poverty in rural areas.'
Explanation. 'Reduce poverty' is the standard verb-noun collocation. 'Decrease down' is redundant, and 'lower off'/'minus' are not real collocations.
2. Which option completes this common collocation: 'Researchers ___ a survey to gather data.'
Explanation. We 'conduct a survey' (also 'carry out a survey'). 'Did/made a survey' sound unnatural in academic English, and 'performed up' is not a collocation.
3. Complete the collocation: 'Smoking can ___ serious harm to your health.'
Explanation. 'Cause harm' (or 'do harm') is standard; 'cause' is the most natural here. 'Make/give harm' are incorrect collocations.
4. Choose the correct adjective+noun collocation: 'The company made a ___ profit last year.'
Explanation. 'Substantial profit' is a natural collocation meaning a large profit. 'Heavy profit' is wrong (we say 'heavy losses'); 'strong/big profit' are weaker, less idiomatic choices.
5. Which verb collocates with 'a decision'? 'After much discussion, the committee finally ___ a decision.'
Explanation. 'Make a decision' is the fixed collocation in British/IELTS English. 'Take a decision' exists but is less common; 'made' is the safest correct answer here.
6. Complete: 'The film received ___ acclaim from critics worldwide.'
Explanation. 'Widespread acclaim' is a common collocation. 'Wide/broad/large acclaim' are not standard pairings.
7. Choose the correct collocation: 'It is important to ___ a healthy work-life balance.'
Explanation. 'Maintain a balance' is the natural collocation. 'Preserve' usually pairs with things like environment or traditions, and 'keep on/hold up' do not fit here.
8. Which option correctly completes the collocation: 'The government plans to ___ new measures to tackle unemployment.'
Explanation. 'Introduce measures' is standard. 'Invent/produce measures' are wrong, and 'launch up' is not a phrase.
9. Complete the collocation: 'Students should ___ their full potential through education.'
Explanation. 'Fulfil/reach one's potential' are the correct collocations; 'fulfil their potential' is most natural. 'Achieve potential' and 'reach to/arrive at' are not idiomatic.
10. Choose the correct word: 'The evidence strongly ___ the theory.'
Explanation. 'Evidence supports a theory' is the standard collocation. 'Holds/upholds' don't fit, and 'backs up to' is grammatically wrong (it would be 'backs up').
11. Which adverb collocates here: 'The two issues are ___ related.'
Explanation. 'Closely related' is the fixed collocation. 'Strongly/heavily related' are unnatural, and 'narrowly related' changes the meaning incorrectly.
12. Complete the collocation: 'Tourism plays a ___ role in the country's economy.'
Explanation. 'Play a vital role' (also 'key/major/crucial role') is the standard collocation. 'Wide/heavy/tall role' are not used.
13. Choose the correct collocation: 'Failing to revise will ___ a negative effect on your grades.'
Explanation. 'Have an effect (on)' is the standard collocation. We do not say 'take/do/give an effect'; the correct alternative would be 'make a difference' but 'have an effect' is right here.
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FAQ
What exactly is a collocation and why does it matter for IELTS?
A collocation is a pair or group of words that naturally go together, such as 'make a decision' or 'heavy rain'. Examiners reward natural, idiomatic word choice under the Lexical Resource criterion, so using correct collocations boosts your Writing and Speaking band scores.
How can I learn collocations effectively?
Record new vocabulary in chunks rather than single words (e.g. note 'conduct research', not just 'research'). Read quality English (newspapers, academic articles), notice verb+noun and adjective+noun pairings, and use a collocations dictionary. Practise by writing your own sentences and reviewing them regularly.
What are common collocation mistakes IELTS candidates make?
Frequent errors include direct translation from a first language, overusing 'do/make' incorrectly (e.g. 'do a decision'), and adding unnecessary prepositions ('decrease down'). Focus on high-frequency academic collocations like 'play a role', 'have an effect', and 'reach a conclusion'.