IELTS Language Practice: 50 Collocation Maps

A comprehensive collection of IELTS-focused collocations organized by verbs and thematic groups to improve speaking and listening skills.

Collocation

Groups of words that often go together in natural usage, such as 'make a decision'.

Make an effort

To try hard or put in energy to achieve something.

Make progress

To improve or move forward in a process.

Make a mistake

To do something wrong or incorrectly.

Make sense

To be logical, reasonable, or easy to understand.

Take a break

To stop working for a short period of time to rest.

Take responsibility for

To be accountable for a task or situation.

Take part in

To participate in an activity or event.

Take advantage of

To make use of an opportunity or resource.

Take notes

To write down key information, usually during a lecture.

Get used to

To become accustomed to a new situation or habit.

Get involved in

To start participating in an activity or group.

Get along with

To have a friendly relationship with someone.

Have access to

To be able to use or reach a resource.

Have an impact on

To have an effect or influence on a person or thing.

Have trouble doing

To experience difficulty while performing an action.

Do research

To conduct a detailed study of a subject.

Give priority to

To treat something as more important than other things.

Keep track of

To monitor or stay informed about the progress of something.

Pay attention to

To focus on or listen carefully to something.

Catch someone's attention

To make someone notice you or something.

Reach a goal

To successfully achieve a desired result or objective.

Meet a deadline

To finish a task by a specific set time.

Meet requirements

To satisfy the necessary conditions or rules.

Spend quality time with

To give someone undivided attention during an activity.

Spend a fortune on

To spend a very large amount of money on something.

Save time

To use less time than expected or to be more efficient.

Raise awareness of

To increase people's knowledge or understanding of an issue.

Reduce the risk of

To lower the possibility that something bad will happen.

Improve performance

To increase the effectiveness or quality of work or an activity.

Increase productivity

To raise the rate at which goods are produced or tasks are completed.

Play a major role in

To have a significant part or influence in a situation.

Set a realistic goal

To establish an objective that is achievable and practical.

Run a business

To manage or operate a professional company.

Run the risk of

To be in a situation where a negative outcome is possible.

Affect mood

To influence a person’s emotional state.

Lead to

To cause or result in a specific outcome.

Provide support

To give help or assistance to someone.

Offer advice

To suggest a course of action to someone.

Face a challenge

To deal with a difficult situation or obstacle.

Deal with stress

To manage mental or emotional pressure.

Solve a problem

To find a solution to a difficult situation.

Achieve success

To reach a desired result or accomplishment.

Gain practical experience

To acquire knowledge by doing a task rather than just reading about it.

Lose track of time

To be unaware of how much time has passed.

Build a reputation

To establish a specific character or status in the eyes of others.

Create an opportunity

To make a situation possible for something to happen.

Encourage participation

To motivate people to take part in an activity.

Avoid conflict

To prevent a disagreement or fight from happening.

Consider the impact of

To think carefully about the consequences of an action.

Academic pressure

Stress caused by the demands of school or university studies.

Hands-on experience

Practical knowledge gained through direct involvement.

Address an issue

To take action to handle or solve a problem.

Get into the habit of

To start doing something consistently until it becomes a habit.