30 collocations for IELTS Writing Task 2, grouped by the job they do

Most Task 2 vocabulary lists give you two hundred phrases in alphabetical order. That is the wrong shape for an essay. When you are sitting in the exam with forty minutes and a question about traffic or online learning, you do not think 'I need a word starting with I'. You think 'I need to say this is getting worse' or 'I need to say one thing caused the other'.

So this guide is organised by the job each collocation does in an essay: naming the problem, explaining a cause, describing an effect, proposing a solution, weighing two sides, and pointing at evidence. Thirty collocations in total, each one with the grammar pattern that usually comes with it, because getting the preposition wrong is what turns a good phrase into a mistake.

Every phrase below is one you can realistically use in a General or Academic Task 2 answer on a common topic: education, health, technology, work, the environment, crime, or city life.

What 'collocation' actually means on the mark sheet

Collocation is not a separate criterion in IELTS Writing. It sits inside Lexical Resource, which is one of the four criteria and therefore a quarter of your Writing score. The band 7 descriptor asks for less common vocabulary used with some awareness of style and collocation, and the band 8 descriptor allows only occasional inaccuracy in word choice and collocation. In plain terms: the examiner is checking whether the words you chose actually go together.

This is why reaching for rare words can lower your score. An essay that says 'the government should take drastic measures' is safer and scores better than one that says 'the government should make drastic actions', even though the second writer was trying harder. Accuracy wins over ambition.

It also means you do not need many phrases. You need a small set you can produce correctly under pressure, covering the five or six things every Task 2 essay has to do.

Naming the problem in your introduction

Your introduction has to show the examiner that you understand what the question is about. The fastest way to do that is to restate the issue in stronger, more precise words than the prompt used, without copying the prompt.

Two patterns do most of the work here. The first is adjective plus noun: there is a pressing need for something, the situation causes grave concern, people face a harsh reality, the data shows a glaring disparity between two groups. The second is verb plus noun: something poses a threat to something else.

Watch the small words. It is 'a pressing need for cheaper housing' or 'a pressing need to build more housing', never 'a pressing need of'. It is 'pose a threat to', not 'pose a threat for'. And 'glaring disparity' takes 'between X and Y' or 'in' plus a field, as in 'a glaring disparity in access to healthcare'.

One warning about register. These phrases are strong, so they suit genuine problems: pollution, inequality, overwork. If the question asks whether children should learn a second language at primary school, 'grave concern' will sound overdramatic and the examiner will notice.

• pressing needA need that is urgent and must be dealt with soon.There is a pressing need for more affordable housing in the capital.
• grave concernA very serious worry about something.The charity expressed grave concern about the safety of children in the camps.
• pose a threatTo be a possible danger to someone or something.Rising sea levels pose a threat to millions of people living in coastal cities.
• harsh realityAn unpleasant truth that is difficult to accept.Many graduates face the harsh reality of a job market with few openings.
• glaring disparityA very obvious and unfair difference between two things or groups.The report highlights a glaring disparity between the salaries of men and women in the industry.

Explaining causes in a body paragraph

Weak essays explain causes with 'because' five times. Strong essays vary the grammar, and the easiest way to do that is to make the cause the subject of the sentence sometimes and the object other times.

Use stem from when the problem came out of something: 'Much of this anxiety stems from constant comparison on social media.' Note that it is almost never used in a continuous form, so write 'stems from', not 'is stemming from'. Use attribute to when you want to say who or what people blame: 'The fall in reading is often attributed to the rise of short video.' The active pattern is attribute X to Y, and the passive 'is attributed to' is extremely common in academic writing.

For the thing behind the thing, underlying cause is the phrase you want, and it is most useful when you contrast it with the obvious cause: 'Traffic is the visible problem, but the underlying cause is poor public transport.' When you want to claim a proper connection, a causal link is the formal choice, usually with establish, find or prove, and always 'between X and Y'. Be careful with the spelling: causal means about cause, casual means relaxed.

Finally, contribute significantly to is the safe way to say something is one cause among several, which is usually the honest position in an essay. It takes a noun or an -ing form: 'Cheap flights contribute significantly to rising emissions' or '...to increasing emissions'.

• stem fromTo be caused by something or develop as a result of it.Many of his health problems stem from years of poor sleep and stress.
• attribute toTo say or believe that something is caused by a particular thing or person.The rise in childhood obesity is largely attributed to sugary drinks and less exercise.
• underlying causeThe real or basic reason for something, which may not be obvious.Doctors are running tests to find the underlying cause of her headaches.
• causal linkA connection in which one thing directly makes another thing happen.Researchers have established a causal link between smoking and lung cancer.
• contribute significantly toTo play a large part in causing or achieving something.Heavy traffic contributes significantly to air pollution in most major cities.

Describing effects without repeating 'affect'

Effects are where most essays become repetitive, because candidates own exactly one phrase for this and use it in every paragraph. Here are five with different strengths, so you can choose the right size of claim.

Profound impact is the strong, neutral option and always takes 'on': 'Remote work has had a profound impact on city centres.' Adverse effect is the formal way to say harmful, also with 'on': 'Long shifts have an adverse effect on concentration.' Two spelling traps live in that phrase. Adverse means harmful, averse means unwilling, and the noun is effect, not affect.

When the harm cannot be undone, use irreversible damage, normally with cause, do or suffer: 'Logging has caused irreversible damage to the region's forests.' When a result could not have been avoided, use inevitable consequence with 'of': 'Higher rents are an inevitable consequence of building too few homes.'

Wreak havoc is the most dramatic phrase in this group. It fits storms, cyber attacks and economic shocks, and it takes 'on'. Keep it for one sentence at most, and only when the topic genuinely deserves it.

• profound impactA very strong and deep effect on someone or something.Losing her father at a young age had a profound impact on her choice of career.
• adverse effectA harmful or unwanted result.Long working hours can have an adverse effect on both physical and mental health.
• irreversible damageHarm that is so serious it cannot be undone or repaired.Doctors warned that smoking had caused irreversible damage to his lungs.
• inevitable consequenceA result that is certain to happen and cannot be avoided.Higher fuel prices are an inevitable consequence of the conflict in the region.
• wreak havocTo cause great damage, disorder or confusion.The storm wreaked havoc on the island, destroying roads and cutting power for days.

Proposing solutions and the benefits they bring

Problem and solution essays, and the second half of many opinion essays, need vocabulary for action. The trap here is that candidates know the noun but not the verb that goes with it.

Drastic measure is almost always plural and almost always with take: 'Several cities have taken drastic measures to cut car use.' Pave the way means to make a future development possible and takes 'for': 'Cheaper batteries have paved the way for electric buses.' Play a vital role takes 'in' plus a noun or an -ing form: 'Teachers play a vital role in building reading habits', not 'play a vital role to build'.

For results, tangible benefit is the phrase examiners like, because it signals that you are thinking about evidence rather than opinion. It is usually plural and goes with bring or deliver: 'The scheme has delivered tangible benefits to low-income families.' Its opposite, intangible benefits, is useful too when you want to admit that something is hard to measure.

Close the divide is specific and therefore valuable: it belongs to questions about inequality, especially the digital divide between rural and urban areas, or between rich and poor schools. Bridge the divide and narrow the divide work equally well.

• drastic measureA sudden, extreme action taken to deal with a serious problem.The government took drastic measures to stop the virus spreading, including closing all schools.
• pave the wayTo create the conditions that make a future development possible.The new law could pave the way for more affordable housing in the capital.
• play a vital roleTo be very important in making something happen or succeed.Volunteers played a vital role in helping families after the floods.
• tangible benefitA real advantage that can be clearly seen or measured.The new bus lanes have brought tangible benefits to commuters, cutting journey times by ten minutes.
• close the divideTo reduce a big difference or gap between two groups.The scheme aims to close the divide between rural and urban schools by funding fast internet.

Weighing both sides in a discussion essay

Discuss both views essays reward writers who can concede a point without losing their own position. These five phrases are built for exactly that move.

Strike a balance names the compromise and takes 'between X and Y': 'Governments must strike a balance between economic growth and environmental protection.' You will also hear 'strike the right balance', which is natural and slightly stronger.

Take into account and bear in mind both introduce a factor the other side is ignoring. They are not identical. Take into account is about including a factor in a decision, and its object can sit in the middle or at the end: 'take the cost into account' or 'take into account the cost of training'. Bear in mind is about remembering a fact, and it usually comes with 'that' plus a clause: 'We should bear in mind that older workers may lack digital skills.'

Cast doubt on is how you disagree politely with evidence rather than with people: 'Recent trials have cast doubt on that assumption.' And spark debate describes an issue that divides opinion, which is often a neat way to open a body paragraph: 'The policy has sparked debate among parents and teachers alike.'

• strike a balanceTo find a fair compromise between two different needs or demands.Working parents often struggle to strike a balance between their careers and family life.
• take into accountTo consider something when making a judgement or decision.The judges take into account the age of each competitor when awarding points.
• bear in mindTo remember an important fact when you are thinking about something.Bear in mind that the museum closes early on Sundays and public holidays.
• cast doubt onTo make people feel less certain that something is true or reliable.New evidence has cast doubt on the witness's version of events.
• spark debateTo cause people to start discussing or arguing about something.The minister's comments on school uniforms have sparked debate among parents and teachers.

Pointing at evidence and closing the essay

You cannot cite real studies in IELTS and you should not invent them. What you can do is use the language of evidence to show you know how arguments are built.

Empirical evidence means information from observation or experiment rather than theory, and it carries one of the most common grammar errors in the whole exam. Evidence is uncountable, so write 'there is little empirical evidence', never 'an evidence'. If you need a single item, say 'a piece of evidence'. Common verbs are provide, find and lack.

Compelling argument goes with make or present, and takes 'for' or 'against': 'There is a compelling argument for raising the driving age.' General consensus describes what most experts think: 'The general consensus among economists is that the effect will be small.' Some style guides consider general consensus slightly repetitive, so in your conclusion 'a broad consensus' or just 'consensus' is the safer choice.

Draw a conclusion is the phrase for your final paragraph, and it is usually plural with 'from': 'It is difficult to draw firm conclusions from a single decade of data.' Keep it away from 'jump to conclusions', which means to decide too quickly and is informal. Shed light on is the opposite move, used when something makes an issue clearer: 'These figures shed light on why young people are leaving the industry.' Its past form is also shed, not shedded.

• empirical evidenceInformation based on observation or experiments rather than theory.There is little empirical evidence that the new teaching method improves exam results.
• compelling argumentA reason or set of reasons that is very convincing.The lawyer made a compelling argument that the evidence had been collected illegally.
• general consensusAn opinion that most people in a group agree with.The general consensus among economists is that interest rates will rise next year.
• draw a conclusionTo decide what is true after thinking carefully about the facts.It is too early to draw any conclusions from such a small set of results.
• shed light onTo help explain something or make it easier to understand.New documents have shed light on the reasons behind the factory's sudden closure.

Four collocation mistakes that keep essays at band 6

The first is the wrong preposition. A perfect phrase with the wrong small word still counts as an error. Learn the preposition as part of the phrase: stem from, attribute to, pose a threat to, pave the way for, play a vital role in, have an impact on, strike a balance between.

The second is the wrong verb with a correct noun. English chooses the verb, not you. It is conduct research or carry out research, never make a research. It is make a decision, not do a decision. It is take measures, not make measures. When you are unsure of the verb, use a simpler structure you are certain about.

The third is countability. Evidence, research, advice, information and progress are uncountable in academic English, so they take no 'a' and no plural -s. 'An evidence' and 'many researches' are among the fastest ways to show an examiner that your vocabulary came from a list rather than from reading.

The fourth is stuffing. An essay with eight dramatic phrases in three hundred words reads as unnatural, and the band descriptors specifically mention awareness of style. Two or three strong collocations per paragraph, surrounded by ordinary accurate English, scores higher than a paragraph that sounds like a thesaurus.

How to make these automatic before test day

Reading a list once does nothing. The phrases above only help if you can produce them without pausing, and production is a different skill from recognition.

A method that works: take one essay question a day and write a single sentence for each of the six jobs in this guide. One sentence naming the problem, one explaining a cause, one describing an effect, one proposing a solution, one conceding the other side, one referring to evidence. That is six sentences, about five minutes, and it rehearses exactly the moves the exam asks for. Check your prepositions afterwards, because that is where the errors cluster.

Then recycle. Use the same six collocations on a completely different topic the next day. A phrase you have used on education, health and transport is a phrase you own; a phrase you have read twenty times is still a stranger.

If you would rather practise with spaced repetition and audio on your phone, Colloca has all thirty of these collocations with dialogues and quizzes, and it works offline.

FAQ

How many collocations should I use in a Task 2 essay?

There is no required number, and no examiner counts them. Lexical Resource rewards accuracy and appropriacy, not quantity, so a few collocations used correctly will always beat a dozen forced ones. A realistic target is two or three per paragraph, with the rest of the sentence written in ordinary, correct English.

Does IELTS really assess collocation?

Yes. Collocation is named inside the public Lexical Resource descriptors, which are one of the four Writing criteria. From band 7 the descriptor expects less common vocabulary used with some awareness of style and collocation, and at band 8 only occasional slips in word choice and collocation are allowed.

What is the difference between a collocation and an idiom?

A collocation is a pair of words that simply go together, and you can usually guess the meaning: heavy traffic, conduct research, adverse effect. An idiom is a fixed phrase whose meaning is not literal, such as tip the scales. Task 2 is formal writing, so collocations are the safer investment; idioms fit Speaking much better.

Can I use the same collocation twice in one essay?

Yes, if it is the right word both times. Repeating an accurate phrase is a much smaller problem than reaching for a synonym you do not control. That said, if you need to say the same thing three times, use the groups above to pick a different one, for example profound impact in one paragraph and adverse effect in the next.

Should I memorise long lists of IELTS collocations?

Lists are a starting point, not a method. Learn each phrase with its grammar pattern and its preposition, then force yourself to write original sentences on new topics. The test is whether the phrase arrives when you need it under time pressure, and only production practice builds that.