PTE Vocabulary Tips: Using the Collocation List for Higher Marks

The Pearson Test of English Academic, or PTE Academic, is a widely recognized English proficiency test that evaluates a test-taker’s abilities in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. It is accepted by universities, governments, and employers around the world as a reliable measure of a person’s real-world communication skills in academic and professional settings. As the exam has gained popularity among non-native speakers aiming to study or work abroad, the competition has intensified, making it essential for candidates to understand not just the basics of grammar and vocabulary but also the more nuanced aspects of language use, such as collocations. These natural word pairings or combinations play a critical role in determining a test-taker’s performance, particularly in the Reading and Listening sections.

Collocations refer to the habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words with a frequency greater than chance. For instance, English speakers naturally say “make a decision” rather than “do a decision” and “strong coffee” instead of “powerful coffee.” These word pairings sound right to native speakers because they occur frequently in everyday use, but for learners of English, they can present a significant challenge. Despite being grammatically correct, using incorrect collocations can result in language that sounds unnatural or awkward, which is why the PTE Academic test includes tasks that evaluate your knowledge and use of these expressions. Mastering collocations therefore not only enhances your fluency but also gives you an edge in achieving a high score.

In the context of the PTE Academic, understanding collocations can provide multiple advantages. In the Reading section, it can help you predict word sequences and understand text faster. In the Listening section, familiarity with collocations enables better comprehension of spoken English, especially when words are spoken rapidly or connected. For Speaking and Writing tasks, using correct collocations makes your language sound more natural and fluent, two key qualities that examiners assess. Whether you are summarizing a written text, answering a short question, or writing an essay, the right use of collocations shows your command over the English language and increases the likelihood of achieving higher marks.

To score well in the PTE Academic, it’s not enough to know individual words. You must also understand how those words interact with others in context. This is why many preparation materials include a collocation list specifically curated for the PTE. These lists include commonly tested word pairs and phrases that occur frequently in academic and professional settings. Knowing these can dramatically improve your ability to answer questions quickly and accurately, especially in tasks like fill-in-the-blank exercises or multiple-choice items that test contextual understanding.

Students preparing for the PTE often overlook collocations, focusing instead on grammar rules and vocabulary memorization. While these are important, they do not guarantee success in understanding or producing fluent English. Language is more than just a collection of words; it is a system of patterns. Collocations are one of the most important patterns in English. They are the glue that holds words together and gives language its natural flow. Recognizing and using these patterns can transform your English from functional to fluent, and in the context of a high-stakes test like the PTE Academic, that transformation can make all the difference.

Understanding collocations also helps in time management during the test. When you encounter a sentence with a missing word, your knowledge of collocations allows you to quickly eliminate incorrect options and choose the one that fits naturally. This skill is particularly useful in the Reading and Listening sections, where time is limited and the ability to process information quickly can greatly affect your score. In tasks like Reading: Fill in the Blanks or Listening: Fill in the Blanks, being able to identify the correct collocation can be the difference between a correct and incorrect answer. For example, in a sentence like “The manager decided to ______ a meeting,” the correct option is “hold a meeting,” not “do a meeting” or “make a meeting.” Only one of these sounds natural to a native speaker, and the test expects you to know which one.

Collocations are not limited to verb-noun pairings. They can take many forms, including adjective-noun combinations like “heavy rain,” adverb-verb combinations like “strongly recommend,” noun-noun pairings like “data analysis,” and preposition-noun combinations like “in charge.” Each of these combinations represents a linguistic pattern that native speakers use intuitively. For non-native speakers, learning these patterns requires deliberate practice and exposure. The PTE Academic test includes a wide range of vocabulary and expects test-takers to be comfortable with many of these common pairings. The more familiar you are with them, the easier it becomes to understand and respond to test items quickly and confidently.

Another key aspect of collocation use in the PTE is its impact on your spoken and written responses. In the Speaking section, tasks like Read Aloud, Describe Image, and Retell Lecture require you to produce language that sounds natural and coherent. Using appropriate collocations in these tasks can significantly enhance your fluency and pronunciation scores. In the Writing section, tasks like Summarize Written Text and Write Essay assess your ability to produce academic English. Incorporating academic collocations such as “draw a conclusion,” “present an argument,” or “support a hypothesis” demonstrates your ability to write in a style appropriate for higher education, which is exactly what the test is designed to assess.

The process of mastering collocations for the PTE involves both passive and active learning. Passive learning involves exposure to English in context, such as reading books, newspapers, and academic articles or listening to lectures and podcasts. This helps you notice how words commonly appear together. Active learning involves making a conscious effort to learn and use these word pairs. This can include using flashcards, practicing with sample sentences, completing gap-fill exercises, or even creating your own collocation notebooks. The key is consistent and repeated exposure combined with practical application.

One effective strategy is to group collocations by themes or topics that are likely to appear in the PTE Academic. For example, in the theme of education, you might focus on collocations like “take a course,” “submit an assignment,” “pass an exam,” and “receive feedback.” In the theme of business, you could focus on phrases like “conduct a meeting,” “achieve a target,” “launch a product,” and “analyze data.” This thematic approach not only makes learning more manageable but also helps in retaining and applying the collocations during the test. When you encounter a familiar topic in a task, the related collocations come to mind more easily, improving both your speed and accuracy.

Another useful method is to learn collocations in full example sentences rather than in isolation. This provides context, which aids in understanding the meaning and usage. For example, instead of simply memorizing “make a decision,” learn the sentence “It is important to make a decision quickly in emergency situations.” This reinforces both the collocation and its practical application. Practicing with such sentences also improves your grammar and sentence structure, which benefits all sections of the test.

While memorization plays a role in learning collocations, understanding their usage is even more important. Some collocations are idiomatic or culturally rooted, and their meaning cannot be guessed by translating from your first language. For example, “break the news” means to tell someone something important, often bad news. If you translate this literally into another language, the meaning may be lost. Therefore, understanding the context in which a collocation is used is essential for correct application in the test. Paying attention to such details will also improve your overall language awareness, which is beneficial not just for the PTE but for academic and professional communication in general.

In summary, collocations are a crucial but often overlooked component of the PTE Academic. They influence every section of the test and contribute significantly to your overall performance. By understanding what collocations are, why they matter, and how they are used in the test, you can approach your preparation with greater focus and effectiveness. Through a combination of exposure, practice, and strategic learning, you can develop a strong command of common English collocations and enhance your fluency, accuracy, and test performance.

How Collocations Enhance Reading and Listening Skills in the PTE

The Reading and Listening sections of the PTE Academic exam are designed to measure a test-taker’s ability to understand written and spoken English in academic contexts. These sections demand more than a basic knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Success often hinges on the ability to grasp nuanced meanings, infer intentions, and recognize patterns of natural language usage. One of the most powerful tools a test-taker can leverage in this effort is an understanding of collocations. When used effectively, collocations function as a mental shortcut, making comprehension quicker and more intuitive.

In the Reading section, several task types require students to interpret and process complex academic texts in a limited time. Tasks like Fill in the Blanks, Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks, and Reorder Paragraphs all require a rapid understanding of sentence structure, coherence, and word appropriateness. A strong grasp of collocations allows students to make educated guesses about what comes next in a sentence, even when they are not fully familiar with the surrounding vocabulary. For example, if a sentence begins with “The professor made a significant,” a student familiar with the collocation “make a significant contribution” will naturally be able to anticipate the next word, even if under time pressure.

One major reason collocations help in reading is that they reduce cognitive load. Instead of processing each word in isolation, the brain can recognize word groupings as units of meaning. This speeds up comprehension, especially in texts with academic vocabulary. Words like “pose a threat,” “reach a conclusion,” or “raise awareness” become instantly understandable to students who have studied them before. Recognizing these phrases quickly can make the difference between finishing a passage comfortably or struggling to complete it in the allotted time.

Another reading advantage of collocations is the ability to eliminate wrong choices in multiple-choice questions or fill-in-the-blank options. Many distractors in these tasks are grammatically correct but do not form natural word combinations. For example, in a sentence like “The company aims to ______ profits by reducing waste,” the options might include increase, grow, develop, and build. A student who knows that “increase profits” is the natural collocation will be able to select the correct answer instantly. This understanding acts like a filter, allowing test-takers to quickly dismiss incorrect answers based on their unnatural word pairings.

In Reorder Paragraph tasks, collocations also help in identifying logical links between sentences. If one sentence ends with the phrase “public health initiatives,” and another starts with “These programs aim to reduce,” the collocation between “health initiatives” and “programs” can hint that these two sentences likely go together. Recognizing such connections is essential for establishing cohesion and order in the given sentences. Students who are comfortable with collocations can piece together meaning even when sentences are presented out of context.

Listening tasks also require familiarity with natural word pairings. These include Summarize Spoken Text, Multiple Choice Questions, Fill in the Blanks, and Highlight Correct Summary. Understanding spoken collocations helps students follow the speaker more easily, especially when speech is rapid or includes unfamiliar vocabulary. When a speaker says, “The new regulations aim to curb pollution,” a student who has heard or read the phrase “curb pollution” before will immediately grasp the idea, even if they miss a few other surrounding words. This pattern recognition is crucial in listening comprehension, where there is no opportunity to pause or re-listen.

Moreover, recognizing collocations in the Listening section helps students pick out key details. Since most audio clips are presented in academic or formal English, they frequently include common collocations used in lectures, seminars, or discussions. Words like “draw conclusions,” “take notes,” “address an issue,” and “conduct research” are spoken in fluid, connected speech. If a student has practiced these collocations beforehand, they will be able to process the audio input more smoothly and write or select the correct answers with confidence.

Collocations also improve a test-taker’s ability to summarize spoken or written content. In Summarize Written Text and Summarize Spoken Text tasks, students must condense information while preserving the main idea and tone. Using the right collocations not only helps in identifying central ideas more quickly but also enables students to restate them naturally and accurately. Instead of saying “The speaker talked about helping the environment,” a more precise and academic rephrasing would be “The speaker discussed measures to protect the environment.” The latter uses the collocation “protect the environment,” which is more appropriate in academic English and more likely to earn a high score.

In addition to comprehension benefits, familiarity with collocations aids in distinguishing between literal and idiomatic language. Many English phrases are not meant to be interpreted word-for-word. Take the phrase “take for granted.” Without prior exposure, a student might interpret this literally. But knowing that it means to undervalue something makes it easier to grasp the speaker’s intent. Tasks like Highlight Incorrect Words and Select Missing Word often require this level of interpretive skill, where understanding the underlying meaning of collocations is key.

Another aspect worth noting is the emotional or connotative tone that collocations can convey. Phrases like “grim reality,” “serious implications,” or “heated debate” carry emotional weight. Recognizing these tones helps students better evaluate the speaker’s perspective or the author’s attitude, especially in summary and inference-based questions. Understanding tone is an important part of scoring well in both Reading and Listening sections, and collocations often carry the clue to identifying tone accurately.

Another point that makes collocations so valuable is their repeated appearance in academic discourse. Many of the academic texts and audio clips used in the PTE contain content from subject areas like health, business, education, science, and technology. Each of these fields has its own set of commonly used collocations. For instance, in health-related content, phrases like “monitor progress,” “improve treatment,” and “increase awareness” appear frequently. In business contexts, you might hear “maximize efficiency,” “implement strategy,” or “boost productivity.” Familiarity with these recurring patterns means students can perform better across various task types regardless of the subject matter.

In preparation for the PTE, students should therefore focus not just on individual vocabulary items but on these word groupings. Reviewing collocations by category or topic helps internalize them more efficiently. Daily practice with reading passages, listening exercises, or vocabulary drills that emphasize collocations can reinforce both understanding and recall. Practicing with high-frequency collocations also trains the brain to recognize them instantly, reducing hesitation and second-guessing during the test.

The PTE is a timed exam, and every second counts. Being able to comprehend written and spoken input quickly and accurately is essential to completing all questions. Knowing collocations improves reading speed because it allows the brain to process chunks of information rather than decoding each word independently. Similarly, in the Listening section, it enhances the ability to predict upcoming words or concepts, which is crucial when audio plays only once and cannot be repeated.

As students improve their familiarity with collocations, they also improve their overall vocabulary range. This in turn positively affects their confidence and fluency. When you encounter academic texts or complex audio, the brain draws upon its bank of known word pairings to build meaning more rapidly. It’s similar to how native speakers process language—through patterns, context, and expected combinations. The more collocations you know, the closer your language processing becomes to that of a native speaker, which is exactly what the PTE aims to measure.

Collocation study also supports learning through context. Instead of memorizing lists of unrelated words, students can learn how these words function within meaningful phrases. This helps in long-term retention and practical usage. For example, learning the word “resistance” along with the phrase “offer resistance” or “build resistance” helps a student understand how the word is typically used and in what scenarios it may appear. It also enables them to generate grammatically accurate and natural-sounding responses in speaking or writing tasks.

Finally, practicing collocations helps students avoid fossilized errors—mistakes that become ingrained due to repeated incorrect usage. These might include phrases like “do a mistake” instead of “make a mistake,” or “say me” instead of “tell me.” Left unchecked, such errors can negatively affect performance in speaking and writing. Understanding correct collocations early on in the preparation process helps eliminate these problems and leads to more polished and proficient language output.

In summary, collocations are a cornerstone of effective reading and listening comprehension in the PTE Academic. They streamline understanding, reduce cognitive effort, and help in faster and more accurate interpretation of texts and audio content. Students who actively study and practice collocations are better prepared to handle the complexities of academic English and are more likely to achieve high scores. By integrating collocation study into your daily PTE prep, you make a strategic investment in your exam success.

Strategies for Mastering Collocations for the PTE

Mastering collocations for the PTE is not a one-time effort but a continuous process of exposure, practice, and refinement. The more you immerse yourself in collocations, the more natural they will become in both receptive skills (reading and listening) and productive skills (speaking and writing). In this section, we’ll explore various strategies to help you master collocations effectively and integrate them into your PTE preparation.

Understanding and Categorizing Collocations

One of the first steps in mastering collocations is to understand their structure. Collocations are typically divided into several categories, and recognizing the type of collocation you are dealing with will help you practice more effectively. There are several main types of collocations:

1. Verb + Noun Collocations: These are the most common type, where a specific verb pairs with a noun. Examples include “make a decision,” “take a break,” “conduct research,” and “give a presentation.” These collocations are central to both the speaking and writing sections of the PTE, as they often appear in tasks that require you to describe actions or processes.
2. Adjective + Noun Collocations: This type involves adjectives that commonly pair with specific nouns. Examples include “strong evidence,” “high probability,” “serious problem,” and “major change.” These are crucial in the PTE Reading and Writing sections, especially in summary tasks where precise word choices are required.
3. Noun + Noun Collocations: These collocations consist of two nouns placed together to convey a specific meaning. Examples include “climate change,” “data analysis,” and “economic growth.” They are important for both speaking and writing, where combining ideas in a compact, academic manner is key.
4. Adverb + Adjective Collocations: These collocations combine adverbs and adjectives to form common expressions. Examples include “strongly recommend,” “highly unlikely,” and “deeply concerned.” These are particularly useful for expressing opinions and providing emphasis in both the Writing and Speaking sections.
5. Verb + Preposition Collocations: These involve verbs that typically combine with prepositions. Examples include “rely on,” “believe in,” and “complain about.” These are often encountered in the Reading and Listening sections and can appear in both the listening audio and the reading text.

Understanding these types of collocations can help you identify patterns and predict which words are likely to go together in a given context. For example, when studying a new verb, you might want to practice the common nouns it collocates with. For the verb “conduct,” these might include “research,” “study,” “investigation,” or “survey.” This method helps reinforce the associations between words and ensures that you can use them naturally in context.

Expanding Your Collocation Knowledge through Contextual Learning

Once you understand the various categories of collocations, the next step is to expand your collocation knowledge. While memorizing lists can help, it’s much more effective to learn collocations in context. This means you should focus on seeing and hearing collocations used in real-life situations, such as academic texts, podcasts, news articles, or conversations.

Reading Academic Texts and Articles

The best way to familiarize yourself with collocations is by regularly reading academic texts. Textbooks, journals, articles, and reports from various fields such as business, science, education, and health will expose you to a wide range of collocations in context. As you read, pay attention to recurring word pairings. For instance, you might come across phrases like “achieve a goal,” “face challenges,” or “offer insight.”

While reading, don’t just passively absorb the text. Actively underline or highlight collocations that stand out to you. Afterward, try to use them in your own sentences. For example, if you encounter the phrase “raise awareness,” write a sentence such as “The campaign aims to raise awareness about environmental issues.” This active practice ensures that you don’t just recognize collocations but also integrate them into your productive vocabulary.

Listening to Podcasts, Lectures, and Audiobooks

Listening practice is just as crucial as reading practice when it comes to mastering collocations. English-language podcasts, TED Talks, online lectures, and audiobooks all offer rich sources of natural language usage, especially academic collocations. The Listening section of the PTE mimics real-life academic conversations, so familiarizing yourself with collocations in speech will help you understand the nuances of spoken English.

When listening, try to focus on the collocations that the speaker uses. For example, in a TED Talk about education, you might hear phrases like “raise expectations,” “inspire creativity,” and “foster innovation.” Take note of these phrases and look up their meanings and usage. You can also pause and repeat after the speaker to practice pronunciation and fluency.

Using Flashcards and Spaced Repetition

One of the most effective ways to memorize and recall collocations is through the use of flashcards. You can create physical flashcards or use digital apps like Anki, Quizlet, or Memrise, which employ spaced repetition techniques to help you retain collocations over time. Each flashcard should include the collocation on one side and an example sentence on the other. For example, for the collocation “make progress,” you could have a sentence like “She made significant progress in her research.”

Spaced repetition works by reminding you of the collocations you tend to forget, which strengthens your long-term retention. The more frequently you review a collocation, the more likely it is to stick in your memory. This technique is especially useful for collocations that appear less frequently in everyday language but are common in academic contexts.

Practicing with Collocation Quizzes

Many PTE preparation books and online resources offer quizzes specifically designed to test your understanding of collocations. These quizzes typically present sentences with missing words, and you have to choose the correct collocation from a list of options. This type of exercise is great for testing both your recognition and productive knowledge of collocations.

You can also practice with online tools that provide real-time feedback. Websites like JustTheWord and SkELL are excellent for exploring collocations, as they show real-life examples of word pairings in context. These resources can help you discover new collocations and deepen your understanding of how words work together naturally.

Writing and Speaking Practice Using Collocations

To truly master collocations, it’s important to practice using them in your own speaking and writing. The Speaking section of the PTE often includes tasks like describing a picture, responding to questions, or giving a short speech. Using collocations appropriately in these tasks will help you sound more fluent and natural. For example, if you are asked to describe a process, you could use the collocation “carry out” as in “To carry out a successful experiment, it is important to follow the protocol.”

In the Writing section, using collocations will make your language more academic and precise. For example, instead of saying “A good teacher helps students,” use a more formal and natural phrase such as “A good teacher fosters student growth.” The use of the collocation “foster growth” is more appropriate in academic writing, and such phrases will increase your chances of earning a higher score.

Reviewing and Analyzing Mistakes

Another valuable strategy is to review and analyze any mistakes you make during practice. If you incorrectly use a collocation, such as saying “do a research” instead of “conduct research,” take note of the error and review the correct phrase. This will help you avoid repeating similar mistakes on test day. As you continue to practice, you’ll begin to internalize the correct collocations and use them without thinking.

You can also review any practice tests you take to see how well you’re applying collocations. Many PTE preparation resources, including practice exams, contain answer keys and explanations, which will point out the correct collocations for different questions.

Using PTE Collocation Lists and Dictionaries

PTE-specific collocation lists and dictionaries can be incredibly helpful in your preparation. These lists typically include the most common collocations that appear in the test and often come with example sentences. While these lists may not cover every possible collocation, they provide a solid foundation for learning key word pairings. You can use these lists as a study tool, reviewing them regularly to build your collocation knowledge.

Online dictionaries like the Oxford Collocations Dictionary and the Macmillan Collocations Dictionary are invaluable for understanding the meaning and usage of collocations in a variety of contexts. They allow you to search for specific words and see which other words commonly go with them. This is especially useful when you encounter new vocabulary in your PTE preparation.

Mastering collocations for the PTE requires time, patience, and consistent practice. By focusing on understanding collocations in context, categorizing them, using spaced repetition, and integrating them into your speaking and writing, you will significantly improve your performance in the Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing sections.

The key is to make collocation study a part of your everyday routine. Consistent exposure to academic language in both written and spoken forms, combined with active practice and targeted exercises, will ensure that you recognize and use collocations naturally during the PTE exam.

Real-Life Application of Collocations for the PTE Exam

In the final section of this guide, we’ll explore how to apply collocations effectively during your PTE exam. Understanding how collocations function in both receptive and productive tasks will give you an advantage, allowing you to boost your overall score. The PTE Academic is designed to assess your proficiency in English in various settings, so learning how to recognize, understand, and use collocations can significantly enhance your performance. Let’s break down how to integrate collocations into your test-taking strategy, providing practical examples and insight into specific sections of the exam.

Collocations in the Reading Section of the PTE

The Reading section of the PTE tests your ability to understand written English and interpret the meaning of texts. A significant portion of your success in this section depends on how well you grasp word relationships and the context in which they are used. This is where collocations come into play.

Spotting Collocations in Texts

The Reading section includes a variety of question types, such as reading comprehension questions, fill-in-the-blanks, and reordering sentences. Collocations are critical in all these question types. For instance, in reading comprehension questions, your ability to recognize and understand collocations can help you quickly interpret the meaning of a passage. For example, if you read the sentence “The government decided to implement new policies to *the economy,” knowing the correct collocation “boost” can help you understand the meaning and answer the question accurately. The sentence would read “The government decided to implement new policies to boost the economy.”

Using Collocations for Predicting Meaning

Collocations also help you predict the meaning of a passage or the missing word in fill-in-the-blank exercises. In these exercises, you are often presented with a sentence or passage that has one or more missing words. The key to selecting the correct word is understanding how words commonly pair with one another in English. For example, if you’re given the sentence “The company is known for its * services,” you can quickly predict that “high-quality” or “excellent” are the likely answers, as they are common collocations with “services.”

In this section, you’ll be expected to understand the broader meaning of a text and identify key phrases and ideas. Being able to recognize collocations in context will not only help you answer questions more efficiently but also enhance your overall understanding of the material.

Collocations in the Listening Section of the PTE

In the Listening section, you are required to listen to a variety of recordings, such as lectures, conversations, and discussions, and answer questions based on the content. Collocations play a critical role here as well. Native English speakers use collocations naturally, and understanding them can make it much easier to follow and comprehend spoken English.

Identifying Collocations in Audio

The Listening section often includes tasks where you have to fill in gaps in a transcript or select the correct response based on a conversation or lecture. Recognizing collocations will allow you to fill in these gaps accurately. For example, if a speaker says, “We need to * action immediately to prevent further delays,” understanding that “take” and “immediate” are common collocates will help you select the right answer: “take immediate action.”

The ability to identify collocations in spoken language is crucial in helping you understand the context and respond to questions more effectively. Often, in listening tasks, you’ll hear certain phrases used repetitively or in predictable patterns. By familiarizing yourself with these common collocations, you’ll improve your ability to comprehend and answer questions quickly.

Strengthening Listening Skills with Collocations

Collocations also help you improve your listening skills in general. When you are listening to native speakers, whether in podcasts, lectures, or conversations, you’ll become more adept at recognizing common phrases, even when they are spoken quickly or with a different accent. This is because collocations tend to have a rhythm and flow that makes them easier to understand. By regularly listening to English content, you will develop a better ear for these common word pairings, improving both your comprehension and your ability to answer questions accurately.

Collocations in the Speaking Section of the PTE

The Speaking section of the PTE is where you have the opportunity to demonstrate your spoken English abilities. It includes tasks such as repeating sentences, describing images, and giving short responses to questions. The key to sounding natural and fluent during this section is using collocations correctly.

Using Collocations in Response to Questions

When you answer questions, try to incorporate collocations naturally into your responses. Using the right word combinations not only improves the fluency of your speech but also makes your answers sound more native-like. For example, if you’re asked to describe the advantages of a new technology, you could say, “The new technology offers numerous benefits, including increased productivity and greater efficiency.” Instead of saying “the technology gives good results,” using collocations like “offers benefits” or “increases productivity” will make your response sound more sophisticated and accurate.

Describing Images Using Collocations

In tasks that ask you to describe an image, using common collocations can make your description more coherent and natural. For example, if you are asked to describe a chart showing the increase in global temperatures, you might say, “The chart shows a significant rise in global temperatures over the past few decades.” Knowing phrases like “show a rise” or “indicate a trend” will help you sound more fluent and precise in your speech.

Collocations can also help you sound more confident. When you’re familiar with these common word combinations, you won’t have to think twice about what words to use, allowing you to focus on the content of your response instead of struggling with word choice.

Collocations in the Writing Section of the PTE

The Writing section requires you to complete tasks such as summarizing written texts and responding to an essay prompt. This section is often the most challenging for test-takers because it demands precise, academic language. Using collocations effectively in your writing will improve the fluency and accuracy of your responses.

Writing with Collocations in Mind

When tasked with writing an essay or summarizing a text, it’s important to integrate collocations that match the tone and style of academic writing. For example, instead of simply saying “the company made a lot of money,” you could use the collocation “the company achieved significant profits.” This demonstrates your ability to use more formal, academic language, which will help boost your score.

Similarly, in summary tasks, collocations can help you convey ideas more succinctly and accurately. For example, if you’re asked to summarize a text about environmental issues, you could say, “The article discusses how climate change is affecting global ecosystems, and it suggests measures to reduce carbon emissions.” Phrases like “discusses how” and “suggests measures” are common collocations that will enhance the quality of your writing.

Avoiding Common Writing Mistakes

One of the most important things to avoid in the Writing section is redundancy or unnatural phrasing. Collocations can help you avoid these errors by providing pre-constructed word combinations that sound natural and appropriate. For example, instead of saying “the problem is very important,” you might say “the issue is of great importance,” which is a more common collocation in academic writing.

Additionally, using collocations correctly ensures that your writing is both concise and to the point. Instead of rephrasing a sentence multiple times to find the right expression, you can rely on collocations to provide the correct wording from the start, saving time and improving your efficiency.

In conclusion, collocations are a vital component of success in the PTE exam. Whether you are tackling the Reading, Listening, Speaking, or Writing sections, knowing how to recognize and use collocations will enhance your language skills and help you achieve a higher score. By consistently practicing collocations in context, using resources like collocation lists and flashcards, and incorporating them into your speaking and writing tasks, you’ll be well on your way to mastering this critical aspect of the exam.

The PTE is not just a test of your language knowledge but also your ability to use English naturally and fluently. Collocations are key to demonstrating this fluency, so make sure to dedicate time to mastering them. With regular practice, attention to detail, and a strategic approach, you can significantly improve your performance on the PTE exam and take a step closer to achieving your desired score.

Good luck with your preparation, and don’t hesitate to revisit this guide as you continue your journey toward mastering collocations for the PTE!

Final Thoughts

Mastering collocations for the PTE Academic exam is a game-changer when it comes to improving your English proficiency. Collocations are pairs or groups of words that naturally go together, such as “make a decision” or “take a break.” In the context of the PTE, understanding these word combinations is crucial for excelling in the reading, listening, speaking, and writing sections. Recognizing and using collocations correctly can boost your fluency, comprehension, and overall performance, making it easier to predict meaning, understand complex texts, and sound more natural in your responses. Whether you’re tackling fill-in-the-blank exercises, listening for key phrases, or crafting essays, mastering collocations will make your answers more accurate and fluent. By practicing collocations regularly through reading, listening, and speaking activities, as well as using tools like flashcards or online collocation dictionaries, you can significantly improve your chances of scoring well on the PTE Academic.