Collocations for Band 7+ IELTS Speaking — 35 Natural Combinations
Collocations — natural combinations of words that go together — are a strong band-7+ signal in IELTS Speaking. Examiners reward candidates who use phrases like ‘broaden one's horizons’ or ‘meet a deadline’ over ‘make wider one's mind’ or ‘arrive at a deadline’. The 35 collocations below are high-frequency in spoken English at the level IELTS examines. Practise each one in a full sentence so it sounds natural under exam pressure.
IELTS prompts where this vocabulary fits
- Speaking Part 1: General lifestyle, work, hobbies
- Speaking Part 2: Personal anecdotes and descriptive turns
- Speaking Part 3: Discussion of abstract or social topics
Band 7+ Collocations for Speaking vocabulary table
Each row gives the word, part of speech, plain-English definition, an IELTS-style example sentence, common collocations, and an optional band-7+ synonym you can swap in for variety.
| Word | POS | Definition | IELTS-style example | Collocations | Band-7+ synonym |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| make a decision | v. coll. | To decide. | “I had to make a decision quickly about whether to accept the job offer.” | make a difficult decision, make an informed decision | reach a decision |
| come to a conclusion | v. coll. | To form a judgement after considering something. | “After weeks of thought, I came to the conclusion that further study was the right path.” | come to a firm conclusion, come to a logical conclusion | reach a conclusion |
| pay attention | v. coll. | To listen or watch carefully. | “Students who pay close attention in tutorials tend to do better in coursework.” | pay close attention, pay no attention | be attentive |
| take advantage of | v. coll. | To use an opportunity well. | “Many young people take advantage of free online courses to learn new skills.” | take full advantage of, take undue advantage of | make use of |
| have an impact on | v. coll. | To affect. | “The shift to remote work has had a major impact on city centre economies.” | have a positive impact on, have a lasting impact on | affect |
| bear in mind | v. coll. | To remember when considering something. | “When choosing a university, you should bear in mind both the course content and the location.” | bear something firmly in mind | remember |
| give rise to | v. coll. | To cause something to happen. | “Easy access to information has given rise to entirely new forms of self-directed learning.” | give rise to concerns, give rise to debate | result in |
| play a role in | v. coll. | To be involved in or contribute to. | “Schools play a crucial role in shaping young people's attitudes toward learning.” | play a major role in, play a minor role in | contribute to |
| raise awareness | v. coll. | To make people more conscious of an issue. | “Public campaigns have done a great deal to raise awareness of mental-health problems.” | raise public awareness, raise awareness of | draw attention to |
| broaden one's horizons | v. coll. | To increase one's range of experience. | “Travelling abroad in my early twenties really broadened my horizons.” | significantly broaden one's horizons | expand one's outlook |
| meet a deadline | v. coll. | To complete something on time. | “Meeting deadlines consistently is one of the most highly valued workplace skills.” | meet a tight deadline, struggle to meet a deadline | deliver on time |
| take a chance | v. coll. | To accept a risk. | “Some entrepreneurs are willing to take a chance on ideas that more cautious investors avoid.” | take a real chance, take a calculated chance | take a risk |
| have second thoughts | v. coll. | To begin to doubt a decision. | “After accepting the offer, I had second thoughts about moving so far from home.” | have serious second thoughts | reconsider |
| save money | v. coll. | To keep money rather than spend it. | “Many students save money by sharing accommodation with classmates.” | save money on, save money for | economise |
| save time | v. coll. | To use less time than usual. | “Online banking saves time that would otherwise be spent at a branch.” | save valuable time, save time on | be time-efficient |
| waste money | v. coll. | To spend money on something pointless. | “Some critics argue that universities waste money on facilities students rarely use.” | waste money on, an utter waste of money | fritter away money |
| raise concerns | v. coll. | To express worry. | “Parents have raised concerns about the amount of screen time young children receive.” | raise serious concerns, raise legitimate concerns | express concern |
| pursue a career | v. coll. | To work toward becoming established in a profession. | “I have decided to pursue a career in renewable-energy engineering.” | pursue a career in, actively pursue a career | build a career |
| strike a balance | v. coll. | To find a compromise between competing demands. | “Striking a balance between study and rest is essential during exam preparation.” | strike a healthy balance, strike a careful balance | find a balance |
| gain experience | v. coll. | To accumulate practical knowledge. | “Internships are one of the most useful ways for graduates to gain experience.” | gain valuable experience, gain practical experience | acquire experience |
| gain confidence | v. coll. | To become more sure of oneself. | “Many candidates gain confidence simply by sitting one or two full mock tests.” | gain confidence in, gain confidence quickly | grow in confidence |
| catch up with friends | v. coll. | To meet friends after a period apart. | “I try to catch up with friends from school at least once a year.” | catch up with old friends | reconnect |
| keep in touch | v. coll. | To maintain contact with someone. | “Keeping in touch with university friends after graduation takes more effort than people expect.” | keep in regular touch, keep in close touch | stay in contact |
| take responsibility | v. coll. | To accept being accountable for something. | “Schools encourage even young children to take responsibility for their own learning.” | take full responsibility, take personal responsibility | be accountable |
| take pride in | v. coll. | To feel pleased and satisfied about something. | “I take great pride in the work I have done since starting my current role.” | take great pride in, take quiet pride in | be proud of |
| come to terms with | v. coll. | To accept a difficult situation. | “It took me several months to come to terms with the change in my career.” | come fully to terms with | accept |
| shed light on | v. coll. | To make something easier to understand. | “Recent research has shed light on how short sleep affects long-term memory.” | shed new light on, shed further light on | clarify |
| get ahead | v. coll. | To make progress or succeed. | “Strong communication skills help young professionals get ahead in their early careers.” | get ahead in life, get ahead professionally | advance |
| look forward to | v. coll. | To anticipate with pleasure. | “I am looking forward to starting my postgraduate studies next September.” | look forward to seeing, very much look forward to | anticipate eagerly |
| come up with | phr.v. | To produce an idea or solution. | “Designers regularly have to come up with creative solutions to budget constraints.” | come up with an idea, come up with a plan | devise |
| put up with | phr.v. | To tolerate. | “Long commutes are one of the things many city workers simply put up with.” | put up with noise, put up with delays | tolerate |
| bring about | phr.v. | To cause to happen. | “Government incentives have helped bring about a rapid shift to electric vehicles.” | bring about change, bring about reform | cause |
| set a goal | v. coll. | To decide on something to aim for. | “Setting a realistic goal at the start of preparation is more useful than aiming for perfection.” | set a clear goal, set a long-term goal | establish a target |
| make a contribution | v. coll. | To give something useful to a cause or group. | “Even small donations can make a meaningful contribution to local charities.” | make a significant contribution, make a positive contribution | contribute |
| draw a conclusion | v. coll. | To form a judgement based on information. | “Examiners draw conclusions about lexical range across the whole answer, not from a single word.” | draw a firm conclusion, draw a hasty conclusion | infer |
Band-8 sample answer
Sample band-8 Speaking Part 3 answer extract: ‘How important is it to keep in touch with old friends?’
I think it really matters, although it takes more effort than people expect once everyone moves into different cities. Personally, I try to catch up with my closest friends from university at least twice a year, and I make a point of taking pride in the small effort that involves. The friends who have shed light on most of the difficult decisions in my life are the same ones I went to university with, so keeping in touch with them is something I am not willing to put up with losing.
Words used: keep in touch, catch up with friends, take pride in, shed light on, put up with
Using these in IELTS Speaking
IELTS Speaking rewards natural production over recall. Aim to slip a higher-register word like make a decision or take a chance into your answer at the moment the question invites it, rather than forcing a memorised phrase into the opening sentence. Examiners notice when vocabulary feels rehearsed.
If you are not sure of a collocation, use a slightly safer word you control. A single confident use of take responsibility in Part 3 — where the question explicitly invites discussion — gives examiners more evidence of range than a stilted opening sentence with three advanced terms.
Common traps to avoid
The most common band 7+ collocations for speaking trap at band 6.5 is collocation mismatch — using a word in a combination native speakers would not produce. The collocations column on the table above is the most important field for avoiding this; learn make a decision not as a single word but as part of the collocations listed beside it.
The second trap is register mismatch: using an informal word in a Writing Task 2 essay, or an overly formal word in a personal Speaking answer. The example sentences on this page are calibrated to the register IELTS expects for each section listed in the header.
Common questions
How many of these band 7+ collocations for speaking words do I actually need to know?
Will I lose marks if I use an unfamiliar word incorrectly?
Where in the IELTS exam does band 7+ collocations for speaking vocabulary appear?
How should I memorise this vocabulary effectively for IELTS?
Will overusing connectors hurt my Writing band?
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