Vocabulary tool
Collocations & natural-sounding idioms
Collocations (words that travel together) are the fastest way to sound fluent. Idioms can help — but only if they fit. Avoid forcing them.
IELTSTOEFL
Verb + noun collocations
Common
- • make a decision
- • take responsibility
- • do research
- • give an example
- • raise awareness
- • draw a conclusion
Stronger
- • pose a challenge
- • shed light on
- • play a key role in
- • strike a balance
- • bridge a gap
Adjective + noun collocations
Common
- • heavy traffic
- • strong evidence
- • key factor
- • significant impact
- • growing concern
Stronger
- • far-reaching consequences
- • double-edged sword
- • thorny issue
- • compelling argument
- • vested interest
Adverb + adjective collocations
Polish
- • highly likely
- • deeply concerned
- • widely recognised
- • fundamentally different
- • perfectly acceptable
Idioms that fit naturally in Speaking
Time & change
- • it's been ages since …
- • in the long run
- • around the clock
- • out of the blue
Effort & success
- • bend over backwards
- • pay off
- • get the hang of it
- • second nature
Idiom rules
- One idiom per Part 2 cue card is plenty.
- Never use an idiom you don't fully understand.
- Avoid idioms in IELTS Writing — they sound informal.
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