🧩 Collocations Mastery Tracker
Academic IELTS Vocabulary Collocations
Progress: 0 of 14 mastered. Collocations are natural word pairings. Mastering these essential pairings is the fastest way to improve your score.
Collocation
Band 8+
Seismic shift
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USAGE
Band 8+
A major or fundamental change in a situation.
IELTS Context:
"The rise of e-commerce caused a seismic shift in retail."Collocation
Band 7+
Far-reaching consequences
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USAGE
Band 7+
Consequences that have a big effect on many people or things.
IELTS Context:
"The decision to leave the union will have far-reaching consequences."Collocation
Band 7+
Pressing issue
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USAGE
Band 7+
An issue that needs urgent attention.
IELTS Context:
"Urban overcrowding is the most pressing issue facing the city planners."Collocation
Band 8+
Vested interest
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USAGE
Band 8+
A personal reason for involvement in an undertaking, especially an expectation of financial gain.
IELTS Context:
"Some industries have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo."Collocation
Band 7+
Underlying cause
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USAGE
Band 7+
The real or hidden cause of a problem.
IELTS Context:
"Poverty is often the underlying cause of rising crime rates."Collocation
Band 7+
Play a pivotal role
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USAGE
Band 7+
To be essential to something or someone.
IELTS Context:
"Teachers play a pivotal role in the development of young minds."Collocation
Band 7+
Stark contrast
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USAGE
Band 7+
A very obvious difference between two things.
IELTS Context:
"The luxury of the hotel was in stark contrast to the poverty outside."Collocation
Band 8+
Fundamental flaw
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USAGE
Band 8+
A basic mistake or problem that makes something ineffective.
IELTS Context:
"There is a fundamental flaw in the proposed economic model."Collocation
Band 7+
Exert pressure
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USAGE
Band 7+
To use influence or force to make someone do something.
IELTS Context:
"Large corporations can exert pressure on smaller suppliers."Collocation
Band 7+
Unforeseen circumstances
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USAGE
Band 7+
Events that are not expected to happen.
IELTS Context:
"The project was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances."Collocation
Band 7+
At the expense of
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USAGE
Band 7+
Resulting in the loss or damage of something else.
IELTS Context:
"Profit should not be pursued at the expense of employee safety."Collocation
Band 7+
Mounting evidence
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USAGE
Band 7+
An increasing amount of proof.
IELTS Context:
"There is mounting evidence that sugar is more harmful than previously thought."Collocation
Band 7+
Bridging the gap
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USAGE
Band 7+
Reducing the difference between two things or groups.
IELTS Context:
"The new policy aims at bridging the gap between rich and poor."Collocation
Band 8+
Deeply ingrained
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USAGE
Band 8+
Firmly fixed and difficult to change.
IELTS Context:
"Prejudice is often deeply ingrained in certain societies."🎓 Why Collocations Matter?
In the IELTS exam, examiners look for "naturalness." A student who says "big problem" is Band 6.0, but a student who says "a pressing issue" or "a significant hurdle" demonstrates Band 8.0+ ability. These collocations ensure your writing sounds academic and your speaking sounds natural.