IELTS Collocations Band 7: 70 Pairings by Essay Topic (2026)

Single words do not get you band 7. Pairs do. Below are 70 collocations grouped by the essay topics that actually appear — each with the wrong version candidates write, so you avoid the exact error examiners penalise.

Pair this with essay planning: Task 2 essay structure.

Education (12)

Type	Correct	Wrong version
verb+noun	pursue higher education	make higher education
verb+noun	acquire knowledge	win knowledge
verb+noun	meet admission criteria	fill admission criteria
adj+noun	rigorous curriculum	hard curriculum
adj+noun	academic integrity	school honesty
prep	enrolled in a programme	enrolled on (US/UK varies; "in" is safest)
verb+noun	broaden horizons	widen horizons
verb+noun	drop out of school	drop out from school
adj+noun	steep tuition fees	high tuition fees (high works, steep is band 7+)
verb+noun	bridge the gap	close the gap (close works for scores, bridge for divides)
prep	excel at mathematics	excel in mathematics
verb+noun	foster critical thinking	make critical thinking

Technology (12)

Type	Correct	Wrong version
verb+noun	embrace innovation	accept innovation (accept is passive; embrace is active)
verb+noun	pose a threat to privacy	make a threat
adj+noun	cutting-edge device	cutting device
verb+noun	streamline operations	make operations fast
prep	addicted to screens	addicted of screens
verb+noun	bridge the digital divide	close the digital divide
adj+noun	seamless integration	easy integration
verb+noun	raise concerns about AI	rise concerns (raise = transitive)
verb+noun	combat cybercrime	fight cybercrime (fight works; combat is academic)
adj+noun	unprecedented access	unheard access
prep	reliant on automation	reliant of automation
verb+noun	store data in the cloud	save data on the cloud

Environment (12)

Type	Correct	Wrong version
verb+noun	curb emissions	cut emissions (cut works; curb is band 7+)
verb+noun	tackle climate change	fight climate change (fight is emotive; tackle is academic)
adj+noun	renewable energy	renewable energies (uncountable in this sense)
verb+noun	preserve biodiversity	keep biodiversity
prep	at risk of extinction	in risk of extinction
adj+noun	fragile ecosystem	weak ecosystem
verb+noun	impose a levy on plastic	put a levy
verb+noun	deplete natural resources	finish natural resources
adj+noun	irreversible damage	unreturnable damage
prep	deter pollution with fines	deter from pollution (deter + noun)
verb+noun	adopt sustainable practices	adapt sustainable practices (adapt = adjust; adopt = take up)
adj+noun	pressing concern	pushing concern

Health (10)

Type	Correct	Wrong version
verb+noun	lead a sedentary lifestyle	have a sedentary lifestyle
verb+noun	combat obesity	fight obesity (see Technology note)
adj+noun	balanced diet	balanced food
prep	suffer from insomnia	suffer of insomnia
verb+noun	boost immunity	raise immunity
adj+noun	mental well-being	mental wellness (wellness is commercial register)
verb+noun	pose health risks	make health risks
prep	addicted to junk food	addicted on junk food
verb+noun	seek medical advice	ask medical advice (ask for; seek + noun)
adj+noun	underlying condition	under condition

Crime & Society (12)

Type	Correct	Wrong version
verb+noun	commit a crime	make a crime
verb+noun	deter offenders	scare offenders
adj+noun	petty crime	small crime
verb+noun	impose a sentence	give a sentence
prep	convicted of theft	convicted for theft
verb+noun	reoffend after release	re-crime (not a word)
adj+noun	law-abiding citizens	law-following citizens
verb+noun	uphold the law	keep the law
prep	witness to corruption	witness of corruption
verb+noun	spark public outrage	make public outrage
adj+noun	widening inequality	big inequality
verb+noun	erode public trust	break public trust

Work & Economy (12)

Type	Correct	Wrong version
verb+noun	make a decision	do a decision
verb+noun	bear the cost	carry the cost
adj+noun	fierce competition	hard competition
prep	redundant due to automation	redundant because of (wordy; due to is tighter)
verb+noun	stimulate growth	push growth
adj+noun	job security	job safety
verb+noun	strike a balance	make a balance
prep	eligible for benefits	eligible to benefits
verb+noun	shoulder responsibility	take responsibility (take works; shoulder is band 7+)
adj+noun	disposable income	spare income
verb+noun	widen the pay gap	enlarge the pay gap
prep	invest in skills	invest on skills

Health — Part 2: Prevention and Systems (10 More)

The table above covers lifestyle basics. These 10 cover prevention, healthcare systems, and policy — the pairs you need for "should governments fund healthcare?" essays. Illustrative example sentences below are invented for practice, not real cases.

Type	Correct	Wrong version
verb+noun	prevent chronic disease	avoid chronic disease (avoid = dodge; prevent = stop)
verb+noun	fund public healthcare	pay public healthcare (pay + for; fund + noun)
adj+noun	preventive care	preventing care
verb+noun	raise life expectancy	rise life expectancy (raise = transitive)
prep	vulnerable to infection	vulnerable of infection
adj+noun	sedentary behaviour	sitting behaviour
verb+noun	curb smoking rates	cut smoking rates (cut works; curb is academic)
verb+noun	alleviate pressure on hospitals	lighten pressure on hospitals
adj+noun	universal coverage	general coverage
prep	recover from surgery	recover of surgery

Illustrative examples (invented): "Funding public healthcare raises life expectancy more reliably than subsidising private clinics." "Preventive care alleviates pressure on hospitals by catching chronic disease early."

Technology — Part 2: AI, Data and Work (10 More)

The earlier Technology table covers general innovation. These 10 target AI, data, and automation — the fastest-growing Task 2 topic. Illustrative examples below are invented for practice.

Type	Correct	Wrong version
verb+noun	train a model on data	learn a model
verb+noun	automate repetitive tasks	automatise repetitive tasks (rare form)
adj+noun	algorithmic bias	algorithm unfairness
verb+noun	safeguard personal data	guard personal data (guard works for places; safeguard for data/rights)
prep	displace workers with automation	displace workers by automation (with = means)
verb+noun	widen the digital divide	enlarge the digital divide
adj+noun	remote workforce	distant workforce
verb+noun	deploy AI in hiring	install AI in hiring (install = software; deploy = systems)
prep	prone to misuse	prone for misuse
verb+noun	strike a balance between innovation and regulation	make a balance

Illustrative examples (invented): "Deploying AI in hiring without audits risks algorithmic bias." "Automation displaces workers with routine roles first, so retraining must strike a balance between innovation and regulation."

How to Learn Collocations: The 3-Column Notebook Method

Lists do not stick; retrieval does. Rule a page into three columns: Pair | My sentence | Trap.

1. Column 1 — the pair with its trap highlighted. Write "pose a threat (pose, not make)" or "addicted to (to, not of)". Never write the single word alone.
2. Column 2 — one sentence you wrote yourself. Illustrative starter (invented): "Preventive care alleviates pressure on hospitals by catching chronic disease early." Copying the table's sentence does not count — you must compose it.
3. Column 3 — test backwards. Cover column 1, read your sentence, and reproduce the pair from memory including the preposition or verb. Mark misses with a dot; three dots means the pair goes into your next essay by force.

Weekly routine: 10 new pairs per week from one topic block above, 5-minute daily review of column 3 only, and every paragraph you write must contain two notebook pairs. After 4 weeks you own 40 usable pairs — enough for Lexical Resource 7.

How to Learn Them (So They Survive Exam Day)

1. Learn the pair, never the word. Flashcards should read "pose a ___" → "threat", not "threat = danger".
2. One topic per week. Write two Task 2 paragraphs forcing 5 collocations from that topic's table.
3. Fix prepositions first. Examiners forgive a plain adjective; they penalise "addicted of" every time.
4. Recycle across skills. The adjective+noun rows double as Speaking Part 3 upgrades — see the vocabulary guide for topic word banks.

Stuck at 6.5 overall? Collocations alone rarely fix it — check the 6.5 to 7 improvement plan and compare prep options in best IELTS platforms 2026.

The Bottom Line

Ninety pairs, eight blocks, zero memorised essays. Use 8–12 per essay, keep every preposition exact, and Lexical Resource 7 follows.