Vocabulary

PTE collocations: 150 academic collocations by task

Updated 30 October 2026 · about a 12-minute read

Collocations are the word partnerships that fluent writers use without thinking: you make a decision, raise awareness and conduct research, while a price is high rather than expensive. This PTE collocations list gives you 150 academic and everyday collocations grouped by the task where you will use them: Write Essay, Describe Image, Re-tell Lecture and the summary tasks, Reading Fill in the Blanks, and the PTE Core Write Email. Each one comes with an example sentence in a test-like context and, where learners often pick the wrong word, the partner to avoid.

Looking for single high-frequency words instead? See the PTE vocabulary list, which covers academic words, linking words and tricky Read Aloud pronunciations. This page is about the words that go with them.

What is a collocation?

A collocation is a combination of words that naturally occur together more often than chance would suggest. Grammar alone does not tell you which partner is right. "Do a mistake" is grammatical, but English speakers say "make a mistake"; "strong rain" is understandable, but the natural phrase is "heavy rain". The most useful patterns for the PTE are:

Verb + noun: pose a threat, draw a conclusion, meet a deadline.
Adjective + noun: a sharp increase, a viable solution, a representative sample.
Adverb + adjective: highly likely, closely linked, widely accepted.
Noun + of + noun: a lack of, the root cause of, the quality of life.
Word + preposition: depend on, result in, responsible for, an increase in.

Why collocations matter in PTE

Collocations are not a separate section of the test, but they show up in several scores at once:

Reading Fill in the Blanks. In Reading: Fill in the Blanks and Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks, several options often fit the grammar but only one fits the words around the gap. Pearson's own tip for the drag-and-drop version is to use collocation to recognise the correct word for each blank.
Writing. Pearson scores vocabulary in the writing tasks: vocabulary range and general linguistic range in Write Essay, and vocabulary in Summarize Written Text and Summarize Spoken Text. In PTE Core, Write Email is scored on vocabulary range too. A natural partnership such as "conduct research" reads as precise, accurate English; a near miss such as "make a research" reads as an error.
Speaking. Apart from Answer Short Question, the speaking tasks are scored on what you say, oral fluency and pronunciation, not on vocabulary as a separate trait. Ready-made chunks still help: if "reached a peak of" comes out as one unit, you do not pause mid-sentence searching for a verb, and pauses are what cost fluency marks in Describe Image and Re-tell Lecture.
Listening. A familiar chunk such as "a wide range of" is easier to hold in memory and spell than three unconnected words, which helps in Write from Dictation and when you take notes for Summarize Spoken Text.

For the full picture of which traits each task is scored on, see how PTE is scored.

Pearson's Academic Collocation List

Pearson publishes the Academic Collocation List (ACL), a free list of 2,469 frequent collocations in written academic English. It was compiled by Kirsten Ackermann and Yu-Hua Chen from the written curricular part of the Pearson International Corpus of Academic English, and described in a 2013 paper in the Journal of English for Academic Purposes. Pearson offers it as a PDF and a spreadsheet.

Two things to know before you download it. First, it is a general academic English resource, not a list of PTE questions or answers. Second, nobody needs all 2,469 entries for the test. Use the spreadsheet to look up the partners of a word you already use (search for "evidence" and you will find the adjectives and verbs that go with it), and learn the collocations below first, because they are chosen for the tasks you will actually face.

Collocations for Write Essay

These 32 collocations carry the moves every PTE essay makes: stating a position, explaining causes and effects, proposing solutions and pointing to evidence. Use two or three per paragraph, where they fit; an essay stuffed with them reads as memorised.

Making an argument

Collocation	Example
play a key role	Public libraries play a key role in giving every child access to books. (not do a key role)
raise awareness of	Television campaigns can raise awareness of the risks of skin cancer. (not rise awareness)
draw a conclusion	It is too early to draw a firm conclusion from a single trial. (not do a conclusion)
reach a consensus	Experts have yet to reach a consensus on the ideal school starting age.
strike a balance	Cities must strike a balance between new housing and green space.
hold the view that	Many teachers hold the view that homework should be optional.
take into account	Planners should take the needs of older residents into account.
a compelling argument	There is a compelling argument for making public transport free.
a widely held belief	It is a widely held belief that cities are lonelier than villages.
a valid point	Critics raise a valid point about the cost of the scheme.
make a contribution to	International students make a substantial contribution to the economy. (not do a contribution)

Causes and effects

Collocation	Example
have an impact on	Remote work has had a lasting impact on city-centre shops.
a direct consequence of	Longer queues at clinics are a direct consequence of staff shortages.
a major factor in	Cost is a major factor in whether families choose private schools.
give rise to	Rapid urban growth has given rise to new pressures on water supply.
lead to a rise in	Cheaper flights may lead to a rise in carbon emissions.
an adverse effect on	Screen use late at night can have an adverse effect on sleep.
long-term effects	The long-term effects of the policy are still unknown.
pose a threat to	Rising sea levels pose a threat to low-lying farmland.

Problems and solutions

Collocation	Example
tackle the problem	Several councils have introduced congestion charges to tackle the problem.
address the issue	Funding alone will not address the issue of teacher burnout.
take steps to	Employers should take steps to reduce workplace stress. (not make steps)
a viable solution	Solar power is now a viable solution for remote communities.
meet the demand for	Many countries are struggling to meet the demand for skilled nurses.
bridge the gap between	Scholarships help bridge the gap between rich and poor students.
implement a policy	The government implemented a policy of free school meals in 2024.

Evidence and research

Collocation	Example
conduct research	The university conducted research into how students use AI tools. (not make a research)
carry out a study	Researchers carried out a study of 3,000 commuters.
provide evidence	The results provide evidence that early reading improves later grades.
a growing body of research	A growing body of research links green space to better mental health.
findings suggest	The findings suggest that shorter shifts reduce errors.
a representative sample	The survey used a representative sample of adults aged 18 to 65.

To see collocations like these working inside a full answer, compare the band-by-band PTE sample essays, and slot them into the structure from the PTE templates page.

Collocations for Describe Image and data

Describe Image gives you 25 seconds to study a chart, map or process and 40 seconds to speak. These 28 partnerships let you report movement, comparison and stages without stopping to build a phrase. Note the pattern: a verb takes an adverb (rise sharply), a noun takes an adjective (a sharp rise).

Movement and change

Collocation	Example
rise sharply	Sales of electric bikes rose sharply after 2022.
increase steadily	The number of online students increased steadily over the decade.
decline gradually	Newspaper readership declined gradually between 2000 and 2020.
drop dramatically	Visitor numbers dropped dramatically during the winter months.
fluctuate wildly	The exchange rate fluctuated wildly in the first quarter.
remain stable	Rice prices remained stable for most of the year.
level off at	Enrolments levelled off at about 4,000 a year.
reach a peak of	Hotel occupancy reached a peak of 95 per cent in July.
fall to a low of	Unemployment fell to a low of 3 per cent in 2019.
a steady decline	The chart shows a steady decline in landline use.
a sharp increase	There was a sharp increase in rainfall in March.
a slight dip	After a slight dip in April, exports recovered.
an upward trend	Both lines follow an upward trend until 2015.
a clear pattern	A clear pattern emerges: older groups read more print news.

Comparison and proportion

Collocation	Example
account for	Rent accounts for almost half of student spending.
make up	Women make up 55 per cent of new graduates.
stand at	In 2010, the figure stood at 12 million.
the largest share	Wind power had the largest share of renewable output.
a significant proportion	A significant proportion of respondents had never voted.
the vast majority	The vast majority of trips were shorter than five kilometres.
a marked difference	There is a marked difference between urban and rural incomes.
by a wide margin	Asia leads the other regions by a wide margin.
in comparison with	In comparison with 1990, far fewer people smoke today.
the second highest	Canada recorded the second highest figure, at 41 per cent.

Processes and maps

Collocation	Example
go through a series of stages	The glass goes through a series of stages before it is reused.
in the final stage	In the final stage, the bottles are filled and labelled.
be situated next to	The new library is situated next to the car park.
undergo a transformation	The harbour area underwent a major transformation after 2005.

The PTE Describe Image guide shows where these phrases fit in a 40-second answer.

Collocations for Re-tell Lecture and the summary tasks

Re-tell Lecture, Summarize Spoken Text and Summarize Written Text all ask you to report what someone else said or wrote. These 22 collocations let you name the speaker's moves (arguing, contrasting, giving examples) instead of repeating "the speaker said" six times.

Collocation	Example
point out that	The lecturer pointed out that bees pollinate a third of our crops.
give an overview of	She began by giving an overview of the history of vaccines.
outline the main causes	The speaker outlined the main causes of coastal erosion.
highlight the importance of	The passage highlights the importance of early diagnosis.
draw attention to	He drew attention to the lack of data from rural areas.
give an example of	To illustrate this, she gave an example of a city that banned cars.
make a distinction between	The professor made a distinction between weather and climate.
explore the relationship between	The talk explored the relationship between sleep and memory.
shed light on	New fossils have shed light on how early birds learned to fly.
raise the question of	This raises the question of who should pay for clean-up costs.
put forward a theory	The author puts forward a theory about why languages change.
challenge the assumption that	The study challenges the assumption that multitasking saves time.
cite evidence	The speaker cited evidence from three national surveys.
a case study of	The lecture included a case study of a Danish wind farm.
a brief history of	The passage opens with a brief history of the printing press.
the main focus of	The main focus of the lecture was urban heat.
the central idea	The central idea is that habits are easier to replace than to break.
a key point	A key point was that most plastic is never recycled.
in the context of	She discussed migration in the context of climate change.
lay the foundation for	These early experiments laid the foundation for modern genetics.
come to the conclusion that	The researchers came to the conclusion that the drug was safe.
conclude by saying	The lecturer concluded by saying that more funding was needed.

Fill in the Blanks: wrong-partner traps

In the PTE Fill in the Blanks tasks, the distractors are often words with the right meaning but the wrong partner. These 24 pairs are common mix-ups, including the small prepositions that decide a blank.

Use	Not	Example
make a mistake	do a mistake	The first survey made a mistake in counting rural households.
make progress	do progress	The team made rapid progress in the second year.
make a decision	do a decision	The board will make a decision in May.
cause damage	make damage	The storm caused damage to hundreds of homes.
pay attention to	put attention to	Drivers must pay attention to changing speed limits.
take a risk	make a risk	Investors who take a risk on new firms may lose everything.
take part in	take part of	Over 200 schools took part in the trial.
commit a crime	do a crime	Young people who commit a crime are often first-time offenders.
conduct an experiment	make an experiment	Students conducted an experiment on plant growth.
reach an agreement	reach to an agreement	The two countries reached an agreement on fishing rights.
meet a requirement	reach a requirement	Applicants must meet the language requirement.
heavy rain	strong rain	Heavy rain delayed the harvest across the region.
a high price	an expensive price	Consumers paid a high price for imported fruit.
a high temperature	a hot temperature	The metal is heated to a high temperature.
depend on	depend of	Crop yields depend on regular rainfall.
consist of	consist from	The course consists of four modules.
focus on	focus in	The report focuses on rural health care.
result in	result to	Poor sleep can result in lower grades.
result from	result of (as a verb)	Many accidents result from driver fatigue.
responsible for	responsible of	Councils are responsible for collecting waste.
similar to	similar with	The new model is similar to the old one.
different from	different of	City life is very different from life on a farm.
contribute to	contribute for	Cars contribute to air pollution in cities.
an increase in	an increase of (before a thing)	There was an increase in applications. (But: an increase of 5 per cent.)

A useful habit when a blank stumps you: read the two or three words on each side of it and ask which option you have actually seen in that company. Then check grammar and meaning. Practise this on timed items in the PTE reading practice tests.

Collocations for Write Email (PTE Core)

PTE Core tests everyday English, and its Write Email task asks for a short email in the right register for the reader. These 20 collocations cover the usual purposes: requesting, complaining, apologising, arranging and thanking. The last two suit an informal email to a friend.

Collocation	Example
enquire about	I am writing to enquire about evening classes at your centre.
make a request	I would like to make a request for an extension.
make a complaint	I am writing to make a complaint about a faulty heater. (not do a complaint)
raise a concern	I would like to raise a concern about noise from the building site.
accept my apologies	Please accept my apologies for missing Tuesday's meeting.
apologise for the inconvenience	We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
arrange a meeting	Could we arrange a meeting early next week?
confirm a booking	I am writing to confirm my booking for 12 March.
cancel an appointment	Unfortunately, I need to cancel my appointment on Friday.
reschedule the appointment	Would it be possible to reschedule the appointment to Monday?
provide further details	Could you provide further details about the course fees?
attach a copy of	I have attached a copy of my receipt.
resolve the issue	I hope we can resolve the issue quickly.
issue a refund	I would be grateful if you could issue a full refund.
take this opportunity to	I would like to take this opportunity to thank your staff.
express my thanks	I am writing to express my thanks for your help last week.
at your earliest convenience	Please reply at your earliest convenience.
look forward to hearing from you	I look forward to hearing from you. (not look forward to hear)
a quick reminder	Just a quick reminder that the party starts at seven.
lend a hand	Could you lend me a hand with moving on Saturday?

Practise them in timed Core tasks on the PTE Core practice tests page.

Adverb + adjective collocations

Adverb and adjective pairs make a claim more precise without making it louder. "Highly likely" is a careful academic hedge; "very very likely" is not. These 16 work in essays, summaries and lecture retells alike.

Collocation	Example
highly likely	It is highly likely that energy prices will keep rising.
widely accepted	It is now widely accepted that smoking causes cancer.
deeply concerned	Residents are deeply concerned about the new airport.
closely linked to	Diet is closely linked to heart health.
heavily dependent on	The island is heavily dependent on tourism.
increasingly common	Four-day working weeks are becoming increasingly common.
readily available	Fresh water is not readily available in every region.
fully aware of	Most smokers are fully aware of the risks.
largely responsible for	Cars are largely responsible for urban air pollution.
strongly opposed to	Local farmers are strongly opposed to the new road.
relatively small	The sample was relatively small, so the results are tentative.
entirely different	The second study took an entirely different approach.
critically important	Clean water is critically important for public health.
economically viable	The scheme is not yet economically viable without subsidies.
environmentally friendly	Trains are a more environmentally friendly way to travel.
socially acceptable	Smoking indoors is no longer socially acceptable.

Noun + of + noun collocations

These eight phrases turn up constantly in reading passages and lectures, so they are worth recognising instantly as well as using.

Collocation	Example
a wide range of	The museum offers a wide range of free events.
a great deal of	The project required a great deal of planning.
the root cause of	Poverty is often the root cause of poor health.
a lack of	A lack of sleep affects concentration.
the cost of living	The cost of living has risen faster than wages.
the quality of life	Parks improve the quality of life in crowded cities.
a sense of community	Local markets create a sense of community.
a source of income	Tourism is the main source of income for the region.

How to learn collocations

Learn the chunk, not the word. Write "reach a consensus" on your card, not "consensus". The partner is the part you will forget under pressure.
Keep a notebook by task. One page for essays, one for Describe Image, one for email phrases. Before a practice session, review only the page for that task.
Notice them in what you read. When an academic article or a reading passage uses a phrase that sounds natural, underline the pair and add it to your notebook. That is how the lists above were built, and how yours should grow.
Say them out loud. For speaking tasks, a chunk only helps if it comes out smoothly. Read your Describe Image phrases aloud until they need no thought.
Test yourself with gaps. Cover one word of each pair and recall it, as in the exercise below. That mirrors exactly what Fill in the Blanks asks you to do.
Use a few, accurately. Two correct collocations in a paragraph beat six forced ones. A misused phrase costs more than a plain one.

Check yourself: 10 gap-fill items

Fill each gap with one word. Every answer is a collocation from this page.

The new recycling law is expected to ______ a key role in reducing landfill waste.
Researchers ______ out a study of 2,000 households.
Ticket sales ______ a peak of 40,000 in December.
The lecturer made a ______ between weather and climate.
Rapid growth has given ______ to new traffic problems.
There was a sharp increase ______ the number of applicants.
Poor diet can ______ in serious health problems.
Governments need to strike a ______ between growth and conservation.
I would be grateful if you could ______ a full refund.
The town is ______ dependent on a single factory.

Show the answers

1 play · 2 carried · 3 reached · 4 distinction · 5 rise · 6 in · 7 result · 8 balance · 9 issue · 10 heavily

Frequently asked questions

What are collocations in PTE?

Collocations are words that naturally go together, such as make a decision, a sharp increase or depend on. In PTE they help you choose the right word in Reading Fill in the Blanks, use vocabulary accurately in the writing tasks, and keep a steady pace in speaking tasks such as Describe Image.

Is there an official PTE collocation list?

Pearson publishes the Academic Collocation List, 2,469 frequent collocations in written academic English, as a free PDF and spreadsheet. It is a general academic English resource, not a list of PTE questions or answers.

How many collocations should I learn for PTE?

You do not need thousands. Learning the 150 or so you will actually use, grouped by task, and being able to use them accurately and without hesitation, is worth more than memorising a long list you cannot recall under time pressure.

Do collocations help in PTE speaking?

Apart from Answer Short Question, speaking tasks are scored on what you say, oral fluency and pronunciation, not on vocabulary as a separate trait. Collocations still help indirectly: a phrase you know as one chunk comes out without a pause, which protects your fluency, and it lets you describe a chart or a lecture more precisely.

Use these collocations in a real task, free

Take a free PTE mock test and put these word partnerships to work in Write Essay, Describe Image and Fill in the Blanks, with a scored report on every task.

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