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IELTS Writing for Candidates aiming for Band 7.5 or higher: How to Fix Unnatural word combinations

Learn words in natural pairs such as 'make a decision', 'raise awareness' and 'heavy traffic', not as single words. Collocation errors are among the most noticeable lexical mistakes at Band 6 and below.

At a glance

For
Candidates aiming for Band 7.5 or higher
Problem
Unnatural word combinations
Scoring criterion
Lexical Resource
Task affected
Task 1 and Task 2
IELTS test
Academic or General Training (check your requirement)
Typical effort
two to three weeks
First step
When you meet a new word, note two or three verbs or adjectives that usually go with it.

Why this happens to candidates aiming for Band 7.5 or higher

Translation from another language produces combinations that are logical but not natural in English, for example 'do a mistake' or 'big traffic'. Examiners hear these immediately.

Why this affects candidates aiming for Band 7.5 or higher: strong candidates over-edit and add complexity at the cost of clarity.

Precise, natural collocations and rare errors in less common words.

A strength to build on: A solid base means small refinements produce the final half band.

Fix it in four steps

  1. When you meet a new word, note two or three verbs or adjectives that usually go with it.
  2. Use a collocation dictionary for your top ten essay topics.
  3. Replace one weak phrase per paragraph with a stronger natural pair.
  4. Read your essay aloud and mark any combination that sounds odd.

Before and after

Before

People should do more efforts to make a big pollution decrease.

After

People should make more effort to bring about a significant reduction in pollution.

Ten-minute drill: Write five correct collocations for 'decision', 'risk' and 'effect' and use one in a sentence each.

Questions and answers

What is the fastest way for candidates aiming for Band 7.5 or higher to fix unnatural word combinations?

Learn words in natural pairs such as 'make a decision', 'raise awareness' and 'heavy traffic', not as single words. Collocation errors are among the most noticeable lexical mistakes at Band 6 and below. Precise, natural collocations and rare errors in less common words.

How long does it take candidates aiming for Band 7.5 or higher to fix unnatural word combinations?

Most learners need two to three weeks. Targeted, high-quality practice with detailed feedback matters more than volume.

What is a collocation?

A pair or group of words that naturally go together, such as 'strong evidence' or 'pursue a career'. Using them correctly makes writing sound natural.

How do I find collocations quickly?

A learner's collocation dictionary or the example sentences in an online learner's dictionary show the most common combinations.

What does a good practice drill look like for candidates aiming for Band 7.5 or higher?

Write five correct collocations for 'decision', 'risk' and 'effect' and use one in a sentence each. Targeted, high-quality practice with detailed feedback matters more than volume.

How can candidates aiming for Band 7.5 or higher tell they have fixed unnatural word combinations?

Few phrases in your essay are flagged by a dictionary or a teacher as unnatural.

What should candidates aiming for Band 7.5 or higher know about their IELTS Writing target?

Band 7.5 and above needs sustained control: fully developed ideas, flexible cohesion, precise vocabulary and rare errors.

Should candidates aiming for Band 7.5 or higher practise this on Task 1, Task 2 or both?

It shows up in both tasks. Fix it in Task 2 first, because Task 2 carries about twice the weight of Task 1, then check Task 1 with the same checklist. A solid base means small refinements produce the final half band.

Can an AI checker help candidates aiming for Band 7.5 or higher with unnatural word combinations?

An AI checker can show where this pattern appears in your own essay and which criterion it affects, which makes the fix concrete. It gives a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score, so use it to choose the next revision, rewrite, and check again. The first check on this site is free.

Check your own essay

See where unnatural word combinations appears in your own writing and which criterion it affects, then rewrite the weakest paragraph.

Run a free first check

Feedback is a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score. Last reviewed 2026-11-11. Score requirements change, so confirm them with the organisation that will read your result.

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