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IELTS Writing for Chinese speakers: 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
Chinese speakers
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 Chinese speakers

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 Chinese speakers: Chinese has no articles and no verb tense endings, and sentences are often joined by commas, so these patterns carry into English writing.

Direct translation produces unnatural collocations.

A strength to build on: Strong exam discipline and wide study vocabulary help with practice routines.

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 Chinese speakers 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. Direct translation produces unnatural collocations.

How long does it take Chinese speakers to fix unnatural word combinations?

Most learners need two to three weeks. Consistent short daily practice with feedback works better than long, infrequent sessions.

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 Chinese speakers?

Write five correct collocations for 'decision', 'risk' and 'effect' and use one in a sentence each. Consistent short daily practice with feedback works better than long, infrequent sessions.

How can Chinese speakers tell they have fixed unnatural word combinations?

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

What should Chinese speakers know about their IELTS Writing target?

Chinese-speaking candidates often have strong reading and vocabulary knowledge and need targeted work on English-specific grammar and organisation.

Should Chinese speakers 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. Strong exam discipline and wide study vocabulary help with practice routines.

Can an AI checker help Chinese speakers 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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