IELTS Writing for PhD applicants: 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: PhD applicants
Problem: Unnatural word combinations
Scoring criterion: Lexical Resource
Task affected: Task 1 and Task 2
IELTS test: Academic
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 PhD applicants

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 PhD applicants: research writing is cautious and hedged, which can make a Task 2 position look uncommitted.

Discipline vocabulary can crowd out simple natural language in general topics.

A strength to build on: Practice with structured argument and evidence is already strong.

Fix it in four steps

When you meet a new word, note two or three verbs or adjectives that usually go with it.
Use a collocation dictionary for your top ten essay topics.
Replace one weak phrase per paragraph with a stronger natural pair.
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 PhD applicants to fix unnatural word combinations?

How long does it take PhD applicants to fix unnatural word combinations?

Most learners need two to three weeks. Research schedules are flexible but easily crowded out, so fix a weekly timed session.

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 PhD applicants?

Write five correct collocations for 'decision', 'risk' and 'effect' and use one in a sentence each. Research schedules are flexible but easily crowded out, so fix a weekly timed session.

How can PhD applicants tell they have fixed unnatural word combinations?

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

What should PhD applicants know about their IELTS Writing target?

Doctoral programmes and funders set minimum IELTS scores, often with a Writing minimum. Check the departmental and funder rules separately.

Should PhD applicants 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. Practice with structured argument and evidence is already strong.

Can an AI checker help PhD applicants 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.