collocations

In PTE Academic, collocations (words that naturally go together) are heavily tested in two specific task types:

1.      Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks (Drop-down menu)

2.      Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Drag and drop)

Here's a breakdown of the types of collocations you'll encounter in these tasks, along with examples and strategies.

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1. Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks (Drop-down)

You choose one word from a drop-down menu for each blank. The options are often collocation distractors — words with similar meanings but wrong partners.

Common Collocation Types Tested:

Type	Example	Correct Collocation
Verb + Noun	___ a decision	make a decision (not "do")
Adjective + Noun	___ evidence	compelling evidence (not "strong" in academic context)
Noun + Noun	___ change	climate change
Adverb + Adjective	___ significant	statistically significant
Verb + Preposition	depend ___	depend on
Adjective + Preposition	interested ___	interested in
Noun + Preposition	increase ___	increase in

Example Question:

The researchers ___ a significant correlation between the two variables.

·         a) made

·         b) did

·         c) found

·         d) took

Answer: c) found — "found a correlation" is the correct collocation.

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2. Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop)

You drag words from a box into gaps. Here, collocations are also key, but you also need to consider grammar and meaning.

Collocation Types Tested:

Type	Example	Correct Collocation
Verb + Noun	___ attention	pay attention
Adjective + Noun	___ impact	significant impact
Noun + Verb	The results ___	results indicate
Adverb + Verb	___ increase	significantly increase
Prepositional phrases	___ average	on average
Fixed expressions	___ conclusion	in conclusion

Example Question:

The study ___ that there was a ___ difference between the two groups.
Words: [found, made, significant, strong]

Answers: found, significant

• "found that..." (verb + clause)
• "significant difference" (adjective + noun)

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Key Collocation Patterns to Memorize

Academic Collocations (High Frequency in PTE):

Verb + Noun:

• conduct research
• draw a conclusion
• pose a threat
• play a role
• take measures
• gain access
• meet requirements
• raise concerns

Adjective + Noun:

• major factor
• key issue
• significant impact
• severe consequences
• positive correlation
• growing concern
• substantial evidence

Adverb + Adjective:

• highly likely
• widely accepted
• closely related
• strongly associated
• significantly higher

Noun + Preposition:

• increase in
• decrease in
• effect on
• reason for
• solution to
• access to

Verb + Preposition:

• rely on
• result in
• contribute to
• account for
• lead to
• depend on

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Strategy Tips

1.      Read the whole sentence first — understand the meaning before choosing.

2.      Look for fixed phrases — some words only go with certain partners.

3.      Check grammar — singular/plural, verb tense, preposition.

4.      Eliminate wrong collocations — if a word doesn't naturally pair, eliminate it.

5.      Learn collocations in chunks — don't memorize single words; memorize phrases.

6.      Practice with academic texts — read journal articles, reports, and essays.

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Common Traps

Trap	Example	Why It's Wrong
Similar meaning, wrong collocation	"do a decision"	Should be "make a decision"
Wrong preposition	"depend of"	Should be "depend on"
Wrong form	"significance difference"	Should be "significant difference"
Literal translation	"give attention"	Should be "pay attention"

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Bottom Line

In PTE Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks and Reading Drag and Drop, collocations are the #1 tested skill. Focus on:

• Verb + Noun (make, do, take, have, pay, etc.)
• Adjective + Noun (significant, major, key, etc.)
• Preposition patterns (on, in, to, for, of)
• Academic fixed phrases (conduct research, draw conclusions, etc.)

PTE Academic High-Frequency Collocation List (with Nepali Meanings and English Examples)

1. Research and Academic Category

English Collocation	Nepali Meaning	English Example
conduct research	अनुसन्धान गर्नु	The university conducts research into renewable energy.
carry out a study	अध्ययन गर्नु	Researchers carried out a study on sleep patterns.
draw a conclusion	निष्कर्ष निकाल्नु	We can draw a conclusion from the data.
reach a conclusion	निष्कर्षमा पुग्नु	The committee reached a conclusion after debate.
provide evidence	प्रमाण दिनु	The findings provide evidence for the theory.
empirical evidence	प्रायोगिक प्रमाण	There is empirical evidence supporting this claim.
theoretical framework	सैद्धान्तिक रूपरेखा	The study lacks a solid theoretical framework.
data analysis	डेटा विश्लेषण	Data analysis revealed significant trends.
statistical analysis	सांख्यिकीय विश्लेषण	Statistical analysis was used to test the hypothesis.
test a hypothesis	परिकल्पना परीक्षण गर्नु	Scientists tested a hypothesis through experiments.
support a theory	सिद्धान्तलाई समर्थन गर्नु	The results support the theory of evolution.
literature review	साहित्य समीक्षा	A literature review was conducted first.
preliminary results	प्रारम्भिक नतिजा	Preliminary results are promising.
key findings	मुख्य निष्कर्ष	The report summarises the key findings.
academic achievement	शैक्षिक उपलब्धि	Academic achievement depends on many factors.

2. Business and Economics Category

English Collocation	Nepali Meaning	English Example
make a profit	नाफा कमाउनु	The company made a profit this quarter.
suffer a loss	घाटा बेहोर्नु	Many firms suffered a loss during the crisis.
launch a product	उत्पादन सार्वजनिक गर्नु	Apple will launch a product next month.
run a business	व्यवसाय चलाउनु	She runs a business in Kathmandu.
expand a company	कम्पनी विस्तार गर्नु	They plan to expand the company globally.
hold a meeting	बैठक बस्नु	The board will hold a meeting tomorrow.
reach an agreement	सम्झौतामा पुग्नु	Both sides reached an agreement.
sign a contract	सम्झौतामा हस्ताक्षर गर्नु	He signed a contract with the supplier.
face competition	प्रतिस्पर्धा सामना गर्नु	Small businesses face competition from giants.
economic growth	आर्थिक वृद्धि	Economic growth has slowed down.
financial support	आर्थिक सहयोग	The project received financial support.
job satisfaction	काममा सन्तुष्टि	Job satisfaction improves productivity.
work environment	कामको वातावरण	A positive work environment is essential.
customer satisfaction	ग्राहक सन्तुष्टि	Customer satisfaction is our top priority.

3. Education Category

English Collocation	Nepali Meaning	English Example
higher education	उच्च शिक्षा	Higher education is increasingly accessible.
academic performance	शैक्षिक प्रदर्शन	Her academic performance improved.
acquire knowledge	ज्ञान आर्जन गर्नु	Students acquire knowledge through study.
gain skills	सीप हासिल गर्नु	Internships help gain skills.
develop skills	सीप विकास गर्नु	The course helps develop skills for work.
school curriculum	विद्यालय पाठ्यक्रम	The school curriculum was updated.
teaching method	शिक्षण विधि	Modern teaching methods are more interactive.
learning process	सिकाइ प्रक्रिया	The learning process takes time.
achieve a goal	लक्ष्य हासिल गर्नु	She worked hard to achieve her goal.
meet requirements	आवश्यकता पूरा गर्नु	Applicants must meet the requirements.
pass an exam	परीक्षा उत्तीर्ण गर्नु	He passed the exam with distinction.
critical thinking	आलोचनात्मक सोच	Critical thinking is valued in universities.
group discussion	समूह छलफल	Group discussions enhance learning.
online learning	अनलाइन सिकाइ	Online learning has become widespread.

4. Technology Category

English Collocation	Nepali Meaning	English Example
technological advancement	प्राविधिक उन्नति	Technological advancements change how we live.
rapid development	द्रुत विकास	The region saw rapid development.
digital transformation	डिजिटल रूपान्तरण	Digital transformation affects all industries.
social media	सामाजिक सञ्जाल	Social media influences public opinion.
data privacy	डेटा गोपनीयता	Data privacy is a major concern.
cyber security	साइबर सुरक्षा	Cyber security threats are increasing.
artificial intelligence	कृत्रिम बुद्धिमत्ता	Artificial intelligence is transforming work.
user experience	प्रयोगकर्ता अनुभव	The app offers a smooth user experience.
software development	सफ्टवेयर विकास	Software development requires coding skills.
technical issue	प्राविधिक समस्या	We encountered a technical issue.
innovative solution	नवीन समाधान	They proposed an innovative solution.
cutting-edge technology	अत्याधुनिक प्रविधि	The lab uses cutting-edge technology.
access information	सूचना पहुँच गर्नु	The internet allows us to access information easily.
search engine	खोज इन्जिन	Google is the most used search engine.

5. Environment and Society Category

English Collocation	Nepali Meaning	English Example
climate change	जलवायु परिवर्तन	Climate change affects agriculture.
global warming	विश्व तापमान वृद्धि	Global warming causes sea levels to rise.
renewable energy	नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा	Renewable energy is the future.
natural resources	प्राकृतिक स्रोत	We must conserve natural resources.
environmental impact	वातावरणीय प्रभाव	The environmental impact was assessed.
reduce pollution	प्रदूषण घटाउनु	Policies aim to reduce pollution.
protect wildlife	वन्यजीव संरक्षण गर्नु	Laws were passed to protect wildlife.
conserve energy	ऊर्जा संरक्षण गर्नु	Simple habits can conserve energy.
sustainable development	दिगो विकास	Sustainable development balances growth and environment.
carbon emissions	कार्बन उत्सर्जन	Carbon emissions must be cut.
waste management	फोहोर व्यवस्थापन	Effective waste management is crucial.
endangered species	लोपोन्मुख प्रजाति	The panda is an endangered species.
public opinion	जनमत	Public opinion shifted on the issue.
cultural diversity	सांस्कृतिक विविधता	Cultural diversity enriches society.
raise awareness	सचेतना बढाउनु	The campaign aims to raise awareness.
social responsibility	सामाजिक उत्तरदायित्व	Companies should practise social responsibility.
mental health	मानसिक स्वास्थ्य	Mental health awareness is growing.
life expectancy	आयु प्रत्याशा	Life expectancy has increased globally.
quality of life	जीवनस्तर	Education improves quality of life.

6. Core Verb + Preposition and Fixed Phrases

English Collocation	Nepali Meaning	English Example
take into account	विचार गर्नु	We must take into account all factors.
take advantage of	फाइदा उठाउनु	She took advantage of the opportunity.
make progress	प्रगति गर्नु	The team made progress on the project.
make an effort	प्रयास गर्नु	You must make an effort to improve.
make a difference	फरक पार्नु	Small actions can make a difference.
pay attention	ध्यान दिनु	Pay attention to the details.
keep in mind	मनमा राख्नु	Keep in mind that prices may change.
have access to	पहुँच हुनु	Students have access to the library.
have an impact on	प्रभाव पार्नु	The policy has an impact on farmers.
depend on	निर्भर हुनु	Success depends on hard work.
focus on	ध्यान केन्द्रित गर्नु	The lecture focuses on climate science.
contribute to	योगदान दिनु	Exercise contributes to good health.
result in	परिणाम हुनु	The delay resulted in higher costs.
lead to	डोर्‍याउनु	Poor diet can lead to illness.
deal with	सामना गर्नु	We must deal with this problem.
benefit from	फाइदा लिनु	Students benefit from feedback.
consist of	समावेश हुनु	The committee consists of ten members.

7. High-Frequency Adjective + Noun Collocations

English Collocation	Nepali Meaning	English Example
significant change	महत्त्वपूर्ण परिवर्तन	The policy brought significant change.
significant difference	महत्त्वपूर्ण भिन्नता	There is a significant difference between groups.
major problem	मुख्य समस्या	Traffic is a major problem in cities.
serious issue	गम्भीर मुद्दा	Mental health is a serious issue.
key factor	मुख्य कारक	Education is a key factor in success.
primary goal	प्राथमिक लक्ष्य	The primary goal is to reduce poverty.
potential risk	सम्भावित जोखिम	There is a potential risk of failure.
potential benefit	सम्भावित फाइदा	The potential benefits outweigh the risks.
high demand	उच्च माग	There is high demand for skilled workers.
high quality	उच्च गुणस्तर	The product is of high quality.
wide range	विस्तृत दायरा	The store offers a wide range of goods.
broad knowledge	व्यापक ज्ञान	He has broad knowledge of history.
great importance	ठूलो महत्त्व	Education is of great importance.
strong argument	बलियो तर्क	She presented a strong argument.
strong relationship	बलियो सम्बन्ध	There is a strong relationship between the variables.
heavy traffic	भारी ट्राफिक	We were delayed by heavy traffic.
heavy rain	भारी वर्षा	The match was cancelled due to heavy rain.

PTE Examination Strategies

In the Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks and Drag and Drop questions, the option words for each blank are often set as trap options with similar meanings but wrong collocations. For example:

·         "make a decision" ✅ / "do a decision" ❌

·         "conduct research" ✅ / "do research" (colloquial) / "make research" ❌

·         "heavy rain" ✅ / "strong rain" ❌

Core Collocation Types with Examples

Type 1: Verb + Noun

The most tested pattern. Pearson inserts near-synonym distractors that are grammatically possible but collocationally wrong.

Collocation	English Example	Why It Matters
make a decision	She made a decision to resign.	"do a decision" is wrong
take action	The government must take action.	"make action" is wrong
play a role	Parents play a crucial role in education.	"do a role" is wrong
raise awareness	The campaign aims to raise awareness.	"rise awareness" is wrong
conduct research	The team conducted research on climate change.	"make research" is wrong
draw a conclusion	We can draw a conclusion from the data.	"take a conclusion" is wrong
pose a threat	Pollution poses a threat to public health.	"give a threat" is wrong
pay attention	Pay attention to the details.	"give attention" is wrong
gain access	Students gain access to online resources.	"get access" less formal
reach a consensus	The committee reached a consensus.	"arrive consensus" is wrong
make progress	The team made progress on the project.	"do progress" is wrong
take responsibility	Managers must take responsibility.	"make responsibility" is wrong

Additional high-frequency Verb + Noun pairs from the ACL:

• make a contribution / an assessment / an assumption / a distinction / a prediction / a recommendation
• develop a method / a strategy / a technique / a theory / an argument / an approach
• provide evidence / information / insight / support
• establish a relationship / a connection / a framework
• address an issue / a problem / a concern
• achieve a goal / an objective / an outcome
• acquire knowledge / skills
• meet requirements / needs / standards / expectations

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Type 2: Adjective + Noun

The largest ACL category (72%). Distractors are often adjectives with similar meanings but wrong partners.

Collocation	English Example
significant impact	The policy had a significant impact on the economy.
major issue	Traffic is a major issue in cities.
serious problem	Unemployment is a serious problem.
rapid growth	The city experienced rapid growth.
wide range	The store offers a wide range of products.
key factor	Education is a key factor in success.
crucial role	Teachers play a crucial role in society.
strong evidence	There is strong evidence linking the two.
heavy traffic	We were delayed by heavy traffic.
heavy rain	The match was cancelled due to heavy rain.

From the ACL and PTE practice sources:

• radical change / transformation (not "extreme" or "severe")
• widespread adoption / concern / belief
• sharp rise / drop / decline (not "fast rise")
• steep decline / increase
• central role / issue / concern / theme
• common feature / approach / assumption / characteristic
• crucial factor / aspect / role
• fundamental difference / principle / change
• comprehensive study / review / approach / account
• empirical evidence / research / study
• theoretical framework / approach / concept

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Type 3: Noun + Verb

The noun is the subject; the verb describes what it does.

Collocation	English Example
results indicate	The results indicate a clear trend.
data shows	The data shows a significant increase.
research suggests	Research suggests that exercise reduces stress.
findings reveal	The findings reveal unexpected patterns.
evidence supports	The evidence supports this hypothesis.
study demonstrates	The study demonstrates the importance of early intervention.
analysis reveals	The analysis reveals a strong correlation.
theory suggests	The theory suggests a different interpretation.
problem arises	A problem arises when resources are limited.
trend continues	The trend continues into the next decade.

Key insight: "Data shows" is correct; "data tells" or "data says" are wrong.

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Type 4: Adverb + Verb

The adverb modifies the verb. Often tested with degree or manner.

Collocation	English Example
significantly increase	Temperatures significantly increased over the decade.
strongly suggest	The results strongly suggest a link.
clearly demonstrate	The study clearly demonstrates the need for change.
widely accepted	This theory is widely accepted.
rapidly change	Technology rapidly changes every year.
dramatically improve	The treatment dramatically improved outcomes.
severely affect	The region was severely affected by drought.
readily available	Information is readily available online.
closely related	The two factors are closely related.
highly effective	The method proved highly effective.
fully understand	We must fully understand the implications.
carefully consider	The committee carefully considered all options.

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Type 5: Prepositional Phrases

Fixed expressions beginning with a preposition. These are memorized as complete units.

Collocation	English Example
on average	On average, students spend 10 hours studying.
in conclusion	In conclusion, the evidence supports the theory.
in contrast	In contrast, the control group showed no change.
in terms of	In terms of cost, this option is best.
in accordance with	The policy was implemented in accordance with regulations.
as a result of	As a result of the delay, costs increased.
in response to	In response to the crisis, new measures were introduced.
with regard to	With regard to safety, strict rules apply.
on behalf of	She accepted the award on behalf of the team.
at the expense of	Growth came at the expense of the environment.
in the absence of	In the absence of evidence, the claim is weak.
by means of	The data was collected by means of surveys.

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Type 6: Fixed Expressions

Multi-word units that function as single vocabulary items. Often tested in Drag and Drop tasks.

Fixed Expression	English Example
take into account	We must take into account all factors.
take advantage of	She took advantage of the opportunity.
make a difference	Small actions can make a difference.
keep in mind	Keep in mind that prices may change.
have access to	Students have access to the library.
have an impact on	The policy has an impact on farmers.
depend on	Success depends on hard work.
focus on	The lecture focuses on climate science.
contribute to	Exercise contributes to good health.
result in	The delay resulted in higher costs.
lead to	Poor diet can lead to illness.
deal with	We must deal with this problem.
benefit from	Students benefit from feedback.
consist of	The committee consists of ten members.
rely on	We rely on accurate data.