Lesson 5 of 125 min read
Academic Verb + Noun Partners
Academic verb-and-noun phrases describe what a writer or researcher does. Choose the action precisely, and avoid turning an investigation into proof.
Understand the pattern
Conduct a study describes carrying out research. Collect data describes gathering information; analyse data describes examining it. Draw a conclusion describes an interpretation reached from the evidence. These are related stages, but they are not interchangeable descriptions of the same event.
Address an issue means deal with it or give it attention; solve a problem claims a successful resolution. Raise a question introduces something to consider; answer a question supplies a response. In a summary, preserving these distinctions matters more than selecting the most formal-sounding verb.
Choose the right object and article. Reach an agreement uses a countable noun; reach agreement is also possible when describing the state more generally. Conduct research uses an uncountable activity. When you learn a phrase, include an example with the determiner and complement that your intended meaning needs.
Language in context
| Word or pattern | Meaning or use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| conduct a study | Carry out an investigation | The team conducted a study of commuting patterns. |
| collect / analyse data | Gather / examine information | Researchers collected data before analysing the results. |
| draw a conclusion | Reach an interpretation | It is too early to draw a firm conclusion. |
| address an issue | Give a problem attention | The report addresses the issue of access. |
Worked example
Reason through the choice
A report discusses a funding problem and suggests options, but no option has been implemented. Has it addressed the issue or solved the problem?
Answer: It has addressed the issue; the information does not establish that it solved the problem.
Discussion and proposed options are forms of attention. A successful outcome would require further evidence. Keep the reporting phrase at the stage the text actually describes.
Try it yourself
Write your answers before opening the key. For open responses, the suggested answer is one possible version; keep the meaning and check the target pattern.
- Complete: The team ___ a study of energy use. (conducted / manufactured)
- Rewrite The findings are not sufficient for a definite interpretation using conclusion.
- Order the activities: analyse data; collect data; draw a conclusion.
Check answers and explanations
1. Conducted. Conduct a study is the natural phrase for carrying out an investigation.
2. The findings are not sufficient to draw a firm conclusion. The phrase preserves the limitation rather than asserting an unsupported result.
3. Collect data, analyse data, draw a conclusion. This is a useful basic research sequence, though real investigations may revisit earlier steps.
Use it in your PTE preparation
PTE Academic
When summarising a study, separate the research action from its result and interpretation. Use the author's reported evidence to choose between suggests, supports and demonstrates rather than upgrading the claim automatically.
PTE Core
These phrases also help in workplace explanations: collect feedback, address a concern and reach an agreement. Use plain wording when it communicates the same action more clearly to the recipient.
Recall and transfer
Describe a small investigation of your own, such as comparing two commuting routes. State what information you collected, how you examined it and what conclusion you could reasonably draw. Include one limitation.