Lesson 1 of 125 min read
Notice Word Partners
A collocation is a conventional combination of words. Learning make a decision as a unit is more useful than hoping every synonym of make will work with decision.
Understand the pattern
Words have preferences. English speakers commonly say heavy rain and strong evidence, but swapping the adjectives is not a reliable way to build the same phrases. The words may be understandable separately while the combination sounds unusual. Learn the partnership and a sentence showing its intended meaning.
Collocations are not always fixed quotations. Make a decision can become made an important decision or several decisions were made. Preserve the central partnership while changing tense, number and modifiers to suit the sentence. Record the surrounding grammar too: play a role in something, rather than just play and role.
A familiar pair does not override context. Strong evidence might fit naturally, but if the author says a study is inconclusive, weak or limited evidence may convey the intended meaning. Use a three-part check: grammatical shape, conventional partnership, and the claim being made. This kit uses original practice examples, not predictions of live exam questions.
Language in context
| Word or pattern | Meaning or use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| make a decision | Choose after considering options | The panel made a decision after the interview. |
| heavy rain | Rain in a large amount | Heavy rain delayed the outdoor event. |
| strong evidence | Evidence that gives substantial support | The report presents strong evidence for the claim. |
| play a role in | Be involved in producing an outcome | Transport plays a role in access to education. |
Worked example
Reason through the choice
Choose the natural combination: The committee did / made a decision to extend the trial.
Answer: Made a decision.
Make is the conventional partner of decision in this meaning. The past tense agrees with the completed action. After selecting the phrase, check the rest of the claim: the committee chose to extend the trial, not necessarily to adopt the policy permanently.
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 storm brought ___ rain. (heavy / weighty)
- Expand play a role into a complete sentence about training.
- A passage says the evidence is limited. Should you replace limited with strong because strong evidence is familiar?
Check answers and explanations
1. Heavy. Heavy rain is the established combination for a large amount of rain.
2. Training plays a role in improving service quality. The phrase includes in plus a noun or -ing form; the whole pattern is useful to store.
3. No. Both combinations can be natural, but they make different claims. The passage determines the choice.
Use it in your PTE preparation
PTE Academic
Underline partnerships when studying academic passages, then explain the idea each phrase expresses. Pearson's Academic Collocation List is a reference for academic combinations, not a promise that particular phrases will appear in your exam.
PTE Core
Collect combinations from practical situations: book an appointment, meet a deadline and request a refund. Record who uses the phrase and what action it describes so that you can adapt it to a new message.
Recall and transfer
Write three phrases from memory and put each into a new sentence. Change at least one tense or subject. If the phrase still needs a preposition or object to make sense, add that information to the record before moving on.