A collocation is a word partnership that sounds conventional, such as draw a conclusion or pose a risk. Learn the whole phrase, its grammar and an example sentence.
Why collocations help
Pearson advises using familiar word combinations when solving Reading Fill in the Blanks. Its published Academic Collocation List is a study resource, not a guarantee that listed phrases will appear in a test. Pearson Academic Reading format Pearson Academic Collocation List, 2021
Study by pattern
Verb + noun: conduct research, reach agreement, draw conclusions, raise concerns.
Adjective + noun: available evidence, significant change, practical solution, reliable source.
Noun + preposition: access to, demand for, effect on, approach to.
Adverb + adjective: widely available, closely related, highly effective, relatively stable.
Add grammar. Access pairs with to; capable pairs with of plus an -ing form.
Original gap set
- The study did not provide enough evidence to ___ a firm conclusion. Options: draw / pull / collect. Answer: draw.
- Researchers raised ___ about the small sample. Options: concerns / concerned / concerning. Answer: concerns.
- The new method had a significant ___ on processing time. Options: effect / result / change. Answer: effect.
- Reliable transport gives rural communities better access ___ services. Options: for / to / with. Answer: to.
- The rainfall and crop-yield graphs rise and fall together across all five years, so the two patterns are closely ___. Options: related / joined / combined. Answer: related.
The distractors may be grammatical elsewhere, but only one completes the conventional partnership in context.
Build a useful review deck
Put the gap sentence on the question side. Put the completed phrase, meaning and grammar note on the answer side. Include plural or tense variants where needed. Review missed phrases more often, but periodically mix them with unfamiliar passages so you still use context.
Do not select an answer solely because two words often occur together. The whole sentence must remain grammatical and logical.
Apply the phrases in PTE Reading Gap Practice, then browse reading practice.
Turn a list into active recall
Study ten collocations at a time. Hide the second word, complete the phrase, then write one sentence that fixes its meaning and grammar. Review missed items after one day, three days and one week.
Example set: pose a risk, reach a conclusion, allocate resources, strong evidence. Mix verb-noun and adjective-noun pairs. Keep the surrounding preposition when it is part of the pattern, such as contribute to.
Sources
- Pearson PTE Academic Reading format.
- Pearson Academic Collocation List, published 2021.
