Mistake #2 - Misusing Academic Collocations

Even strong candidates lose marks because they pair words that simply do not go together.

❌ Example of the Mistake

“People should take a responsible decision.”
Correct: make a responsible decision

“This can highly affect society.”
Correct: seriously affect

🎯 Why Examiners Penalise This

Incorrect collocation = unnatural language, a major LR weakness.
IELTS examiners are trained to detect these instantly.

Band-8 requires accurate, natural collocations, not literal translations.

✅ Band-8 Fix Method: “Collocation Filter”

Before using a phrase, ask:

• “Is this something a native academic writer would say?”
• “Have I seen this phrase in real articles, not textbooks?”

Better example:

“This can significantly affect society.”

✔ Quick Checklist

• Avoid direct translations
• Use collocation notebooks
• Prioritise significantly, heavily, strongly, widely

Continue to:
Mistake #3 - Repeating Simple Words Too Often