A. Why collocations matter
- Raise clarity and precision with fewer words
- Sound natural without memorised templates
- Reduce repetition through lexical variety
- Protect meaning when you paraphrase
B. Collocation matrix (mix across rows)
Policy verbs: adopt, implement, enforce, allocate, subsidise, regulate, expand, phase out, pilot
Effect verbs: improve, enhance, boost, reduce, curb, deter, facilitate, foster
Academic nouns: access, uptake, retention, attainment, capacity, productivity, emissions, congestion, inequality
Qualifiers: substantial, modest, marginal, sustainable, equitable, cost effective, long term, short term
Build
- implement standards, allocate funding, pilot a scheme
- reduce congestion, curb emissions, foster retention
- substantial increase in access, cost effective measure, long term benefit
C. Preposition pairs you must get right
- increase in X; rise to N; fall by N
- effect on results; impact on health
- demand for places; access to services
- contribution to growth; barrier to entry
- shift from A to B; difference between groups
- correlation between A and B
- investment in transport; spending on education
D. Reformulation workflow (safe and fast)
- Ring fence numbers, names, dates, and the question route.
- Mark relations: cause, contrast, condition, result.
- Swap lexically with band safe pairs.
- Reshape the sentence: active to passive, clause to phrase, split or merge.
- Anchor pronouns: this policy, this change, these measures.
E. Swap maps for common functions
Cause and result
- leads to → results in → contributes to → is linked to
- because → since → as
Contrast and concession - however → by contrast → nevertheless
- while → although → whereas
- although X has costs, targeted support limits them
Purpose - in order to → so that → to
F. Model rewrites
Thesis line
Weak: Free public transport is good.
Upgrade: Removing fares can widen access, but the approach is costly and poorly targeted.
Topic sentence
Weak: Tourism has good and bad effects.
Upgrade: Tourism stimulates local employment, yet it puts pressure on public services in peak seasons.
Evidence line
Weak: People save money.
Upgrade: Lower fares free household budgets for essentials, which improves retention in training courses.
G. Word class shifts that read academic
- improve access → improvement in access
- when schools train staff → staff training
- cities invest in buses → city investment in buses
Use nominalisations to compress, but keep enough live verbs for energy.
H. Pitfalls and quick repairs
- Generic verbs: do research → conduct research; make a decision → reach a decision
- Wrong preposition: impact to → impact on
- Unnatural pairings: heavy pollution is fine; strong pollution is not
- Missing hyphen in compound modifiers: data driven → data-driven; low income → low-income (before a noun)
I. Topic banks you can plug in
Education
- broaden access, raise attainment, reduce dropout, curriculum reform, targeted scholarship, teacher training, evidence-based practice
Transport
- expand capacity, integrate services, peak-hour pricing, bus priority lanes, modal shift, last-mile link, congestion charge
Health
- promote prevention, early screening, public awareness campaign, reduce incidence, primary care access, mental wellbeing support
Environment
- cut emissions, restore habitats, improve resilience, renewable capacity, waste separation, circular economy, pollution controls
Work and economy
- boost productivity, narrow wage gaps, flexible scheduling, skills pipeline, small-business support, remote-work policy, investment climate
J. Paraphrase gallery
Original: Many people use cars a lot in cities.
Safe: Private car use is widespread in urban areas.
Original: Make public transport cheaper.
Safe: Reduce fares for public transport.
Original: The plan will make things better for poor people.
Safe: The plan will improve access for low-income households.
Original: It is good for the environment.
Safe: The measure lowers emissions and improves air quality.
K. Precision pairs for numbers and trends
- a rise in applications; an increase of 15; a fall to 30
- steady growth, sharp decline, marginal change, near stable levels
- twice as high as; roughly one third; just under a quarter
L. Mini drills
- Matrix build
Pick one policy verb, one effect verb, and one noun. Write two sentences that use different prepositions correctly. - Reformulation sprint
Rewrite: People cannot afford university. Keep meaning but raise formality and add a collocation. - Preposition test
Fill blanks: an increase __ demand; impact __ travel time; access __ clinics. - Word class shift
Turn this into a nominalised version: When schools train teachers, outcomes improve. - Localise
Write one sentence for your city using a topic bank collocation and a safe limiter like in many cases or typically.
M. Two minute final audit
- Collocations sound natural and topic specific
- Prepositions match the pattern
- Numbers and names copied exactly
- Meaning and scope unchanged after paraphrase
- Anchored references and formal tone
- No vague words like things or a lot
Use this guide while drafting and editing. Build sentences from strong collocation pairs, then reformulate with structure and precision. Your writing will read concise, credible, and easy to score.