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)

1. Ring fence numbers, names, dates, and the question route.
2. Mark relations: cause, contrast, condition, result.
3. Swap lexically with band safe pairs.
4. Reshape the sentence: active to passive, clause to phrase, split or merge.
5. 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

1. Matrix build
   Pick one policy verb, one effect verb, and one noun. Write two sentences that use different prepositions correctly.
2. Reformulation sprint
   Rewrite: People cannot afford university. Keep meaning but raise formality and add a collocation.
3. Preposition test
   Fill blanks: an increase __ demand; impact __ travel time; access __ clinics.
4. Word class shift
   Turn this into a nominalised version: When schools train teachers, outcomes improve.
5. 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.