Targeting 79+ score in PTE? Learning collocations can help you score that. Collocations are natural word combinations, such as ‘make a decision,’ ‘strong evidence,’ or ‘heavy traffic.’ Using them correctly helps your responses sound fluent and natural, which the PTE scoring system directly rewards.
However, many test-takers focus on learning individual vocabulary words, assuming that more words = a higher score. But they don’t know how to combine them, so they end up with a score lower than expected.
To make sure this doesn’t happen with you, first understand:
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- What collocations are and how they work
- How they are formed and used in real sentences
- Which collocations are most important for PTE tasks
- How to apply them naturally in speaking, writing, reading, and listening
Once you understand this, practice the PTE collocation list.
What Are Collocations in PTE?
When students hear the word collocations, they often assume it’s just another vocabulary topic, something to memorise and move on from. But in reality, collocation words show how English is actually used, and more importantly, how PTE evaluates your performance.
A collocation is a natural combination of words that native speakers use without thinking. These combinations are not random or always logical. They are simply “what sounds right” in English, same as what sounds natural in your native language.
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Why You Can’t (And Should Not) Ignore Them
Collocations are essential because PTE evaluates how natural your English sounds, not just whether it is correct. If your word combinations are unnatural, your fluency, writing quality, and overall score are affected, even if your grammar is right.
They also help you respond faster and more confidently during the exam, as you start using language in natural chunks instead of building sentences word by word. Without collocations, your preparation is incomplete.
How Learning PTE Collocation Words Directly Improves Speaking
Learning collocations improves speaking test scores in PTE by helping you speak more naturally and with better flow. Instead of thinking about individual words, you start using ready-made word combinations, which reduces hesitation and makes your speech smoother.
It also helps you organise your ideas more clearly, as common expressions come automatically while speaking. As a result, your responses sound more structured and confident.
Additionally, speaking in natural word groups improves pronunciation and rhythm, which are important for scoring. Overall, collocations make your speech faster, clearer, and more aligned with how English is actually used, leading to a better speaking score.
How Collocations Improve Writing in PTE
Collocations make your writing sound more natural, formal, and academic, something the PTE scoring system values. They help you express ideas more precisely, improve sentence flow, and reduce awkward phrasing. This leads to better scores in vocabulary, coherence, and overall writing quality.
How Collocations Improve Reading in PTE
In reading tasks, especially Fill in the Blanks, collocations help you recognise which words naturally fit together. Instead of guessing, you can quickly identify the correct answer based on familiar word combinations, improving both accuracy and speed.
How Collocations Improve Listening in PTE
Collocations help you understand spoken English in chunks rather than word by word. This makes it easier to follow the audio, predict upcoming words, and capture correct answers in tasks like Fill in the Blanks, leading to better accuracy and confidence.
Common PTE Collocation List in 2026
There are 25 million collocation words in the PTE Academic list. You cannot memorise all. The better approach is to understand how they are made and learn only the common ones.
- Verb + Noun Pattern
This pattern combines a verb and a noun to form a collocation word.
- make a decision
- take action
- conduct research
- solve a problem
- draw a conclusion
- reach an agreement
- provide information
- raise awareness
- face challenges
- meet expectations
- gain experience
- achieve success
- address an issue
- play a role
- build confidence
- develop skills
- express opinions
- form a hypothesis
- collect data
- analyse results
Each noun “prefers” a specific verb. Once you start recognising these patterns, you can predict them automatically.
-
Adjective + Noun Pattern
This pattern is important for PTE writing and speaking tests.
- strong evidence
- significant impact
- major issue
- key factor
- rapid growth
- steady increase
- slight decrease
- heavy traffic
- high demand
- low cost
- social issues
- environmental problems
- economic growth
- academic performance
- scientific research
- public opinion
- global warming
- natural resources
-
Verb + Adverb Pattern
These are especially useful in essay writing and speaking tasks where you need to show clarity and confidence.
- strongly agree
- strongly disagree
- highly recommend
- deeply concerned
- widely accepted
- clearly show
- significantly improve
- rapidly increase
- gradually decrease
- closely related
Practical Tips: How to Remember PTE Collocation Words
If you are genuinely aiming to improve your PTE score, especially targeting 79+, the way you prepare collocations matters just as much as what you learn. Relying on random PDFs or long, PTE colocation lists might feel the right way, but it rarely helps you in the real exam.
To make your preparation more effective, here are a few practical habits you can follow:
- Build a personal collocation notebook: Instead of copying long lists, note down only the collocations you encounter during practice, along with one example sentence.
- Learn in small batches: Focus on 10–15 collocations a day and revise them regularly instead of trying to cover everything at once.
- Use them in daily speaking practice: Even outside PTE prep, try forming sentences using new collocations to improve recall under pressure.
- Notice patterns while reading or listening: Whenever you practise PTE materials, actively look for word combinations instead of individual words.
- Revisit and reuse: Repetition is key. Use the same collocations across different tasks (speaking, writing, reading) to make them stick.
How Language Academy Helps You
Our PTE mock tests help you understand not just what to learn, but where and when to use it. Practising with AI-scored mock tests also gives you a clear picture of how your usage impacts your score, especially in the speaking and writing sections.
Combined with section-wise preparation strategies, this approach ensures you are not just improving your vocabulary, but learning the natural, exam-ready English that PTE rewards.
Conclusion
If you want to move beyond average scores in PTE, collocational words are very important. Not just scoring, they help you be fluent in speaking, writing, listening, and reading English.
FAQs
1. What is a collocation in PTE?
A natural combination of words commonly used together in English.
2. Are collocations important for PTE speaking?
Yes, they improve fluency and make your speech sound natural.
3.How many collocations should I learn?
Around 100–200 high-frequency collocations are enough.
4. Can collocations improve writing scores?
Yes, they improve vocabulary, coherence, and overall quality.
5. Is memorising collocations enough?
No, you must practise using them in real sentences.
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