Original BandLadder material
Along the way you get worked examples with the key words marked, before-and-after fixes that show why the first version loses marks, a one-page visual summary, word cards with meanings and examples (heavy traffic, the high cost of, a growing number of and carry out research), a quick check to test yourself and a recap of the rules to remember. Each card holds one idea, so you can read it on a phone between practice sessions.
Reading it online is free: create a free BandLadder account and the whole lesson opens in our study reader, on the web and in the app. Downloading the PDF to keep needs a plan; the free reader has every card.
The first 3 of 9 cards
two pairs that sound foreign
Every word is correct. The pairing is wrong: some words only sound natural with certain partners.
I often do a mistakemake a mistake with dates, so I make researchdo research first.
IELTS Band 7 writing shows "awareness of style and collocation".
the noun picks the verb
| Verb | Everyday | In an essay |
|---|---|---|
| make | a cake | a decision, progress |
| do | the dishes | research, damage |
| take | a photo | action, a risk |
| have | lunch | an effect, difficulty |
These verbs mean little on their own. The noun chooses, so learn each pair as one chunk.
the adjective the noun expects
Buses crawl through heavy traffic every morning.
Graduates worry about the high cost of rent.
Towns are seeing a growing number of cyclists.
Card 4 of 9 onwards
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Read the full Collocations: words that go together free
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Questions
Yes, to read online. Create a free BandLadder account and the full lesson opens in the study reader. No card details are needed.
The PDF download comes with any BandLadder plan. Free accounts read the lesson online in the study reader, on the web and in the app.
The BandLadder team wrote and checked it. It is original BandLadder material, not copied from books or other websites, and its exam facts are checked against the official IELTS and PTE pages.
Both. The lesson is in the IELTS and the PTE study library, so it opens whichever exam you prepare for.
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