Advanced English Collocations: 48 High-Level Combinations
Collocations — words that naturally go together — are the hidden engine of fluent English. Unlike grammar rules, they must be learned through exposure. This guide covers 48 high-frequency, high-impact collocations used in academic writing, professional contexts, and advanced speech. Search or filter by category.
48 items · 6 topics
"conduct research"
carry out a formal study or investigation
"The team conducted research into climate adaptation strategies."
"draw a conclusion"
reach a reasoned judgement based on evidence
"From the data, we can draw the conclusion that diet affects cognition."
"raise awareness"
increase public knowledge of an issue
"The campaign aimed to raise awareness of plastic pollution."
"address the issue"
deal with or tackle a problem directly
"The paper addresses the issue of urban inequality."
"provide evidence"
supply facts or proof to support a claim
"This study provides compelling evidence for the theory."
"critical analysis"
careful, detailed examination of arguments or work
"The essay requires a critical analysis of three primary sources."
"theoretical framework"
a structure of concepts and theories guiding research
"The study uses a sociological theoretical framework."
"empirical data"
information obtained through observation or experiment
"The conclusions rest on solid empirical data from 500 participants."
"drive revenue"
generate or increase income
"The new pricing model is designed to drive revenue in Q3."
"meet a deadline"
complete work by the required date
"We need to meet the deadline or face a penalty clause."
"mitigate risk"
reduce the impact or likelihood of something harmful
"Diversifying suppliers helps mitigate supply-chain risk."
"reach a consensus"
arrive at a general agreement
"The board struggled to reach a consensus on the acquisition."
"streamline operations"
make business processes more efficient
"Automation helped us streamline operations and cut costs by 15%."
"leverage expertise"
use specialist knowledge for advantage
"We leverage the team's expertise in machine learning for this project."
"monitor performance"
track and evaluate results over time
"Managers monitor performance through quarterly KPI reviews."
"forge a partnership"
establish a formal cooperative relationship
"The two firms forged a partnership to expand into Asian markets."
"make progress"
move forward or advance in something
"We're making steady progress on the prototype."
"take responsibility"
accept accountability for something
"A good leader takes responsibility for their team's mistakes."
"gain experience"
acquire knowledge or skill through practice
"She gained valuable experience working abroad for two years."
"pay attention"
focus carefully on something
"Pay attention to the intonation, not just the words."
"reach a decision"
come to a final choice after deliberation
"After three hours, the jury finally reached a decision."
"hold a meeting"
organise and conduct a formal gathering
"We hold a weekly status meeting every Monday morning."
"pose a challenge"
present a difficulty or problem
"Climate change poses a challenge to global food security."
"exert influence"
apply power or pressure to affect something
"Peer groups exert considerable influence on adolescent behaviour."
"keen interest"
strong and enthusiastic curiosity
"The professor takes a keen interest in student welfare."
"profound impact"
a deep and significant effect
"The Industrial Revolution had a profound impact on urban life."
"viable solution"
a practical, workable answer to a problem
"Renewable energy is now a viable solution to power shortages."
"mounting pressure"
increasing and intensifying stress or demand
"There is mounting pressure on governments to act on inequality."
"pivotal role"
a central, crucial function
"Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping children's values."
"robust evidence"
strong, reliable, hard-to-dispute proof
"Robust evidence now links ultra-processed food to poor health outcomes."
"stark contrast"
a very obvious and striking difference
"The lavish hotel stood in stark contrast to the surrounding poverty."
"inherent risk"
a risk that is naturally part of something
"There is an inherent risk in any new business venture."
"deeply concerned"
very worried or troubled about something
"Scientists are deeply concerned about ocean acidification."
"highly likely"
with a very strong probability
"It is highly likely that inflation will fall by year-end."
"widely recognised"
accepted or acknowledged by most people
"She is widely recognised as a pioneer in renewable energy."
"largely irrelevant"
not important for the most part
"Previous experience is largely irrelevant for this entry-level role."
"critically important"
absolutely essential
"Clear communication is critically important in emergency medicine."
"readily available"
easy to obtain or access immediately
"The software is readily available as a free open-source download."
"increasingly complex"
becoming more complicated over time
"Cybersecurity threats are increasingly complex and hard to predict."
"blatantly obvious"
completely clear and undeniable
"The error was blatantly obvious to everyone in the room."
"it is worth noting"
used to highlight a point deserving attention
"It is worth noting that the sample size was relatively small."
"broadly speaking"
in general terms; without going into detail
"Broadly speaking, the results support the hypothesis."
"in stark contrast"
emphasising a sharp difference
"In stark contrast to earlier decades, literacy rates have soared."
"to a large extent"
mostly; for the most part
"The project succeeded to a large extent due to team cohesion."
"it could be argued"
introducing a possible interpretation or claim
"It could be argued that social media has weakened civic debate."
"this suggests that"
the evidence implies or points to
"This suggests that early intervention produces better long-term outcomes."
"on the one hand … on the other"
presenting two contrasting points
"On the one hand, technology creates jobs; on the other, it eliminates them."
"taken as a whole"
when all parts are considered together
"Taken as a whole, the evidence strongly favours the new approach."
Frequently Asked Questions
What are collocations in English and why do they matter?
A collocation is a pair or group of words that native speakers habitually use together — such as "make progress" (not "do progress") or "deeply concerned" (not "greatly concerned"). They matter because using wrong collocations is the most common marker of non-native speech, even at advanced levels. Knowing them makes your English sound natural and effortless.
What is the difference between a C1 and a C2 collocation?
C1 collocations are found in formal writing and professional speech (e.g. "leverage expertise", "mitigate risk"). C2 collocations are rarer, more nuanced, and often domain-specific (e.g. "exert influence", "empirical data", "inherent risk"). Both levels reward learning because they are high-frequency in academic and professional English.
How should I practise advanced collocations?
The research-backed method is massive input: read academic articles, quality journalism, and professional reports where these collocations appear naturally. When you notice a new collocation, record it with its context sentence, not just the phrase in isolation. Revisiting examples in context produces retention rates far higher than flashcard drilling.
Are advanced collocations tested in IELTS and TOEFL?
Yes. IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 and TOEFL Integrated Writing reward lexical resource — the examiner specifically checks for accurate collocation use. Phrases from this guide (such as "provide evidence", "address the issue", and "to a large extent") appear regularly in Band 8–9 model answers.
How many collocations do I need to know for C2 level?
Research suggests that a C2 speaker has internalised around 5,000–8,000 multi-word units, including collocations. You do not need to memorise all of them consciously: roughly 200–300 core collocations cover the most frequent patterns. Sustained exposure to authentic English — lectures, quality podcasts, academic texts — builds the rest automatically.
The fastest way to internalise advanced collocations is hearing them in authentic context.
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