Collocations, or natural word combinations, are essential for anyone aiming to excel in English proficiency exams like PTE Academic, especially for the FIB questions. These combinations are not just theoretical concepts but practical tools used in everyday communication, including emails. Let’s explore some common collocation mistakes and how to correct them, enhancing your English skills along the way.

Bringing Issues to Attention Collocation

Consider this common email mistake:

“Thank you for bringing this to our notice. We’re working to solve this issue as quickly as possible.”

While this sentence might seem correct, it can be improved by using the right collocations: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We’re working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”

Notice the collocations “bring to attention” and “resolve issues” instead of “bring to notice” and “solve issues.” These small changes can significantly improve the naturalness of your English.

Making Requests in Emails

Here’s another example of improving collocation usage in emails:
“As asked for, I have attached a copy of your purchase order. Please let me know if you require extra assistance.”
Instead, try: “As requested, I have attached a copy of your purchase order. Please let me know if you require further/additional assistance.”

Using “as requested” instead of “as asked for” and “further/additional assistance” instead of “extra assistance” makes the email sound more professional and polished.

Conducting Research

Collocations also play a crucial role in academic writing. Take this example:

“To write a comprehensive report, it’s essential to ____ research before gathering data.”

A student might mistakenly fill in the blank with “make research” instead of the correct “conduct research.” Understanding and using the right collocations, such as “conduct research,” is vital for academic success.

Sending Reminders

In professional communication, the choice of words matters a lot. Here’s a common mistake: “Just a kind reminder that today’s meeting has been suspended until next Wednesday at 11 a.m.”

A more polished version would be: “Just a friendly reminder that today’s meeting has been postponed until next Wednesday at 11 a.m.”

Using “friendly reminder” and “postponed” instead of “kind reminder” and “suspended” aligns better with standard collocations.

Keeping Deadlines in Mind

Finally, let’s look at how to talk about deadlines:
“Please bear in mind that the deadline is approaching.”

A better alternative is: “Please keep in mind that the deadline is approaching.”

“Keep in mind” is a more natural collocation than “bear in mind” in this context.

Mastering collocations is crucial for improving your English proficiency, especially for exams like PTE Academic. By paying attention to these natural word combinations and integrating them into your daily communication, you can enhance your fluency and accuracy. 

You can download PTE Academic collocations in this link.

Keep practicing, and for more tips on boosting your English skills with collocations, follow our Instagram @ptesmart and stay tuned!