IELTS Vocabulary: Academic Word List and Collocations 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The researchers sought to ______ a clear link between air quality and respiratory disease in urban populations.
- establish (Correct answer)
- make
- do
- build
Correct answer: establish
'Establish a link' is the correct academic collocation; 'make', 'do', and 'build' do not collocate naturally with 'link' in formal academic writing.
Question 2: The policy was ______ as ineffective by multiple independent review bodies, leading to a complete overhaul of the framework.
- denounced
- assessed (Correct answer)
- characterised
- condemned
Correct answer: assessed
'Assessed as' is the standard academic collocation for formal evaluation; the others carry stronger, more emotive connotations inappropriate here.
Question 3: Scientists have made ______ progress in understanding the genetic basis of the condition, though a complete cure remains elusive.
- remarkable
- considerable (Correct answer)
- huge
- big
Correct answer: considerable
'Considerable progress' is the standard academic collocation; 'remarkable' is possible but less typical with 'progress' in formal writing; 'huge' and 'big' are informal.
Question 4: The term 'sustainability' is used to ______ a range of practices that balance economic development with environmental protection.
- denote (Correct answer)
- show
- tell
- explain
Correct answer: denote
'Denote' is the academic AWL verb meaning 'to signify or represent,' appropriate when discussing the scope of a term.
Question 5: The committee will ______ a decision on the proposal at its next meeting, taking all submitted evidence into account.
- make (Correct answer)
- do
- take
- have
Correct answer: make
'Make a decision' is the correct collocation; 'take a decision' is possible in British English but less standard in academic writing; 'do' and 'have' are incorrect.
Question 6: The study ______ four main variables: income level, education, geographic location, and household size.
- comprised
- constituted
- identified (Correct answer)
- composed
Correct answer: identified
'Identified' correctly describes the action of a study finding/selecting variables; 'comprised' and 'constituted' describe composition, not a research action; 'composed' is grammatically wrong here.
Question 7: Globalisation has had a ______ impact on local cultures, transforming everything from diet to architecture.
- profound (Correct answer)
- deep
- heavy
- big
Correct answer: profound
'Profound impact' is the standard academic collocation; 'deep impact' is less typical in academic prose; 'heavy' and 'big' are informal.
IELTS Vocabulary: Academic Word List and Collocations 1
The researchers sought to ______ a clear link between air quality and respiratory disease in urban populations.