Using Collocation to Boost Your IELTS Score

Contents

standard

Use the correct form of these verbs:

fall maintain raise

enjoy reach set

Our job is not just to ___________ standards – our job is to make sure they improve!
He failed to___________ the required standard, and did not qualify for the race.
Do you think that reducing class sizes would ___________ standards in our primary schools?
It’s hard for others to come up to the standards our head of department ___________ for herself.
The standard of service has___________ steadily since the company was taken over a year ago. It’s now so bad, something will have to be done.
Today most people in this country___________ a standard of living which their parents could only dream about.

Complete the sentences with these adjectives:

approved falling

high low

minimum modern

same usual

My boss demands extremely ___________standards from the people that work for him. In fact some people think he is unrealistic.
I was disappointed when I took some friends to my favourite restaurant and neither the food nor the service were up to the___________ standard.
Not everyone judges success by the ___________ standards. Unlike you, I think that happiness is more important than the size of your car.
Parents are always complaining about ___________ standards in schools.
A number of Britain’s beaches fail to meet the ___________ standards laid down by the EU.
This special mark shows that the product conforms to an ___________industry standard.
We decided that it would be our first and last trip to the island. The hotels and restaurants were all of a very___________ standard.
By ___________ standards, the plumbing in our hotel was totally inadequate!

Complete the sentences below with these nouns:

behaviour care hygiene

singing living workmanship

Some countries simply don’t provide proper standards of ___________ for the elderly.
Inspectors criticised the kitchen staff for poor standards of ___________ .
I had my windows replaced, but I’m not very pleased with the standard of __________ .
There’s been a progressive increase in the standard of ___________ over the last five years. People are now much better off.
The school insists on strict standards of ___________ on school trips.
Although it was an amateur production, the standard of___________ was excellent.

Use these prepositions in the sentences:

of to up below by in

The work has been done___________ a professional standard.
Students will be sent home if their behaviour falls__________________ an acceptable standard.
The first computers were very slow ___________ today’s standards.
Universities deny that there has been a decline ___________ academic standards.
The report is highly critical ___________ safety standards at the factory.
The teacher said that my essay was not ___________ to standard and that I would have to do it again.


Notes 1. In 2-8 you can also say ‘by today’s standards’: By today’s standards, Shakespeare was a rich man. 2. Note the use of safety standards and moral standards: The airline’s maintenance programme did not conform to the high safety standards set by the industry. The Minister did not live up to the high moral standards expected of him. 3. If someone has ‘double standards’, they are guilty of condemning something, while doing it themselves.

Ex 1: 1. maintain 2. reach 3. raise 4. sets 5. fallen 6. enjoy

Ex 2: l. high 2. usual 3. same 4.falling 5. minimum 6. approved 7. low 8. modern

Ex 3: l. care 2. hygiene 3. workmanship 4. living 5. behaviour 6. singing

Ex 4: 1. to 2. below 3. by 4. in 5. of 6. up

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