Increase Your IELTS Vocabulary Score-Collocation of Mistake

Learning to use collocations with “mistake” effectively can enhance your IELTS Speaking and Writing skills. Using the right verbs and adjectives to describe mistakes makes your language more precise and natural. This guide covers verb + mistake, adjective + mistake, and verb + for + mistake collocations, with examples and IELTS usage tips.

Verb + Mistake Collocations

Mistakes are an essential part of learning. In IELTS Writing and Speaking, you may need to describe errors, admit faults, or explain lessons learned. These collocations help you express these ideas clearly.

Exercise: Use the Correct Verb

1. Making mistakes is an important part of learning a language. If you don’t make mistakes, you don’t ______ from them.
2. I think if you can admit that you’ve ______ a mistake, it is a sign of strength, not weakness.
3. When I got home, I found out that I had been calling my girlfriend’s father by the wrong name. I felt such a fool when I ______ my mistake.
4. Like many people, I find it difficult to avoid ______ past mistakes. Why do we make the same mistakes over and over again?
5. Read through your work carefully and ______ any mistakes that you find.
6. If you ______ some people’s mistakes to them, they get very defensive.

Answer Key:

1. learn 2. made 3. realised 4. repeating 5. correct 6. point out

IELTS Tip: In the IELTS Speaking Part 2 or 3, you can say:

• “I realised I had made a mistake when I submitted the wrong report.”
• “It’s important to learn from your mistakes to improve.”

Adjective + Mistake Collocations

Adjectives can describe the type, seriousness, or frequency of mistakes. Using these collocations makes your descriptions more specific and natural.

Exercise: Complete the Sentences

1. The most ______ mistake people make is to water their plants too much.
2. It was a perfectly ______ mistake to make. I assumed Jane and Morgan were married, too!
3. The skaters made the ______ mistake of assuming that the ice was thick enough to take their weight. Unfortunately, there was a thaw. The ice gave way and they drowned.
4. I should have scored 100% in the examination, but I made one ______ mistake.
5. I can accept that anybody makes the ______ mistake. We all do, but if it becomes a habit then you’re in trouble.
6. Going to the football match when he should have been at work proved to be a very ______ mistake for Jeff. He was sacked.
7. When he removed the wrong kidney from the patient, the surgeon made a ______ mistake.
8. I’m sorry, sir, but a ______ mistake has been made. We will do our best to find you a double room immediately.

Options:
costly – occasional – genuine – understandable – dreadful – fatal – stupid – common

Answer Key:

1. common 2. understandable 3. fatal 4. stupid 5. occasional 6. costly 7. dreadful 8. genuine

IELTS Tip: These collocations are useful in IELTS Writing Task 2 when discussing consequences of poor decisions:

• “A common mistake among students is ignoring proper planning.”
• “It is understandable to make mistakes when learning a new skill.”

Verb + for + Mistake Collocations

These collocations describe taking responsibility, apologising, or checking mistakes. They are common in both formal and informal contexts.

Exercise: Complete the Expressions

Use these verbs: apologise – check – refuse – take

1. ______ to accept responsibility for
2. ______ the blame for
3. ______ profusely for
4. ______ over your work for

Exercise: Use in Context

• He thought I was the secretary and not the manager because I was a woman, but he ______ his mistake when I introduced myself. You should have seen his face!
• Nobody should have to ______ other people’s mistakes.
• It’s always a good idea to ______ mistakes before you hand in your work.
• Five hundred pounds has gone missing from my bank account, but the bank ______ the mistake.

Answer Key:

Part A: refuse take apologise check
Part B: apologised profusely for take the blame for check over your work for refuses to accept responsibility for

IELTS Tip: Using these collocations in IELTS Speaking Part 3 can help you discuss responsibility and accountability naturally:

• “He apologised profusely for the mistake he had made in the report.”
• “It’s important to check over your work for mistakes before submission.”

Notes on Common Expressions with “Mistake”

1. Marrying you was the biggest mistake of my life!
2. His work is always full of spelling mistakes.
3. It’s a mistake to think that…
   • It’s a mistake to think that violence will solve this issue.
4. By mistake = accidentally
   • Someone must have left the window open by mistake.
5. Common phrases with make a mistake:

• • I made the mistake of inviting him to the party.
  • I won’t make the same mistake again!
  • Don’t worry. It’s an easy mistake to make.
  • If you make a mistake, just cross it out.

Mastering collocations with “mistake” helps you describe errors, lessons learned, and accountability more clearly in IELTS Speaking and Writing. Whether you’re talking about a common mistake, fatal error, or genuine misunderstanding, using these expressions accurately demonstrates strong lexical resource and fluency. Practicing them in context will make your language sound natural and confident, helping you achieve a higher IELTS score. 

Also Check: 

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