Using Collocation to Boost Your IELTS Score – Key Word: A Series of

Collocations play a vital role in IELTS Speaking and Writing because they help you sound natural, fluent, and accurate. One common expression is a series of, which is often used in academic, formal, and conversational contexts. It generally refers to a sequence or chain of related events, actions, or things.

In this lesson, we’ll look at how to use a series of effectively, practice with exercises, and learn collocations that can improve your IELTS performance.

Why Learn Collocations with a series of?

In IELTS, the phrase a series of is especially useful in:

• IELTS Writing Task 2 for describing events, issues, or problems in society.
• IELTS Speaking Part 2 and 3 when narrating experiences, problems, or historical developments.
• IELTS Reading and IELTS Listening where academic texts often describe a series of studies, events, or reports.

Mastering this collocation will help you:

• Strengthen your lexical resource score.
• Express ideas logically and naturally.
• Show control of both formal and informal contexts.

1. A Series of + Noun (Everyday and Academic Use)

The phrase is often followed by countable nouns in plural form, describing tests, results, or events.

Practice Exercise

Complete the sentences with these nouns: results, events, explosions, lectures, murders, strikes, reports, tests

1. We’ll need to put you through a series of _____________ to discover what is wrong with you.
2. The police are trying to determine the series of _____________ that led up to the disappearance of the child.
3. Leeds City Football Club have sacked their manager after a series of disappointing _____________.
4. A series of unsolved _____________ in Berlin have raised fears that a serial killer is on the loose.
5. Professor Wilson will give a series of _____________ at Glasgow University this spring on contemporary Scottish poets.
6. The staff have voted to stage a series of one-day _____________ to express their opposition to the proposed job losses.
7. There was a series of _____________ then the plane broke up and fell to the ground.
8. Tonight’s is the last in a series of _____________ about what life is like for the ordinary people of Iraq.

IELTS Tip: Use a series of tests/reports/lectures in Writing Task 1 when describing academic or scientific processes.

2. A Series of + Noun (Formal and Media Use)

This phrase also appears frequently in the news, media reports, and academic writing when describing scandals, crimes, or natural disasters.

Practice Exercise

Complete the sentences with these nouns: articles, attacks, crimes, disagreements, earthquakes, scandals

1. The company’s reputation has been damaged by a series of financial _____________.
2. The explosion at the station was just the latest in an unending series of terrorist _____________.
3. The Telegraph is publishing a series of _____________ on healthy eating.
4. After a series of _____________ the singer and his song-writer have decided to end their partnership.
5. A series of _____________ struck Turkey, killing at least 500 people, and destroying about 9000 homes.
6. He was arrested at Heathrow airport and he is expected to stand trial for a series of drug-related _____________.

IELTS Tip: In Speaking Part 3, you might be asked about global problems. Phrases like “a series of earthquakes” or “a series of terrorist attacks” can help you give precise, academic answers.

3. Academic and Advanced Usage

In academic writing, a series of is often used to describe research, steps, or developments:

• “The researchers conducted a series of experiments to verify their hypothesis.”
• “The government introduced a series of reforms to stabilize the economy.”
• “The book highlights a series of case studies on environmental change.”

Tip: Using a series of in such contexts will make your IELTS Writing Task 2 essays sound formal, structured, and logical.

Answer Key

The phrase a series of is highly flexible, used in everyday situations, academic texts, and formal writing. By practicing these collocations, you’ll be able to speak more fluently, write with greater precision, and score higher in IELTS. Remember, the key to success in IELTS Vocabulary is not just learning single words but mastering how they naturally combine.

For those aiming for top scores, following the IELTS Exam Preparation Tips for Band Score of 8+ can further enhance your vocabulary and overall test performance.

Also Check: 

• Improve Your Vocabulary for IELTS – Key Word: Space
• Improve Your Vocabulary for IELTS – Key Word: Size
• Grammar For IELTS: Expressions Of Quantity
• Grammar For IELTS : The Common Grammars And Sentence Structures In English (Part 1
• Grammar For IELTS : The Common Grammars And Sentence Structures In English (Part 2)
• Using Contrast in IELTS Speaking & Writing: Advanced Grammar in IELTS
• 100+ Advanced Vocabulary Word List for IELTS (PDF Available)
• Especially vs Specially for IELTS Grammar: Lessons, Examples, Usage & Exercise