Using Collocation to Boost Your IELTS Score – Key Word: Detail

Mastering collocations is a proven strategy to improve your IELTS Writing and Speaking skills. Today, we focus on the key word “details” and explore its common combinations with verbs, adjectives, and prepositions. Knowing these collocations helps you describe events, give or request information, and convey precise meaning naturally in both written and spoken English.

Verb + Details Collocations

Exercise 1

Use the correct form of these verbs: absorb – check – disclose – go into – send – finalise – take – uncover

1. Please ___________ that these details are correct before you sign the form.
2. Please write, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope, and we will ___________ you details of the health plan.
3. The city council have refused to ___________ details of its plan to close the city centre to traffic.
4. I don’t understand why some newspapers dig into the past of politicians in an attempt to ___________ details of their previous love affairs. It’s sick!
5. There’s too much information in this leaflet. I’m having difficulty ___________ all the details.
6. I can’t ___________ details at the moment; it would take too long. I’ll just give you the gist of what he said and I’ll fill you in later with all the details.
7. The police ___________ all the details and said they would get back to me within the week.
8. We can’t ___________ the details of our holiday yet. I won’t know when I can get time off till Friday.

Answer Key: 1. check 2. send 3. disclose 4. uncover 5. absorbing 6. go into 7. took 8. finalise

IELTS Tip: Verbs like check, send, disclose, and uncover are useful in Writing Task 1 for reports or summaries and in Speaking when describing events or processes.

Giving Details

Exercise 2

Match the two halves of the sentences. Underline the verbs which mean ‘giving details’.

1. Can you give us …
2. Police have so far released …
3. The jurors were given strict instructions from the judge not to reveal …
4. A company spokesman refused to disclose …
5. The government recently announced …
6. He talked to the press and divulged …
7. The travel company has provided us with …

Options:
a. full details of our journey across Australia
b. details of its plan to improve the health service
c. a few more details. For example, does the price include travel insurance?
d. no details of the missing children
e. details of its revolutionary new product until the official launch
f. any details of the case to the press
g. details of our private conversation. You can’t trust anybody these days!

Answer Key: 1-c 2-d 3-f 4-e 5-b 6-g 7-a

IELTS Tip: Knowing verbs like give, release, disclose, announce, divulge, and provide helps you explain information clearly and formally, especially in Writing Task 2 and IELTS Speaking Part 3.

Common Adjective + Details Collocations

Exercise 3

Use the following adjectives: final – further – gory – minor – personal – precise

1. If you need more information about the holiday accommodation, ____________ details can be found on our website.
2. All we know is that Di’s had an accident, but we don’t know the ____________ details.
3. Fill out one of these application forms with all your ____________ details.
4. The report contains a lot of unimportant issues. We must be careful not to let these ____________ details distract us from the big issues.
5. Richard’s description of the blood and everything almost made me sick. He wasn’t happy till he’d told us all the ____________ details of the accident.
6. We’ve agreed the general outline of the agreement, but the ____________ details have still to be worked out.

Answer Key: 1. further 2. precise 3. personal 4. minor 5. gory 6. final

IELTS Tip: Using adjectives with details allows you to add clarity and precision, which is especially useful in IELTS Writing Task 1 when describing data or processes.

Expressions with Prepositions

Exercise 4

Use in, into, about, on in the following sentences:

1. We’ll need to examine the plan ____________ greater detail before we can give it our approval.
2. They are still arguing ____________ the details of the arrangements.
3. I won’t go ____________ detail. All I’m prepared to say is she was fairly critical.
4. Contact the number at the bottom of the page for more details ____________ how to obtain a passport.

Answer Key: 1. in 2. about 3. into 4. on

IELTS Tip: Prepositions combined with details are key for describing processes, agreements, or instructions in Writing Task 2 and Speaking Part 2.

Why Learning “Details” Collocations is Important for IELTS

Using collocations with details such as personal details, gory details, further details, and check the details makes your sentences more natural, precise, and academic. These phrases help you describe events, processes, or instructions clearly, which is valuable in Writing Task 1, IELTS Writing Task 2, and Speaking. Practicing these collocations allows you to give complete explanations, provide accurate examples, and express nuance confidently.

Practice using collocations with details in sentences, essays, and speaking exercises. Understanding verb, adjective, and preposition combinations will help you convey information accurately, impress examiners, and boost your IELTS band score naturally. 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
• Using Collocation to Boost Your IELTS Score - Key Word: decision 
• Using Collocation to Boost Your IELTS Score - Key Word: a series of
• 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