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

The word “event” is highly useful in IELTS Writing and Speaking tasks, especially when describing important occasions, incidents, or developments. From social gatherings and festivals to historical moments and personal milestones, mastering collocations with “event” allows you to describe experiences naturally and effectively.

In this lesson, you’ll learn verb, adjective, and noun collocations with “event,” along with practical examples and IELTS-specific usage tips to enhance your IELTS Vocabulary score.

1. Verb + Event Collocations

“Event” often combines with verbs that describe actions or reactions to something happening. These collocations are common in both academic and conversational contexts, helping you express how events are organized, experienced, or remembered. 

Exercise

Use the correct form of these verbs: cancel, mark, witness, shake, sponsor, take part in

1. When Nelson Mandela visited the city, hundreds of doves were released to mark the event.
2. I’d like to thank everyone who took part in today’s marvellous fund-raising event. We’ve had a wonderful day and raised over £20,000!
3. Nobody who witnessed the events of September 11th – either live on TV or firsthand – will ever forget them.
4. Most big sporting events are sponsored by large multinational companies like Nike or Pepsi.
5. The explosion of the atom bomb over Hiroshima was an event that shook the world.
6. Will the event be cancelled if it rains or will it be held indoors instead?

IELTS Use

• IELTS Writing Task 2 Example: “International sporting events sponsored by global brands help promote cultural exchange and unity.”
• Speaking Example (Part 2 – Describe an event you attended): “Last year, I took part in a charity event to raise funds for underprivileged children.”

2. Common Adjective + Event Collocations

Adjectives help describe the importance, type, or emotional impact of an event. Using the right adjective collocations makes your language more descriptive and vivid, ideal for both Writing Task 2 and Speaking Parts 2 and 3.

Exercise

Match the two halves of the sentences:

1. We’ll be staging a number of
2. Everything went exactly as planned.
3. Three people died when the building collapsed. Unfortunately, I was a witness to
4. Early this morning the President suffered a heart attack. We have the latest report on today’s
5. The resignation of the Prime Minister was
6. If you are into films and film stars,
7. Getting a place at university
8. When my sister lost her second child,
9. The folk festival has now become

a. dramatic events at the White House in a few minutes.
b. the main political event of the year.
c. is a major event in the lives of many young people.
d. then the Oscars is the biggest social event of the year.
e. The whole event went like clockwork.
f. an annual event, held every June.
g. it was a traumatic event for the whole family.
h. special events to celebrate 25 years of independence.
i. the tragic event and it’s something I’m going to have trouble living with.

Answers

1-h, 2-e, 3-i, 4-a, 5-b, 6-d, 7-c, 8-g, 9-f

IELTS Use

• Writing Task 2: “Hosting major international events such as the Olympics can boost a country’s economy.”
• IELTS Speaking Part 2:“Graduating from university was a major event in my life because it marked the beginning of my career.”

3. Noun + Event Collocations

Nouns used with “event” can describe sequences, interpretations, or outcomes. These combinations help structure your arguments logically, especially in academic or formal writing.

Exercise

Fill in the blanks using these nouns: chain, course, summary, version

1. We were suspicious of Bill’s version of events. That’s why we started an investigation and discovered he had been stealing company funds for years!
2. It’s difficult to believe that the decisions we are about to take will influence the future course of events.
3. The air accident report has outlined the chain of events that caused the tragedy.
4. I haven’t got time to go into detail, so this is just a brief summary of events from the Festival.

IELTS Use

• Writing Task 1 (Academic): “The graph outlines the course of events in population growth between 2000 and 2020.”
• Writing Task 2: “A chain of events following the global recession affected employment rates worldwide.”

4. Prepositional Expressions with “Event”

Certain prepositions are used to introduce conditional or situational meanings related to “event.” These are essential for expressing hypothetical or formal conditions, often used in academic contexts.

Examples:

• In the event of a collision, the airbag will inflate instantly.
• In the unlikely event of a breakdown, call 189 4320 for roadside assistance.

These structures are useful for Writing Task 2 when presenting conditional scenarios, e.g., “In the event of an environmental disaster, governments must act immediately.”

Why Learning “Event” Collocations is Important for IELTS

Using natural “event” collocations allows you to:

• Describe personal or global experiences vividly in Speaking Part 2.
• Discuss important incidents or outcomes clearly in Writing Task 2.
• Show a strong command of academic and idiomatic vocabulary for higher Lexical Resource scores.

Instead of saying “something happened,” you can say:

• “It was a major political event that shook the country.”
• “The whole event went like clockwork, and everything was well-organized.”

Such expressions add fluency and precision to your IELTS Speaking responses.

Collocations with “event” are essential for expressing ideas naturally and professionally in IELTS. From describing historical moments to personal achievements, these combinations enrich your vocabulary and clarity. Keep practising them in context, in essays, cue cards, and daily speech, to make your English sound polished and achieve a Band 8+ in IELTS Writing and Speaking. 

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