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

Collocations with the word “failure” are essential for expressing setbacks, disappointments, and outcomes in both the IELTS Writing and Speaking sections. By mastering verb, adjective, and noun collocations with “failure,” you can discuss challenges, analyze results, and present arguments more fluently and accurately.

Verb + Failure

Common Verbs Used with “Failure”

These verbs often collocate with “failure” to show experiencing, acknowledging, or attributing setbacks: admit, put (…) down to, blame, criticise, end in, feel

Examples:

• I feel such a failure! That’s the third time I’ve tried to pass my driving test.
• The government has been widely criticised for its failure to cut hospital waiting lists.
• The attempt to climb K2 without oxygen ended in failure.
• The easy way out is to blame others for our failures.
• Men are often too proud to admit failure and ask for help.
• He put the failure of his business down to bad luck, not bad management.

Exercise 1: Verb + Failure

Complete the sentences with the correct verb: admit, put (…) down to, blame, criticise, end in, feel

1. I ___________ such a failure! That’s the third time I’ve tried to pass my driving test.
2. The government has been widely ___________ for its failure to cut hospital waiting lists.
3. The attempt to climb K2 without oxygen ___________ failure.
4. The easy way out is to ____________ others for our failures.
5. Men are often too proud to _____________ failure and ask for help.
6. He __________ the failure of his business _____________ bad luck, not bad management.

Answer Key: 1. feel 2. criticised 3. ended in 4. blame 5. admit 6. put … down to

Adjective + Failure

Common Adjectives Used with “Failure”

These adjectives emphasize the extent or impact of failure in different contexts: complete, costly, comparative, dismal, total

Examples:

• The office block cost millions but nobody rented offices; it was a costly failure.
• After a long discussion that achieved nothing, the meeting was a dismal failure.
• My older brother always excelled, so I often felt a comparative failure.

Exercise 2: Match the Adjective with the Situation

1. The office block had cost millions but nobody rented offices.
2. My older brother always did brilliantly at school and university.
3. The hospital wouldn’t listen to our complaints about treatment.
4. After three hours of discussion, we had got nowhere.
5. If you hadn’t got married by 25.
6. The scheme to recruit more business people into teaching never took off.

a. You were considered a total failure as a woman.
b. It was a complete failure. The pay wasn’t high enough.
c. The meeting had been a dismal failure.
d. We were frustrated by their total failure to understand our complaint.
e. The whole enterprise was a costly failure.
f. Although I did quite well, I always felt a comparative failure.

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

Noun + of + Failure

Common Noun Collocations with “Failure”

These nouns describe types, consequences, or perceptions of failure: risk, sense, catalogue, history, fear

Examples:

• The health service in this country has a long history of failure.
• Fear of failure prevents many students from performing at their best.
• There is a slight risk of failure with this operation.
• Sir Michael’s tenure has been one long catalogue of failures.
• It is important not to give children a sense of failure.

Exercise 3: Noun + of + Failure

Fill in the blanks with the correct noun: risk, sense, catalogue, history, fear

1. The health service has a long _________ of failure.
2. _________ of failure is one reason many students underperform.
3. There is a slight _________ of failure in this type of operation.
4. Sir Michael’s time as Minister has been a long _________ of failures.
5. It’s important not to give children a _________ of failure.

Answer Key: 1. history 2. fear 3. risk 4. catalogue 5. sense

Noun + Failure

Physical or Specific Failures

Some nouns combine with failure to describe concrete events, systems, or organs: business, heart, power, crop

Examples:

• A series of crop failures has caused widespread famine.
• It was a power failure that plunged the town into darkness.
• She died of heart failure.
• Economic decline led to more business failures last year.

Useful Expressions with Failure

• Doomed to failure – Something certain not to succeed: The rescue attempt was doomed to failure from the start.
• Coming to terms with the failure – Accepting a setback: Frank is still coming to terms with the failure of his marriage.
• Mechanical failure – Often used in accidents: The rail crash was caused by mechanical failure.
• Prepositional use – My father was a complete failure as a salesman.

Mastering collocations with “failure” helps you express setbacks, disappointment, and analysis of results with accuracy. Using phrases such as “fear of failure,” “put down to failure,” or “doomed to failure” adds sophistication to your language. In IELTS Speaking and IELTS Writing, these collocations make your arguments more compelling, help you demonstrate lexical range, and can positively impact your overall band score.

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
• 100+ Advanced Vocabulary Word List for IELTS (PDF Available)