Power Collocation for IELTS: A List to Boost Your Score

Kasturika Samanta

8 min read

Updated On Sep 26, 2025

Unlock advanced IELTS vocabulary with power collocations. From verb and adjective patterns to noun-preposition phrases, this blog provides structures and examples to enrich your language and maximize your performance in IELTS Speaking and Writing tasks.

Lists of Power Collocations for IELTS to Boost Your Score
Power Collocation for IELTS: Practice Exercises
Notes
Answer Keys for Practice Exercises Power Collocations

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When preparing for the IELTS exam, having a wide range of collocations can significantly boost your score in speaking and writing. One of the most versatile words in English is power. It appears in contexts ranging from politics and authority to technology, energy, and personal ability, making it important to learn position collocations for IELTS.

In this blog, we will explore different power collocations, categorized into verb, adjective, and preposition, to help you enrich your IELTS vocabulary.

Lists of Power Collocations for IELTS to Boost Your Score

Mastering power collocations for IELTS not only makes your English sound more natural but also helps you express ideas with precision and sophistication.

Therefore, we will explore lists of the top important collocations for IELTS related to power in the tables below.

Verb + Power Collocations

Verbs with power describe how power is used, gained, exercised, or lost.

Verb + Power	Meaning	Example Sentence
Abuse power	use authority unfairly or corruptly	Citizens protested when officials abused their power.
Exercise power	use authority or influence actively	Governments must exercise power responsibly to protect human rights.
Gain power	obtain authority or control	Many argue that social media has gained power in shaping public opinion.
Give power	grant authority to someone else	The new law gives power to local councils to make decisions.
Have power	possess influence or authority	The media has the power to shape public opinion.
Hold power	maintain authority or influence	The prime minister continues to hold power despite criticism.
Retain power	keep authority for a period of time	The ruling party retained power in the recent elections.
Seize power	take control suddenly, often forcefully	The military seized power after months of political unrest.
Share power	divide control among groups or individuals	In many democracies, different branches of government share power.
Use power	apply influence or authority in action	Leaders should use power wisely to benefit society.

Noun + Preposition + Power

These power collocations show how nouns combine with power to express relationships, struggles, and dynamics in authority or influence.

Noun + Preposition + Power	Meaning	Example Sentence
Abuse of power	wrongful use of authority	The committee investigated allegations of abuse of power.
Balance of power	distribution of authority	The balance of power in international relations often shifts rapidly.
Concentration of power	gathering authority in one place	The concentration of power in one leader can be dangerous.
Fall from power	lose authority or leadership position	The dictator fell from power after mass protests.
Grip on power	firm control or dominance	The regime maintained its grip on power for decades.
Hunger for power	strong desire for authority	The politician’s hunger for power led to corruption scandals.
Positions of power	roles of authority or influence	Few women held positions of power in that era.
Rise to power	process of gaining authority	His rise to power was marked by strong public support.
Return to power	regain authority after losing it	The party returned to power after a decade in opposition.
Source of power	the origin of influence/energy	Education is often considered a source of power in modern society.
Struggle for power	competition for control	There was a constant struggle for power among the political parties.
Transfer of power	handing over authority	The peaceful transfer of power is essential in a democracy.
Trappings of power	external signs of authority (status symbols)	Luxury cars and bodyguards are often seen as the trappings of power.

Common Adjective + Power Collocations

Adjectives modify the noun related to power to describe their strength, nature, or impact. So, these power collocations are useful in IELTS Writing Task 2 (government, technology, society) and Speaking Part 3 (global issues).

Adjective + Power	Meaning	Example Sentence
Absolute power	unlimited authority	Some argue that absolute power leads to corruption.
Creative power	the ability to produce or innovate	Artists have the creative power to influence generations.
Destructive power	capacity to cause harm or damage	Earthquakes demonstrate the destructive power of nature.
Economic power	financial strength or influence	China has become an economic power on the global stage.
Enormous power	very great influence or strength	The media holds enormous power in shaping public opinion.
Global power	a nation with worldwide influence	The USA is often regarded as a global power.
Mysterious power	influence or energy that seems unknown or magical	Some cultures believe in the mysterious power of ancient rituals.
Nuclear power	energy from atomic reactions	Many countries debate the safety of nuclear power.
Political power	authority in government	Young voters play a major role in shaping political power.
Soft power	influence through culture/diplomacy	Soft power is often more effective than military force.
Sweeping power	wide-reaching and comprehensive authority	The new legislation granted sweeping power to local governments.
Unlimited power	authority without restrictions	Unlimited power in the hands of one person can harm democracy.

Power(s) + of + Noun

This power collocation structure highlights the capacity or ability that someone or something possesses.

Power(s) + of + Noun	Meaning	Example Sentence
Power of advertising	influence of promotional media	The power of advertising can shape consumer behaviour significantly.
Power of concentration	ability to focus attention	Effective study techniques enhance the power of concentration.
Power of imagination	creative ability	Children often display the power of imagination in storytelling.
Power of knowledge	strength gained through learning	It is often said that the power of knowledge is greater than wealth.
Power of nature	force of natural phenomena	The tsunami reminded people of the power of nature.
Powers of observation	ability to notice details	Detectives rely on their powers of observation to solve cases.
Power of persuasion	ability to convince others	Strong communication shows the power of persuasion.
Power of positive thinking	influence of optimistic mindset	Many psychologists highlight the power of positive thinking in reducing stress.
Power of speech	influence through spoken words	Leaders throughout history have demonstrated the power of speech in inspiring people.
Power of technology	influence of modern tools	The power of technology has transformed education.

Explore our Vocabulary for IELTS to boost your IELTS vocabulary!

Power Collocation for IELTS: Practice Exercises

You will have the opportunity to complete a few exercises below in order to improve your understanding and use of the power collocations for IELTS.

Exercise A: Use the correct form of these verbs.

use fall from give

return to seize have

The authorities_____________ the power to cancel the march if they think it will lead to civil disobedience.
The police _____________ their powers under the Public Order Act to remove the protesters who were blocking the entrance to the nuclear power station.
When one politician_____________ power, another comes to power in their place.
After four years out of government, the Socialist Party is expected to be_____________ power in the forthcoming election.
The President was ousted from power yesterday when rebel soldiers _____________ power in a bloodless coup.
The aim of the new legislation is to _____________ people more power over their own lives.

Exercise B: Use these nouns in the sentences.

rise hunger balance trappings

grip positions abuse

The mayor has been arrested on charges of corruption and _____________ of power.
He enjoyed the_____________ of power, such as chauffeur-driven cars and five-star hotels.
Her rapid_____________ to power surprised many people.
There is certainly a shortage of women in _____________ of power, but plans are being made to change this.
Like so many politicians, he had an insatiable _____________ for power.
The new employment laws mean that the _____________ of power has shifted away from workers towards employers.
The army refuses to hand over power to the civilian government. It is obviously reluctant to relax its_____________ on power.

Exercise C: Complete the sentences below with the following words.

creative destructive enormous

mysterious absolute sweeping

The _____________ power of modern weapons is terrifying.
She held a senior position and wielded_____________ power over the Prime Minister.
I don’t know why Helen does everything Mark says. He seems to have some _____________ power over her.
During the crisis, the security forces were given _____________ powers to search people and their homes.
As an artist, he was at the height of his _____________ powers in his forties.
Mugabe was a ruthless dictator who ended up exercising _____________ power over Zimbabwe.

Exercise D: Complete the sentences with these words.

advertising concentration

positive thinking speech

Chess is a game that requires great powers of _____________ .
No one can doubt the persuasive power of_____________ – especially on TV.
My father had a stroke and lost the power of _____________ for a few months, but he can communicate quite well now.
He claims that his recovery from illness demonstrates the power of_____________ – the power of the mind over the body.


Notes Note the following expressions: The government has promised to do everything in its power to combat terrorism. There’s a power struggle going on at the top of the Labour Party. We talk about ‘nuclear power, steam power’ etc.

Answer Keys for Practice Exercises Power Collocations

Ex A: l. have 2. used 3.falls from 4. returned to 5. seized 6. give

Ex B: 1. abuse 2. trappings 3. rise 4. positions 5. hunger 6. balance 7. grip

Ex C: 1. destructive 2. enormous 3. mysterious 4. sweeping 5. creative 6. absolute

Ex D: 1. concentration 2. advertising 3. speech 4. positive thinking

To sum up, power is a multidimensional word that combines with verbs, nouns, and adjectives in highly flexible ways. So, by learning these invaluable power collocations in context, you can write essays with greater clarity and depth, speak fluently about politics, environment, society, and technology, and demonstrate a band 7.0+ range of vocabulary in both the writing and speaking modules of the IELTS exam.

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