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

Key Word: power

1          Verb + power

Use the correct form of these verbs:

use                    fall from                       give

return to          seize                             have

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

2          Noun + preposition + power

Use these nouns in the sentences:

rise                  hunger

balance           trappings

grip                  positions

abuse

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

 3         Common adjective collocations

Complete the sentences below with the following:

creative            destructive       enormous

mysterious       absolute           sweeping

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

4          Power(s) + of + noun

Complete the sentences with these words:

advertising                              concentration

positive thinking                     speech

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

ANSWER KEY

Ex 1: l. have 2. used 3.falls from 4. returned to 5. seized 6. give

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

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

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

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