Using Collocation to Boost Your IELTS Score - Key Word: Way

Whenever you think of some of the most effective ways in order to improve your IELTS band score, it must be by mastering collocations. These are just the combinations of words that naturally go together in the English language. 

But a proper set of vocabulary for the IELTS exam does not just mean knowing a long list of words. The collocation “Way” is a common English collocation which is used to refer to one example, or reproduction of something mainly when that thing exists in many identical or similar forms.

A collocation is nothing but a pair or group of words which are often used together, just like the ones under the topic “way.” Combinations like this will surely sound natural to the native speakers, and when you are using them correctly in your IELTS Speaking and Writing exam, it will show that you have a firm command of the English language. 

In this blog, we will learn about this collocation of “way” with the help of our expert crafted practice exercises that you can use in both academic and everyday English.

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Practice Exercise: Keyword - Way

1          Verb   + way

Use the correct form of these verbs:

admire                         change

criticise                        develop

look at                         see

1. The committee is always ____________ new ways to improve the services the club provides.
2. I wasn’t pleased when she ____________ the way I ran the office. I felt her comments were so unfair.
3. The internet has ____________ the way   we do business.  In fact, it has revolutionized it.
4. This job has to be completed today, but I can’t ____________ any way of finishing it before five.
5. I ____________ the way she carried on when she had no chance of winning the race.
6. We’re trying to ____________ new ways of treating people for depression without the use of drugs.

keep out of                  make               lose                  push

7. If you ____________ your way, just use your mobile.
8. I think it’s best if you ____________ Rachel’s way for a while. She’s fairly annoyed with you.
9. After driving through miles of forest, we ____________ our way past some incredibly beautiful lakes.
10. Just ____________ your way to the front of the queue!

Go back and underline all the verb collocations.

2          Common adjective collocations

Use these adjectives in the sentences:

efficient                       hard                            novel

proper                         one sure                      various

1. Why do you insist on doing things the ____________ way? Life is difficult enough!
2. We looked at ____________ ways of solving the problem, but they were all unsatisfactory.
3. E-mail provides an ____________ way of communicating with people that’s fast and cheap.
4. Keeping a cow in the garden is certainly a ____________ way of keeping the grass short!
5. There is only ____________ way of getting him to tidy his room and that is to pay him to do it!
6. The ____________ way to lay the table is something you learn from your parents. I can’t understand why some people don’t have a clue how to do it!

Go back and underline all the collocations above.

 3         Way ( manner of doing something)

Use these adjectives in the sentences: 

disgusting                    leisurely           meaningful

great                            possible                    shoddy

1. When you tell Philip that you don’t want to go out with him, please try to do it in the nicest ____________ way. You don’t want to hurt him.
2. Did you see the ____________ way she ate her food? Some people have no table manners!
3. He looked at me and raised his eyebrow in a ____________ way, but I’m not sure what he was trying to say to me.
4. There was no rush, so we walked through the park in a____________ way.
5. They didn’t even explain why they were sacking her after 40 years working for them! In my opinion, that’s a pretty ____________ way to treat an employee.
6. We went on this fantastic trip to Lake Victoria. It was a ____________ way to end our holiday.

Answer Key: Keyword - Way

Ex 1:

1 looking at     2. criticised      3. changed       4. see             5. admired

6  develop       7. lose              8. keep out of              9. made           10. push

Ex 2:

1. hard 2. various 3. efficient    4. novel    5. one sure    6. proper

Ex 3:

1. possible 2. disgusting    3. meaningful    4. leisurely   5. shoddy    6. great

Also check :

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• Work Vocabulary IELTS
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