Academic Collocations: Words That Travel Together

Learn the fixed word partnerships that make academic writing sound fluent and precise.

Collocations are words that habitually appear together. Native speakers sense them without thinking, and using the wrong partner makes writing sound slightly off even when the meaning is clear. Academic English has its own collocations. You conduct research or carry out an experiment, not 'make' one. You draw a conclusion, raise a question, pose a problem, and reach a consensus. Evidence is compelling or substantial, not 'big. ' A theory is put forward or proposed; it may be supported, challenged, or refuted.

You play a role, have an impact on something, and pay attention to it. Worked example: 'The researchers made a study and got a conclusion that the data had a big effect. ' Every idea is understandable, but the collocations are wrong. Revised: 'The researchers conducted a study and concluded that the intervention had a substantial effect. ' Reading academic texts with attention to word partners is the fastest way to absorb these patterns.

• 1Collocations are words that habitually go together.
• 2Academic English has its own fixed partnerships.
• 3Wrong partners make writing sound off even if clear.