Action Collocation for IELTS - Advanced Vocabulary for Band 8+

Nehasri Ravishenbagam

5 min read

Updated On Oct 17, 2025

Add depth and precision to your answer by incorporating Action Collocation for IELTS while experimenting with such band 8+ advanced vocabulary words with verbs, adjectives, and prepositions. Check out the list, examples, exercises, and more.

Action Collocation for IELTS - Advanced Vocabulary for Band 8+

List of Action Collocation for IELTS
Exercise on Action Collocation for IELTS

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To showcase your ability to use advanced vocabulary correctly, you can fit Action Collocation for IELTS into your answers. This can gradually help you to add depth to your responses and an increase in your band scores. Remember that appropriate phrases can make your answers more lively and powerful when discussing solutions, responses, or measures. This is the reason as to why learning to use combinations in the IELTS Exam will help you communicate determination, urgency, and responsibility with ease.

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List of Action Collocation for IELTS

With the right verbs, adjectives, and prepositional phrases, you can create appropriate sentences that are more natural and accurate. The term ‘Action’ is frequently related to social, environmental or personal topics in terms of solutions, responses, or changes. Using the right word pairing can develop your lexical resources to score a band 8+ in the parameter referring to IELTS Vocabulary. Below is a list of the most common action collocations that you can use with confidence.

1. Verb + Action

The first collocation is with verbs which would help explore topics such as solutions, responses, or steps taken to deal with the problem. This would also include the manner in which individuals, governments, or organizations react to specific problems or situations. The table below depicts a list of Verb + Action collocations along with examples that will help you to understand such collocations.

Collocation	Example
take action	Governments must take action to reduce the rate of air pollution.
call for action	Many individuals have called for action against plastic pollution.
demand action	The company demanded action to improve employee welfare.
prevent action	New laws were introduced to prevent action that harms wildlife.

2. Adjective + Action

Adjectives have a very important role in defining the action's type, quality, or urgency. In IELTS Grammar, Adjective + Action collocations can help you express your thoughts in a more clear, precise, and natural manner. The table below indicates a list collocations for ‘Adjective + Action’ word pairing along with sample sentences to master the correct usage of such words in context.

Collocation	Example
immediate action	We need immediate action to tackle the housing crisis.
strong action	The government took strong action to stop corruption.
decisive action	Only decisive action can solve this problem effectively.
effective action	Effective action is required to support rural development.

3. Expression with Preposition

Prepositional phrases are word combinations in which a noun, a verb, or an adjective is followed by a preposition to convey a particular meaning. These phrases would help in a smooth transition between ideas and express relationships in terms of a cause, purpose, or effect. The table below lists down the list of common prepositional collocations with example sentences.

Collocation	Example
action against	Strict action against cheating in exams is necessary.
action on	The UN urged action on global hunger.
action towards	We must take action towards improving education quality.
in action	We saw the rescue team in action during the flood.

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Exercise on Action Collocation for IELTS

Having acquired the most necessary knowledge on using advanced vocabulary such as Action Collocation for IELTS, it is now time to utilize them. In this way, you can use them in your writing or speaking practice. The more you incorporate them, the more familiar your usage will be to get fluency in your answers.

EXERCISE 1. Use the correct form of these verbs and follow the collocation ‘Verb + Action’ to fill in the blanks:

condone	demand	explain
put into	swing into	take

1 Shopkeepers in the town centre are ______________ tougher action against the vandals who continue to damage their shops at night.

2 She will have to ______________ her actions – and defend them before the disciplinary committee – if she is to get her job back.

3 We’ve had enough talk! We need to __________ these ideas ______________ action as soon as we can.

4 Air traffic controllers are threatening to ______________ industrial action if their pay demands aren’t met.

5 The emergency services are always on standby and ready to ______________ action at a moment’s notice.

6 There’s no way that the college can ______________ the actions of these students. Throwing eggs at the Queen is not an appropriate way to protest.

EXERCISE 2. Use the following adjectives in these sentences:

disciplinary	evasive	prompt
drastic	joint	whatever

1 If the manager hadn’t acted so quickly, the whole factory would have been destroyed. It was his ______________ action that prevented the fire from spreading.

2 The army has been given full powers to take ______________ action is necessary to restore order to the streets of the capital.

3 The company cannot continue to lose money at this rate. The situation calls for ______________ action.

4 ______________ action will be taken against any member of staff who is found using the internet for personal matters.

5 Britain and the US agreed on ______________ action to combat the threat of world-wide terrorism.

6 The pilot of a commercial jet had to take ______________ action yesterday to avoid a mid-air collision with a small military plane.

EXERCISE 3. Using these prepositions with prepositions below:

Plan of	Course of	Need for
Implications of	Result of	Responsible for

1 We realise that the situation is critical and we fully appreciate the _______ immediate action.

2 When the settlers cut down all the trees, they failed to consider the wider _______ their actions, so the area became a desert.

3 People who are mentally ill cannot be held _______ their actions.

4 How are you going to deal with this situation? What’s your _______ action?

5 The surgeon was to blame. My father’s death was the direct _______ his actions.

6 They’re planning to build a dam across the river. However, experts disagree whether this is the best _______ action to take.

Notes

1. Note the following:

They say he’s a good player. I’ve never seen him in action.
He is out of action due to a knee injury.

2. We talk about taking industrial action when we mean going on strike. We talk about taking military action.

3. Note the common expression:

He’s a typical politician – all talk and no action.

4. An action group is a group of people who get together with a common aim to do something positive.

For example - to help homeless people.

Answers for the Exercise on Action Collocation for IELTS

Check the answers below for comparison and remember to compare it against yours. Since advanced vocabulary such as Action Collocation for IELTS will be the basis of your conversation and writing answers, you must identify your weak areas to achieve a higher IELTS Band Score of 8+. This active comparison guides you in your journey of mastering the natural usage of the term.

EXERCISE 1.

1. demanding	2. explain	3. put …… into
4. take	5. swing into	6. condone

EXERCISE 2.

1. prompt	2. whatever	3. drastic
4. Disciplinary	5. joint	6. evasive

EXERCISE 3.

1. need for	2. implications of	3. responsible for
4. plan of	5. result of	6. course of

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Learning Action Collocation for IELTS gives you the opportunity to utilize the advanced vocabulary in real communication. Remember that the use of collocation in your answers would showcase a higher level of language proficiency. Therefore, continue to start analyzing, comparing, and experimenting so that you become well aware of the usage of these words in context. Such active involvement will make you get a band 8+ as you will gain confidence for the exam day.