IELTS Vocabulary: Academic Word List and Collocations 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Choose the best AWL word to complete: 'The study ______ a strong correlation between sleep duration and academic performance in adolescents.'
- revealed (Correct answer)
- told
- said
- spoke
Correct answer: revealed
'Revealed' is an AWL reporting verb indicating research findings; 'told', 'said', and 'spoke' are not used with 'study' as subject in academic prose.
Question 2: Which sentence uses the word 'fundamental' correctly?
- The researchers made a fundamental in their data.
- Access to clean water is a fundamental human right. (Correct answer)
- The policy was fundamental to succeed in its aims.
- They fundamental the new theory in the lab.
Correct answer: Access to clean water is a fundamental human right.
'Fundamental' is an adjective meaning basic/essential; it modifies nouns ('a fundamental right'), not verbs, and cannot be used as a noun or verb.
Question 3: The word 'nevertheless' is used to express:
- a result or consequence
- additional information
- contrast or concession despite previous information (Correct answer)
- a condition or requirement
Correct answer: contrast or concession despite previous information
'Nevertheless' is a concessive linking adverb meaning 'in spite of that' — it introduces a contrasting statement following information that might suggest otherwise.
Question 4: Which is the correct collocation? 'The committee will ______ a thorough investigation into the financial irregularities.'
- make
- do
- conduct (Correct answer)
- run
Correct answer: conduct
'Conduct an investigation' is the standard formal collocation; 'do an investigation' is informal; 'make' and 'run' do not collocate with 'investigation' in academic/formal English.
Question 5: The adjective form of the AWL noun 'hypothesis' is:
- hypothetical (Correct answer)
- hypothesised
- hypothetically
- hypothesising
Correct answer: hypothetical
'Hypothetical' is the adjective form (e.g., 'a hypothetical scenario'); 'hypothesised' is past participle; 'hypothetically' is the adverb; 'hypothesising' is present participle.
Question 6: Which word best fills the gap? 'The article ______ a number of important factors that previous researchers had overlooked.'
- highlights (Correct answer)
- shines on
- points
- brightens
Correct answer: highlights
'Highlights' is the standard AWL verb meaning to draw attention to something important; the other options either do not exist as academic collocations or are factually incorrect.
Question 7: The phrase 'in lieu of' means:
- in addition to
- as a result of
- instead of (Correct answer)
- in contrast to
Correct answer: instead of
'In lieu of' is a formal phrase meaning 'instead of' or 'in place of,' commonly used in academic and legal writing.
IELTS Vocabulary: Academic Word List and Collocations 4
Choose the best AWL word to complete: 'The study ______ a strong correlation between sleep duration and academic performance in adolescents.'