Vocabulary: Academic Word List and Collocations Flashcards

Which sentence uses 'derive' correctly?

Answer: Much of English vocabulary derives from Latin and French roots.

'Derive from' means to originate or come from; the other sentences confuse it with 'design', 'reached', or misuse it as a transitive verb.

The phrase 'a growing body of evidence' means:

Answer: an increasing amount of accumulated research evidence

'A growing body of evidence' is an academic collocation meaning an increasing accumulation of research evidence supporting a claim.

Choose the correct preposition: 'The new policy has had a positive impact ______ local employment rates.'

Answer: on

'Impact on' is the standard prepositional collocation — you have an impact ON something.

Which AWL word means 'a system of ideas or a set of principles'?

Answer: framework

'Framework' refers to a system of ideas, rules, or principles; 'paradigm' is a model or pattern; 'parameter' is a measurable factor; 'criterion' is a standard for judging.

The correct collocation is:

Answer: raise awareness

'Raise awareness' is the established collocation; 'raise' is transitive and used with abstract nouns like 'awareness', 'standards', 'questions'. 'Rise' is intransitive.

Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'The committee reached a ______ decision after lengthy deliberations.'

Answer: unanimous

'Unanimous decision' means every member agreed — it is the precise academic/formal collocation; 'collective' and 'joint' imply shared but not necessarily total agreement.

Choose the word that completes the academic sentence correctly: 'The evidence ______ the need for a radical restructuring of the healthcare system.'

Answer: points to

'Points to' is the correct prepositional collocation meaning to indicate or suggest; 'points at' is used for physical gestures, not abstract evidence.