Which words keep company. This is the single clearest difference between band 6 and band 7 vocabulary.
How this drill works, and why it is built this way›
Band 6 says you “attempt less common vocabulary but with some inaccuracy”. Band 7 says you use it “with some awareness of style and collocation”. That one word is the step up.
A collocation is a pair of words English happens to use together. There is often no reason for it. Heavy rain, not strong rain. Strong coffee, not heavy coffee.
Every wrong option here means the right thing. It is wrong because it keeps the wrong company. That is the whole drill.
Learn pairs, not single words. A word list gets you to band 6. Pairs get you past it.
Worked example
The new rules will ______ a heavy burden on small firms.
A impose · B enforce · C apply · D inflict
Answer: A impose
All four mean to put something in place. But English says impose a burden. You enforce a rule, apply a principle and inflict pain. The point: the noun chooses the verb. Learn them as a pair.
Moderate · CEFR B1around band 5 – 5.5change level:
The drill moves you up or down on its own. Two good sets and it gets harder; two hard ones and it steps back.
The band range is what this level practises for — it is a guide, not a score. Only your first answer to each item counts towards the level decision.
Your answers and explanations open after the set is complete, the attempt is saved and your email is verified.
