IELTS, TOEFL & PTE Focus: Transport & Infrastructure Collocations with Exercises

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IELTS, TOEFL & PTE Focus Transport & Infrastructure Collocations with Exercises

Transport and infrastructure are major themes in IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE exams, especially in Writing Task 2 essays and Speaking Part 3 discussions. Topics like public transport, traffic congestion, air travel, and urban planning often appear, and to score well, candidates must demonstrate strong control of collocations that make their language sound natural and academic. This post provides a comprehensive set of transport and infrastructure collocations, along with exercises and activities designed to strengthen your vocabulary, essay skills, and speaking fluency.

Transport & Infrastructure

Public transport vs private vehicles

  • affordable fares → Affordable fares encourage more people to use public transport.
  • traffic congestion → Expanding public transit reduces traffic congestion in cities.
  • reliable services → Commuters choose public transport when services are reliable.
  • overcrowded buses → Overcrowded buses discourage off-peak travel.
  • car ownership → Rising car ownership increases demand for parking space.
  • fuel efficiency → Improving fuel efficiency lowers household travel costs.
  • public transport network → A dense public transport network boosts economic mobility.
  • environmental impact → Private vehicles have a larger environmental impact per passenger.
  • parking problems → Parking problems in city centres create planning challenges.
  • transport subsidies → Transport subsidies help low-income commuters afford travel.

Traffic congestion and urban planning

  • road expansion → Road expansion alone often fails to solve congestion long term.
  • traffic jams → Regular traffic jams increase fuel consumption and commute stress.
  • peak hours → Transit operators add services during peak hours to meet demand.
  • alternative routes → Developing alternative routes can ease pressure on main roads.
  • public transport investment → Public transport investment is crucial for sustainable cities.
  • smart traffic systems → Smart traffic systems optimize signal timings to improve flow.
  • urban design → Progressive urban design prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists.
  • cycle-friendly infrastructure → Cycle-friendly infrastructure encourages healthier commuting choices.
  • pedestrian zones → Pedestrian zones revitalize downtown areas and reduce emissions.
  • transport policies → Transport policies must align with environmental and social goals.

Air travel and its environmental impact

  • carbon emissions → Air travel’s carbon emissions are significant per passenger kilometer.
  • frequent flyers → Frequent flyers contribute disproportionately to aviation emissions.
  • fuel consumption → Newer aircraft reduce fuel consumption per seat.
  • international tourism → International tourism supports many economies but increases emissions.
  • low-cost airlines → Low-cost airlines have expanded access to air travel.
  • aviation industry → The aviation industry is exploring sustainable aviation fuels.
  • noise pollution → Noise pollution around airports affects nearby residential areas.
  • flight delays → Flight delays frustrate passengers and disrupt schedules.
  • global connectivity → Air travel is vital for global connectivity and trade.
  • carbon offset programs → Carbon offset programs allow passengers to mitigate flight emissions.
Exercise 1: Collocation Recognition & Matching

This exercise helps you pair nouns with their correct verbs/adjectives.

Part A: Match the terms from the left column with the terms from the right column to form a common collocation.

Term A   Term B
1. affordable a. fares
2. traffic b. congestion
3. reliable c. services
4. overcrowded d. buses
5. car e. ownership
6. fuel f. efficiency
7. public transport g. network
8. environmental h. impact
9. parking i. problems
10. transport j. subsidies

Exercise 1: Collocation Recognition & Matching

Part B: Now, match the terms related to urban planning and air travel.

Term A   Term B
1. road a. expansion
2. traffic b. jams
3. peak c. hours
4. public transport d. investment
5. smart traffic e. systems
6. carbon f. emissions
7. frequent g. flyers
8. low-cost h. airlines
9. noise i. pollution
10. global j. connectivity

Exercise 2: Gap-Fill with Context

Complete the following sentences using the collocations from the box. You will need to change the form of the word to fit the sentence grammatically.

Box of Collocations
urban design cycle-friendly infrastructure pedestrian zones transport policies alternative routes
aviation industry sustainable aviation fuels carbon offset programs international tourism flight delays
  1. To combat traffic problems, city planners are focusing on that incorporates , such as dedicated bike lanes, and creates extensive in the city centre. These aim to reduce reliance on cars.
  2. The is under pressure to reduce its environmental impact. While research into is ongoing, some airlines offer to passengers concerned about the emissions generated by . However, caused by increased air traffic remain a significant issue.

Each sentence contains one incorrect collocation. Identify the mistake and rewrite the sentence using the correct collocation from the list.

  1. The city’s system of public transport needs to be more reliable.

2. The government is investing in new roads to help with the problem of traffic blockage.

3. Good city planning can encourage people to walk and cycle more.

4. The effect on the environment from cars is a major concern.

5. Many people are choosing to buy cars because of the low prices of low-budget airlines.

6. The plane’s late arrival caused a major disruption to our connecting flight.

7. The new law on transport is designed to reduce pollution.

Rewrite the following sentences using the prompt word given. Do not change the meaning of the original sentence.

  1. The number of people who own cars is increasing rapidly.
    OWNERSHIP

2. Building more roads does not always solve the problem of too many cars on the road.
CONGESTION

3. Air travel is very important for connecting different countries.
CONNECTIVITY

4. The government gives money to help people with low incomes pay for buses and trains.
SUBSIDIES

5. The main problem with living near an airport is the loud noise from planes.
POLLUTION

This exercise helps you plan an essay and select relevant vocabulary.

Essay Question:
The best way to solve traffic congestion in cities is to invest heavily in public transport systems rather than in widening roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Step 1: Brainstorming Arguments & Vocabulary

  • View 1: Agree (Invest in Public Transport) (e.g., reduces cars, more efficient, environmental benefits)
  • View 2: Disagree/Other factors (Widening roads also needed) (e.g., necessary for goods, public transport not feasible for all, need a combination)
View 1: Invest in Public Transport Relevant Collocations View 2: Other Solutions Needed Relevant Collocations
1. Directly reduces private car use traffic congestion, car ownership 1. Roads are still essential road expansion, alternative routes
2. More sustainable long-term environmental impact, sustainable cities 2. Public transport has limitations overcrowded buses, reliable services (if poor)
3. Improves city liveability pedestrian zones, cycle-friendly infrastructure 3. Technology can help smart traffic systems

Step 2: Write a sample body paragraph.
Choose one view from your table and write a coherent paragraph arguing for it. Use at least 4 collocations from the list.

Your Paragraph (Arguing for Public Transport Investment):

Exercise 6: IELTS Speaking Part 3 – Practice Questions

Prepare short answers to these typical IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions. Try to incorporate the suggested collocations naturally.

  1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using public transport in a city?
    (Try to use: affordable fares, reliable services, overcrowded buses)
  2. How can governments encourage people to use their cars less?
    (Try to use: transport policies, cycle-friendly infrastructure, public transport investment)
  3. What is the environmental impact of air travel, and how can it be reduced?
    (Try to use: carbon emissions, aviation industry, sustainable aviation fuels)
  4. What are the biggest challenges associated with urban transport?
    (Try to use: traffic congestion, parking problems, peak hours)

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