Society / culture / lifestyle essays show up in roughly a quarter of Writing Task 2 questions. The trap: writers reach for vague absolutes (everyone, all people, in modern society) and lose marks both on Lexical Resource and Task Response. Here are 25 collocations that let you talk about social change with precision.
Group A — describing trends and shifts
- social cohesion
- Strong neighbourhoods rely on social cohesion that takes generations to build and weeks to lose.
- shifting attitudes towards
- Shifting attitudes towards mental health have made it easier for younger workers to ask for help.
- an increasingly mobile workforce
- An increasingly mobile workforce has hollowed out traditional company-town economies.
- the rise of [phenomenon]
- The rise of remote work has reshaped the property markets of secondary cities.
- norms have evolved
- Norms around parental leave have evolved faster in some countries than others.
Group B — describing tension and inequality
- marginalised communities
- Public health campaigns must account for marginalised communities, not assume them.
- intergenerational gap
- The intergenerational gap on housing affordability is now a defining political issue.
- place a burden on [a group]
- Means-tested welfare often places a heavier burden on the very people it aims to help.
- structural inequality
- Structural inequality persists even when individual prejudices fade.
- social mobility
- Social mobility has stalled across most OECD countries since the 1980s.
Group C — proposing solutions / policy moves
- foster a sense of community
- Public libraries foster a sense of community in ways no commercial space can replicate.
- promote inclusivity
- Schools that promote inclusivity from the early years see lower drop-out rates later.
- address systemic issues
- Reform must address the systemic issues, not just the symptoms.
- tackle [a problem] head-on
- Several Nordic governments have tackled gender pay disparity head-on with mandatory transparency.
- raise awareness of
- Targeted campaigns have raised awareness of family-violence support lines among migrant women.
Group D — qualifying claims
- in many parts of the world
- In many parts of the world, women still spend twice as many hours on unpaid care work as men.
- by and large
- By and large, urbanisation has raised average incomes but also concentrated inequality.
- at the same time
- Living standards have risen — at the same time, loneliness is reported at unprecedented levels.
- tend to overlook
- Policy debates tend to overlook the unpaid labour that keeps communities running.
Spot the precise phrase
Reform must _______ the systemic issues, not just the symptoms.
Pick one. You'll see why straight away.