Environment & Nature — Part 1
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
What you'll learn: the core verb + noun collocations native speakers use to talk about the environment, so your CELPIP responses sound precise instead of generic ("do something for the environment" → "combat deforestation").
Why verb + noun collocations matter first
Environment questions show up constantly on CELPIP — Writing Task 2 (survey response), Speaking Task 4 (unusual situations) and Task 8 (opinion), and Reading/Listening passages about climate policy. Markers reward collocational range: pairing the right verb with the right noun instead of always reaching for "do" or "make." Learn these pairings as single chunks, not separate words.
Core verb + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| reduce carbon emissions | lower the amount of CO2 released | Cities are trying to reduce carbon emissions by expanding public transit. |
| protect endangered species | prevent animals/plants from going extinct | The new reserve was created to protect endangered species in the region. |
| conserve natural resources | use resources like water and forests carefully | Simple habits at home can help conserve natural resources. |
| tackle climate change | actively work to solve the climate crisis | Governments worldwide are under pressure to tackle climate change. |
| raise environmental awareness | help people understand environmental issues | The school assembly aimed to raise environmental awareness among students. |
| preserve biodiversity | protect the variety of life in an ecosystem | Wetlands are vital for helping us preserve biodiversity. |
| combat deforestation | fight against the clearing of forests | New laws were passed to combat deforestation in the region. |
| promote renewable energy | encourage the use of clean energy sources | The city council voted to promote renewable energy projects. |
| minimize your carbon footprint | reduce your personal environmental impact | Cycling to work is one way to minimize your carbon footprint. |
| restore natural habitats | return an ecosystem to its original state | Volunteers spent the weekend helping restore natural habitats along the river. |
| curb pollution levels | reduce the amount of pollution | New regulations were introduced to curb pollution levels downtown. |
| adopt sustainable practices | start using environmentally responsible methods | More companies are choosing to adopt sustainable practices. |
Worked example — CELPIP Writing Task 2 (survey response)
Prompt: Should your city invest more in public parks or public transit to help the environment?
I believe the city should prioritize public transit, because it does more to reduce carbon emissions than parks alone. While parks certainly preserve biodiversity within urban areas, transit projects directly curb pollution levels by taking cars off the road. Investing in buses and trains would also help the city conserve natural resources, since fewer cars mean less demand for fuel and asphalt. Of course, both options promote renewable energy goals if designed thoughtfully — solar-powered buses, for instance. Still, if the city wants to tackle climate change in a measurable way, transit is the stronger choice, and a public campaign could raise environmental awareness at the same time.
Common mistakes
- Saying "make pollution less" instead of curb pollution levels — CELPIP raters notice generic verbs like make or do.
- Mixing up conserve (use carefully) with preserve (keep unchanged) — resources are conserved, habitats and traditions are preserved.
- Forgetting the article: it's "protect endangered species," not "protect the endangered species" when speaking generally.
- Overusing "carbon footprint" alone — pair it with a verb (minimize your carbon footprint) rather than dropping it into a sentence as a noun by itself.
Recap
You now have twelve verb + noun collocations for environmental topics — from reduce carbon emissions to adopt sustainable practices. Practice writing one sentence per collocation before moving to Part 2, where we build adjective + noun pairings that add descriptive precision to the same topic.