Environmental Problems & Pollution

This lesson introduces key vocabulary related to environmental problems and pollution. You'll learn common terms used in business and policy contexts, see examples in professional sentences, and practice with quizzes to prepare for TOEIC-style tasks.

• Focus on common nouns and phrases: pollution, emissions, contamination, waste management.
• Learn collocations used in reports and meetings: reduce emissions, implement recycling programs, sustainable practices.
• Practice recognizing correct usage in sentences and choosing appropriate terms for business communication.

Key usage tips for professional contexts:

• Use uncountable nouns (pollution, contamination, deforestation) without 'a' or plural forms.
• Pair verbs and collocations correctly: 'reduce emissions', 'implement a recycling program', 'manage waste'.
• Be precise with technical terms in reports: 'emissions' (plural) for measurable gases, 'contamination' for pollutants in soil/water.

In formal writing, prefer 'reduce' or 'mitigate' over informal verbs like 'cut' when discussing policy.

Watch out for these universal errors when using environmental vocabulary:

• Treating uncountable nouns as countable (e.g., 'a pollution' or 'many pollutions').
• Confusing similar terms: 'pollution' vs 'contamination' — pollution is general; contamination often refers to specific substances in soil/water.
• Incorrect collocations: saying 'make pollution' instead of 'cause pollution' or 'reduce pollution'.
• Using articles incorrectly: avoid 'the' with general concepts ('The pollution is a problem' is okay in a specific context; use 'Pollution is a problem' when speaking generally).

When in doubt, check if the noun is countable and review common verb + noun collocations.