Grammar fix
school year
academic year
The period of time, usually about nine or ten months, when students attend school, starting in one part of the year and ending in another.
collocationB1common
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- The new school year starts next week, and I'm excited to see my friends again.education
- In my country, the school year usually begins in September and finishes in June, with a long holiday in the summer.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: the school year; start/begin/end the school year; during/throughout the school year
WrongThe school year starts in the September.
RightThe school year starts in September.
No 'the' before a month.
Patternthe school year; start/begin/end the school year; during/throughout the school year
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'School year' is plain; 'academic year is comprised of' is formal.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
school year + contextthe school yearnext school yearstart of the yearacademic year
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'school day' (a single day at school) or 'school term' (a part of the school year).