idiomatic expressions for the ielts test

8/18/2019 Idiomatic Expressions for the IELTS Test

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Idiomatic expressions for theIELTS TestUsing idioms is a way to show the examiner your talent with vocabulary and increase your

score in the speaking exam. Using a few of the phrases below is a good way to get a scoreof 7 or higher.

Summary of some common idioms

Phrase Explanation/synonym

On the go busy

up-market fashionable

work at out work very hard

chill out to relax

the in thing fashionable

at the height of fashion fashionable

up-to-the-minute the most recent

o the top of my head without thinking

run of the mill average, typical

soul mate someone you trust deeply

a sounding board a good person to talk to

in high spirits happy

bump into meet

once in a blue moon not very oftenhave a chin-wag have a conversation

on cloud nine happy

down in the dumps sad

the real McCoy genuine, not fake

the wee hours very early in themorning

after midnight

make a fuss over overly care forsomeonesomething

early bird someone who gets up early

Using Idioms

In order to understand these idioms better you can see the examples usages of theseidioms below and also if you want to you can download my MP3.

. !n the go "#usy$ %& In this modern high'tech world( most people especially young

people are usually on the go with modern technology like cell phones. I)ve been on thego all day and I)m really tired.

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*. Up'market "fashionable$ %& +he younger generation buy up'market clothes to impresstheir peers. ,elebrities have to wear up'market clothes to show their fans how successfulthey are.

3. -ork flat out "work very hard$ %& I believe that if we work flat out using all our energy(we will be successful in the future.

. chill'out "relax$ %& /tudents usually chill'out by going on picnics after their exams.

0. the in thing "fashionable$ %& 1ating healthy food and getting regular exercise are the inthing as trying to be healthy is now really popular.

2. at the height of fashion "fashionable$ %& +elevisions were at the height of fashion in the45s.

7. up'to'the'minute "the most recent$ %& 6owadays( the internet includes up'to'the'minute news stories.

4. off the top of my head "without thinking$ %& -hen Mary asked ohn about his plans forthe holidays( he replied 8off the top of my head( probably I)ll go to my lakeside cottage.8

. run of the mill "average( typical$ %&. 9e gave a fairly run'of'the'mill story that :uicklyhad everyone bored.

5. soul mate "best friend$ %& ; husband and wife should be soul mates to each other intheir married life.

. a sounding board " a good person to talk to$ %& My mother is really a good soundingboard for me whenever I face difficulties in my life.

*. in high spirits "happy$ %& -hen I passed the exam with flying colours( I felt in highspirits.

3. bump into "meet without planning$ %& I usually bump into my old friends once a monthat /tarbucks.

. once in a blue moon "not very often$ %& If you exercise once in a blue moon( you willhave a high chance of getting cardio'vascular diseases.

0. have a chin'wag "have an informal conversation$ %&. 1very


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*. early bird "someone who gets up early$ %& My uncle is an early bird he gets up at 2o)clock every morning to do exercise.

nking words and phrases


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!inking words help increase your score for uency and coherence in the speaking examand help you to get a higher score for coherence and cohesion in the writing exam" #heyare also useful in the listening and reading test to help you see how ideas are se$uenced

and to catch the main ideas" #he following table is from my %&!#' ebook for part two of thewriting test"

Vocabulary for IELT peaking! Part "

eaking general

statements

#he main reason is

#he most importantconsideration is7

?irst of all,

%n the 4rst place,

)nother reason is7

?urthermore,

Moreover,

%n the same vein,

On the other hand,

Gowever,

+evertheless,

)lthough,

)s a general rule,

enerally,

%n most cases,

2i+ing examples 2i+ing an

explanation

%larifying an

opinion

$rawing a

conclusion

?or example,

?or instance,

%n particular,

) clear example of

this is7

#he reason for thisis7

#his is because7

#his is due to7

#o be moreprecise7

More speci4cally7

Hy this % mean7

%n other words,

)s a conse$uence,

#herefore,

)s a result,

tating your

opinion

Partially correct

statements

'ther people?s

opinions

>aking a

concession

?rom myperspective,

?rom my point ofview,

%n my opinion

somewhatagreedisagree

to a certain degree,

to some extent,

?rom a politicalpoint of view,

?rom the point ofview of the

economy,'ome peoplebelieve7

%t is sometimesargued that7

)dmittedly,

Gowever,

To gi+e

ad+antages

To gi+e

disad+antages

To express cause to express e0ect

) maBor advantage of this is7

)nother importantmerit is7

#he 4nal bene4tis7

One maBor drawbackis7

)notherdisadvantage is7

#he 4nal limitation isthat7

Owing to7

Aue to the fact

that7

?or the reasonthat7

#herefore,

)s a conse$uence,

)s a result7

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Vocabulary for friendship

Sample questions about friends

1. -ow much time do you spend with your friends?. What do you usually do with your friends?

". !o you prefer spending time with your family or friends?

$. s friendship important to you?

Nouns

companion

acquaintance

sibling

Verbs

get together

hang out with

sociali/e

Adjectives

sociable

gregarious

out&going

e0trovert

introvert

'(&)*%+ ()# ./

"# $E%&IPTI'( )UETI'(! *trategy! di+ide into , or - parts.

ample answer

Tell me something about your hometown?

0ell as you can probably guess % come from #aipei and % have lived here allmy life, although at the moment %1m studying in another city 2 #ai3hong" %suppose if % had to describe #aipei, the 4rst thing % would say is that it1svery crowded, maybe even one of the biggest cities in )sia % guess" %t1s socongested that even the locals have problems 4nding their way around5)nother signi4cant characteristic is that it oers splendid examples ofcontemporary architecture" )ctually some of the renowned landmarks arein the middle of #aipei, such as the #aipei .6., the second tallest buildingin the world"

0ell, the main thing you need to know is that78.9 : 8details97

On top of that % can also add that 8;97: 8details97

'omething else that % need to say is that 8


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Idioms

wn flesh and blood '( family2 relative)

#b"iously my siblings are my own flesh and blood so I lo"e them "ery much.

soul mate '( best friend)

I usually hang out with my soul mate.

a sounding board '( a good person to tal% to)

I can use my best mate as a sounding board when I ha"e problems.

Vocabulary about your hometown

Sample 3uestions

4et,s tal% about your hometown

1. What do you li%e about your hometown?. s it a good place for young people?

". What would you li%e to change about your hometown?

$. !o you thin% your hometown will be better in the future?

Nouns

residential area

industrial area

apartment comple0

architecture

local cuisine

neighbourhood

Adjectives

sprawling

rac ce!

Tell me something about your hometown?

What does your neighborhood look like?

What does your house look like@

,# LI1I(2 *trategy! 2eneral to speci3c.

&ephrasing 4liking5

%1m pretty fond of7

%1m really keen on7

%1m a big fan of7

%1m passionate about7

tructure

." 0ell in general % would say 7

;" #o be more precisespeci4c7


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unique

industrial

commercial

distinctive

built&up

Idioms

run down '( in bad condition) Some areas are run-down.

up&mar%et 'e0pensive) Some neighbourhoods are becoming "ery up-market .

Increase your score for lexical resource by learning a wide rangeof vocabulary for the I1O+/ speaking test.

Vocabulary for your 7ob

Sample 6uestions about your 7ob

. -hat Aob do you doB

*. -hy did you choose this AobB

3. 9ow long have you been doing this AobB

. Is there anything you don@t like about itB

8ouns

profession

line of business

occupation

line of work

&ep ras ng 4$ s ng5

%1m not really satis4ed with7

%1m not much of a fan of7

%1m not really fond of7

7is simply not my cup of tea"

% really can1t stand7

7 simply gets on my nerves"

ample answer

Is there anything you don’t like about your hometown?

In general, %1d have to say that % am not so satis4ed with the weather" To

be more precise, % really can1t stand the summer months" ou know, it1sbecause the temperatures are often as high as


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Verbs

be involved in

share responsibility for

work within a team

'd7ecti(es

hectic

exhausting

intricate

undemanding

Idioms

work flat out "% work very hard$. /ometimes I have to work flat out.

pull out all the stops " make a special effort$.-hen it@s busy I have to pull out all the stops.

pick up the pieces "% fix a problem$. When there’s a problem I have to pick up the pieces.

Increase your score for lexical resource by learning a wide range of vocabulary for the I1O+/speaking test.

Vocabulary about studying

Sample questions about your studies:

1. What are you studying?. Where are you studying?

". Why did you choose this school 5 university?

$. What would you li%e to do after your studies?

Of course, you know there1s $uite a mixed variety of public transportation inmy city" #hough % think the most commonly-used one could probably bebuses" )nd the explanation for this could be that they are so cheap andreliable" %n fact the average bus fare in my city is about ;6 dollars for asingle Bourney from start to end"

Practice

0hat kinds of restaurants are popular in your country@

0hat types of shops can be found in your local area@

0hat types of things do people collect in your country@

0hat types of #E programmes are popular in your country@

9# 4:;/;': '8TE(5 )UETI'(*strategy! concession.

Well to be honest, I would have to say that it really depends.

ike for instance ! Whereas in contrast!

ample answer

What sort of restaurants do you usually eat at?

Fsually I prefer to get something like fast food such as McAonalds because

it1s $uick and easy to get" Gowever, if % have more time I would ratherha+e something healthier such as a steak and salad from a decentrestaurant like Outback 'teakhouse"

Practice

0hen do you usually read@

0ho do you spend your evenings with@

0hen you go out in the evenings, what do you usually do@

Gow often do you play sports@

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Nouns

field of study

lecturer

theory

Verbs

revise

comprehend

succeed in

become s%illed in

Adjectives

hands&on '( practical)

theoretical

reputable

compulsory

optional

Idioms

pass with flying colours '(pass with a high score)

I passed my entrance e$am with flying colours.

cross that bridge when come to it '(deal with a problem when it arrives)

Im not worried about that now . Ill cross that bridge when I come to it.

Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking: Part

?&

PART 2

Individuals : Appearance / Personality / Hobbies / Relationship / My feeling

Buildings : Location / Eterior / Interior / At!osphere / "ervice / My feeling

#ities : Location / People / $ood / #ityscape / Entertain!ent / My feeling

Eperience : %hat / %hy / %hen / %here / %ho / My feeling

Leisure activities : %hat / %ho / %hen / %hy / My feeling

&atural Beauty : Location / History / 'isitors / Activities / My feeling

Ani!als : Appearance / Habits / $ood / Relationship / My feeling

(b)ects : Ho* I got it / Eterior / $unction / Price / another related ob)ect / My feeling

(rgani+ations : History / Me!bers / Location / ,uty / Influence / My feeling

Opening:

．%ell I-d li.e to tal. about

．

(. then0 to start *ith I *ill tal. about

The first point:

1he first thing I-d li.e to !ention is

1he !ain thing you need to .no* is

I-d li.e to begin by highlighting the fact

1he !ost i!portant point about 22222 is

The second point:

3oing on to !y net point *hich is 2222220 and the thing that needs to be highlighted here is that

4"5'67

&o* concerning the !atter of 2222220 and *hat I have to !ention here is that 87

The third point:

Progressing to the sub)ect of 2222227 I *ould li.e to eplain that 4"5'67

Moving onto the business of 2222220 %hat I *ould li.e to !a.e clear is that 87

The last point:

$inally0 I-d li.e to discuss 2222222222

$inally then0 if there is ti!e0 I could deal *ith the last 9uestion of 4&67

Vocabulary for IELTS and Speaking:

Part !

It@s difficult to predict exactly what :uestions we will get asked in the third part ofthe exam( but usually they will have a close connection to the topic we discussedin part * of the exam. In addition the following functions may be tested.


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Vocabulary for shopping

Sample questions:

4et,s tal% about shopping.

1. !o you li%e to go shopping?. -ow often do you go shopping?

". What %ind of shops are there where you live?$. What,s the worst thing about going shopping?

Nouns

essential

lu0ury

independent retailer

chain store

mar%et vendor

Verbs

haggle

pic% out

Adjectives

over&priced

. >ifferent kinds of *. ,omparing "time=obAects=concepts$

3. Predicting

. ;dvantages

0. >isadvantages

2. Problems

7. /olutions

4. !pinion "why$

"# $ifferent kinds of -hat are some of the different kinds of shops in your countryB-hat sort of people are celebrities in your countryB

# %omparing>o you think people were smarter in the pastB-hat is the difference between learning skills and knowledgeB

!# Predicting>o you think people will be more intelligent in the futureB>o you think technology can replace teachers in the futureB

'd(antages-hat are the main advantages of studying onlineB-hat are the main advantages of studying abroadB

)# $isad(antages

-hat are the main disadvantages of studying onlineB-hat are the main disadvantages of studying abroadB

*# Problems -hat are some of the main problems that students often encounter with learning1nglishB-hat problems do students often have with their classmatesB

+# SolutionsCfor above Dhow could we solve these problemsEF

,# -pinion-hy do you think some people enAoy learning new thingsB-hat are some useful ways to remember thingsB


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fa%e

genuine

sophisticated

Idioms

the real 6c7oy '( genuine2 not fa%e)

!ost chain stores only stock the %eal !c&oy products.

going for a song '( offered at a low price)

If I see some classy products going for a song—I might be tempted.

Increase your score for lexical resource by learning a wide range of vocabulary for the I1O+/speaking test.

Vocabuary about holidays and travelling

Sample questions

1. -ow much travelling have you done?

. !o you prefer travelling alone or in a group?

". What do you li%e to do when you are on holiday?

$. What places would you li%e to visit in the future?

Nouns

pac%age tour

independent travel

travel agent

Verbs

+his is very often the very first : in this part of the test. Gou should try todescribe at least two different types. Many people only give one which is not idealbecause you are not asked to only give one you)re asked what the different types.

-pening:-ell( there are a few different types.+here is a range of different options.

The main type:!ff the top of my head the most common isH+he first one that springs to mind isH 'nother type:;nother one that pops into my head isH;s well is this we can often seeH

Cmore about this :uestion typeF Practice .uestions for Part ! of the IELTS E/'0

. -hat are some of the different types of fast food in your countryB*. -hat are some of the most popular forms of entertainment in your

countryB3. -hat are some of the ways that a poor lifestyle can contribute to health

problemsB. -hat are some of the different types of restaurants in your countryB0. -hat are some of the most popular outdoor activities in your countryB

# %omparing

+ry to use language of comparison "cheaper( more expensive( more=less than$

-pening:-ell( obviously( there are a variety of possible differences here.-ell( undoubtedly( they are like chalk and cheese.

The 1irst difference:

9owever( I "guess= suppose$ that the most striking difference is J whereas incontrastH#ut I would say the most fundamental would be that "/KL$. !n the contrary(

The second difference:In addition( a subse:uent contrast could be that "/KL$. ,onversely(Moreover( a further distinction might be that "/KL$. -hile on the other hand(

Practice .uestions for Part ! of the IELTS E/'0

. In what ways magaines are different to newspapersB*. 9ow could we deal with the problems of InternetB

3. ;re people travelling more now than in the pastB

. -ho make better teachers Nmen or womenB

0. 9ow have family values changed over the yearsB

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go bac%pac%ing

go sightseeing

Adjectives

touristy

overdeveloped

e0clusive

lu0urious

Idioms

ff the beaten trac% 'to a place not usually visited by tourists)

'hen I go backpacking I prefer to go off the beaten track.

8ough it '( live in uncomfortable conditions such as camping)

'hen we went camping we had to rough it for two days.


Vocabulary for 4eddings

Sample questions for weddings

1. -ave you ever been to a wedding?. What do people usually do at weddings in your country?

". What clothes do people usually wear at weddings in your country?

$. Which people are usually invited to weddings?

!# Predicting +ry to use future tense "will( going to K verb$

-pening:I am sure that in years to come we will see a number of changes related to this.I imagine that in the near future( we will witness some maAor changes with regardto "6$.

The first prediction:+o begin with( I would predict that we will most likely have "6$.Primarily( it looks :uite possible that we are going to have "6$.

The second prediction:;s well as this( some people claim that we will probably start to see "6$.Oikewise( I would imagine that we may even be able to see "6$.

The third prediction:;nd who knows( there is even a chance that we will have "6$.

;nd I know it is a bit of a cray thought( but one day we may even have "6$.


. -hat will schools be like in the futureB*. -hat will cars be like in the futureB

3. >o you think people will have to conserve water in the futureB

. >o you think we will get the news in different ways in the futureB

0. -hat will your country be like in 05 yearsB

'd(antages 2merits3 benefits3 re4ards5

-pening:,learly there are a number of obvious merits.!bviously there are a number of positive features.

The main ad(antage:#ut I would probably say that for the most part( the one thing that really standsout is that. +his is obviously favourable because "/KL$.9owever( I guess that the most evident would be that "/KL$. +his is surely apositive feature as "/KL$.

The second ad(antages:#esides this( a second plus point could be that "/KL$. +his is undoubtedlyfavourable because "/KL$.

;t the same time( a second bonus might be that "/KL$. +his is surely a positivefeature as

Practice .uestions for Part ! of the IELTS E/'0. -hat are the advantages of living in an old buildingB*. -hat are the advantages of living in big citiesB

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Nouns

marriage ceremony

bride

groom

honeymoon

Verbs

give presents

drin% a toast

Adjectives

conventional

customary

ceremonial

Idioms

tie the %not '( get married)

'hen people decide to tie the knot, they usually want to lead a steady life.


. -hat are the advantages of advertisingB

0. -hat are the advantages of studying abroadB

)# $isad(antages 2dra4backs3 shortcomings5-pening:I am sure most people would agree that there are some drawbacks.

!f course there are a couple of shortcomings.

The main disad(antages:I suppose the most unfavourable :uality might be that "/KL$. +his is an obviouslyweakness because "/KL$.I guess the most impractical characteristic would be that "/KL$. +his is a clearlimitation because "/KL$.

The second disad(antages:;t the same time( another stumbling block might be that . ;nd the trouble with

this is that,orrespondingly( an additional weak point may be that "/KL$. ;nd this can be ahassle as

Practice .uestions for Part ! of the IELTS E/'0. -hat are the disadvantages of living in an old buildingB*. -hat are the disadvantages of living in big citiesB

3. -hat are the disadvantages of owning an up'to'date mobile phoneB

. -hat are the disadvantages of advertisingB

0. -hat are the disadvantages of studying abroadB

*# Problems!pening!bviously we can say there are :uite a lot of dangers with regard to this issue.It is universally accepted that there are a few haards involved with "6$.

The main problem:

1ssentially( one fundamental concern is probably that . +his is clearly alarmingbecause.

The second problem:1:ually worrying is the suggestion that. ;nd the underlying repercussions of thisare that.


. -hat problems are associated with eating fast foodB

*. -hat problems are caused by a lack of physical exerciseB3. 9ow is our busy lifestyle contributing to health problemsB

. -hat problems are associated with global warmingB

0. -hat problems are associated with violence being shown on +LB
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idiomatic expressions for the ielts test

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