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IELTS Test
Using 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 score
of 7 or higher.
Explanation/synonym
On the go
up-market
work flat out
chill out to
the in thing
at the height of fashion
up-to-the-minute
off the top of my head
run of the mill
soul mate
a sounding board
in high spirits
bump into
once in a blue moon
have a chin-wag
on cloud nine
down in the dumps
the real McCoy
the wee hours very early in the
morning
make a fuss over
busy
fashionable
work very hard
relax
fashionable
fashionable
the most recent
without thinking
average, typical
someone you trust deeply
a good person to talk to
happy
meet
not very often
have a conversation
happy
sad
genuine, not fake
after midnight
early bird
Using Idioms
In order to understand these idioms better you can see the examples usages of these
idioms below and also if you want to you can download my MP3.
1. On the go (Busy) => 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 the
go all day and I'm really tired.
2. Up-market (fashionable) => The younger generation buy up-market clothes to impress
their peers. Celebrities have to wear up-market clothes to show their fans how successful
they are.
3. Work flat out (work very hard) => I believe that if we work flat out using all our energy,
we will be successful in the future.
4. chill-out (relax) => Students usually chill-out by going on picnics after their exams.
5. the in thing (fashionable) => Eating healthy food and getting regular exercise are the in
thing as trying to be healthy is now really popular.
6. at the height of fashion (fashionable) => Televisions were at the height of fashion in the
1980s.
7. up-to-the-minute (the most recent) => Nowadays, the internet includes up-to-theminute news stories.
8. off the top of my head (without thinking) => When Mary asked John about his plans for
the holidays, he replied "off the top of my head, probably I'll go to my lakeside cottage."
9. run of the mill (average, typical) =>. He gave a fairly run-of-the-mill story that quickly
had everyone bored.
10. soul mate (best friend) => A husband and wife should be soul mates to each other in
their married life.
11. a sounding board ( a good person to talk to) => My mother is really a good sounding
board for me whenever I face difficulties in my life.
12. in high spirits (happy) => When I passed the exam with flying colours, I felt in high
spirits.
13. bump into (meet without planning) => I usually bump into my old friends once a month
at Starbucks.
14. once in a blue moon (not very often) => If you exercise once in a blue moon, you will
have a high chance of getting cardio-vascular diseases.
15. have a chin-wag (have an informal conversation) =>. Every Friday, I like to meet my
mates at the bar for a chin-way.
16. on cloud nine (happy) => When parents hear good news from their children's success,
they feel on cloud nine.
17. down in the dumps (sad) => My uncle was down in the dumps when his business went
bankrupt.
18. the real McCoy (genuine, not fake) => The stamp on the certificate is the real McCoy.
19. the wee hours (very early in the morning after midnight) => Asthma patients can have
an attack in the wee hours due to variations of hormone levels in our body.
20. make a fuss over (overly care for someone/something) =>. Don't make a fuss over this,
it is really quite trivial.
21. early bird (someone who gets up early) => My uncle is an early bird he gets up at 6
o'clock every morning to do exercise.
Linking words help increase your score for fluency and coherence in the speaking exam
and help you to get a higher score for coherence and cohesion in the writing exam. They
are also useful in the listening and reading test to help you see how ideas are sequenced
and to catch the main ideas. The following table is from my IELTS ebook for part two of the
writing test.
Sequencing the
first idea
Furthermore,
However,
Generally,
Moreover,
Nevertheless,
In most cases,
Although,
Giving examples
Giving an
explanation
Clarifying an
opinion
Drawing a
conclusion
For example,
To be more
precise
As a consequence,
This is because
More specifically
This is due to
By this I mean
First of all,
In the first place,
For instance,
In particular,
A clear example of
this is
Therefore,
As a result,
In other words,
Stating your
opinion
Partially correct
statements
Other people's
opinions
Making a
concession
From my
perspective,
somewhat
agree/disagree
From a political
point of view,
It is sometimes
argued that
From my point of
view,
In my opinion
Admittedly,
However,
Some people
believe
To give
advantages
To give
disadvantages
Therefore,
As a consequence,
As a result
SPEAKING PART 1:
Sample answer
Sample
questions
about
Tell me
something
about
yourfriends
hometown?
Well as you
can much
probably
I come
and I have lived here all
1. How
timeguess
do you
spendfrom
with Taipei
your friends?
my life, 2.
although
at you
the usually
moment
studying
in another city Taizhong. I
What do
doIm
with
your friends?
suppose if I had to describe Taipei, the first thing I would say is that its
3. Do you
prefer
spending
with your
family
friends?
very crowded,
maybe
even
one of time
the biggest
cities
in or
Asia
I guess. Its so
congested
that
even
the
locals
have
problems
finding
their
way
around!
4. Is friendship important to you?
Another significant characteristic is that it offers splendid examples of
contemporary
Nouns architecture. Actually some of the renowned landmarks are
in the middle of Taipei, such as the Taipei 101, the second tallest building
in the
world.
companion
acquaintance
sibling
Well, the
main thing you need to know is that(1) + (details)
Verbs
On top of that I can also add that (2)+ (details)
get together
Point 1
The first
thing Id like to mention is
Adjectives
The main thing you need to know is
sociable
gregarious
Pointout-going
2
In addition
I suppose I should say
extrovert
Another interesting point
introvert
Point 3
And I shouldnt forget to mention that
I guess I could also say that (its) sort-of ..
Finally Id also like to mention ..
Practice:
Tell me something about your hometown?
What does your neighborhood look like?
What Idioms
does your house look like?
Obviously my siblings are my own flesh and blood so I love them very much.
soul mate (= best friend)
Rephrasing liking
I usually
Im pretty
fondhang
of out with my soul mate.
Im really
keen on
a sounding
board (= a good person to talk to)
Im a big fan of
Im passionate about
Structure
3. AndSample
I guessQuestions
this is probably because
Sample answer
Well in general I would say small animals, to be more precise cats and
dogs; and, I guess this is because we often kept them when I was growing
up, and they were good companions for me.
Nouns
residential area
industrial area
apartment complex
architecture
Practice:
local cuisine
neighbourhood
Do you
like your job/studies?
What sort of music do you like?
Do you like reading?
Adjectives
sprawling
Rephrasing Disliking
Im not really satisfied with
Im not much of a fan of
unique
Im not
really fond of
is simply
not my cup of tea.
industrial
I really cant stand
commercial
distinctive
built-up
Sample answer
Idioms
1. worst
What thing
job doabout
you do?
Whats the
shopping?
2. Why did you choose this job?
Nouns
theres
quite
a mixed variety of
line of
business
theres quite an extensive diversity of
occupation
Sample answer
Practice
Adjectives
Idioms
work
flat out (=
work very
Sometimes
I have
to work flat out.
Well to
be honest,
I would
havehard).
to say
that it really
depends.
Like for
stops
Whereas
in contrast
pullinstance
out all the
( make
a special effort).When its busy I have to pull out all the stops.
pick up the pieces (= fix a problem). When theres a problem I have to pick up the pieces.
Sample answer
Increase your score for lexical resource by learning a wide range of vocabulary for the IELTS
What speaking
sort of restaurants
do you usually eat at?
test.
Usually I prefer to get something like fast food such as McDonalds because
its quick and easy to get. However, if I have more time I would rather
have something healthier such as a steak and salad from a decent
restaurant like Outback Steakhouse.
PARTNouns
2
field of
study
Individuals
: Appearance
/ Personality / Hobbies / Relationship / My feeling
Buildings : Location / Exterior / Interior / Atmosphere / Service / My feeling
Cities :lecturer
Location / People / Food / Cityscape / Entertainment / My feeling
Experience : What / Why / When / Where / Who / My feeling
Leisuretheory
activities : What / Who / When / Why / My feeling
Natural Beauty : Location / History / Visitors / Activities / My feeling
Animals : Appearance / Habits / Food / Relationship / My feeling
Objects : How I got it / Exterior / Function / Price / another related object / My feeling
Verbs : History / Members / Location / Duty / Influence / My feeling
Organizations
revise
Opening:
Well Id like to talk about
comprehend
Ok then,
to start with I will talk about
succeed
The first
point: in
The first thing Id like to mention is
become
skilled
into know is
The main
thing you
need
Id like to begin by highlighting the fact
The most important point about _____ is
Adjectives
The second
point:
Going on to my next point which is ______, and the thing that needs to be highlighted here is that
(S+V).hands-on (= practical)
Now concerning the matter of ______, and what I have to mention here is that ~.
theoretical
The third point:
Progressing
to the subject of ______. I would like to explain that (S+V).
reputable
Moving onto the business of ______, What I would like to make clear is that ~.
compulsory
The last point:
Finally,optional
Id like to discuss __________
Finally then, if there is time, I could deal with the last question of (N).
Idioms
pass with flying colours (=pass with a high score)
I passed my entrance exam with flying colours.
cross that bridge when I 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 and Speaking:
Part 3
Its difficult to predict exactly what questions we will get asked in the third part of
the exam, but usually they will have a close connection to the topic we discussed
in part 2 of the exam. In addition the following functions may be tested.
1.
2.
Different kinds of
Comparing (time/objects/concepts)
3.
Predicting
4.
Advantages
5.
Disadvantages
6.
7.
8.
Problems
Opinion (why)
Sample questions:
Lets talk about shopping.
1. Different kinds of
Do you
like different
to go shopping?
What are1.some
of the
kinds of shops in your country?
2.
How
often
do
you
go
shopping?
What sort of people are celebrities
in your country?
3. What kind of shops are there where you live?
4. Whats the worst thing about going shopping?
2. Comparing
Do you think people were smarter in the past?
What is the difference between learning skills and knowledge?
Nouns
3. Predicting
essential
Do you
think people will be more intelligent in the future?
Do you think technology can replace teachers in the future?
luxury
4. Advantages
Whatindependent
are the mainretailer
advantages of studying online?
chain store
vendor
5.market
Disadvantages
What are the main disadvantages of studying online?
What are the main disadvantages of studying abroad?
Verbs
6.haggle
Problems
What are some of the main problems that students often encounter with learning
pick out
English?
What problems do students often have with their classmates?
7. Solutions
[for above how could we solve these problems]
Adjectives
8. Opinion
over-priced
Why do
you think some people enjoy learning new things?
What are some useful ways to remember things?
This is very often the very first q1 in this part of the test. You should try to
describe at least two different types. Many people only give one which is not ideal
because
fakeyou are not asked to only give one you're asked what the different types.
Opening:
genuine
Well, there are a few different types.
There is a range of different options.
sophisticated
Idioms
Another type:
the real McCoy (= genuine, not fake)
Another one that pops into my head is
As well is this we can often see
Vocabuary
2. Comparing
3. Predicting
Try to use future tense (will, going to + verb)
go backpacking
Opening:
sightseeing
I am go
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 major changes with regard
to (N).
The first prediction:
To begin with, I would predict that we will most likely have (N).
Adjectives
Primarily, it looks quite possible that we are going to have (N).
touristy
The second prediction:
As well
as this, some people claim that we will probably start to see (N).
overdeveloped
Likewise, I would imagine that we may even be able to see (N).
exclusive
The third prediction:
And who
knows, there is even a chance that we will have (N).
luxurious
And I know it is a bit of a crazy thought, but one day we may even have (N).
Practice Questions for Part 3 of the IELTS EXAM
Idioms
1. What will schools be like in the future?
2. Off
What
will cars
be (to
like
in thenot
future?
the beaten
track
a place
usually visited by tourists)
3. When
Do you
people Iwill
have
tooff
conserve
water
I gothink
backpacking
prefer
to go
the beaten
track.in the future?
4. Do you think we will get the news in different ways in the future?
Rough it (= live in uncomfortable conditions such as camping)
5. What will your country be like in 50 years?
When we went camping we had to rough it for two days.
4. Advantages
benefits,
rewards)
Increase your (merits,
score for lexical
resource
by learning a wide range
of vocabulary for the IELTS speaking test.
Opening:
Clearly there are a number of obvious merits.
Obviously there are a number of positive features.
6. Problems
Opening:
Obviously we can say there are quite a lot of dangers with regard to this issue.
Idioms
It is universally
accepted that there are a few hazards involved with (N).
tie the knot (= get married)
The main problem:
Essentially, one fundamental concern is probably that ~. This is clearly alarming
When people decide to tie the knot, they usually want to lead a steady life.
because~.
The second problem:
Equally worrying is the suggestion that~. And the underlying repercussions of this
Increase your score for lexical resource by learning a wide range
are that.
of vocabulary for the IELTS speaking test.
Practice Questions for Part 3 of the IELTS EXAM
1. What problems are associated with eating fast food?
2. What problems are caused by a lack of physical exercise?
3. How is our busy lifestyle contributing to health problems?
4. What problems are associated with global warming?
5. What problems are associated with violence being shown on TV?