idiomatic vocabulary for ielts speaking
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Idiomatic Vocabulary for IELTS SpeakingTRANSCRIPT
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IDIOMS FOR IELTS SPEAKING
- Idioms used in IELTS can help to increase your score in the test. However, there are
important things you should know about them.
Những từ bôi đậm dưới đây các bạn chú ý nhé. Idioms have a double-faced sword (con
dao hai lưỡi)
Ví dụ: He’s dressed up like a dog’s dinner. Câu này rất dễ conflict Nosebleeds (chảy
máu mũi đấy ^^)
Bởi nếu bạn đọc qua, bạn còn word-for-word thinking in Vietnamese thì rất dễ hiểu lầm
‘Anh ta ăn mặc như con chó đi ăn tối ^^’ Nhưng câu này mang nghĩa ‘Anh ta ăn mặc bảnh
bao cơ đấy! ^^ ’
Nội dung dưới đây mính lấy từ ieltsbuddy.com và soạn theo một danh mục cho các bạn
dễ học
For example, we can say:
"I’m over the moon that I got a band 7.5 in IELTS".
Obviously you can’t take the words ‘over the moon’ literally. It does not mean the person is
standing over the moon!
The phrase is used when someone wants to express that they are incredibly happy about
something that has happened.
- This is one of the criteria for achieving a band 7 in IELTS speaking for lexical resource
(vocabulary):
-
Uses some less common and idiomatic vocabulary
This means that the examiner will be trained to spot if you use this type of vocabulary. They
are much less common in formal or academic writing, so they are not mentioned in the
writing band descriptors.
For example, if your general use of lexis throughout the test tends to be at a band 6 level, the
examiner will not give you a 7 just because you fit ‘over the moon’ in somewhere!
- Using idioms at the right time (đúng lúc) and in the right context (đúng chỗ)is also quite
difficult to learn. Native speakers use them very naturally and in exactly the right context
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2 DANANG 2015
because they have obviously been brought up with the language and they don’t have to think
about it.
- Those that can use them well in the test have not usually studied a book and learned them but
have picked them up through experience, maybe from some time abroad or just from being
quite a good speaker of English.
However, that is not to say you should not study them, but it depends on your situation
(dựa vào tình huống).
You need to work on improving your general vocabulary (for example try practicing the
academic word list and collocations) and improving your fluency and grammar.
570 Academic Words
http://www.mediafire.com/download/wyym6e901ad6859/Academic+Word+List.pdf
Oxford’s collocation Dictionary
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/urey6ygbxp0hrr7,n410pnsm5zc8kts/shared
Common Idioms List
Set 1
Common Idioms Definitions
It cost me an arm and a leg to take my trip to
Australia.
Very expensive
I was over the moon when he asked me to marry
him.
Extremely pleased or happy
You are taking your IELTS test next week?? Aren’t
you jumping the gun. You’ve only just started
studying.
Doing or starting something too early
He comes round to see me once in a blue moon. Happening very rarely
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He’s got a chip on his shoulder. Feeling inferior or having a grievance
about something
I reckon getting a band 7 in IELTS will be a piece
of cake! I’m very good at English.
Very easy
The money sent by comic relief to help poverty in
Africa is just a drop in the ocean. They need far
more than this.
A very small part of something much
bigger
Getting a low score the first time I took IELTS
was a blessing in disguise. It forced me to study
extremely hard so I got a much better score the next
time.
Something positive that isn’t recognized
until later
We have to actually do something about global
warming. Actions speak louder than words.
It’s better to actually do something
rather than just talking about it
I bumped into Jenny in town the other day. It's a
small world.
Meeting someone you would not have
expected to
Idioms Practice - Test yourself on these first 10 phrases
Set 2
Common Idioms Definitions
Oh well, I got 5.5 in IELTS again.Back to the
drawing board!
When an attempt to do something fails
and it's time to start all over again using
different methods
I hate my job so much I can’t bare going to work,
but if I quit I don’t think I can get another job. I’m
really stuck / caught between a rock and a hard
place.
Having two very bad choices.
(note: stuck/caught can be omitted)
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I have to bite my tongue so I don’t say what I
really think of him!
Wanting to say something but stopping
yourself.
Come on, cut to the chase. We haven’t got all day! Leave out all the unnecessary details and
just get to the point
Are you putting all of your savings into that
company? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Putting all of ones resources into one
possibility
Try not to worry about it. Every cloud has a silver
lining.
Believing that every bad situation has a
positive side / eventually leads to
something good
It was difficult when I moved to another country
but I eventuallyfound my feet.
To become comfortable in what you are
doing
My parents are very fixed in their ways. They
won’t start using the internet.
Not wanting to change from the normal
ways of doing things
I think he got up on the wrong side of the bed
this morning. He is in a terrible mood.
To refer to someone who is having a bad
day
My mother will always go the extra mile to help
people.
Doing much more than is required when
doing something
Go to the Idiom practice exercise for these 10 words
Set 3
Common Idioms Definitions
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. That’s the
reason he didn’t get the job.
Say exactly the right thing
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Today’s going so badly. If it’s not one thing, it’s
the other.
When everything seems to be going
wrong
I just said it in the heat of the moment. I was
angry. I know I shouldn’t have.
Saying or doing something suddenly
without thinking about it
Keep an eye on him. I think he may cheat in the
exam.
Watch someone or something carefully
Have you heard? John down the road has kicked
the bucket.
Died
I don’t want to argue with him again. It’s better
to let sleeping dogs lie.
Avoid a conflict
I told him what gift you have bought him for his
birthday. Sorry, I didn’t mean to let the cat out of
the bag.
Tell someone something that you were
not supposed to
Don’t tell her what you really think of her if she’s
helping you with your English! Don’t bite the
hand that feeds you.
Hurt or upset someone who is helping
you
I’m not sure which party he is going to vote for.
He’s sitting on the fence.
Not making a firm decision between
different choices
Everything she does is very over the top. She can’t
just have a few drinks – se has to get really drunk.
Excessive
View these 10 idioms in use and practice them
Set 4
Common Idioms Definitions
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6 DANANG 2015
Let’s keep studying for IELTS.Practice makes
perfect.
Continuously doing something to
improve
Don’t get upset about what he said. He’s
just pulling your leg.
Joking around
Sorry but I think I’ll take a rain checkon that. To decline an offer that you will take up
later
As a rule of thumb, I don’t study at weekends. I
spend the time with my family.
Principal that is strictly adhered / kept
to
I can smell a rat. He said he has a PhD but he can’t
even remember which university he studied at.
To sense that something is not right
She’s the spitting image of her mother. To look exactly like someone else
The ball's in your court now. What are you going
to do?
Telling someone it's now their turn to
make a decision
Unfortunately I think he’ll be studying for
IELTS until the cows come home. His English is
very poor.
For a very long time
It was all tongue-in-cheek. He didn’t really mean
what he said.
Something said in humour rather than
seriously
She’s feeling under the weathertoday so she won’t
be going to work.
Unwell
Go to idioms exercises for Set 4 words
Set 5
Common Idioms Definitions
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We've had some big disagreements over the years, but
it’s all water under the bridge now. We get on fine.
Things from the past that are not
important anymore
You are what you eat so it’s better to have a healthy
diet.
If you eat bad food, you’ll be unhealthy,
if you eat good food, you’ll be healthy
You can’t judge a book by its cover. I need to get to
know him before I decide what he is like.
The belief that outside appearances do
not reveal what someone or something is
really like
We're really working against the clock now. We
must hurry.
Not having enough time to do something
Why are we bothering? We'reflogging a dead horse.
Our online business is making no money, so we
should move on and do something else.
Attempting to continue with something
that is finished / over
I bent over backwards to help him. I hope he
appreciates it.
Doing all you can to help someone
So you have the IELTS test today??Break a leg. Good luck
Ok, I'm playing devil's advocatehere, but if
marijuana is legalized, isn't it more likely young
people will smoke it?
To put forward a side in an argument
that may not be your own in order to
show the counter-argument / ensure all
sides are discussed
Hold your horses! We haven't won anything yet. Telling someone who is getting ahead of
themselves to wait / be patient
She is driving me up the wall. She won't stop talking. Annoying or irritating somebody
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PRACTICE
a blessing in disguise
a drop in the ocean
a piece of cake
actions speak louder than words
an arm and a leg
chip on his shoulder
it's a small world
jumping the gun
once in a blue moon
over the moon
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Idioms Practice Exercise 1
1. Getting my car fixed is going to cost me as the engine has
completely blown, but I have no choice. I need it for work.
2. The flu I had a few weeks ago which prevented me from going on holiday with my friends
was . They had a terrible time. Everything went wrong and it
cost them a lot of money.
3. I was in a café in Italy and amazingly I saw Paul from down the road in
there.
4. Jan is finally getting a chance to go on her trip of a life time, a holiday to Australia! She
was when I spoke to her.
5. 3 pounds may seem like but if everyone contributed that
much we'd have thousands.
6. The government keeps talking about reducing poverty but what do they ever do about it?
Nothing! .
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7. I've got a promotion at work, but all John did was make a joke about it. He has a
real . I think he is just jealous.
8. The interview for that new job was . They asked me really
easy questions.
9. The new Martin Scorsese film is out at the cinema. A film that comes out that I really enjoy and
want to see happens , so I'll definitely go and see it.
10. He was when he gave up his job to start university. Now
he has found out he can't get a grant.
back to the drawing board
between a rock and a hard place
bite your tongue
cut to the chase
every cloud has a silver lining
find your feet
fixed in his/her ways
get up on the wrong side of the bed
go the extra mile
put all your eggs in one basket
_______________________________________________
Idiom Practice Exercise 2
1. Can you and tell us if we are going to lose our jobs or
not?
2. Don't be so grumpy with me! Did you ?
3. He's very . He'll never vote Labour. He's voted for the
Conservative party his whole life.
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4. I know everything seems very bad at the moment but .
I'm sure something good will come out of it.
5. I know you shouldn't but I'm going to sell all my stocks
and shares and purchase an off-plan property in Spain. I'm sure it will be fine.
6. I was in that meeting. I really wanted to tell him that
his idea was no good but you can't say that to the boss.
7. It doesn't look like this strategy to improve the company's profits is working, so
it's !
8. Jane really yesterday. I only asked her to pick the kids
up from school, but she took them home, helped with their homework and put them to bed.
9. She's . Her marriage isn't working so she's very
unhappy at home, but if she moves out and leaves him her family will blame her and won't talk to
her.
10. The job might seem confusing at first as there are a lot of different departments you need to
work with but you'll soon
practice makes perfect
pulling your leg
rule of thumb
smell a rat
take a rain check
the ball's in your court
the spitting image
till the cows come home
tongue-in-cheek
under the weather
_______________________________________________
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Idioms Exercises - Practice 4
1. Wow – the painting is of you. Who drew it?
2. I'm a bit busy so I'll , but thanks for inviting me.
3. I've been a bit since last night. I think it may have been something
I ate.
4. Are you ? I don't believe you really did that.
5. The police when he said he wasn't involved in the crime. Someone
fitting his description had been seen in the area.
6. Don't worry if you can't do it yet. Keep trying. .
7. The in our house is not to talk about politics – it always ends in
arguments!
8. The TV programme was a look at American culture. It wasn't that
serious.
9. I've told him how angry I am, so now. We'll see what he does.
10. We'll be waiting for England to win the football World Cup
again.
bend over backwards
break a leg
drive someone up the wall
flogging a dead horse
hold your horses
playing devil's advocate
water under the bridge
working against the clock
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you are what you eat
you can't judge a book by its cover
_______________________________________________
Idiom Practice Exercises - Practice 5
1. We'll be to get this finished. It's 4pm so we only have
an hour left.
2. mate! I'm sure you'll do well. You're easily the best
team.
3. I agree with you really. I'm just so you know what
those who disagree with you may say.
4. Please, don't worry about what you said anymore. It's all
. I know you were just feeling upset at the time.
5. Stop trying to get back with your ex-girlfriend. You're .
There is no love between you anymore.
6. I thought John was an idiot when I first saw him just because of the way he dressed.
But – he's a really good bloke.
7. My doctor always says when I go to see him about my
weight. It's very true as I have a poor diet.
8. The government is before the election to appear united.
They know the electorate needs to believe in them.
9. My younger brother really . He argues and disagrees with
everything I say.
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10. I think you should ! You aren't ready yet to quit and
start your own business. You need more experience.
bend over backwards
break a leg
drive someone up the wall
flogging a dead horse
hold your horses
playing devil's advocate
water under the bridge
working against the clock
you are what you eat
you can't judge a book by its cover
_______________________________________________
Idiom Practice Exercises - Practice 5
1. We'll be to get this finished. It's 4pm so we only have
an hour left.
2. mate! I'm sure you'll do well. You're easily the best
team.
3. I agree with you really. I'm just so you know what
those who disagree with you may say.
4. Please, don't worry about what you said anymore. It's all
. I know you were just feeling upset at the time.
5. Stop trying to get back with your ex-girlfriend. You're .
There is no love between you anymore.
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6. I thought John was an idiot when I first saw him just because of the way he dressed.
But – he's a really good bloke.
7. My doctor always says when I go to see him about my
weight. It's very true as I have a poor diet.
8. The government is before the election to appear united.
They know the electorate needs to believe in them.
9. My younger brother really . He argues and disagrees with
everything I say.
10. I think you should ! You aren't ready yet to quit and
start your own business. You need more experience.
-