Skip to main content

The real deal with Idioms in the IELTS Speaking test.

What is an idiomatic expression? Well, these are words/phrases that we use that mean differently from what they seem.

 Still confused? Allow me to use an example. Imagine that you just finished a test and a friend then asks you how the exam went. Of course, your response would depend on how easy you thought the test was. If you think the test was "easy", you can say, "It was a piece of cake!"

 "a piece of cake" is an example of an idiomatic expression. This means that something was too easy for you. However, some people might take the phrase literally: they might imagine a slice of cake.

In the IELTS Speaking test, it is highly recommended that you use these kinds of expressions in your responses. When you look at the public band descriptor for speaking, the use of idioms and less common idiom falls to band score 7 (Lexical resource).

The use of idioms is quite difficult though. To begin with, you have to have a lot of confidence in your English speaking skill. Moreover, you need to know the perfect timing or situation when to use them. Full understanding of how these words and phrases are a MUST to understand how and when to use such expressions.

Another thing to consider is that you should know many other idiomatic expressions. Nowadays, expressions that are too commonly used are a big no-no in the test. You should utilize at least unfamiliar ones for you to achieve a good score in your lexical resource. The given example above is an expression that has been overused by many; hence, this does not truly exhibit your mastery of the English language. The best way to learn new words is to expose yourself to the language. Watch English TV shows, dramas and/or movies, listen to English songs, read a wide selection of books, etc.

A simple reminder though, it is not mandatory to use idiomatic expressions all the time, but it does help you land on a high band score.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Cambridge 11 Test 3 Writing Task 1

Sample: The data from the line graph illustrates the carbon dioxide emissions of an average individual per metric tonnes in four European countries every decade from 1967-2007.A closer look at the data highlights the fact that among the 4 nations, the UK has the highest rate in carbon dioxide emissions per person in 40 years. In 1967, there was approximately 11 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide released by an average Englishman which was about ten times higher than the emissions made by an individual from Portugal. However, it can be seen that as time went by, the carbon dioxide emitted by Englishmen decreased gradually to over 8 metric tonnes in 2007. On the other hand, a different trend can be noted in the countries Italy and Portugal where the emissions slowly rose from an initial rate of approximately 4 and 1 metric ton to about 7 and 6 metric tonnes in 4 decades. In Sweden, emissions increased to its record highest in 1977 w...

Cambridge 15: Academic IELTS Speaking Test 1

Please note that in the first part of the test, roughly 12 questions will be asked (3 topics). The topics are quite general so you do not need to explain your responses in too much detail.  As you can see, most of the questions in this test concentrate on the topic "Hotels and hospitality". We highly recommend assessing your own range of vocabulary about this topic by doing vocabulary review exercises such as listing all the words you know that belong to the scope of this topic. Try doing this with a time limit (2 minutes).  First, prepare a piece of paper and divide it into 4 sections. Make a table. Write "nouns", "verbs", "adjectives" and "idioms" as your headers. In two minutes, write down all the nouns, verbs, adjectives, and idioms you know about hotels and hospitality. DO NOT REFER TO YOUR DICTIONARY even if you're unsure of the spelling. This is your learning phase. Next, for another two minutes, list all the possible Synonym...

Cambridge 11 Test 1 Writing Task 1

Sample: The pie charts represent the rate of distribution of water in three different sectors, industrial, agricultural and domestic, in six places worldwide. Generally speaking, the use of water for agriculture has the highest percentage in almost all areas globally whereas water for household use has the lowest ratio. In central Asia, Africa and South East Asia, more than 80% of their water supply is utilized in the production of food which is almost two times larger than in North America that has a greater need in the industrial consumption of water with 48% respectively. Similarly, Europe distributes over half of their water supply in their industries which is far larger than the 5% rate in Central Asia. Water for household use accounts for less than one-fifths in the overall proportion in all six areas in  the world. This data reveals that water is highly used in the production of both food and other commodities than for domestic purposes.  Wo...