Idiomatic Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking

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1 DANANG 2015

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


http://www.mediafire.com/download/wyym6e901ad6859/Academic+Word+List.pdf

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/urey6ygbxp0hrr7,n410pnsm5zc8kts/shared




3 DANANG 2015

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


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)


http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/idioms-practice.html




4 DANANG 2015

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


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


http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/idiom-practice-exercise.html




5 DANANG 2015

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



http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/idioms-in-use.html




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



http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/idioms-exercises.html




7 DANANG 2015

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





8 DANANG 2015

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! .





9 DANANG 2015

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.





10 DANANG 2015

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

_______________________________________________





11 DANANG 2015

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





12 DANANG 2015

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.





13 DANANG 2015

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.





14 DANANG 2015

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.

-


Idiomatic Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking

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