Are you aiming for a top score in your IELTS speaking test and want to impress the examiners with your vocabulary skills? Look no further! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll unveil 20 powerful Idiomatic Expressions for IELTS Speaking. These expressions will not only make your responses more engaging but also demonstrate your command over less common and idiomatic vocabulary.
Idiomatic Expressions for IELTS Speaking: Elevate Your Language Proficiency
When striving for a band 7 or higher in IELTS speaking, it’s crucial to use vocabulary resourcefully and display an awareness of style, collocation, and idiomatic expressions. The ability to incorporate idiomatic phrases can significantly enhance your speaking performance.
Idiomatic expressions, while immensely powerful, often pose a challenge due to their specificity. We understand that memorizing a long list of rarely used idioms can be overwhelming. That’s why we recommend focusing on idioms related to positive and negative emotions. These are versatile and can be effectively used in a wide range of IELTS topics.
Here are the top 10 idiomatic expressions for IELTS speaking, each tailored to various emotional contexts:
- TO HAVE A WHALE OF A TIME
- Meaning: To have a very fun and exciting time.
- Example IELTS question: Tell me about your hometown.
- Example answer with idiom: Well, I’m from London, which is a world-renowned city for its history and culture. They say he who is bored of London is bored of life! There is so much to do here that you are guaranteed to have a whale of a time if you visit.
- TO BE ON CLOUD NINE
- Meaning: Very happy and joyful.
- Example IELTS question: Do you like your job?
- Example answer with idiom: I must say that I adore my job and all the people that work there. It is a pleasure to go to work there each morning. I feel content with my life at the moment, and I am on cloud nine.
- TO BE ON TOP OF THE WORLD
- Meaning: Feeling amazing, wonderful, ecstatic.
- Example IELTS question: Is art popular in your country?
- Example answer with idiom: Yes, I would say that art is highly popular in my nation. Art has the power to unite us and express feelings that we cannot with words alone. When I look at my absolute favorite piece of art, “Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh, I feel inspired and on top of the world. It shows me true beauty, and that, I believe, is why art is so popular.
- TO BE OVER THE MOON
- Meaning: Extremely pleased and happy.
- Example IELTS question: What did you do on your last birthday?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: On my last birthday, I went to Paris with my girlfriend. It was an incredible city, and the food was to die for! The trip was actually a surprise, and when my girlfriend told me, I was over the moon.
- TO BE LIKE A DOG WITH TWO TAILS
- Meaning: Dogs express happiness through wagging their tails. Therefore, a dog with two tails must be very happy!
- Example IELTS question: Who is your best friend?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: My best friend is called Matthew. We have known each other since we were children. Every time I see him, I’m like a dog with two tails.
- IT MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL
- Meaning: To make you very angry.
- Example IELTS question: Do you get on with your family?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: I get on reasonably well with most of my family. But my sister is an awful person. She is very selfish and arrogant. Just hearing her voice makes my blood boil.
- IT DRIVES ME UP THE WALL
- Meaning: It annoys you a lot.
- Example IELTS question: What is your favorite food?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: I would have to say that my favorite food is mashed potatoes. However, it drives me up the wall when people don’t mash them properly, and the potatoes have disgusting lumps.
Similar expressions: It drives me crazy / it drives me nuts
- I HIT THE CEILING
- Meaning: To get very angry and upset.
- Example IELTS question: Did you have a hobby as a child?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: As a child, my hobby was always cycling. I used to ride my bike everywhere I could. One day, though, my sister borrowed my bike and crashed it. I hit the ceiling, but luckily, the damage was not too bad.
Similar expressions: I hit the roof
- HE/IT WINDS ME UP
- Meaning: Someone or something really annoys you.
- Example IELTS question: Tell me about your first day at work.
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: My first day at work was terrible! My boss wound me up as he kept shouting at me.
- TO GET ON YOUR NERVES
- Meaning: Someone annoys you a lot.
- Example IELTS question: How could your neighborhood be improved?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: It gets on my nerves that we have no recycling here. I am a big supporter of the environment, and we should do more to save it.
- TO WALK ON AIR
- Meaning: Feeling extremely happy and light-hearted.
- Example IELTS question: How did you feel when you received your IELTS results?
- Example answer with idiom: When I saw my IELTS results and realized I had scored a 9 in speaking, I felt like I was walking on air.
- TO BE ON PINS AND NEEDLES
- Meaning: To be very nervous or excited about something.
- Example IELTS question: What’s your reaction when you’re waiting for important news?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: When I’m waiting for important news, I’m always on pins and needles. The suspense can be unbearable.
- TO CRY OVER SPILLED MILK
- Meaning: To regret something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
- Example IELTS question: Have you ever made a decision you regret?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: Yes, once I chose the wrong career path, but now I believe there’s no use crying over spilled milk. I’ve moved on and made the best of it.
- TO BITE THE BULLET
- Meaning: To face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage.
- Example IELTS question: How do you handle challenges in life?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: I believe that when life presents challenges, it’s essential to bite the bullet and confront them head-on.
- TO BE A PIECE OF CAKE
- Meaning: To be very easy.
- Example IELTS question: Was the IELTS exam difficult for you?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: No, the IELTS exam was a piece of cake for me because I had prepared extensively.
- TO SPILL THE BEANS
- Meaning: To reveal a secret or disclose information.
- Example IELTS question: Can you share a situation where you had to keep a secret?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: Once, my friend spilled the beans about a surprise party, and we had to change our plans.
- TO HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD
- Meaning: To describe something precisely or accurately.
- Example IELTS question: How would you characterize your strengths?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: I think I hit the nail on the head when I say my attention to detail is one of my greatest strengths.
- TO BE THE APPLE OF ONE’S EYE
- Meaning: To be someone’s favorite person or cherished individual.
- Example IELTS question: Tell me about your relationship with your family.
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: In my family, my younger sister is the apple of my parents’ eyes. They adore her.
- TO SIT ON THE FENCE
- Meaning: To remain neutral or avoid taking sides in a dispute or decision.
- Example IELTS question: How do you handle conflicts in your workplace?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: I prefer not to sit on the fence in workplace conflicts. I believe in finding solutions that benefit everyone involved.
- TO HAVE AN ACE UP ONE’S SLEEVE
- Meaning: To have a hidden advantage or secret plan.
- Example IELTS question: How do you approach challenges in your academic studies?
- Example IELTS answer with idiom: In my studies, I always make sure to have an ace up my sleeve—a well-thought-out strategy that helps me excel.
Idiomatic Expressions for IELTS Speaking
By incorporating these additional 20 idiomatic expressions into your IELTS speaking responses, you will further enrich your language proficiency and impress examiners, thereby enhancing your chances of achieving a higher score.
Read about IELTS Speaking Pattern here
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