IDIOMS for the 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.
Summary of some common idioms
Phrase
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
best friend
a good person to talk to
happy
meet
not very often
have a conversation
happy
sad
genuine, not fake
after midnight
early bird
overly care for
someone/something
someone who gets up early
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-the-minute 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.
Useful linking words and phrases
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
Adding supporting
ideas
Adding a
contrasting idea
Making general
statements
The main reason is
Another reason is
On the other hand,
As a general rule,
The most important
consideration is
Furthermore,
However,
Generally,
Moreover,
Nevertheless,
In most cases,
In the same vein,
Although,
Giving examples
Giving an
explanation
Clarifying an
opinion
Drawing a
conclusion
For example,
The reason for this
is
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,
Therefore,
A clear example of this
is
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,
From the point of
In my opinion
to a certain degree,
to some extent,
view of the
economy,
Some people
believe
Admittedly,
However,
To give advantages
To give
disadvantages
To express cause
A major advantage of
this is
One major drawback
is
Owing to
Therefore,
Another
disadvantage is
Due to the fact
that
As a consequence,
Another important
merit is
The final benefit is
The final limitation is
that
For the reason
that
to express effect
As a result
Some useful nouns
Word
Meaning
biodegradable
something that is able to decay naturally and
harmlessly.
biodiversity
refers to the number and variety of plant and animal
species that exist in a particular environmental area or
in the world generally.
climate
the weather conditions of a region
climate change
the concept that change is occurring to the earth's
climate. [Many people believe this is based on the
influence of people].
deforestation
the process by which the forests are cut down.
desertification
the process by which fertile land is turned into deserts
fossil fuels
a natural fuel such as coal, gas, or oil formed over long
periods of time from the remains of living organisms.
energy
saving energy
conservation
environment
the place where people animals and plants live, also
known as the natural world.
extinction
the complete dying out of species
habitat
a place where animals and plants live
natural
resources
resources derived from the environment. For example,
wood and oil.
renewable
energy
describes a form of energy that can be produced as
quickly as it is used, such as solar energy.
Rephrasing of some common topic words:
children = juveniles, youngsters
education= learning, instruction, acquiring knowledge
students = pupils
parents = caregivers, guardians, mothers and fathers
schools = educational institutions
society = community, citizens
teachers = educators
Some useful Nouns
Word
Meaning
the curriculum
the entire school program including course materials and testing
of students. Everything that a school aims to teach students.
graduate
a person who has graduated from a school
illiteracy
the inability to read and write
literacy
the ability to read and write
nurture
to help grow or develop
pedagogy
the way of teaching including the instructional methods that is
used
qualification
what someone gets when they graduate from school. For
instance, a diploma is a qualification.
social skills
the ability to communicate and interact well with others
student centred
education
a philosophy of education where the student is the central focus
tuition
the fees for studying a course
Some useful verbs
Word
Meaning
graduate
to pass a course or level of study
concentrate
to focus attention towards a particular activity, subject
or problem
revise
to review materials that have already been taught
enrol
to join a class
indoctrinate
to teach following a biased belief or point of view. For
example: Hitler indoctrinated young Germans with a
hatred for other races.
interpret
to understand in a particular way. For example, we need
to interpret the meaning of the painting.
persevere
to not give up. To keep doing something for the success
is achieved.
procrastinate
to delay or put off doing something
Some useful Adjectives
Word
Meaning
academic
relating to education especially universities.
co-educational
when male and female students are taught together in
the same school.
single sex
when only need male or female students are taught in
the same school.
hands-on
to learn by actually doing. We can get hands-on
experience by actually doing things.
multidisciplinary
involving several different subjects or areas of study.
pedagogical
relating to teaching methods and principles.
primary
education
an elementary school or the first years of formal
schooling.
secondary
education
high school
segregated
separated. For example, the classes are segregated by
gender.
tertiary
education
university or vocation school
vocational
concerns teaches the skills necessary for a
particular job. This concept is often applied to trade
schools. So if you studying cooking or the penetration
you are going to a vocational school.
Some useful nouns
Word
Meaning
addiction
the condition of not being unable to stop doing something.
Especially something harmful like drinking alcohol or playing
video games.
allergy
a strong reaction to something. For instance, an allergy to a
certain food.
anxiety
stress
diagnosis
an opinion of a patient's health condition or illness.
diet
1. everything that we eat.
2. a plan to eat carefully to reduce weight.
insomnia
inability or difficulty to get to sleep.
ingredients
the different foods that go into a recipe.
obesity
being extremely overweight.
nutrition
the health value of food.
physician
another word for doctor.
treatment
a way of curing an illness or medical condition.
Word
Meaning
a medium
medium is the singular form of media [plural].
censorship
when certain types of messages are blocked. For instance, the
government often uses censorship for movies that are violent or
have sexual content.
credibility
refers to whether something is reliable or from a reliable source.
exaggeration
when the truth is stretched or enlarged.
ideology
a way of thinking or belief system.
journalism
journalist
journalism is the way of reporting the news, by including
newspapers, magazines, radio and television, the internet.
a person who has a career in journalism.
mass media
mass media refers collectively to all the forms of media we have
such as television, radio, film, on-line services, magazines and
newspapers.
propaganda
propaganda occurs the media favours certain kinds of stories or
distorts messages to influence the opinions of behaviour of
people.
social media
this usually refers to online tools for communication such as
Facebook and Twitter.
Word
Meaning
corporal
punishment
to punish by physically harming the offender
capital punishment
to punish by killing the offender
community service
to spend time helping the community. For example, if a person
does a minor crime they are often only punished by having to do
community service.
consequences
the result or effect of something
deterrent
something that prevents an action
evidence
proof that the crime occurred
fine
money paid for a crime
imprisonment
to put someone in prison
legislation
laws that are made by the government
felony
a major crime
misdemeanour
a minor crime
motive
reason for doing something
prevention
stopping something from happening
victim
the person who suffers from a crime or negative event
violation
to break a rule
Word
Meaning
computerisation
to control a process by using a computer.
digital divide
the gap between those with easy access to information
technology, and those without it.
gadget
any small piece of equipment.
innovation
a new way of doing something, or a new application of a
technology.
revolution
major change in the way of doing something.
technophobe
someone who has a fear of resistance to technology.
technophile
someone who embraces technology and uses it often.
telecommunications technology used in the field of communications.
