Advanced idioms for IELTS Speaking K E I T H O '''' H A R E I E L T S S P E A K I N GI E L T S S P E A K I N G AdvancedAdvanced IdiomsIdioms forfor C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 2 2 , K E I T H S P E A K I N G[.]
Advanced for Idioms IELTS SPEAKING KEITH O'HARE COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY About the Author Keith runs The Keith Speaking Academy He has been working in international education for over 20 years as a teacher, teacher trainer and education manager He has helped over 40,000 students prepare for their IELTS Speaking test with his online courses COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY Idioms, if used correctly, can give a big boost to your score in IELTS Speaking In this PDF you have 15 less common idioms that can help you impress the IELTS examiner! Mistakes to avoid when using Idioms Don’t use outdated ones (like raining cats and dogs) Don’t use too many in the test The Secret Use just a few Use less common ones Use them well Use this PDF to practice them, and practice with other students and teachers too, so you can get feedback COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY To be on the cards = something is very likely To be up in the air = something is uncertain To be in the bag = to be certain you will get or achieve something Be Careful! I am on the cards Something is on the cards Will I travel abroad more in the future? Yes, I think it’s on the cards, mainly because I love discovering new cultures and meeting new people Clause + Clause Context + Idiom With these idioms, I suggest you put the idiom in one clause, and the context in a separate clause COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY I have no idea who will win the next election, it’s up in the air Clause - Context I have no idea who will win the next election, Clause - Idiom it’s up in the air I think Jack will be the next president, well, at least I think it’s on the cards Clause - Context Clause - Idiom I think Jack will be the next well, at least I think it’s on president the cards My interview went really well I think my promotion is in the bag Clause - Context Clause - Idiom My interview went I think my promotion is really well in the bag COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY To be a big ask = to be difficult to do, and will need some sacrifice The government in my country wants to be carbon neutral by 2030; I think that’s a big ask Be Careful! Playing football is a big ask Playing football is difficult Winning the World Cup is a big ask To be a walk in the park - to be easy To be a breeze - a gust of wind Giving a 5-minute presentation is a walk in the park Speaking English is a breeze for me Giving a presentation in Chinese would be a big ask COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY To be barking up the wrong tree = To have the wrong idea / approach Should the government ban mobile phones in schools? Do you agree with this idea? No, I reckon the government is barking up the wrong tree, this approach is totally wrong Be Careful! You bark up the wrong tree You are barking up the wrong tree To hit the nail on the head = to be completely right about something Should the government ban mobile phones in schools? Yes, I reckon the government has hit the nail on the head Banning mobile phones would help education no end COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY No end = a lot This will improve education no end If you practice English everyday, that will help your English no end Tip for Using Idioms: Keep it simple Use the idiom in a separate clause / sentence Clause - Context Clause - Idiom With the issue of banning I think the government has mobile phones in schools, hit the nail on the head COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY Not the be-all and end-all = something is important, but not the only important thing Is money important to you? Well it’s not the be-all and end-all, there are more important things in life, like family and friends Do you think computers are important in schools? Well, yes but, they are not the be-all and end-all, I mean the quality of the teaching is probably just as important as the equipment in the schools COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY To be clued up on = to know a lot about something To be clued up on Do you know a lot about football? Yeah, I am really clued up on football, I know lots about it Do you know a lot about cooking? Not much, but my brother is really clued up on cooking He is, like, the next MasterChef! To be clueless about = to know nothing about something To be clueless about To be honest, I am clueless about football I don’t even know who is winning the league at the moment COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY To give your all = to your best To not put a foot wrong = to not make any mistakes I admire my mother because she always gives her all My brother was really careful at school, he never put a foot wrong He studied well, he aced all his exams, and he never got into trouble To be a hard act to follow = difficult for anyone else to as well as that person The queen was a wonderful person, she is going to be a hard act to follow! Get more tips and useful language for your IELTS Speaking preparation here: WWW.KEITHSPEAKINGACADEMY.COM COPYRIGHT © 2022, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY