bolen jackie ielts speaking vocabulary builder master idioms

IELTS Speaking Vocabulary Builder, Band 7 & 8:Master Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, Collocations, & Slang –––––––– www.eslspeaking.org Jackie Bolen... Phrasal Verbs 6: Hold Slang 6: The Chicken

IELTS Speaking Vocabulary Builder, Band 7 & 8:

Master Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, Collocations, & Slang

––––––––

www.eslspeaking.org

Jackie Bolen

Copyright © 2021 by Jackie Bolen

All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced,distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, includingphotocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical meanswithout the prior written permission of the publisher, except in thecase of brief quotations in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law For permission

requests, write to the publisher/author at the following address:Jackie Bolen:

Table of Contents

About the Author: Jackie

An Introduction to the IELTS Speaking Test How is the IELTS Speaking Test Graded? Tips for Scoring a Band 7-8

How Difficult is it to Score Band 9?

How to Use this Book

Phrasal Verbs 6: Hold

Slang 6: The Chicken or the

Collocations 6: Affordable Housing Dialogue 7: Scale Back

Idioms

Phrasal Verbs 7: Conned Out

Slang 7: Hey Ya'll

Collocations 7: Get Into Trouble Dialogue 8: Up in the

About the Author: Jackie Bolen

I taught English in South Korea for 10 years to every level andtype of student I've taught every age from kindergarten kids toadults Most of my time has centered around teaching at twouniversities: five years at a science and engineering school in

Cheonan, and four years at a major university in Busan where Itaught upper level classes for students majoring in English In myspare time, you can usually find me outside surfing, biking, hiking,

or snowshoeing I now live in Vancouver, Canada

In case you were wondering what my academic qualifications are,

I hold a Master of Arts in Psychology During my time in Korea Isuccessfully completed both the Cambridge CELTA and DELTA

certification programs With the combination of almost ten yearsteaching ESL/EFL learners of all ages and levels, and the moreformal teaching qualifications I've obtained, I have a solid

foundation on which to offer advice to English learners

I truly hope that you find this book useful I would love it if yousent me an email with any questions or feedback that you mighthave

Jackie Bolen

Twitter: @bolen_jackie

Email: jb.business.online@gmail.com

You may also want to check out these other books by JackieBolen It's easy to find them wherever you like to buy books.

−  English Collocations in Dialogue

−  Advanced English Conversation Dialogues

−  1001 English Expressions and Phrases

An Introduction to the IELTS Speaking Test

The IELTS speaking test is the same, whether you choose thegeneral or academic version of the test It's face-to-face with areal person, as opposed to some other English proficiency testswhere you speak into a voice recorder However, each IELTS

speaking test is recorded to ensure quality control

The test takes 11-14 minutes and consists of 3 parts:

Part 1: The first set consists of general questions about where you

work, study or live There will be two other question sets afterthat on personal topics such as clothing, holidays, food, etc Ittakes 4-5 minutes and will consist of approximately 12 questions

in total

Part 2: Speaking for 1-2 minutes about a topic that will be given

to you You will have 1 minute of preparation time There may beone short follow-up question

Part 3: A 4-5 minute discussion that goes into greater depth about

the topic from part 2 The examiner has freedom to ask follow-upquestions based on your answers The discussion will be aboutgeneral ideas and not personal ones (like in part 1) Think of thissection as more of a 2-way dialogue with the examiner

The speaking and listening portions of the test are the same,

whether you choose the general or academic version of it It's thereading and writing portions that are different Be sure to check

closely which test is required for whatever purpose you're takingthe test for The general test is usually required for immigrationpurposes while the academic one is most often required forcollege entrance.

How is the IELTS Speaking Test Graded?

You will be graded on four things:

Fluency and coherence: How quickly you speak, without pauses or

repeating yourself Is the previous thought connected to the nextone and how do you finish off what you're saying?

Lexical resources To score at the band 7 level, or above, you'll

need to be able to speak about all the topics on the test withprecision, as well as use things like collocations (words that occurtogether more often than by random chance), idioms, slang, andphrasal verbs This book will focus on helping you with this!

Grammatical range and accuracy: To score at the highest levels,

you'll need to be able to form a variety of simple and complexsentences accurately The keys are to use a variety of sentencetypes and to make few errors

Pronunciation: You'll need to be able to be understood very easily,

without any effort on the part of the examiner Plus, you'll have toput emphasize on the correct words within a sentence and alsowithin a longer speaking turn

Tips for Scoring a Band 7-8

For most proficient English speakers, getting a band 7 or 8 onthe IELTS speaking test is a very achievable goal Here are a fewtips for getting there!

One of the keys is striking a balance between giving enough detail

in your answers to develop topics fully and not talking too much.The examiner has a prescribed set of questions that they need toget through within a strict time limit Pause when you're donewith your thought The examiner will ask another question

Don't feel the need to keep talking, and talking, and talking, andtalking This is not how this test works and you will not get ahigher score just because you are able to talk endlessly This canactually hurt you if you begin to repeat yourself

Don't repeat yourself but do connect the things you say in anorganized way with the use of discourse markers: as I previouslymentioned, firstly, after that, finally, etc

Being able to paraphrase and summarize things is quite importantfor the test Aim for a balance between giving some details andalso giving a summary or overview of things

Do NOT attempt to memorize anything for this test You will getpenalized very heavily for this and it is a waste of time There are

so many questions each year that even if you were to find outsome of them, it's impossible to memorize that many answers

Use idioms, phrasal verbs, slang (appropriate!), collocations, etc.Not using idiomatic language will make it difficult to score above

a Band 6

Aim to use precise words to describe something, instead of wordslike “thing, stuff, like that.” This shows that you don't have a

large vocabulary, or can't access it when needed Avoid filler wordsthat don't have any meaning

It's easy to repeat words as a kind of filler (the author of thisbook says, “like” way too much!) when speaking However, thisshould be avoided Look on Google for some sample IELTS

speaking test questions and then record yourself answering them

to see if there are words that you use too often Like is the mostcommon one of these kinds of words but there are lots more.Use a mix of complex and simple sentences Even if you use

simple sentences perfectly, it will make it difficult to score above aBand 5

Finish off your thoughts in an appropriate way Ending most

sentences with: like that, that's why, that's it, or something similarwill make it difficult to score above a band 6

Show your personality Emphasize key things in what you're sayingand don't be scared to show your opinion about something Theexaminer is only grading you on your English ability, not on youropinions about a topic

Using humour or telling a (short!) funny story about something isgreat It's a nice way to show that you know English quite well ifyou're able to do this

For part 3, don't get personal This section is designed to testyour ability to talk about general ideas and thoughts which is

more difficult to do than talking about personal things This is thesection where candidates can really set themselves apart and have

a chance to use higher-level vocabulary and grammatical

constructions

How Difficult is it to Score Band 9?

It's quite difficult (though not impossible) for non-native Englishspeakers to achieve a band 9 on the IELTS speaking test Thereare people who have been learning English as a second language(most Europeans for example) since they were a young child andthey also have a first language that is similar to English For

these people, it may be achievable

Or, there are some people who moved to an English speakingcountry when they were young who may be able to get this score

Or, those who did a large part of their education in English

However, being a native English speaker doesn't automatically

mean that you'll be able to get a 9 It's really not that easy todo! To do that, you'll also need to do the following:

−  Develop topics fully and at length

−  Connect thoughts, without repetition

−  Only have pauses that are related to forming an opinion aboutsomething, for example and not searching for a word (no pauses

in the middle of sentences)

−  Use a large range of very precise language, including thingslike idioms

−  Speak fluently, essentially without grammatical errors.

−  Be understood easily, without any effort on the part of theexaminer

−  Avoid the use of filler words (this is what even native speakersmay struggle with)

The good news is that there is almost no reason why someonewould need to get a 9 on this test For educational, immigration,employment or other purposes, I don't know of any of them thatwould require getting a 9! So, don't worry about it Scoring a 7

or 8 on the speaking test is a far more achievable goal and

should be acceptable in almost all cases

How to Use this Book

This book is designed to help you build a bigger vocabulary,

especially idioms, phrasal verbs, slang and collocations If youwant to score higher than a band 6, it will be necessary to usethis kind of language and your examiner will be specifically

listening for it This will allow you to score in the higher bandsfor the lexical resources section of the scoring

To use this book, I recommend doing one lesson per day Thereare 40 lessons: 5 each of a general dialogue, idioms, phrasal

verbs, slang and collocations Do the practice exercises and trynot to cheat by looking at the answers!

Use a vocabulary notebook and be sure to write down any newwords that you learn Review them frequently and consider makingsome flashcards Push yourself to use this new vocabulary whenspeaking and see if you can find them when watching English TV

or movies, or reading

Make sure you know how to pronounce any new word that youlearn Look on YouTube or Google, “How to say _” to findout If you have a large vocabulary, you'll score high on this

section of the test but it won't help you that much if you can'tpronounce them! You'll score lower on the fourth section,

pronunciation

This book can help you expand your vocabulary range You mightalso consider extensive reading and listening as well Find things

to listen to (podcasts, movies, TV shows) or read (books,

magazine, newspaper articles) that are at your level, or just

slightly below The key is to read or listen just for fun and to nothave to use a dictionary all the time This will not only help youbecome more familiar with English vocabulary but it'll also helpyou improve your grammatical accuracy as well

Be sure to do some practice tests (search on Google for “IELTSspeaking test practice”) and record yourself to review later Try touse the new vocabulary that you've acquired in this book

Dialogue 1: Wasting Time

Kim and Sally are talking about summer vacation plans.

What are you up to this summer

Oh, every summer, we head to our cabin at Lake Minnewanka

Wow! I didn't know you had a cabin there

Yeah, we bought it 5 years ago and since have spent as much time as possible there It's the perfect place for wasting doing

almost nothing

Well, you need to make time to relax, right? That sounds idyllic.

Definitely

When are you heading out?

Actually, the day after I'm under the gun for packing!

Okay, have an awesome trip! Don't forget about your old friends

slaving away at work.

Vocabulary

This summer Usually refers to time off that people have from

school or work during July or August (in North America)

5 years Now is 2021 5 years ago = 2016.

Since After a certain point in the past.

As much time as The maximum amount, taking into account

restrictions like school or work

Wasting Not doing much.

Idyllic: Tranquil; peaceful.

Day after In 2 days For example, today is Monday Day after

tomorrow = Wednesday

Under the gun: Feeling pressure, usually due to a time constraint.

Slaving away: Working hard.

_, I've been doing way better

I'm going to Japan the _

I've been _ on this project for months now

I graduated from high school _

is what summer vacation is all about!

Let's find somewhere _ to go to for vacation

Can you stay late tonight? We're kind of _ here

, I'd love to finally read those books that have been sitting

on my nightstand for months!

I try to spend _ outside It's great for my mental health

under the gun

this summer vacation

as much time as possible

Idioms 1

About Face

Meaning: A complete change of direction, either physically or in

strategy

Origin: From a long-standing military command and manoeuvre

that's thought to have originated in the British Army

“We'll need to do an about face here There's no way we can keep

going with our current plan.”

Above Board

Meaning: A plan or business agreement that is honest and/or

legitimate

Origin: Thought to have originated from times in which pirates

ran the seas “Under board” was when pirates hid underneath thedeck to trick victim ships Above board is the opposite of that

“We need to do this whole thing strictly above Revenue Canada is

watching our every move.”

Ace in the Hole

Meaning: An advantage that is hidden until an opportune time to

reveal it

Origin: A poker term referring to a hidden ace.

“Tim is my ace in the Nobody knows how good he is except for

me.”

Across the Pond

Meaning: Refers to the Atlantic Ocean North Americans refer to

people from the UK as from “across the pond” and vice versa

Origin: Centuries ago, a pond could refer to any body of water.

This was later adopted into an American/British idiom and used

to refer to the Atlantic Ocean

“What's going on across the pond these days?”

Actions Speak Louder than Words

Meaning: Action is more important than saying you will do it It

refers to following through on a promise

Origin: Unclear, but it's thought to be three centuries old.

“I'm so tired of him doing nothing Actions speak louder than words and he is all talk and no action!”

Act of War

Meaning: The literal meaning is a violent act that is large enough

to elicit a war response The idiom is to conduct an action thatelicits a response to start a conflict For example, a businesshiring workers from a rival

Origin: The legal definition is a country acting to provoke a war

or conflict For example, amassing troops near a disputed border

“In my mind, what he's doing is an act of I'm done playing nice

with him.”

Add Fuel to the Fire

Meaning: Making a bad situation worse by increasing anger or

hostility

It dates back to the Roman empire and was adapted in Englishliterature over time

“Stop adding fuel to the You should just stop bugging your

brother when he starts to get angry.”

A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Meaning: A missed opportunity due to lateness, lack of effort,

Phrasal Verbs 1: Blew Me Away

Ted and Gary are talking about a new guy at work.

I'm so happy that we brought Tommy over here when that other branch closed

Yeah, he blew me away on that last project He's a guy we can count on.

I wasn't sure he was cut out for the work culture here but he's

fit in well.

You're right Everyone looks up to him.

Definitely! The chance we took on him paid

Vocabulary

Brought Tommy over: Invited someone (Tommy) to join.

Closed down: Shut.

Blew me away: Impressed.

Count on: Depend on.

Cut out: Fit for something.

Fit in: Get along well in a certain position or place.

Looks up Respects someone.

Paid Yielded some good results.

You can always _ me for anything you need.

I'm not sure that I'm _ for this role I don't have the righttraining

All of our hard work _ We got an A+ on the project!

Many restaurants _ because of Covid-19

I hope that Jenny can _ with her new classmates

Slang 1: Chill Out

Keith is telling Sam that he's going to leave.

Hey, I think I'm going to

Chill You just got here Why are you leaving?

I'm tired of playing third wheel with you couch

Come on, stay We'll watch a flick or something.

Nah, I'm going to I want to catch some rays at the beach.

You're such a pain in the Why don't we come with you though?

I'm tired of sitting around too

Couch People who aren't that active, instead preferring to sit on

the couch and watch TV or play video games

A A movie.

Go somewhere

Catch some Go outside in the sun.

A pain in the Describes someone who is annoying or bothersome.

My youngest is such _

Let's _ There are some weird people here

I don't mind being the _, depending on the couple.Let's _ We need to be there in 15 minutes

I want to _ this weekend for sure

Hey, _ We don't have to be there for another hour

Do you want to catch _ this weekend?

My kids are basically _ and never want to go outside

Collocations 1: Window Seat

Liz and Amy are talking about a bad experience with flying.

Liz: How was your trip?

Amy: It got off to a slow start but was better at the end.

Liz: Oh no! What happened?

Amy: Well, I hate the window seat so requested an aisle seat

when booking my flight But, I guess the travel agent didn't pass the message along That wasn't the worst of it The airline lost

my Thankfully, I had travel insurance though.

Liz: Wow! That's bad news.

Amy: Nah, it was fine after I checked into the Then, I could relax.

Booking my Reserving a plane ticket.

Travel Someone who books vacations or travel.

Lost my When suitcases or other personal belongings don't show

up when flying

Travel Insurance that travellers purchase to cover things like lost

luggage, flight delays, etc

Checked into the Got the room key and information you need

when staying at a hotel

Would you like a _ or an _?

The airline _ but thankfully I had my important medicationwith me

Should we use a _ or book it ourselves?

Don't forget _ Medical costs are very high in the USA

My secret is to use an incognito browser window when _.You can get cheaper flights that way

Let's grab dinner after you get _

Dialogue 2: Noise Pollution

Kathleen and Kenny are talking about living in Busan.

Kathleen: Kenny! You lived in Busan, South Korea? I've always

wanted to go there What's it like? I've heard that it's a beautiful

coastal

Kenny: Well, there's a lot of noise pollution and light It's the

second biggest city in Korea And traffic jams too during rush

Kathleen: It sounds terrible.

Kenny: Oh no, it's amazing! I love Nampo-Dong, which has lots

of street food and street vendors plus trendy It's perfect for a

date

Kathleen: What else?

Kenny: Well, there's no real downtown core or main square but there are six beaches within city Most people just hang out there,

especially in the summertime. 

Vocabulary

Coastal city: A city next to the ocean.

Noise pollution: Ambient noise in a city For example, cars

honking

Light pollution: Light from signs and cars that you can see inside

your house at night

Traffic jams: Lots of cars on the road which makes progress

slower than normal

Rush hour: The busiest times to drive, usually because of people

going to work and coming home from work

Street food: Food from an outside stall.

Street vendors: People selling things at an outside stall.

Trendy cafes: Coffee shops that are fashionable and hip.

Downtown core: The area in a city with lots of tall buildings; an

important place of business

Main square: The most important public courtyard in a city.

City limits: The outer edge of the city, including suburbs Not just

the downtown core. 

I love to buy Christmas presents from _ There are lots ofinteresting things

Vancouver is the best _ in Canada

Within the _, you can find three beaches and countless parks

Go after 9:30 am to avoid

Where's the _? I'd love to spend some time there and peoplewatch

The best _ in Korea? Honestly, I can't choose There are

many delicious things

The _ in Edmonton is famous for being boring at night

makes it difficult for me to sleep at night even though Ihave blackout curtains

My boyfriend loves to spend time at _ on weekends I thinkthey're expensive!

During , it takes twice as long to get home

The _ is terrible here I have to wear earplugs to sleep atnight

downtown core

light pollutiontrendy cafesrush hour

noise pollution

Idioms 2

An Accident Waiting to Happen

Meaning: Can refer to someone or something that is/are in a

dangerous situation where an accident is likely to occur

Unclear; first use is from the early 1900s

“Your steps are an accident waiting to

An Arm and a Leg

Meaning: Something that is extremely expensive and possibly too

expensive

Origin: Possibly refers to 20th century wartime, where a soldier

could lose an arm and/or a leg in battle

“Houses cost an arm and a leg in Vancouver.”

A Penny for your Thoughts

Meaning: A way of asking someone what they are thinking.

Origin: Unclear.

penny for your

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

Meaning: Means that saving money is as important as earning

money

Origin: Benjamin Franklin created the term in his book, “Poor

Richard’s Almanac.”

“It's not all about income but about living frugally as well A

penny saved is a penny earned.

A Pretty Penny

Meaning: Refers to something that costs a lot of money.

Origin: Unclear, but first seen in 1800s literature.

“His new car must have cost a pretty

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

Improvements in the whole economy will benefit all participants init

Origin: Thought to have originated on the east coast of the USA.

However, it was popularized by John F Kennedy (then a Senator)

to refer to economic growth

“We need to focus on improving Canada's GDP post-Covid A rising tide lifts all boats and the average Canadian will be more

prosperous.”

As Far as I Can Tell

Meaning: To the best of my understanding.

“Keith has such a short He's always getting in fights with people

when playing basketball.”

A Stone’s Throw

Meaning: A short distance.

Unclear, but first mentioned in early English versions of the Bible

as “a stone's cast.”

“The bakery? It's just a stone's throw away Just walk around the

corner and you'll see it.”

At the Drop of a Hat

Meaning: To do something without delay or hesitation.

Origin: From the 19th century where dropping a hat signified the

start of a race or fight

“Call Ted next time! He'll play tennis at the drop of a