15 advanced idioms for ielts speaking

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[.]

K E I T H O ' H A R E

IELTS SPEAKING

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Advanced

Idioms Idioms for for

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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.

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Don’t use outdated ones (like raining cats and dogs)

Don’t use too many in the test

Use just a few

Use less common ones

Use them well

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

The Secret

Use this PDF to practice them, and practice with other students and teachers too, so you can get feedback

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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

Clause 1 + Clause 2 Context + Idiom

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

With these idioms, I suggest you put the idiom in one clause, and the context in a separate clause

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I have no idea who will win the next election, it’s up in the air.

it’s up in the air

Clause 1 - Context

I have no idea who will win

the next election,

Clause 2 - Idiom

I think Jack will be the next president, well, at least I think it’s on the cards

well, at least I think it’s on

the cards

Clause 1 - Context

I think Jack will be the next

president

Clause 2 - Idiom

My interview went really well I think my promotion is in the bag

I think my promotion is

in the bag

Clause 1 - Context

My interview went really well

Clause 2 - Idiom

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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

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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

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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.

I think the government has hit the nail on the head

Clause 1 - Context

With the issue of banning

mobile phones in schools,

Clause 2 - Idiom

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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

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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

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To give your all = to do 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 do 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