If you look at the public band descriptors for IELTS speaking you will see that you need to demonstrate the following to achieve a grade 7 under the vocabulary section.
The top ten idioms for IELTS speaking
1. 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: 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 time if you visit.
2. TO BE ON CLOUD NINE
Meaning: very happy and joyful
Example IELTS question: Do you like your job?
Example: 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.
3. TO BE ON TOP OF THE WORLD
Meaning: feeling amazing, wonderful, ecstatic
Example IELTS question: is art popular in your country?
Example: 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 favourite 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.
4. TO BE OVER THE MOON
Meaning: extremely pleased and happy
Example IELTS question: What did you do on your last birthday?
Example: 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.
5. 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: 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.
6. IT MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL
Meaning: to make you very angry
Example IELTS question: Do you get on with your family?
Example: 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.
7. IT DRIVES ME UP THE WALL
Meaning: it annoys you a lot
Example IELTS question: What is your favourite food
Example: I would have to say that my favourite food is mashed potatoes. However, it drives me up the wall when people don’t mash them properly and the potatoes have disgusting lumps.
8. I HIT THE CEILING
Meaning: To get very angry and upset
Example IELTS question: Did you have a hobby as a child?
Example: 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.
9. HE/IT WINDS ME UP
Meaning: someone or something really annoys you
Example IELTS question: Tell me about your first day in work.
Example: My first day in work was terrible! My boss wound me up as he kept shouting at me.
10. TO GET ON YOUR NERVES
Meaning: someone annoys you a lot
Example IELTS question: How could your neighbourhood be improved?
Example: 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.
Read More.
| Idioms that came from movies! | Idioms by Category |
| 40 Common English Idioms | POPULAR IDIOMS AND THEIR MEANINGS |
Very nice and useful for my kids