In this article, I will show?you lots of useful?idioms for IELTS Speaking?that you can use for any topic.?

Idioms are?important?because they help you understand natural English, and also because?to get a Band 7+ in IELTS Speaking you need to use?‘some less common and idiomatic vocabulary’

Many students find idioms a challenge –?

Which do I learn??

How do I use them?

Well there are thousands of them, and I suggest you should learn 1 idiom a day as a regular part of your daily English diet.?

Rather than going to lists, I would note them as you hear them in context, such as a?podcast?or?TV series.

Idioms for Expressing Opinions

In?IELTS Speaking?you are often asked to give your opinion on a topic, and there are different idiomatic expressions you can use to express your opinion.

Let’s take the following question:

Many governments are investing in space travel. What do you think about this?

You could reply with either of the following,?

My take on this?is, it’s a good idea

To my way of thinking, it’s a good idea

If you are unsure about?your opinion, you could say one of the following;

I’m in two minds?about this.

I’m?on the fence.

If you want to talk about one most important idea, you can use the expression,

It boils down to + noun?= the most important thing is _____

For example,

It?boils down?to?money. Can we afford to invest in space exploration? I don’t think so.?

Or you might say,?

It?boils down to?one thing, our planet is in danger, so we need to explore space.

Idioms for Expressing Likes and Dislikes

Very often in the test, you are asked whether you like something or not.?

For example,

Do you like your job / football / fast food??(Single nouns)

Here are some useful idioms for IELTS Speaking that you can use in this case. The first is to say you like it, the second is if you don’t care or you are indifferent, and the third is to say you don’t like it.?

It’s the bees knees?= I love it

I can take it or leave it?= I don’t care / mind

It’s not my cup of tea?=?I don’t like it

Idioms for Expressing Confusion

Some topics in IELTS Speaking can be confusing and you may not honestly really understand them.

For example,

• Science

• A.I.

• Museums

• Art

• Architecture

That’s fine, you just need to say you don’t fully understand them, or you find them confusing.?

This is a great opportunity to show off your language. If the examiner asks,

What do you think of Artificial Intelligence?

You can try the following:

I can’t make head or tail of it (GB)

I can’t make heads or tails of it (US)

I can’t get my head around it?

Introducing People in IELTS Speaking Part 2

In IELTS Speaking Part 2,?you may need to talk about a person, maybe some you like or admire.?

Instead of saying,

I’d like to talk about my father

You could say,?

The person I want to talk about is?none other than?my father

‘none other than’?is used to introduce someone that might be a surprise to the listener.?

Idioms for Saying Things are Good

As mentioned above, in?Part 2, you may have to talk about a?person, or possibly a place, an activity or a thing.

If you want to describe any of these as good, you can use the following expressions,

______ is hands down the best

________ is second to none

______ is a cut above the rest

I think the world of ________

Here are some specific examples:?

Harry Kane is?hands down the best?football player in England

My Maths teacher is so good, she is?second to none

Samsung phones are?a cut above the rest

I?think the world of?my father

Idioms for Saying Things are Normal

If on the hand, you want to describe a person, place, activity or thing as normal, nothing special, you can say,?

It’s a?run-of-the-mill?restaurant?

This hotel is ok, but?nothing to write home about?

Idioms for Saying Things are Not Good

Finally, some things may not be good at all. When we want to compare 2 things or people, saying one is not as good as the other, we can say,?

It is?not a patch on?______ = It’s not as good as ______

It?can’t hold a candle to?______ = It’s not as good as ______

Here are some specific examples:

The latest Marvel film?is not a patch on?the previous film.

This restaurant?is not a patch on?the one we went to last week

This singer is ok, but she?can’t hold a candle to?Beyoncé

I hope you will find these idioms useful for your?IELTS Speaking test.?

Remember, always learn idioms in context,?and just learn 1 or 2 a day.?

Idioms are?fun?because they help you add?colour, metaphor and humour?to your speech. This is why they are used a lot in the news, or by politicians to make their speech more attractive.?

Think of them as a the salt or pepper of your speech, they add flavour.

Don’t overuse them in your speech, it won’t sound natural – too much salt will ruin the flavour of your speech!