🗣️ How to Use Idioms Correctly in IELTS Speaking (Without Sounding Forced)

Many IELTS candidates believe they must use idioms to impress the examiner. While idiomatic expressions can boost your score in Lexical Resource, they only help if they’re used naturally, accurately, and in the right context. Here's how to do it properly — and avoid sounding unnatural or robotic.

✅ What the Examiner Wants

• Natural, fluent language that fits the topic
• Accurate use of expressions and collocations
• Avoiding overuse or awkward idioms that distract

📌 When Should You Use Idioms?

Use idioms when:

• They match your everyday speaking style
• The meaning is clear in context
• You’re confident in how they’re used

Not all idioms are useful for IELTS! Avoid old-fashioned or confusing ones like “Don’t cry over spilled milk” unless you can explain them well.

⭐ 10 Idioms That Work Well in IELTS Speaking

• To be over the moon – very happy
  “I was over the moon when I passed the exam.”
• To kill time – pass time doing something unimportant
  “I usually read articles to kill time on the train.”
• Piece of cake – very easy
  “The listening test was a piece of cake.”
• Hit the books – start studying
  “I need to hit the books this weekend — exams are coming.”
• Cost an arm and a leg – very expensive
  “That phone cost an arm and a leg!”
• Under the weather – feeling sick
  “I didn’t go to work because I was feeling under the weather.”
• Once in a blue moon – very rarely
  “I go to the cinema once in a blue moon.”
• Break the ice – make people comfortable
  “I told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.”
• Burn the midnight oil – study/work late
  “I had to burn the midnight oil before my final exam.”
• Pull someone’s leg – joke with someone
  “He wasn’t serious — he was just pulling your leg.”

⚠️ Idiom Mistakes to Avoid

• ❌ Using idioms too frequently or randomly
• ❌ Saying them in the wrong form or tense (e.g., “I over the moon” ❌)
• ❌ Using idioms that confuse or distract the examiner
• ❌ Memorizing long phrases and forcing them into every answer

🎯 Best Practice Strategy

• Choose 5–10 idioms you like and can say naturally
• Practice them in real answers aloud
• Record yourself — if it sounds unnatural, adjust or replace

Tip: Combine idioms with other fluent tools like linking phrases and collocations. For example:
“Actually, I was over the moon when I got the scholarship — it really took a load off my mind.”

🧘 Final Advice

You don’t need to use idioms in every answer. It’s better to use one well-placed idiomatic expression than several awkward ones. Focus on natural communication — and when idioms fit, use them with confidence and clarity.

See also next IELTS Speaking Pronunciation Tips – Clarity Over Accent

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