Top Ten Idioms in English - IELTS speaking

I’ve done no research on this and so, there is no way  I can be sure that these are the top ten idioms used in English.

Adding idioms to your spoken language will make you sound more natural and more like a native speaker. But PLEASE DON’T use them all the time!

Choose two or three idioms that you like and remember them. Use them at the right time and don’t try to force them into every sentence.

Top ten most common idioms in English

1. Piece of cake	A.      Undecided
2. Costs an arm and a leg	B.      Tell a secret
3. Sit on the fence	C.      Never!
4. It’s not my cup of tea	D.     don’t trust how something looks
5. Let the cat out of the bag	E.      I’ll do you a favour if…
6. Hit the nail on the head	F.       Take on a difficult job
7. When pigs fly	G.     It’s easy!
8. You can’t judge a book by its cover.	H.     Get something correct
9.  Bite off more than you can chew	I.        I don’t like it
10. I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine	J.        Expensive!

Answers below:


Check out Richard King’s book for more help with your IELTS exams!

 

Answers:1.g 2.j 3.a 4.i 5.b 6.h 7.c 8.d 9. f 10.e

IELTS Writing - A Good Introduction.

Like a good breakfast sets you up for the day, a good introduction sets you up for writing a great IELTS task 1 or 2 essay. Introductions also let your reader know that you mean business and have a plan.


Look at the IELTS task 2 questions below and match them to the introductions.



































I think the answers are quite easy to work out - so I won't tell you.

Think about how the introduction sets out the answer that will come in the rest of the essay. Also notice that the introductions 'paraphrase' the statement - you'll lose marks in your IELTS exam if you repeat the same words as the question.
  
For more help with your introductions, try:

 

 

 
 
   

Teach Yourself IELTS Reading: Free Today

Free download on Amazon Kindle for a few days only.

 

It's a great little resource book with tips on:

Teach yourself IELTS Reading is a step by step guide to getting a better score in your IELTS exam. There are thirteen chapters covering all the major question types which should help you gain a complete understanding of the IELTS reading exam. Articles on exam technique will help you improve your reading skills. There are also two sample IELTS reading exams. With more than 20 years of classroom experience and materials development, Richard L King makes sense of the IELTS reading exam and explains reading techniques and strategies in clear and simple English that everyone can understand.  


Here's the UK version

Here's the American version

For the Spanish version

Brazilian version

In Japan click here

In India click here

If you're in Germany, click here

For the Mexican version, it's here

Canadian version

If you're in Australia click here

If these links don't work - please search 'Teach yourself IELTS Reading' on Amazon in your country. You should see that the price for Kindle download is 0.00 -  Click to 'buy' it for free.

Why would he give you it for nothing?

Simple.

He wants you to buy his other resource book - Teach yourself IELTS Writing! See below...

 

IELTS writing task 1 - process writing

Process writing is something that comes up on task 1 from time to time and is fairly straightforward to do.

Keep the paragraphs simple and use structures you already know to make your writing sound more academic. Use the passive voice on this one - it will make you sound more academic.

Here's a quick worksheet to get you started.

ielts-task-1-process-writing-worksheet

IELTS Listening – Monty Python’s four Yorkshiremen

  

 
Here’s another lesson you can do yourself or give to your IELTS students for homework or as an activity in class.

This time it’s a comedy sketch from the unique and very funny English comedians, Monty Python.

You’ll need access to YouTube.com  and a way to show the video to students, this could be on their smartphones or on a projector.

Click on the picture of the worksheet below to download it.




I’ve added YouTube link to the bottom of the page but this may change over time. You can search for the video yourself by going to YouTube and writing ‘Four Yorkshiremen Monty Python’.

     

Teach yourself IELTS reading - Free downloaded ended

The free download ended on 25th Feb! 

I'll let you know when it become free again  but please check out the blog, there are loads of free and useful things to help you with your IELTS.
  
You can download Richard L King's book- Teach yourself IELTS Reading - from Amazon today for free.

It's a great little resource book with tips on:
- the types of questions you're likely to find on the exam
- strategies for reading quickly such as skimming and scanning
- word lists to help develop your vocab
- advice about how to set a workable study timetable.

Here's the UK version
Download the UK version here  

Here's the American version
Download the USA version here

If these links don't work - please search 'Teach yourself IELTS reading' on Amazon in your country. You should see that the price for Kindle download is 0.00 -  Click to 'buy' it for free.

Why would he give you it for nothing?

Simple.

He wants you to buy his next book - Teach yourself IELTS writing! See below...

A new novel – Painted Dog – please read and vote!

Could you do me a favour?

My new novel ‘Painted Dog’ is out now on the Kindle Scout website. https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/165NEN69MTBD9

It’s free for you to read the first few chapters and if you like it, please vote for it. If I get enough votes, Amazon will help me publish and market it.

‘Deep In the ancient jungle, the River Tribe find two of their own, dead. They send for a hunter from the city, but the young man who travels the tropical river to help them, is not quite what they expect.

He is the Painted Dog and with him, comes the old animal they call UkanDooAh.

There are dangers deep in the jungle, giants and ghosts too, but there is also something precious, the village girl, Atepe.’