Idioms in the IELTS - Should Test Takers Use it or Not?

Speaking and Writing in English are two things most people are worried about. Speaking in the English language in front of somebody can cause tension and anxiety. Furthermore, choosing the right words to express yourself in English also poses a possible reason for stress in speaking. In addition, writing in the English language can be a huge task as thinking of great ideas to write and details to make essays better might complicate things.

In the International English Language Testing System (IELTS examination), these two sections require practice and training for future test takers. This is the very reason why many candidates prefer enrolling in an IELTS review center. IELTS review centers are known to give training on speaking and writing as candidates give priority to these sections. During trainings, candidates usually ask coaches whether using idioms on the examination is a good thing or not.

First, in the speaking section, the usage of idioms is acceptable. It makes the response sound better and intelligent.  What the candidates need to be careful with is the difference of some idioms used in the American English and British English. In the writing, idioms should not be used in the first task of the Academic writing. Data or Charts are to be interpreted; hence, candidates should be able to describe it as accurately as possible. For the other tasks, the usage of idioms can be employed. However, it is best to use idioms that are easier to understand and somehow common. Here are some idioms that candidates can use:

• a piece of cake
This expression means that something is easy to do or take

For example:
The task given by the teacher was such a piece of cake.

• worlds apart
It means that two things are completely different

For example:
My roommate and I seem to have a friendly disposition, but in reality, we are world apart.

• Lend a hand
This idiom shows that somebody is giving help to somebody

For example:
The community is planning to lend a hand to those victims of the recent tragedy in our village.

There are a lot of common idioms in the English language; however, knowing which one is appropriate and will show accuracy in your sentences should be taken into consideration. If you are quite unsure with the idiom you are about to use, try expressing it using a different word to avoid committing mistakes.

In IELTS review centers, different writing and speaking activities are given to candidates. These include the usage of idioms on the right sentences and descriptions.

Get more IELTS tips here: http://www.ieltsexamstips.com/