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Speaking tips

How to prepare for the IELTS Speaking test, tips and techniques that helped test takers improve and raise their score

10 expressions to help you get Band 7+ in IELTS (Lesson 2)

Many test takers know that using idiomatic expressions in IELTS helps you get a higher score. Not so many know what expressions to use, and how to use them appropriately.

In this video Adam, an ex-IELTS examiner with 10 years of experience, gives you 10 excellent idioms to use, to get a Band 7 or higher score in your IELTS Speaking or Writing test. Adam explains what every expression means and how to use it in a sentence.

Watch the video on YouTube here

 
If you’d like to copy and save these useful expressions for later, here is a list, have a look at the idioms below and ask yourself:

A. Do you know what they mean?

B. Can you use them in a sentence?

And then make a sentence about YOU and use one of those expressions. By doing that you are more likely to remember that idiom, because we tend to remember personal things better!

10 expressions to help you get a Band 7 in IELTS

1. A blessing in disguise
2. A dime a dozen
3. To beat around the bush
4. Better late than never
5. To bite the bullet
6. To call it a day
7. To cut somebody some slack
8. To cut corners
9. To get out of hand
10. To get something out of your system

Go here to check YOUR own Speaking score.

How to get Band 7+ in IELTS Speaking (video lesson #3)

There is some extra value in Lesson #3 that you will love! Things Adam talks about will help you not only with Speaking, but also with other IELTS skills – especially writing! The vocabulary and grammar Adam will teach you in this lesson will help you speak better, write better and understand things you hear or read, which means your Listening and Reading scores can only improve with this knowledge.

If you missed Lesson 1 or Lesson 2, don’t worry, you can watch them later. Here is what you don’t want to miss though, one very important principle Adam keeps talking about: don’t just sit and watch this lesson. Grab a pen and paper, pause the video and use the grammar he explains to write a sentence about YOU. This will help you remember, because personal things stay in our memory for longer.

Watch the video on YouTube here

 

Go here to get Adam to assess your Speaking, estimate you the score you’re likely to get now and tell you how to score higher.


In the video: Speaking Part 2 and Part 3 – grammar, vocabulary and idiomatic expressions

The Part 2 topic Adam talks about in this lesson is,

Describe a successful small company that you know about. Please say

– What kind of work the company does
– How you know about the company
– What you know about it.

Adam saw many test takers hesitate when they got this question, and that is why he knew he had to show you a great way to answer it.

What kind of grammar will help you get a high score?

This is a ‘present’ question and it means you should use present grammar forms when you talk about it.

One of the options is Simple Present, for example: “The company sells computers.”

If you wanted to get fancier, you could use a Passive form, “The best pizza can be bought there”, or an Active form, You can buy the best pizza there”.

Your other options are Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous, and of course Adam explains how to use these grammar forms and gives you examples.

Vocabulary and Idioms for Band 7+

In this section Adam gives you a list of words to use instead of ‘business’. You don’t have to keep saying ‘company’ – you can use ‘firm’, ‘corporation’, ‘organization’, ‘venture’, ‘establishment’ and many other synonyms. Not only that, you will also learn adjectives to describe what kind of business it is, and verbs to explain what it does. Adam also introduces to you some idiomatic expressions you could use to talk about a business (and how to use them in a sentence):

“Above board” – to be open and honest
“Bend the truth” – to lie a little
… and more!

Finally, Adam gives you some ideas how YOU can come up with things to say about a business in your country. He suggests what you could think about to get enough ideas for your talk. So, if you ever find yourself short of ideas, definitely watch this video.

Mock Speaking Test

Last but not least, it is Mock Test time! Adam will be asking you questions as a Speaking examiner, and you will be answering them (and, hopefully, recording yourself).

You will be amazed how many things about your speaking you can notice from listening to your own recordings. Listen and check if you’re using the expressions he talks about in this video, if you’re using the grammatical structures he recommends, and how fluently you are talking.

Don’t forget to check for fillers – how many times you use words like ‘um’, ‘er’, ‘ah’, ‘like,’, ‘well…’, ‘you know…’. You can also check if you’re making little grammatical or vocabulary mistakes, or if you hesitate a lot. Make notes about any issues you notice, and do better on your next Mock Test.