idioms and phrases for essay writing

Writing idioms: Inspiring phrases about writing and writers

Struggling with writer’s block? These writing idioms will get your mind flowing again.

In this list we cover English idioms about writing, writers, letters, and even paper. We have also included a few proverbs on these topics! All of these phrases include a definition and example sentences to help you learn how to use them.

So, pen at the ready, and let’s go!

Writing idioms

Get it in writing.

You’ll hear people use the expression get it in writing when they want to have physical proof of an agreement. They don’t just want to rely on a handshake or verbal agreement.

“Unless you get it in writing, I can’t proceed with the deal.”

Related to this, someone may ask you to put it in writing when you are forming an agreement.

Wet signature

Similar to the expression above, sometimes you are required to sign something with a wet signature (as opposed to an e-signature). This means that you must physically sign with a pen or other writing implement.

“That bank is so old-fashioned; they need a wet signature for me to open an account.”

Handwriting like chicken scratch

Hopefully, no one says you have handwriting like chicken scratch . It’s a way of describing someone’s writing as very messy – even illegible – like the dirt marks chickens make!

“My doctor has handwriting like chichen scratch and the pharmacist couldn’t understand it.”

Yes – doctors are notorious for their bad handwriting, but have you ever wondered why ?

Paper trail

You may hear this phrase in your favorite police drama show. A paper trail is a series of records and documents that can be used to track someone’s activities. When the police are looking for a criminal, they can follow phone records, financial reports, diary entries or even video footage to locate the person.

“We just followed the paper trail and found the missing money.”

Even though these records may be mainly electronic nowadays, we still refer to it as a ‘paper trail’.

Poison-pen letter

A poison-pen letter is not a very nice thing to write or receive. It’s a letter or note that is very mean-spirited, critical or even malicious. It isn’t usually signed by the sender.

“I can’t belive someone left a poison-pen letter on my car.”

To describe someone as an open book is to say that they are easy to get to know. They don’t withhold information or keep secrets, so you can learn a lot about them and their nature.

“Jo at reception is an open book. I find her really easy to get to know.”

We have more expressions about friendship and getting to know people on a separate page.

It’s not worth the paper it’s written/printed on

Sadly, some of these writing idioms are about deception and being tricked. When people describe an agreement, contract signing, guarantee or promise as not (being) worth the paper it’s written on , they are saying that the agreement is worthless.

“This contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. I’m afraid you’re going to lose your money.”

Not worth writing home about

When something is of little interest, rather dull or unremarkable, you could say that it’s not worth writing home about . In other words, there is no exciting news to report.

“My weekend wasn’t worth writing home about. What about you?”

Don’t forget to write

This is one of the more dated idioms about writing. Traditionally, when people went on holiday they would write postcards to friends and family back home. So, as a clichéd farewell, people will remind you, don’t forget to write . There are some more modern travel idioms you can use, too.

“Have a wonderful holiday and don’t forget to write.”

A word of warning: this expression can also be used in a sarcastic way when someone is happy you are leaving!

The oldest trick in the book

The oldest trick in the book is a form of deception or trickery, or a way of solving a problem, that has been done for a long time and still works well.

“Were you really expecting a new iPhone for that price from a guy on the street?! It’s the oldest trick in the book!” “I always go for a run whilst the family are still sleeping. It’s the oldest trick in the book to make sure I still get a run in.”

When this expression is used in reference to some kind of deception, there is also the suggestion that nobody should be naive enough to fall for the trick as it has been around for so long. So, if you do get tricked in this way, it’s your own fault for being gullible.

Don’t judge a book by its cover

This is such a popular phrase and a really great piece of advice. You should never judge a book by its cover as you are basing your opinions of someone or something purely on what you see on the outside.

“I was so shocked when my 92-year-old grandfather started breakdancing at the wedding. Guess you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover!”

Writing idioms - a close up of a hand writing in a note book

Idioms about writing

Put pen to paper.

This idiom about writing could be losing relevance, since most writing nowadays is done electronically. Still, to instruct someone to put pen to paper is to tell them it’s time to start writing.

“Ok boys and girls, the exam has started to it’s time to put pen to paper. Good luck.” “Writing a novel may seem daunting but it just begins with putting pen to paper.”

The writing is on the wall

A lot of these idioms about writing are forms of warning or guidance, and this one is no exception! When there are strong indications that something bad is about to happen, people will warn that the writing is on the wall .

“Our sales are down and they’ve just transfered calls to another team. I guess the writing is on the wall and we’ll be fired soon.”

Did you know this is one of many idioms that come from the Bible ?

Paper over the cracks

In a literal form, to paper over cracks would be to cover defects in a wall by decorating over them. As an idiom, it tells us that someone is trying to hide or gloss over problems, issues, or disagreements.

“Listen, just paper over the cracks and we’ll sort it out after the presentation.”

Take a leaf out of someone’s book

When someone suggests that you take a leaf (or a page) out of someone’s book they are saying that you should do the same as them or follow their example.

“Why don’t you take a leaf out of your brother’s book? He’s just graduated from college.”

There are lots more idioms about books for you to discover here.

Pen pusher / Paper pusher

Writing idioms can be used in so many different ways. This one describes the type of job someone has. A pen pusher or paper pusher is someone who has a low-level administrative job that isn’t very interesting or significant.

It probably involves a lot of form-filling, filing or repetitive paperwork.

“Just ignore Micky, he’s only a paper pusher and has no real say in what happens.”

The pen is mightier than the sword

This is such an inspiring writer idiom, and perhaps an important idiom for kids to learn . The meaning behind the expression the pen is mightier than the sword is that writing is better than fighting.

Why so? Well, when you write something, people will read your words and you can influence or inspire them. Or it could be saying that communicating solves more problems than going to war. Basically, being intellectual is better than being physically aggressive, according to this saying.

“I wrote a letter to the President as I believe that the pen is mightier than the sword.”

Give someone their walking papers

Although there are a few positive idioms about writing, this one isn’t so good. To give someone their walking papers is to fire them from a job or ask them to leave a place or situation.

“Well, that’s that. I was given my walking papers on Friday.”

In British English, you may hear a similar phrase – to give someone their marching orders – which means the same thing.

The ink isn’t even dry yet / the ink’s still wet

You would use the saying the ink isn’t even dry yet or the ink is still wet to comment on something happening immediately after an agreement or legal document is signed.

A good example is someone getting re-married just after signing their divorce papers.

“The ink was still wet on the contract for the new car and he backed it into a wall!” “The ink isn’t even dry on your employment contract and you’re already thinking of leaving?!”

Even if nothing was physically signed, this phrase can be used figuratively.

Write a bum check (cheque)

Have you ever written a check to make a payment? Checks are being phased out in most places, but here is a full explanation of how they used to work.

To write a bum check (or ‘cheque’ in British English) is to issue a check to someone even though there isn’t enough money in the account to cover it. Since it takes a few days for a check to clear, there would be no way for the seller to know that you didn’t have the funds to make the payment. It’s no surprise that other payment methods are taking over!

“Just make sure you don’t write a bum check again.”

Discover some more idioms about money here.

Write someone up / Write someone a ticket

This writing expression is predominantly used with reference to police officers, although you may hear it in a work context too. When you write someone up you are reporting them for a wrong action they have done.

The similar idiom, write someone a ticket , would usually refer to a parking or speeding ticket resulting in a fine.

“Sue, you know you can’t enter here without a permit! I’m going to have to write you up.” “I begged the policeman not to write me a ticket, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Writer’s block

This is a perfect idiom about writing to end on! The reason for this is that when someone suffers from writer’s block they simply can’t think of anything else to write.

“I tried so hard to finish my essay last night but by 11pm I got writer’s block and had to stop.” “Do you have any tips for dealing with writer’s block?”

Hopefully, this list of writing idioms has helped you not only to understand them better but also to be a little more creative in your own writing.

Are there any others you have heard of that we could add to this list? Leave a comment to let us know.

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30 Idioms for Writing

Writing is more than just stringing words together; it’s about capturing the essence of communication.

One powerful tool in a writer’s arsenal is the use of idioms, expressions that add color and depth to language. In this journey through the vibrant tapestry of idioms, we will explore their meanings, throw them into sentences, and unravel the hidden nuances that make them a joy to use.

Idioms for Writing

Break a leg – good luck.

Meaning: To wish someone good luck, especially before a performance or undertaking.

In a Sentence: As the actor stepped onto the stage, his friend whispered, “Break a leg,” hoping for a stellar performance.

Bite the Bullet – Facing Challenges

Meaning: To endure a painful or difficult situation with courage.

In a Sentence: She knew she had to bite the bullet and confront her fears to overcome the challenges ahead.

Hit the Nail on the Head – Precision and Accuracy

Meaning: To describe something accurately or to solve a problem perfectly.

In a Sentence: Her analysis of the situation hit the nail on the head, identifying the root cause of the issue.

The Ball Is in Your Court – Taking Responsibility

Meaning: It is now your responsibility or turn to act.

In a Sentence: After the team presented their findings, the manager said, “The ball is in your court now; propose a solution.”

The Whole Nine Yards – Everything

Meaning: Refers to the entirety of something, leaving nothing out.

In a Sentence: When planning the surprise party, she went the whole nine yards, from decorations to entertainment.

An Arm and a Leg – A Lot of Money

Meaning: Refers to a high cost or a significant amount of money.

In a Sentence: Owning a luxury car can sometimes cost an arm and a leg in maintenance.

Cost an Arm and a Leg – Being Very Expensive

Meaning: To require a substantial amount of money for purchase or service.

In a Sentence: Renovating the old house ended up costing them an arm and a leg, but the results were worth it.

A Piece of Cake – Something Easy

Meaning: Refers to a task or activity that is very easy to accomplish.

In a Sentence: Completing the puzzle was a piece of cake for the experienced crossword solver.

When Pigs Fly – Something Improbable

Meaning: Refers to something that will never happen or is highly unlikely.

In a Sentence: He promised to be on time for once, but we knew it was just another case of “when pigs fly.”

Let the Cat Out of the Bag – Revealing a Secret

Meaning: To disclose a secret or reveal something that was meant to be kept confidential.

In a Sentence: Sarah accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party, spoiling the whole plan.

In the Heat of the Moment – Acting Impulsively

Meaning: Refers to doing something spontaneously without careful consideration, usually during an emotional situation.

In a Sentence: Apologies are often made in the heat of the moment, but their sincerity is revealed over time.

Curiosity Killed the Cat – Warning Against Curiosity

Meaning: Being too curious can lead to trouble or danger.

In a Sentence: She hesitated before opening the mysterious package, remembering that curiosity killed the cat.

Cut to the Chase – Get to the Main Point Quickly

Meaning: Skipping unnecessary details and focusing on the main topic or point.

In a Sentence: Rather than sharing the entire story, let’s cut to the chase and discuss the solution.

Pulling Your Leg – Joking or Not Being Serious

Meaning: Teasing or joking with someone, often in a playful manner.

In a Sentence: When he claimed to have seen a UFO, we realized he was just pulling our leg.

Bend Over Backwards – Putting in Extra Effort

Meaning: To go out of one’s way or try extremely hard to please or help someone.

In a Sentence: The team was willing to bend over backward to meet the tight deadline.

A Blessing in Disguise – Hidden Positive Aspect

Meaning: Something that seems bad initially but turns out to be beneficial.

In a Sentence: Losing the job turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it led to a more fulfilling career opportunity.

Burning the Midnight Oil – Working Late

Meaning: Working late into the night, often to complete a task or meet a deadline.

In a Sentence: To finish the project on time, they had to start burning the midnight oil.

Adding Fuel to the Fire – Making a Problem Worse

Meaning: Exacerbating a situation or making a problem more intense.

In a Sentence: Bringing up past arguments only added fuel to the fire, escalating the disagreement.

An Elephant in the Room – Ignored Obvious Issue

Meaning: A problem or issue that everyone is aware of but is being deliberately ignored.

In a Sentence: Their strained relationship was the elephant in the room during the family gathering.

The Cream of the Crop – The Best of a Group

Meaning: Refers to the highest quality or the best among a group of things or people.

In a Sentence: The award-winning chef only used the cream of the crop ingredients in his dishes.

Cry Over Spilled Milk – Worrying about the Past

Meaning: To fret about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.

In a Sentence: Regretting the missed opportunity was like crying over spilled milk; there was no way to undo it.

A Drop in the Bucket – Small Amount

Meaning: Refers to a tiny quantity compared to the whole.

In a Sentence: Their contributions were acknowledged, but in the grand scheme, it was just a drop in the bucket.

A Fish Out of Water – Uncomfortable Situation

Meaning: Someone who is in a situation they are not comfortable or familiar with.

In a Sentence: Being at the formal event without any knowledge of etiquette made her feel like a fish out of water.

A Penny for Your Thoughts – Asking for Someone’s Opinion

Meaning: Asking someone what they are thinking about or seeking their opinion.

In a Sentence: Observing his pensive expression, she asked, “A penny for your thoughts?”

A Taste of Your Own Medicine – Experiencing Consequences

Meaning: To experience something that one has previously inflicted on others.

In a Sentence: After years of teasing his younger siblings, he finally got a taste of his own medicine.

On Cloud Nine – Extreme Happiness

Meaning: Feeling elated or extremely happy.

In a Sentence: Winning the championship left her on cloud nine for weeks.

The Icing on the Cake – Enhancing Something Good

Meaning: Something that makes a positive situation even better.

In a Sentence: Getting a promotion was great, and the supportive colleagues were the icing on the cake.

Jumping the Gun – Acting Prematurely

Meaning: To do something too early or before it is appropriate.

In a Sentence: Announcing the project completion before final approval was like jumping the gun.

Knee-Deep in Something – Deeply Involved

Meaning: Being heavily engaged or deeply involved in a situation or project.

In a Sentence: With multiple deadlines approaching, she found herself knee-deep in work.

A Needle in a Haystack – Something Hard to Find

Meaning: Refers to something challenging to locate due to its scarcity among similar things.

In a Sentence: Finding a reliable antique in the cluttered flea market was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Idioms are the spice that turns ordinary language into a flavorful linguistic experience. Each phrase carries with it a history, a story, and a unique way of expressing ideas.

30 idioms for kids, 30 idioms for kid.

100+ Interesting Idioms for Essays writing – Pro Idioms

Interesting Idioms for Essays writing!

Here is the list of useful idioms related to essays writing in English and paragraphs writing, must go through all of these idioms and memorize these useful idioms list, you can also save this idiom list for your later use.

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21 formal idioms and collocations for IELTS Task 2 essays

To receive a high band score in IELTS writing, it is necessary to demonstrate that you are able to use idiomatic language in both Task 1 essays/letters (informal or formal, depending on the test and question) and Task 2 essays (always formal).

Unfortunately, most lists of so-called “IELTS idioms” available online include only informal and/or outdated expressions (clichés and proverbs) that are inappropriate for Task 2 and Academic Training Task 1 essays . The following list, in contrast, contains a variety of idioms and collocations (words frequently paired together) commonly used by contemporary native English speakers in business and academic writing.

While some of the phrases are relevant to specific topics, the focus is on expressions that can be used in responses to a wide range of questions.

You can also download this list as a PDF .

(An) Active/Sedentary lifestyle – lifestyle that involves a lot of/very little exercise

Example: When employees are required to work long hours, it is difficult for them to maintain an active lifestyle /it is easy for them to adopt a sedentary lifestyle .

Beside the point – not relevant to an argument

Example: Some people might argue that providing free treatment for diseases brought on by unhealthy lifestyle choices will encourage poor behavior, but that is beside the point .

Cost-effective solution – action designed to save money, usually in response to rising prices

Example: Some companies treat outsourcing as the most cost-effective solution to rising expenses.

A daunting task – large and overwhelming job or chore

Example: In a competitive housing market, purchasing a home can be a daunting task for many prospective buyers.

Financial incentive(s) – policy that allows people to get or save money to encourage a particular action or behavior

Example: Some cities may offer financial incentives to business owners in the form of tax breaks* and reduced startup fees.

*reduction in taxes

A/The key factor – something that contributes directly and significantly to a result

A key factor = one of many important factors

The key factor = the single most important factor

Example: A person’s work ethic is a key factor in the amount of professional success they achieve.

A major transformation – very significant change

Example: Over the last half-century, medical training has undergone a major transformation in many countries.

Natural affinity for – inborn skill or preference for

Example: It is evident that people are born with different talents: some people learn new languages easily, while others have a natural affinity for math(s) or science.

On the verge of (+ noun or verb + ing) – about to occur

Example: As a result of climate change and persistent drought, some countries are now on the verge of (experiencing) a serious humanitarian crisis.

On the whole – in general

Example: While money is certainly a significant consideration in one’s choice of career, I believe that on the whole , other factors should play an even more important role.

Pose a problem – More sophisticated way of saying “be a problem”

Example: The question of how to balance a demanding job with personal and family responsibilities poses a problem for many workers.

Primarily concerned with (+ noun or verb + ing) – mainly interested in or about

Example: A person who is primarily concerned with money (noun) may indeed find satisfaction in a finance career.

Example: A person who is primarily concerned with helping (verb + ing) others is well-suited to a career in a “caring” field such as nursing or social work.

Quality time – time spent with others (usually family or friends) devoted to enjoyment and building relationships

Example: When employees are required to work long hours and weekends, they are unable to spend quality time with their friends and family.

(Face) serious consequences – significant (negative) results

Example: Students usually face serious consequences if they are discovered to have plagiarized* or cheated on exams.

*plagiarize (n., plagiarism) – presenting someone else’s work as one’s own

In or A sharp contrast – large contrast

Example: 2015 saw average housing prices hit record highs, which was a * sharp contrast to the situation 2014.

Example: In sharp contrast to 2014, 2015 saw average housing prices hit record highs.

*This version is typically used after a form of of the verb to be .

A significant/substantial impact – a large effect (either positive or negative)

Example: The rising popularity of urban living has had a significant impact on the housing market in many cities.

Strictly necessary – absolutely necessary, essential

Example: Many employees work overtime and accept extra responsibilities, even when such things are not strictly necessary .

Take x for granted – to assume that something is true or accurate without giving any thought to it

Example: Most people take their health for granted until they fall ill.

Take into* account – consider

Example: Many people argue that providing free or low-cost treatment for diseases that result from poor lifestyle choices will only encourage to pursue bad habits, but they do not take into account such a policy’s effects on society as a whole.

*Note that even though this is a phrasal verb, it is commonly used in formal contexts.

The vast majority of – almost everyone, or almost all of something

Example: The vast majority of people would presumably agree that industrial manufacturers should not be allowed to determine environmental policy.

A wide/broad range – a large variety

Example: People reject high-paying jobs in favor of positions with lower compensation for a wide/broad range of reasons.

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20 Useful Idioms For Essays With Their Meanings And In Sentences

Photo by Ryan Wallace

Idioms can be heard absolutely everywhere . Chances are, you’ve probably used an idiom before in a sentence, and you might not even know that you did! Every language has its own idioms; however, the meaning of each idiom doesn’t translate across languages.

Why? Well, an idiom is essentially a phrase that has its own meaning in a specific language. All that means is that an idiom doesn’t carry any meaning when you break the phrase down into its individual words. And, you should never take an idiom literally.

Idioms add colour to a language; you can use them when you speak and especially so in your essays. That’s why we’ve rounded up 20 of the most useful idioms for essays with their meanings and sentences – happy reading!

20 Idioms With Their Meanings And In Sentences To Add To Your Vocabulary

Idiom 1: add insult to injury .

Meaning : Make a bad situation worse

Sentence : The school bus broke down in the middle of nowhere. Then, to add insult to injury, it started to pour with rain!

Idiom 2: An arm and a leg

Meaning : Something very expensive/costs a lot of money

Sentence : Those dance lessons cost me an arm and a leg. Hopefully, they help me get into dance school.

Idiom 3: Beat around the bush

Meaning : Avoid getting to the point of a problem or issue

Sentence : She can handle the truth, however difficult it may be. Don’t beat around the bush!

Idiom 4: Best of both worlds

Meaning : To have the best parts of two different situations

Sentence : I only have to go into the office three days a week. I get to do what I love and look after my kids – really, I have the best of both worlds.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Idiom 5: Cross (your/my) fingers

Meaning : A wish for good luck or that something happens the way you want it to

Sentence : My students have studied tirelessly for their exams. I can only cross my fingers and hope for the best for them!

Idiom 6: Cut corners

Meaning : To do something most easily or least expensively; a shortcut

Sentence : When the bookshelf came tumbling down, it was obvious that the carpenters had really cut corners in building it.

Idiom 7: Cut to the chase

Meaning : Get straight to the point of something while leaving out unnecessary details

Sentence: He didn’t have time to talk so he told me to just cut to the chase. That’s why the conversation ended so quickly!

Idiom 8: Face the music

Meaning : Accept responsibility for something you’ve done

Sentence : After weeks of pretending to attend tuition class, Alex’s parents found out and he had to face the music.

Idiom 9: Get up on the wrong side of the bed

Meaning : To be in a bad mood throughout the day

Sentence : My sister keeps getting angry at me today – she must’ve got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Idiom 10: Go the extra mile

Meaning : To put in more effort than required or expected for the task at hand

Sentence : My teacher was extremely kind and would always go the extra mile to help her students.

Idiom 11: Hang in there

Meaning : Encouraging someone not to give up despite difficulties

Sentence : Our family is going through tough times but hang in there – things will get better soon.

Idiom 12: Head over heels

Meaning : Totally or completely, and often used to describe the feeling of being in love

Sentence : My parents have been head over heels in love since the day they first met.

Idiom 13: Hit the nail on the head

Meaning : To be exactly right or accurate

Example : Sarah hit the nail on the head by choosing that essay topic for his assignment – it was amazing!

Photo by Case Joel

Idiom 14: Hold your horses

Meaning : Wait or slow down

Sentence : This is a big decision, Ali! Hold your horses and really think about what you want to do next.

Idiom 15: Last straw

Meaning : The final event or situation that you’re willing to accept before you lose your patience

Sentence : Losing the marathon was bad enough, but Jennifer also had a knee injury. That was the last straw for her and she stopped running after.

Idiom 16: On the fence

Meaning : Not able to decide between two options

Sentence : Most people read online reviews if they’re on the fence about buying a product.

Idiom 17: Out of hand

Meaning : A person or situation that is not in control

Sentence : The protest got out of hand and they had to call the police.

Idiom 18: Piece of cake

Meaning : A task or activity that is easily achieved

Sentence : Those girls made moving heavy furniture look like a piece of cake.

Idiom 19: Pulling (your/my/their) leg

Meaning: Joke with someone playfully

Sentence : She was just pulling my leg when she told me we had a week-long holiday.

Idiom 20: Under the weather

Meaning: Feeling sick

Sentence : Fatin didn’t go to school today because she was slightly under the weather.

How To Use Idioms in Your Essay

Photo by cottonbro

1. Look for repetitive descriptions.

Go over your essay and look for language that feels dry or boring. For example, do you use the word ‘hardworking’ multiple times to describe people? This is an opportunity for you to replace the repetitive word with an idiom for a more colourful essay. In this instance, instead of saying ‘the hardworking student’, you could say ‘the student that always went the extra mile’.

2. Don’t overdo it.

Although idioms can make your writing richer, using too many idioms in your essay can confuse the reader; so always remember to use idioms sparingly!

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41 Idioms for IELTS Exam : Idioms for IELTS Writing Section

Using idioms for IELTS speaking to achieve a higher band is both a reality and a myth. The difference lies in how naturally you use them in your sentences. Idioms deliver a complex idea in a very simple manner. Using them just for the sake of using makes the sentence look forced and using them too little, somehow disrupts the flow. We are here with all the details about how to use idioms for the IELTS speaking section. Let’s also check out the best IELTS online coaching for the candidates. To know about the best IELTS online coaching , go through this article till the end. You should join the IELTS coaching classes on the best IELTS online coaching India platform and reach to your required scores

Also Read: Opinion Essay for IELTS: How to Plan and Write a Perfect Opinion Essay?

What are Idioms?

Idioms are “a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (example: over the moon, see the light etc)”. There are many idioms used in English daily, whether in a business context, in media or in social conversations between friends. Idioms are used informally most of the time and should therefore not be used in the writing test. Spoken English is normally much less formal than academic written English, so it is fine to use them in the speaking test.

How Important are Idioms and Phrases in IELTS?

You need to have an excellent vocabulary for IELTS to achieve a good band score. If you wish to score a band 7, then using idioms that are inappropriate to the topic or situation might suffice. If you want to score a band 8 you need to use both idioms and phrases skillfully. Rarely a candidate can use them to perfection and achieve a 9 band.

It must be remembered that Idioms are like seasonings in a dish. You must add them in moderation, too much of it and you will sound like someone rattling it off a list whereas, too little will make you sound bookish. Balance, therefore, is the key.

List of Idioms in English for IELTS Speaking Section

You should only use idioms if you have heard how they are used in context and you are 100% sure you are using them in the correct way. This may sound harsh, but it is better than losing marks.

Below are some common idioms that I have heard students use correctly in the IELTS speaking test. If you have never heard any of them before, try to find more examples of how they are used and then practice using them when you are practicing speaking. Also, understanding where they originate from can help you remember them.

Also Read: How to Write a Map in IELTS Writing Task 1? A Complete Guide For You

List of Idioms and Phrases Useful for IELTS Writing

Idioms and phrases useful for ielts writing 1 – 5.

1. Over the moon– To be extremely pleased or happy.

I was over the moon when I passed my test.

2. Once in a blue moon– Happens very rarely.

A tourist will see Rafflesia in full bloom once in a blue moon.

3. A piece of cake – Very easy.

Getting a visa will be a piece of cake for you.

4. A drop in the ocean – A very small part of something much bigger.

Just learning quotations is a drop in the ocean when it comes to preparing for the exam.

5. Actions speak louder than words – It is better to actually do something than just talk about it.

Lots of people have great business ideas but do nothing about them. Actions speak louder than words, just do it.

Idioms 6 – 10

6. Back to the drawing board– When you attempt to do something but fail and have to try again.

I got a 40% on the test! Oh well, back to the drawing board.

7. Put all your eggs in one basket – Put all your money or effort into one thing.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. You should apply to lots of different universities.

8. The in thing – Something fashionable

The new iPhone is really the in thing at the moment.

9. The real McCoy – Genuine or not fake.

I don’t think her new handbag is the real McCoy.

10. Off the top of my head – Saying something without thinking first.

Off the top of my head, I’d say about 2 or 3 were left.

Idioms 11 – 15

11. Run of the mill – Average, Ordinary

Apple phones are very run of the mill these days.

12. Soulmate – Someone you trust very deeply.

My husband is not just my lover, he’s my soulmate.

13. Down in the dumps – Sad.

I was really down in the dumps after my dog died.

14. Found my feet – To become comfortable doing something.

Moving to a new city was difficult at first, but I soon found my feet.

15. Set in their ways – Not wanting to change.

My parents are quite traditional and set in their ways.

Idioms 16 – 20

16. Go the extra mile – Do much more than is required.

I decided to go the extra mile and move to England to really perfect my English.

17. A hot potato – A controversial topic.

Abortion and capital punishment are hot potatoes in my country at the moment.

18. Miss the boat – Miss an opportunity.

I sent my application in late and I think I missed the boat.

19. Costs an arm and a leg – Really expensive.

Those shoes must have cost an arm and a leg.

20. Sit on the fence – To be undecided.

I haven’t made my mind up about that issue, I’ll have to sit on the fence.

Idioms 21 – 25

21. Throw in the towel – To give up, leave or quit

He threw in the towel and left his job as he was unhappy.

22. Absence makes the heart grow fonder – Being away for a while from someone or something makes you miss/appreciate that person or situation.

Absence made his heart grow fonder and he realised he missed her terribly.

23. A watched pot never boils – A situation or event can take far longer than expected. Don’t keep watching for developments.

A watched pot never boils when you are waiting for something to cook more quickly.

24. Better late than never – It is better to finish something no matter how long it takes to do.

He finally finished the paper. Better late than never as it was due last month.

25. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today – Finish what needs to be finished today rather than tomorrow.

Don’t put off until tomorrow – finish the project today.

Idioms 26 – 30

26. Good things come to those who wait – Be patient. Good will come out of the situation.

Good things come to those who wait. Your promotion will come soon.

27. Birds of a feather – People who are like-minded often spend more time together.

Those two are birds of a feather. No wonder they meet so often.

28. There is no time like the present – Do what you want to do now. Do not put off until tomorrow.

There is no time like the present. You need to finish your project and you have the time to finish it now.

29. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it – If something is already or still working, leave it as it is still working.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, the car still works so do not buy a new one.

30. There is no such thing as a free lunch – Everything has a hidden cost.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. He wants you to invest in his company.

Also Read: What Sort of Vocabulary should be Used for IELTS? Six Techniques to Improve Your IELTS Writing Vocabulary Easily

Idioms 31 – 35

31. Practice makes perfect – Keep practising and you will become better at it.

You will become a great tennis player. Practice makes perfect.

32. When in Rome, do as the Romans do – When you are doing something new, act like others do in that situation.

Try eating English food when in England. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

33. Don’t upset the apple cart – Do not make a fuss.

Don’t upset the apple card by making a scene.

34. The sky’s the limit – A person can achieve anything they want.

The sky’s the limit, work hard and you will progress to the top of the firm.

35. The elephant in the room – This relates to an obvious issue that is not being talked about.

Talk about the elephant in the room and deal with the major issue that needs to be discussed now.

Idioms 36 – 41

36. Take the bull by the horns – Deal with the problem.

Take the bull by the horns, you must sort out the major problems.

37. Read between the lines – To understand something that may not be entirely clear.

Read between the lines, work out what is not being said at the meeting and sort out the problem.

38. Uphill battle– There are many obstacles to sort out before we achieve what we want.

There is an uphill battle to win the contract.

39. No time to lose – Something must be finished very soon.

He has no time to lose as his project is due first thing tomorrow morning.

40. On the same page – Two people are in agreement about a situation.

We are on the same page as to how to take the situation forward now.

41. Word and mouth – News which spreads very fast as people tell other people the same news.

The news spread by word and mouth that the new hotel was very successful

One thing you need to remember while using idioms is that what you are trying to say doesn’t sound forceful and artificial. They must come naturally to you. Using a lot of idioms in your speech won’t guarantee a high score, rather correct and moderate use will fetch you a Band 8 or even a Band 9.

If you want to read more about the IELTS writing section you can visit the IELTS Ninja website. The IELTS coaching classes on this platform are extremely helpful for all the aspirants. It is the best IELTS online coaching India because of the benefits that it provides to the students. Join the best IELTS online coaching now!

About the Author

Shilpa is a professional web content writer and is in deep love with travelling. She completed her mass communication degree and is now dedicatedly playing with words to guide her readers to get the best for themselves. Developing educational content for UPSC, IELTS aspirants from breakthrough research work is her forte. Strongly driven by her zodiac sign Sagittarius, Shilpa loves to live her life on her own notes and completely agrees with the idea of ‘live and let live. Apart from writing and travelling, most of the time she can be seen in the avatar of 'hooman' mom to her pets and street dogs or else you can also catch her wearing the toque blanche and creating magic in the kitchen on weekends.

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35 Common idioms and their meanings

Masooma Memon

Before I shifted my house, I had a full list of idioms in English that I printed out and referred to whenever I put pen to paper. This was about a decade ago, around the time I finished college. Now, I frequently look up idioms online. If I like an idiomatic phrase in a movie or show, I quickly jot it down in my pocket-sized notebook or a sticky note.

You could say I’m obsessed with idioms. But, it’s a healthy obsession to be honest. Because idioms add life to your writing and help you succinctly explain things, there’s no reason not to use them.

Interested in coloring your writing with idioms? Let’s give a bookmark-worthy list of idioms alongside why you should be as obsessed with idioms.

What is an idiom?

Idioms are phrases or expressions that don’t literally mean what the individual words in the phrase stand for. Idioms emerge from an incident or past story. Overtime, however, they lose their meaning and become figurative.

For example : a piece of cake

The literal meaning of this is cake slice (lava cake, anybody?). But, when you use it as an idiom, you mean something that’s easy to do — that’s this phrase’s figurative meaning .

With the formal idioms definition out of the way, let’s look at some examples of idioms that you’ve probably already heard or used before:

Break a leg Devil’s advocate Cry over spilt milk Add fuel to the fire

Fun fact: There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in English language. Talk about variety!

Why do we use idioms?

The short answer is: idioms add life to your writing. But exactly how do these groups of words polish your English ?

Here are five ways idiomatic expressions help you:

1. Idioms paint a visual picture for your readers

Even if it’s plain content that you’re working on – you can up your writing’s description game by using idioms.

Look at this example:

Mara’s choice was a tough one as her position left her between the devil and the deep blue sea.

The idiom means having to choose from equally difficult paths. By using it, not only does the sentence sound better, but the particular idiom creates a visual picture in the readers’ mind. They can imagine Mara having to choose between sinking in the dark sea and the devil itself. Either way, Mara’s dead.

2. They add impact to your writing

In the example above, there’s a third favor that this idiom does to the sentence: it adds meaning.

Think of it like this: saying ‘choosing between equally unpleasant scenarios’ is dull and boring, even meh . And, it doesn’t leave much of an impact. But, when you, as a reader, imagine Mara standing between the ‘devil and the deep blue sea,’ you can tell things are gettin’ serious.

3. These expressions add humor to your writing

Besides adding flavor to otherwise dull writing, some idioms can help you brighten your readers’ mood.

Frankly, humor isn’t easy to work into your writing. Unless, you’re a master at cracking jokes. Most of us, however, aren’t good at that. So, instead of making a fool of ourselves, it’s better to pull out an idiom like the one below:

After the birth of her second baby, Sophie was running around at work like a headless chicken.

Literally, Sophie isn’t a chicken and, of course, she has her head intact. The idiom just means that like a panicked chicken, Sophie is running around in a haphazard manner. This is a funny, light-hearted way of explaining Sophie’s situation.

4. Idioms make you sound like native speakers

This is another good reason for slipping idioms into your writing. Every language has its own idioms that emerge from its culture. Or, they originate from stories specific to a region.

This means that if you want to impress a Brit English speaker , for example, you should use idioms of British origin. Some of these are:

Meaning: Asking someone to share their thoughts with you.

Meaning: A plan that didn’t work, requiring you to sketch it from the start.

If you’re into novel writing, you can draw on these region-specific idioms to write dialogue for a character from a particular region. So that’s another plus of using idioms.

5. They help you explain complex ideas simply and succinctly

Lastly, idioms can help you simplify ideas. Use an idiom instead of going into unnecessary details. In all the examples you’ve read so far, you’ll note that the idioms make it easy to explain something.

Take the idiom ‘back to the drawing board.’ Using it means you don’t need to rely on tons of words to explain that a plan went bust and now you’ve got to regroup and plan again. You can simply say, let’s go back to the drawing board.

Similarly, when you want someone to get to the point, you can simply say: stop beating about the bush.

Tips on using idioms

Convinced you need to work more idioms into your writing? Cool. We’ll give you a list of common English idioms in the next section to make things easy for you.

Plus, here are some things to keep in mind as you dabble into the use of idioms , an essential part of learning English :

Don’t overdo them

Some idioms are so over used they turn into clichés . Your writing is always better off without clichés as they’re unoriginal. So use idioms sparingly, where they help you summarize or deliver any of the benefits discussed above.

See if a specific detail would be better

For example, once in a blue moon is a good idiom. But, if you find that your readers can benefit from a detail like ‘someone visited on the third of every month,’ skip the idiom. Be specific instead.

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35 popular idioms and their meaning.

Ready to use idioms? Use this list:

Beef up: To strengthen or increase something.
Turn turtle: Turn turtle means to turn upside down or flip the side.
Eager beaver: Someone who is all charged up or enthusiastic about a job is an eager beaver.
Spill the beans: To tell something that was supposed to stay hidden or under wraps (yep, another idiom).
Couch potato: Someone who binge watches Netflix, sitting on a couch all day – popcorn in hand.
Hit the sack: This idiom is a fancy way of saying that someone’s tired and they’re going to sleep. You can also say hit the hay.
Bite the bullet: To do something no matter how unpleasant it is.
In the doldrums: When you’re sad or depressed, you’re in the doldrums. Once out of it, you can write: out of the doldrums.

Want another idiom for feeling sad or depressed? Feeling blue.

In fine fettle: In good health.
A hot potato: A controversial topic that no one wants to discuss – same as no one wants to hold a hot potato.
Go bananas: Go bananas is a fun way of saying someone’s excited or angry.
An arm and a leg: When something’s overpriced, you can say it costs an arm and a leg. Alternatively, you can say: it costs a fortune or it costs a bomb.
Under the weather: Slightly unwell or feeling low.
Lose your touch: Literally, that’s losing your sense of touch. But the idiom doesn’t mean that, of course. It means you lose some skill or talent you previously had.
Twist someone’s arm: To twist someone’s arm is to convince them to do something like a kid twisting their mum’s arm to get ice cream.
Pie in the sky: Something that’s unlikely, therefore, wishful thinking.
The ball in your court: Have two or more people or parties deciding on something and one side has made their move? Great, there’s only one party that’s to decide now and a good way to say that is: the ball in their court.
Curiosity killed the cat: Sometimes prodding too much into a situation or question can get you into trouble. That’s what this idiom means.
Bark up the wrong tree: Barking up the wrong tree is blaming the wrong person, following a wrong thought/plan, or looking in the wrong place.
Hit the nail on the head: When you get something done perfectly, you hit the nail on the head. After all, it’s only when you hit the nail on the head that you can drill it in the right spot.
The elephant in the room: The story behind this idiom is that a man walked into a museum and noticed every tiny thing there except for an elephant. Today, the phrase denotes a chief issue that everyone knows is present, but no one addresses it.
Taste your own medicine: It’s when someone gets treated the way they’ve been treating others (good time to think of karma, no?).
Steal someone’s thunder: Taking someone else’s credit or taking the spotlight when you don’t deserve it.
Stab someone in the back: This one’s a snazzy way of saying you’re backbiting or planning against someone in their absence.
Kill two birds with one stone: When you get two things done in one shot, you’re killing two birds with one stone. Example, I’m writing this piece and revising idioms too.
Best thing since sliced bread: The idiom means hyped up enthusiasm in someone, something, or some idea.
Bite more than you can chew: When you commit to more than you do/deliver, you’ve officially bitten more than you can chew.
Every cloud has a silver lining: A good result after bad things.
Look at the bright side: When you choose to see the positive in an overall bad situation (or may I say, shituation).
You can’t judge a book by its cover: This means you can’t jump to conclusions only by looking at the cover or outward appearance.
More holes than a Swiss cheese: Seeing holes in a story or plan? Congratulations, Sherlock! Now, voice your concern using this idiom.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: It’s when you put all your resources or hopes (figuratively: eggs) in one source (basket).
Get up on the wrong side of the bed: When you wake up in a bad mood.
Everything but the kitchen skin: It means everything imaginable including the unnecessary stuff.
Pick a bone with someone: To discuss something at length with someone.

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40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine and engineering .

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50 Most Common English Idioms and Phrases (With Examples)

You are looking to take your English skills to another level?

English idioms and phrases are the way to do it.

By combining words that have completely different individual meanings, we get idioms.

English idioms are extremely common in everyday conversation and, therefore, essential for language progression.

"An idiom (also called idiomatic expression) is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning..."

Learning new words is not sufficient to become a fluent English speaker but idioms and proverbs can truly boost your knowledge.

In the following lines, you will find some of the most common English idioms with their meanings and sentences:

1. A hard nut to crack

Explanation: usually a person who is very difficult to deal with

Example: I gave my best to be friendly with her, but she is simply a hard nut to crack.

2. All ears

Explanation: very concentrated or keen to listen to the other person who has your full attention.

Example: Children are all ears when the teacher tells them fairytales.

3. A picture is worth a thousand words

Explanation: It’s better to show than to tell; illustration conveys a stronger message than words.

Example: Such a beautiful portrait of a little girl represents how a picture is worth a thousand words.

4. A piece of cake

Explanation: something easily done, simple task, or work.

Example: Anne said the test would be difficult, but it was a piece of cake. I’ll pass with no problem at all.

5. Better late than never

Explanation: It’s better to arrive late than not to come at all.

Example: We’ve been waiting for you for three hours, but better late than never.

6. Born with a silver spoon in mouth

Explanation: Someone who is born in a very wealthy family.

Example: He does not need this job as much as I do; he is born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

7. Bread and butter

Explanation: earnings of a person; indicate when a person earns for a living.

Example: You have to earn your own bread and butter.

8. Break the ice

Explanation: to try to become friends with someone; to make a start of something.

Example: It’s always easiest to break the ice after I’ve had a few drinks.

9. Break a leg

Explanation: Good luck, best wishes.

Example: You have a test tomorrow? Break a leg!

10. Can judge a book by its cover

Explanation: you can’t judge something just by its appearance.

Example: The candidate doesn’t look very promising, but you can't judge a book by its cover.

11. Chasing rainbows

Explanation: to follow your dreams, trying to do something that can’t be achieved.

Example: I understand you want to be a famous singer, but don’t chase rainbows. You are not a good singer!

12. Cool as a cucumber

Explanation: to be very calm and relaxed

13. Costs an arm and a leg

Explanation: when something costs too much money, it’s way too expensive.

Example: The show is excellent, but the tickets cost an arm and a leg.

14. Cry over spilled milk

Explanation: to be upset about something that is already done or a mistake that can’t be changed.

Example: It’s no use crying over spilled milk. It was a bad investment.

15. Draw a longbow

Explanation: to exaggerate, to lie.

Example: Anne is drawing a longbow. Do you believe her at all?

16. Easier said than done

Explanation: not as easy to do as it seems harder than you think.

Example: It's a lot tougher than that. It's one of those things that are easier said than done.

17. Eat like a bird

Explanation: to eat very little.

Example: Look at you! You have to eat more. You are eating like a bird.

18. Feeling under the weather

Explanation: to feel ill, sick, having a hangover.

Example: I have my final test, but I’m feeling under the weather. I think I have a fever.

19. Find your feet

Explanation: become confident in what you are doing, or familiar with some new situation or experience.

Example: I'm new to this city, so I'm still finding my feet.

20. Food for thought

Explanation: an idea to think about; think about things that can arise from an event or situation.

Example: My daughter has given me some food for thought about how she organizes her toys.

21. Forty winks

Explanation: sleep a while mainly during the day; take a nap.

Example: My dad always likes to catch forty winks after lunch.

22. Give a shot

Explanation: to try something you are not quite familiar with.

Example: I’m not prepared for my exam today. I will give it a shot.

23. Go cold turkey

Explanation: to suddenly stop or quit some bad or addictive behavior, like stop smoking.

Example: He had been trying to quit smoking for a year but couldn't, so he decided to go cold turkey.

24. Hit the hay/sack

Explanation: when someone is really tired and wants to go to sleep.

Example: Sorry guys, I have to hit the hay now!

25. Hold one’s peace.

Explanation: be silent.

Example: Just hold your peace if you don’t have anything smart to say.

26. It’s not rocket science

Explanation: It’s not difficult; it’s not complicated.

Example: Driving a car isn’t rocket science. I don’t understand why people don’t drive better.

27. Keep your chin up

Explanation: be brave and courageous in a tough situation.

Example: Don't let the difficulties intimidate you; keep your chin up.

28. Kill two birds with one stone.

Explanation: accomplish two different things, jobs, or actions; solve problems at the same time.

Example: Cycling to work kills two birds with one stone. It saves money and gives you some exercise.

29. Lose your marbles

Explanation: to go crazy, insane.

Example: I’ve been so bad lately that I thought I’m losing my marbles.

30. Make ends meet.

Explanation: make enough money to survive, to manage expenses.

Example: We need to start saving money in order to make ends meet.

31. Make a long story short

Explanation: Tell something briefly.

Example: To make a long story short, I had a wonderful time during my vacation.

32. Never in a million years

Explanation: Absolutely never.

Example: Never in a million years would I think to fall in love with him.

33. On cloud nine

Explanation: to be extremely happy or cheerful.

Example: Susan is on cloud nine since she got married.

34. Once in a blue moon

Explanation: something happens very rarely, once after a very long time.

Example: I don’t know why she bought that music system. She uses it once in a blue moon.

35. Out of the woods

Explanation: the hardest part of something is over, but the situation isn’t still good.

Example: The surgery went well, but he’s not out of the woods yet.

36. Penny for your thoughts

Explanation: a way of asking someone else’s thoughts.

Example: You seem so serious. A penny for your thoughts.

Don't forget to work on learning new English words every day, not just idioms.

37. Pull someone’s leg

Explanation: To joke with someone, to trick someone in a humorous way

Example: I think he was just pulling your leg when he said you’ve fallen in the exam.

38. Rain cats and dogs

Explanation: rain heavily, tremendously.

Example: It’s raining cats and dogs when the Monsoon comes.

39. Speak of the devil

Explanation: The person we were talking about showed up.

Example: Did you hear what happened to Anne yesterday? Oh, speak of the devil, there she is.

40. Square peg in a round hole

Explanation: When a person doesn’t fit into society when you find in a surrounding that doesn’t suit you.

Example: That lifestyle really doesn't suit Sally at all; she's like a square peg in a round hole.

41. Takes two to tango.

Explanation: Specific actions can’t be performed alone; it takes two persons to participate; both persons are responsible for an action.

Example: If you want to play that game, you need a partner who plays with you. It takes two to tango.

42. That’s the last straw

Explanation: Someone’s patience has run out, to be the latest in a sequence of unpleasant things that can’t be accepted.

Example: I’m not going to wait for the last straw. I’ll do something about the problem much sooner than you.

43. To cut corners

Explanation: to do something in an easy and very cheap way; to reduce time, money, expenses.

Example: My mom often had to cut corners when we were kids to feed all of us.

44. To go Dutch

Explanation: When everyone pays his bill.

Example: Last night we had a date, but we went Dutch because I’ve paid for my coffee and he paid his.

45. To have sticky fingers

Explanation: to be a thief.

Example: The manager fired his employee because he had sticky fingers. He stole 100$.

46. To sit tight

Explanation: wait patiently and take no action; stay where you are.

Example: Just relax and sit tight; we'll solve the problem for you.

47. Up in the air

Explanation: unresolved, undecided about something; full of doubt.

Example: I am not sure what the plans are. Everything was up in the air when I last spoke to him about it.

48. What goes around, comes around.

Explanation: how you treat and behave to others will eventually come to you, too.

Example: All of his life, he treated his family with no respect, and now his son is doing the same to him. What goes around, comes around.

49. When pigs fly

Explanation: something that will never happen or highly unlikely to happen.

Example: He plans to clean his house every week, but he will probably do it only when pigs fly.

50. Zip your lip

Explanation: To remain a secret or silent.

Example: I’ll tell you a secret about Marry, but zip your lip about it!

Practice makes perfect

To learn English idioms better, we’ve prepared some exercises that will help you test your knowledge.

Don’t be shy. Try and find out.

Please note that you will not need all listed idioms in the following exercises, so focus and pay attention.

I can’t wait to see you on premiere tomorrow night! __________________ !

I can’t believe that was our test. I think it was easier than some of our homework! It was a ______.

They were discussing the girl who was his new crush when she walked in. ____________________.

The earthquakes hits _________________ in this part of the earth, we never felt it.

He showed up for the wedding when they were already cutting the cake. __________________, I suppose.

To_______________________________, he still stays in the apartment but now it is owned by someone else.

You can't be serious about that! Stop ___________________.

Such a beautiful portrait of a little girl - represents how ________________________.

I am really tired after all that exercise. I am going to_______________.

John asked Sarah whether she would go to the movies with him. Sarah replied that would happen __________________.

It is sad to see that people always wait until ________________before they start to take any action in this country.

It’s not right to blame only the other woman for his adulterous affair -__________________.

I have never eaten Mexican food, but I will ______________ .

She has just returned from her vacation, but is feeling _______________and has a sore throat and running nose.

I have to go to the bank, and on the way back, I'll pick up the groceries also, ____________________.

He really wants to go to that event. He's willing to pay __________________ for it.

When drug addicts go ___________________ they experience a period of extreme suffering.

He has never worked hard for anything because he was________________________. His parents brought everything to him instead.

Shall we _____________? No, not this time I’m paying the bill.

Peter is still new in his job; give him some time to ______________.

9, B. 4, C. 39, D. 34, E. 5, F. 31. G. 37, H. 3, I. 49, J. 42, K. 41, L. 22, M. 18, N. 28, O. 13, P. 23, Q. 6, R. 6, S. 44, T. 19.

Yes, you did it! Do you want to practice more and even better, use the phrases you just learnt in real life? With Babbel Live you have the opportunity to do so with real life teachers!

Is it necessary to use idioms while speaking English?

Idioms make your vocabulary wider and show that you have a deep knowledge of the language.

Is it possible to understand the meaning of the idiom without a dictionary?

If you have a context, you may grasp the meaning, but most of the idioms should be checked in the dictionary.

Do native speakers frequently use idioms?

There are many idioms that are well known and frequently used among the native speakers, but some of them become old and rarely used.

Releated Articles

What are the Basic Tenses in English?

What is the Longest Word in English?

Learn Basic Japanese Grammar

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25+ Common Idioms for IELTS Writing Task 2

Updated on
Feb 13, 2024

Common Idioms for IELTS Writing : Idioms play a major role in helping test takers secure a band 9 score in IELTS Writing. Hence, it is ideal for students to broaden their range of idioms and phrases. Having a stronghold of a wide array of idioms and knowing their correct implementation can help test takers ace their IELTS Writing. That being said, here are some of the most common idioms used in IELTS Writing you should know to score better.

This Blog Includes:

25 common idioms for ielts writing, agreeing and disagreeing, expressing causes and effects, contrasting and comparing, introducing examples, explaining and clarifying ideas, expressing personal opinion, emphasizing importance, giving reasons, providing solutions, supporting arguments, tips for using idioms in ielts writing .

As a student pursuing education abroad, one of the most pertinent and pressing issues you may face is the inability to ‘Break the Ice’ and start a conversation with your peers. We know we have been ‘Beating Around the Bush’ and not getting to the point in the previous lines, but you get the idea, right? Okay, enough with the idiom puns; let’s get back on track and delve into the topic.

We often use these combinations of words in our day-to-day blathers and discourses to enunciate certain intangible elements such as ideas or feelings. Albeit it may not be required for everyone to understand or know every idiom in existence, if you want to pass your IELTS Writing assessment, you must have a firm grasp of such phrases.

Idioms and phrasal verbs, which are frequently utilised in colloquial jargon, are largely used for self-expression. That being said, you must have a solid grasp of the most common Idioms to score better in IELTS Writing. Here is a curated list of some of the most common idioms for IELTS writing that you use in your answers.

50 Most Common Idioms for IELTS Academic Writing Task 2: Idioms and Phrases for Different Question Types

Common Idioms for IELTS Writing Task 2 : ‘Idioms’ and ‘Phrasal Verbs’ take up a majority of weightage in the IELT Writing Task 2. Thereby, one must be well-versed in the topic as it is scoring and equally easy to understand. Let’s look at the list of some of the most common idioms and phrases that can help you ace your IELTS Writing Task 2.

IELTS General Writing Task 2 presents a challenge for test takers to craft comprehensive essays. One of the most recurring topics in this segment is the agree/disagree essays. Such essays prompt you to articulate your stance on a given topic, demanding concise, clear, and precise expression.

Essentially, you must aim to present your reasoned opinions with clarity and avoid redundancy or errors in grammar and spelling. For those seeking to delve deeper into the art of crafting impactful agree/disagree essays for IELTS writing task 2, this comprehensive list of common idioms and phrases will help you out. Have a look.

Such essay topics in IELTS Writing Task 2 require students to identify the causes or reasons of an issue or problem and discuss their effects. Having a solid grasp of certain phrases majorly used in such tasks can help students come up with coherent and comprehensive essay answers with ease. Here are some of the most common idioms and phrases used in ‘Causes and Effects’ questions in IELTS Writing Task 2.

Compare and contrast essays in IELTS writing task 2 require students to analyse the differences and similarities between two distinct subjects. Students must have a strong grasp of commonly used idioms and phrases to construct strong arguments and responses while attempting such essays. Here is a comprehensive list of common idioms and phrases which you can use to come up with coherent and solid responses in contrast/compare essay questions.

While attempting essay questions in IELTS Writing Task 2, students may often be required to write solid introductions. That being said, one must have a solid grasp of a list of phrases and idioms that are often used in IELTS essay introductions. Here is a curated list of some of the most common phrases and idioms that you can use for your introductions in IELTS Writing Task 2.

While writing essays in IELTS Writing Task 2, you will often be required to explain your arguments or clarify your ideas articulately and coherently. This is where idioms and phrases can help you. You can use these phrases and idioms to construct well-articled and coherent essays while explaining and clarifying your ideas appropriately. Look at the table below to go through a list of some of the most commonly used phrases and idioms for explaining/clarifying ideas in IELTS writing task 2.

The following list of idioms and phrases can be used to express your personal opinions in essay questions of IELTS writing task 2. Have a look.

Refer to the table below to go through the list of idioms and phrases that can be used to emphasise importance or value in essay questions of IELTS writing task 2.

You can use the following list of phrases and idioms to give reasons in your IELTS writing task 2 essays. Have a look.

IELTS problem-solution tasks require students to explain the given problem(s) and come up with relevant suggestions or solutions. To ace such questions, you must have a strong grasp of a wide array of idioms and phrases. These will help you construct better responses that are not only coherent but also comprehensible and articulated.

Refer to the table below to go through the list of phrases and idioms that can be used to construct solid supporting arguments in IELTS essays. Have a look.

Idioms can be used as a tool to convey and articulate your feelings and ideas in IELTS Writing. Albeit a powerful tool, you must be cautious whilst using them in the exam. Overusing them can hamper your fluency and your overall score. Have a look at the creative below to use idioms in IELTS Writing.

So that was all about the most common idioms for IELTS Writing. Hope the blog has answered your queries regarding the topic.

Ans: Out of the Blue, Over the Moon, Put all your eggs in one basket, The ‘in’ thing are some of the most common idioms for IELTS speaking.

Ans: For those undertaking the writing section of the IELTS exam, having a solid grasp of vocabulary and idioms is paramount. Ensure your words reach the examiner with perfect clarity, preventing confusion or disengagement. Remember, clarity and pace are fundamental elements of successful writing in the IELTS writing tasks. Mastering these aspects will not only ensure understanding but also demonstrate your fluency and confidence.

Ans: The IELTS Writing Task requires individuals to complete the task within 60 minutes.

Build a plan with Leverage Edu‘s Leverage Live classes and our top trainers and strengthen your English score as well as your application so that you can secure your spot in your dream college. Reach out to Leverage Edu on 1800572000 and schedule a free session today .

Shubham Das

Shubham Das has been working as an educational content writer for the past two years and has a background in filmmaking & screenplay/ teleplay writing. He is fascinated by the human psyche, literature and cinema.

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Idiom Examples To Help Make Your Writing A Piece Of Cake

What are idioms in writing? They are phrases that are a figure of speech and a cornerstone of everyday English, adding a unique flavor to our conversations and writing.

Idioms are entrenched in history or cultural references and carry a symbolic meaning beyond the literal interpretation of the individual words.

For instance, when we say raining cats and dogs , we don’t mean animals are falling from the sky. We use the expression to describe extremely heavy rain.

Idioms are not linguistic curiosities. They are vital in enriching our language and conveying nuanced emotions. They can add humor, emphasis, or specificity to our expressions, allowing us to paint vivid pictures with words.

Idioms in writing

Idiomatic expressions are a part of everyday language. But there can be a slight difference between some American and British English idioms.

Generally, though, the individual words that combine to create an idiom are understood by native speakers, so the symbolic meaning is easy to grasp.

For writers who are using US, UK, Canadian, or Australian English, there is usually no problem in using popular idioms that are specific to your country or region.

But, as with similes and metaphors , a little goes a long way in good writing. If you are writing fiction, you should limit your idiomatic usage.

Perhaps keep it to only the dialogue of one or two of your main characters.

In your narrative, however, you should keep idioms to a minimum. They are seasoning and not one of the main ingredients.

Another word of caution.

Idioms are always fixed expressions.

You should always check to make sure that you are using the correct and exact wording.

Here are some classic idiom examples, followed by perhaps some lesser-known rhyming idioms.

Common idiom examples

Break a leg! A theatrical expression that is used to wish someone good luck .

Don’t beat around the bush. Get to the point of what you want to say. Don’t approach something indirectly.

Every cloud has a silver lining. Similar to a blessing in disguise. Whenever something bad seems to happen, there is usually a positive side.

He drives me up the wall. No car is involved here. It means that someone annoys or exasperates you.

He kicked the bucket. A euphemistic or slang term meaning to die.

I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. No bridge to see. But it means to worry or take action about something when the time comes and not before.

It’s no use crying over spilled milk. There is no point in having regret for something that has happened and cannot be changed.

It was a piece of cake. When something is completed or accomplished with ease. It was very easy.

It was a blessing in disguise. When something unlucky or unfortunate happens, but later, the result is positive or fortuitous.

Bite one’s tongue. Not saying something you want to say.

Heard it on the grapevine. To hear rumors or gossip about someone or something.

Cost an arm and a leg. Very expensive.

You can’t judge a book by its cover. Don’t make up your mind from outward appearances.

Use familiar idioms sparingly

I am sure you can think of a lot more of these idioms we use in everyday conversation.

For example, a big deal, speak of the devil, let the cat out of the bag, like a fish out of water, and actions speak louder than words.

But be careful when you use them. Because they are everyday expressions, they are extremely common, and because of that, they are often overused.

It’s better to use them once in a blue moon. (A blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month.)

Next time you want to write, feeling under the weather , add fuel to the fire, given the cold shoulder, vent your spleen , straight from the horse’s mouth , or curiosity killed the cat , think about it.

Perhaps you could look for a better expression or a more unique word collocation .

Rhyming idiom examples

Here is a fun list of idioms that all use a rhyme.

A des res. A very attractive house or a desirable residence.

Argy-bargy . A process involving arguments.

Bee’s knees. Something to admire or is by far the absolute best.

Bigwigs. Very important or powerful people.

Brain drain. When highly educated people leave to work for a better salary in another country.

Cheerful earful. Some very good news.

Double trouble. A situation involving two problems at the same time.

Dream team. Perfect partners, but often used in reference to a team in sport or business.

Even steven. To draw or tie fairly.

Fat cat. A very wealthy business person who may also be greedy.

Fuddy-duddy. Someone who is very old-fashioned, conservative, and a conformist.

Harum-scarum. When things happen in a disorganized manner.

Helter-skelter. All over the place at great speed, often in disorder or in a panic.

Heyday. A time in the past when someone was at their most successful period. Sometimes, for only a short time.

Higgledy-piggledy. All over the place in different directions. Untidy with no sense of any order.

Hobnob. To socialize, particularly with the rich and famous.

Hocus-pocus. A nonsense or a sham, perhaps to deceive.

Hoity-toity. Being supercilious or behaving or looking as though one is superior to everyone else.

Hotshot. An exceptionally able person at a profession or activity.

Hubbub. A lot of loud noise and activity.

Humdrum . An activity or person who is boring.

Hurlyburly. The busy daily life, particularly in a city.

Kowtow. To accept authority without question or to bow to someone’s wishes without question.

Mumbo jumbo. Talk that means nothing or is rubbish.

Okie Dokie. All right or okay.

Pell-mell. Confused, rushed, disorderly, or in confusion.

Powwows. Conversations or discussions, particularly in meetings.

Ragbag or Hotchpotch. A muddled or miscellaneous collection.

Teenie weenie. Extremely small.

Tittle-tattle. To gossip or tell tales.

Wham Bam. Extremely quickly.

Wheeler-dealer. Someone who does business in an underhand or dishonest fashion.

How to use idioms in writing?

Sparingly is the correct answer. Standard and perhaps hackneyed idioms should be used if and only when absolutely necessary. Don’t rain idioms.

However, rhyming idioms have a small yet distinct advantage.

Many rhyming idioms can be used as adjectives, which makes them a little more versatile.

For example, a hotshot businessman, a humdrum job, or a hotchpotch bunch of garden flowers.

In either case, be careful. The overuse of idioms is a common fault in writing. It is far better to look for word combinations that are unique and inventive.

Think here about how Tom Waits created his own extremely unique figurative expressions. There was amnesia in her kiss. Or, her lips were cut like razor blades.

It is not a matter of inventing new idioms. It is about bringing inventiveness to your writing.

I suppose this article should be interpreted as a warning about using clichés and trite idioms . And that would be close to correct.

If you use idioms, get them right.

But it is far better to be an inventive writer. Try to find your own words to create your figurative and implied meanings.

I bet you are champing at the bit to have fun with your idioms in writing, and oh, break a leg !

Related reading: Foreign Phrases In Your Novel – Never Use Google Translate

About The Author

Derek Haines

How To Write A Great Story – Plan And Organize Your Ideas

Stop Writing A Book When These Ten Things Happen

Blending Fictitious History When You Are Writing Medieval Fantasy

2 thoughts on “idiom examples to help make your writing a piece of cake”.

This was really helpful . Thank you

Very educative indeed.

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Academic vocab

Academic Idioms In the long run bear in mind a fair share

Although it is often assumed that idioms are too informal for use in academic English, two studies have identified idioms which occur fairly frequently in spoken and written academic English.

This page describes idioms in academic English, giving information on what an idiom is , why academic idioms should be studied , as well as a list of academic idioms for spoken and written English from a recent study of idioms (Miller, 2019), giving first background to the creation of the list and finally the list itself .

There are also some exercises to help you practise using academic idioms.

What is an idiom?

For another look at the same content, check out the video on YouTube (also available on Youku ). There is a worksheet (with answers and teacher's notes) for this video.

An idiom is a fixed, well-established, multi-word expression, the meaning of which is not deducible from the individual words. The following are some examples of idioms in everyday (not academic) English.

Raining cats and dogs - raining very hard
Break a leg - said before a performance, meaning 'good luck'
Behind one's back - secretly

The following are some examples of idioms for academic English use (a complete list is given below).

On the other hand - from another point of view (showing contrast)
Bear in mind - think of something, especially as a warning
The bottom line - the main or essential point
Take on board - accept or deal with (a problem or idea)

Why study academic idioms?

Idioms are common in everyday spoken and written English. Although it is often assumed that idioms are too informal for use in academic English, two studies ( Simpson and Mendis, 2003 , and Miller, 2019 ) have identified idioms which are used in academic contexts, more commonly in spoken academic contexts though also in academic writing. In Miller's study, idioms in spoken academic texts, including repetitions, occurred with a frequency of 835 per million words, or close to 0.1%. While this figure is not as high as, say, words in the Academic Word List (10%) or the Academic Collocation List (1.4%), productive knowledge of idioms will assist students in becoming part of the academic discourse community, while receptive knowledge will aid them in understanding spoken or written texts.

Miller reports that idioms may sometimes be signposted by lecturers (e.g. via the phrase as it were ) or writers (e.g. via the phrase as they say or by use of quotation marks). However, these methods do not always signal idiom use, do not help students to understand the meaning of idioms, and in fact add a layer of complexity to academic English study (in terms of what as it were and as they say mean and why quotation marks are used in that way).

Academic Idioms List: background to the list

The list of academic idioms (below) comes from the study by Julia Miller (2019), which used two academic English corpuses: the British Academic Spoken English (BASE) corpus for spoken texts (lectures and seminars), and the Oxford Corpus of Academic English (OCAE) for written texts. Only idioms with a frequency of more than 1.2 per million words (pmw) in the BASE were included.

The range of idiom use is shown by the number of texts in which each idiom occurs, as well as the number of faculties (i.e. disciplinary groups) it occurs in. Miller's study used four such faculties, namely Social Sciences (which had the highest idiom use with 234 pmw), Arts and Humanities (which had 191 idioms pmw), Life and Medical Sciences (183 pmw), and Physical Sciences (which had the least frequent use, 76 pmw).

Most idioms in the list occur in more than one faculty, meaning they are suitable for study by all students of academic English. The most frequent idiom used in only one faculty, gold standard (24th most frequent idiom in spoken academic English and 10th most frequent in written academic English), was used only in the Life Sciences (medical articles).

Miller, J. (2019) 'The bottom line: Are idioms used in English academic speech and writing?', Journal of English for Academic Purposes , 43 (2020) 100810. Available online at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2019.100810 .

Simpson, R., and Mendis, D. (2003) 'A corpus-based study of idioms in academic speech', Tesol Quarterly , 37(3), 419e441. Available online at: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/90255/3588398.pdf?sequence=1 .

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Academic Idioms List: Spoken

The list below gives spoken academic idioms from the BASE (British Academic Spoken English) corpus, listed in order of frequency. There are 170 idioms in total. There is a separate version of 38 idioms for written academic English (use the button below to switch lists). Definitions are included for all idioms. [Note: Sp freq pmw means spoken frequency per million words while Wr freq pmw refers to written frequency per million words .]

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Author: Sheldon Smith ‖ Last modified: 16 November 2022.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

The AWL highlighter allows you to highlight words from the AWL (Academic Word List) in any text you choose.

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Home — Essay Samples — Science — English Language — 50 Most Common English Idioms

50 Most Common English Idioms

Categories: English Language Language Diversity

About this sample

Words: 1574 |

Published: Jan 21, 2020

Words: 1574 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

What are idioms?

Add fuel to the flames
Answer nature’s call
Accidentally on purposeIt refers to when somebody does something deliberately and then pretends that it was an accident.
Badger someone
Balancing act
Be ones best bet
Bare your soul
Binge drinking
Biting the hand that feeds youIf you are so harsh to someone who a lot to you and they are kind to you then they can say you are biting the hand that feeds you.
Breathing down someone’s neck
Clinch a deal
A done deal
In black and white
Gentleman’s agreement
No strings attached
With one voice
Like the back of one’s handWhenever you have a complete knowledge of something it means you know it like the back of your hand.
Back into shape
Back on your feet
Up in armsWhenever somebody is up in arms, they are so angry over something.
Get off my back
Bite someone’s head off
Be in a black mood
Blow a fuse
Bone to pick with someone
Come down to someone like a ton of bricks
Dressed to kill
Down at heel
Face like a bulldog chewing a wasp
Mutton dressed as a lamb
Big fish in a small pond
Bring to heel
Bulldoze someone into doing something
Call the shots
Too many chiefs, not enough Indians
Crack the whip
Dancing to someone’s tune
Drawing a line in the sand
Force someone’s hand
At all costs
Having a bee in your bonnet
Blood, sweat and tears
Having something on your brain
Explore all avenues
Embarrassment of riches
on the fence
Horns of a dilemma
Come to a bad end

Works Cited

Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Idiom. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/idiom
Chiu, Y.-L. (2017). The Use of Idioms in English Language Teaching. Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research, 9(2), 49–54.
Crystal, D. (2008). A dictionary of linguistics and phonetics. Wiley-Blackwell.
Idiomsite. (n.d.). Idioms and Their Meanings. https://www.idiomsite.com/
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Idiom. In Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idiom
Phan, H. (2020). A survey on the use of idioms in English language teaching in Vietnam. Journal of Language and Linguistics Studies, 16(1), 1–13.
Prithviraj, B. (2017). The role of idioms in enhancing language learners’ language proficiency. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 4(2), 39–46.
Seidl, J., & McMordie, W. (2010). English idioms exercises on phrasal verbs and idioms. Hueber.
Tirkkonen-Condit, S., & Laukkanen, A.-M. (1996). Idioms in English: A corpus-based study of variation in current English usage. Walter de Gruyter.
Wray, A. (2002). Formulaic language and the lexicon. Cambridge University Press.

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List of 200 Idioms and Phrases (pdf/xls) | C1 Advanced (CAE)

Fixed expressions and idioms are a huge part of the Cambridge Advanced exam, coming into play far more frequently than in lower levels. The difficulty with CAE fixed expressions is that learners will often recognise them and understand them when seen in context. However, making them part of their active vocabulary is a much greater challenge. For the CAE it is essential that your students know various fixed expressions and idioms.

FCE, CAE, CPE

Practice, write & improve, (cae) a-d idioms & phrases, more than practice tests, (cae) e-h idioms & phrases, (cae) i-l idioms & phrases, (cae) m-p idioms & phrases, (cae) r-t idioms & phrases, cae useful idioms & phrases: download pdf.

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CAE Useful Idioms & Phrases: Download XLS

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40 Absolutely Essential English Idioms and Their Meanings

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April 6, 2020
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Looking for a list of idioms with their meaning? 40 of the common idioms encountered in everyday English are listed along with their meanings. Improve your use of idiomatic expressions with some of the best idioms that are properly explained to ensure that you always know when to use common idioms and phrases . Check out our idioms list here.

What are idioms?

Idioms are a collection of words, phrases, or sentences that portray a different meaning than the literal meanings of the words or the phrase itself. Most of the common idioms used in the English language are made up of five to 8 words and they are used as emotional expressions, warnings or used as a means to describe certain situations without saying it directly.

Many of the famous idioms are made up of short and incomplete sentences. When an idiom is composed of long or even complete sentences, it is called a proverb.

Here we have compiled a list of idioms and their meanings when used in most situations.

Speak of the devil

Meaning: This is used when a person that is being talked about at the moment suddenly appears.

Example: “…and he never talked about it again. Oh! Speak of the devil. I was just telling jerry about the other day at the beach.”

A blessing in disguise

Meaning: This is used to refer to something that was initially perceived as being bad that then turns out to be good.

Example: “I guess John’s girlfriend getting pregnant in high school was a blessing in disguise. Their son is the best thing that has happened to them.”

A hot potato

Meaning: This is used to describe an issue or even a person that is currently being talked about and is surrounded by a lot of controversies.

Example: “World War III is suddenly a hot potato in 2020.”

Back to the drawing board

Meaning: it is usually used to mean starting over again, especially when everything else has failed.

Example: “After Jenny’s startup failed, she had to go back to the drawing board.”

Beating around the bush

Meaning: This means avoiding the main topic or situation by saying or doing something else.

Example: “Quit beating around the bush and tell me exactly what happened to my money.”

Beating a dead horse

Meaning: trying to add energy to revive a situation that is hopeless or dead.

Example: “Trying to get Angela back is like trying beating a dead horse, she is already married to that tech billionaire guy.”

Bite more than you can chew

Meaning: This means to take on more challenges or responsibilities than you can handle.

Example: “Hey, John, you have so much work on your hands already, do not bite more than you can chew by taking on more responsibility.”

Judge a book by its cover

Meaning: This means judging a person or situation on the first encounter or how they appear.

Example: “Bella is not a bad person just because of how she dresses, you are just judging a book by its cover.”

Through thick and thin

Meaning: This means in Good and bad situations.

Example: “His wife stuck with him through thick and thin, it is no wonder he loves her so much.”

Weather the storm

Meaning: This means to endure hardship or a difficult situation.

Example: “I am sure that things will get better for you, all you have to do is weather the storm till it’s over.”

Stir the hornets’ nest

Meaning: This means doing something that you know can get you in trouble or make someone angry.

Example: “Driving your wife’s car to work on a Monday is like stirring the hornets’ nest, I hope you are ready for what comes next.”

Head over heels

Meaning: This means to be completely in love with someone.

Example: “Jessica is head over heels in love with her neighbor, I hope she gets to marry her.”

Keep at arm’s length

Meaning: This means avoiding a person or a situation by staying away from them.

Example: “I am a very quiet person, and this is why keep Ben at arm’s length.

Barking up the wrong tree

Meaning: This means to follow a wrong course or take the wrong action that might end badly for you.

Example: “If you are saying all these lies about me just to provoke me, stop now because you are barking up the wrong tree.”

A chip off the old block

Meaning: This means that the person being referred to is similar to their parent or a mentor in some distinct way.

Example: “Musa is a chip off the old block, you can tell by how he talks.”

An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

Meaning: This means the character of a person is expected to resemble or be similar to that of one’s parents.

Example: “I actually Rebecca would be different from her mum, but then an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Once in a blue moon

Meaning: This means the situation being talked about rarely happens.

Example: “Getting praise from my father is something that happens once in a blue moon.”

18. Best of both worlds

Meaning: This is used to say a situation has the advantages of two unrelated things.

Example: “if you get this item, you get to spend less on a product that is also of high quality, it is the best of both worlds really!”

Burn the Midnight Oil

Meaning: This means working late into the night to get something done.

Example: “She burned the midnight oil on multiple occasions to makes sure that she got this deal. She clearly deserved it.”

Don’t count your chickens before your eggs have hatched.

Meaning: This is used to tell someone to avoid making plans for something that has not happened yet, or might not happen.

Example: “Really, you went out and bought a car when your client has not paid. I thought you knew better than counting your chickens before they have hatched.”

Cut somebody some slack

Meaning: This is used to say, you should go easy on somebody or stop being so critical about a person’s performance.

Example: “Hey, John, could you at least cut peter some slack, at least we can all see that he is trying his best to impress you.”

Put all your eggs in one basket

Meaning: This is used to mean a person is depending on a single source of income, or an opportunity, or depending on a single thing for support when they could have more.

Example: “Ruby has been miserable since she lost her day job, she has no other source of income because she put all her eggs in one basket.”

Feel a bit under the weather

Meaning: This is used to mean a person or thing is feeling slightly ill.

Example: “I had to stay home yesterday because my cat was feeling a bit under the weather.”

Hanging by the skin of your teeth

Meaning: This is means you are barely hanging on in a situation.

Example: “Tabita doesn’t like this new job, she is just hanging by the skin of her teeth.”

Caught between a rock and a hard place

Meaning: This is used to say there is no easy choice or that you have to choose between two hard choices.

Example: “Telling your Indian mother that you are gay or telling her that you are quitting med school is hard. It seems like you are caught between a rock and a hard place.”

Fit as a fiddle

Meaning: being in a very good state of health.

Example: “Even at 50 years of age, my father is as fit as a fiddle.”

Give the cold shoulder

Meaning: Ignoring a person or a thing.

Example: “I tried talking to my girlfriend yesterday, but she gave me the cold shoulder.”

Hit the nail on the head

Meaning: This means being correct or precise.

Example: “When he said the problem of my community is bad governance , he hit the nail on the head.”

Let a person or thing off the hook

Meaning: letting go of wrongdoing or not holding someone responsible for a situation.

Example: “I thought Jackson’s mum would kill him after that stunt he pulled, but she let off of the hook.”

Keep your eye on the ball

Meaning: This is used to tell someone to stay focus or keep their eyes on the prize and work hard.

Example: “You can’t give up just after one try, you need to keep your eyes on the ball.”

Steal a person’s thunder

Meaning: Taking credit for someone else’s work or stealing the spotlight from a person.

Example: “Even though Rahim made the drone work, Janet stole his thunder and said she did it all by herself.”

The last straw that broke the camel’s back

Meaning: The last action or event that makes an already difficult situation totally unbearable.

Example: “I could live with her wanting to keep the dog beside the bed in the room, but her wanting to adopt four dogs was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.”

You guess is as good as mine

Meaning: This is used to say a person knows just as much as the next person knows.

Example: “…hey don’t look at me like I know anything about what happened, your guess is as good as mine.”

Every dog has his day

Meaning: everyone gets a stroke of good luck no matter how bad they might have had it, or everyone gets to do something important once in a while.

Example: “don’t take this as anything meaningful, every dog has his day, and this one is yours.”

Heads in the clouds

Meaning: not paying attention because a person is lost in their own thoughts.

Example: “Of course, you did not hear me, since you had your heads in the clouds.”

At the drop of a hat

Meaning: To do something immediately.

Example: “That cop is a very good man, whenever I call for help, he arrives at the drop of a hat.”

Taste of your own medicine

Meaning: This is used to say a person is being treated the same way they used to treat others (it usually has a negative meaning).

Example: “When I saw Lilly being bullied, I was glad she was getting a taste of her own medicine.”

Spill the beans

Meaning: To tell a secret.

Example: “This suspense is killing me, Jane, just spill the beans already.”

A slap on the wrist

Meaning: Getting less punishment than a person deserves.

Example: “Even though Wale had been stealing meat from the pot for ages, all he got was a slap on the wrist when he got caught.”

All bark and no bite

Meaning: used to describe a person as non-threatening. It is also used to mean a person that can only talk but not do.

Example: “You have nothing to be worried about, Melissa is all bark and no bite.”

What is the major difference between popular idioms and common proverbs?

Answer: Proverbs are mostly used as wise sayings, and they employ the use of generally accepted concepts in society . While idioms are not usually wise sayings nor always made up of generally accepted concepts, idioms are usually just used to get the point across with emphasis placed on the meaning of the idiom.

User 1: Please, what does it mean when someone says “make no bones about it, I want to hear everything”?

User 2: I think this means that the person wants you to keep no secret, just say it as it is.

User 1: Thank you, that was so helpful.

User 3: make no bones about something means you should say exactly what you feel about a situation. It basically means to speak your mind.

User 1: Thanks for your help.

User 4: I love how they add examples to the idioms explained on this website, it makes it easier to grasp.

User 5: This helped a lot… thanks.

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Commonly Used Idioms In IELTS Essay Writing

When assessing IELTS Exam, examiners grade on the basis of “lexical resource” used by candidates. What is it? It means having wide range of vocabulary and ample amount of knowledge regarding its usage in writing section. Idioms are easily spotted by examiners, and when used properly, can get you high band score in IELTS Essay Writing part of the exam. Idioms are phrases, expressions or a group of words that do not actually do not mean what has been stated but have hidden meanings. To understand correct practice of idioms in writing essays, we would be discussing some commonly used idioms with sentences below:

#1. Whole nine yards Meaning: Everything possible or available, full measure Sentence: Tom’s going whole nine yards to make this project a success.

#2. Steal someone’s thunder Meaning: to do what someone else was going to do before they do it, especially if this takes success or praise away from them Sentence: My sister stole my thunder announcing she came first in class just before I planned to tell people about my result.

Don’t forget to read another list of idioms with sentences!

#4. Last straw Meaning: the last of a succession of irritations, incidents, remarks, etc., that leads to a loss of patience, a disaster, etc Sentence: I was already on verge of resigning, but being transferred 400 miles away from home was the last straw.

#5. Cut corners Meaning: Things done in order to save money Sentence: People cut corners when they run short on money not realizing its worth before time.

Have you grasped the trick of using idioms in IELTS Essay writing? If not, look at some more examples!

#7. Taste of your own medicine Meaning: When someone receives the same treatment, usually negative, that they gave someone else. Sentence: People who boss around others, must be given a taste of their own medicine.

#8. Spill the beans Meaning: Tell or reveal a secret Sentence: He spilled the beans about being equally involved in this phone scam.

Hope this list of commonly used idioms with sentences helps you to score high band score! How idioms help to score how?

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Useful Academic Expressions & Phrases For Essay Writing

These useful academic expressions , words, vocabulary and phrases will help you to write a top-notch essay. Writing an essay can be a challenging task. However it becomes simpler if it is divided into manageable pieces. There are three main parts in an essay: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. You can easily overcome your essay writing task with these academic phrases and vocabulary for essay writing.

Phrases to Finish an Introduction Paragraph

In this essay, I will look at some of the arguments for This essay will discuss different ways of … This essay outline some of the reasons why… Let us examine both views before reaching a concrete decision. The following essay takes a look at both sides of the argument.

Vocabulary for Opinion Essay

In my opinion, I strongly agree with the idea that … I strongly disagree with the idea that … I strongly opine that… I strongly believe that… In my view… As far as I am concerned… It seems to me that… However, I strongly believe that… I oppose the view and my reasons will be explained in the following paragraphs. I will support this view with arguments in the following paragraphs. I personally believe that… Thus the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages…

Useful Expressions For Listing Your Ideas

First… First of all… Firstly… First and foremost… Initially… To begin with… To start with… In the first place…

On the one hand… Second(ly)… (do not use ‘Second of all’) Third(ly)… Then… Next… After that… And… Again… Also… Besides… Likewise… In addition… Consequently… What’s more… Furthermore… Moreover… Apart from that…

Finally… Last but not the least…

Check Also: Vocabulary for Starting Your Essay How to Write The Best Essay Ever!

Phrases to Show a Comparison in Your Essay

In the same way… Likewise… Similarly… Like the previous point… Similar to… Also… At the same time… Just as…

Useful Vocabulary and Phrases to Show Contrast

On the other hand… On the contrary… However… Nevertheless…/ Nonetheless… But… Nonetheless/ Nevertheless… Oppositely… Alternatively… Unlike… While… Whilst… Although… Though… Even though… Despite… / In spite of… In spite of the fact that… Alternatively… In contrast to this… Then again… On the other hand… Despite the fact that… Even so… Yet… Meanwhile…

Vocabulary For Expressing Condition

If… Provided that… Because of that… For this reason… Unless… Providing that… So that… In case… Whether…

Phrases for Expressing Certainty in Your Essay

Certainly… Definitely… No doubt… Of course… Doubtlessly… Without any doubt… Undoubtedly…

Vocabulary for Adding Further Information

In addition… And… Moreover… Similarly… Furthermore… Also… As well as… Besides… Even… Too… What’s more… Again… In a similar fashion… Likewise…

Expressions for Agreement & Disagreement in Your Essay

While writing your essay, as a writer you are required to show whether you agree & disagree or partially agree with a given statement or opinion.

Vocabulary for Expressing Agreement

I strongly agree… I completely agree that… I totally agree with the given idea that… I agree with the opinion that… I am quite inclined to the opinion that… I accept that… I accept the fact that… I am in agreement… I consent that…

Vocabulary for Expressing Disagreement

I disagree with the opinion that… I strongly disagree… I completely disagree with… I totally disagree with the given idea that… I disagree with the statement… I quite oppose the opinion that… I disapprove that… I totally do not accept the fact that… My own opinion contradicts… I disagree with the group of people… However, my opinion is different from…

Vocabulary for Expressing Partial Agreement

To some extent… In a way… I agree with the given statement to some extent… Up to a point, I agree… More or less… So to speak…

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7 Important Idioms For Narrative Writing

English Idioms for Narrative Writing, expressions and proverbs are an important part of the English language. Both spoken and written English is filled with them.

For people learning English idioms for Narrative Writing are hard to interpret, the reason being, Idioms don’t make literal sense.

To learn the meanings and usage of idioms, English learners must practice and familiarize themselves with their everyday usage.

The team at Lillypad understands the pain and difficulties English Learners come across in comprehending the true meaning and suitable usage. This list of idioms for Narrative Writing makes learning easy as ABC, with common Narrative Writing idioms, definitions, and example sentences which make the meaning clear.

Learning to use common idioms and expressions will make your English sound more native, so it’s a good idea to master some of these expressions with daily practice. Bookmark this page or share it with your friends; now let’s learn about idioms for Narrative Writing together.

Idioms for Narrative Writing with Meanings, Definitions & Example Sentences

1. once upon a time, definition and meaning: once upon a time.

The expression “once upon a time” is used to describe a time in the past that was very different from the present.

Once Upon A Time Example Sentences:

Once upon a time, there was a brave knight who set out on a quest to save a princess
Once upon a time, there was a small village that was terrorized by a dragon
Once upon a time, there was a poor farmer who found a magical beanstalk that led to a giant’s castle
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful mermaid who fell in love with a human prince
Once upon a time, there was a wise old wizard who granted three wishes to a young boy

2. Long Ago

Definition and meaning: long ago.

Long ago” is an expression that means “in the past.

Long Ago Example Sentences:

Long ago, people used to travel by horse and carriage
Long ago, the world was a much simpler place
Long ago, the only way to communicate was by letter
Long ago, the only way to get news was through the newspaper
Long ago, people believed the world was flat

3. In The Days Of Yore

Definition and meaning: in the days of yore.

The expression “in the days of yore” is used to refer to a time in the past that was considered to be more romantic or idealistic.

In The Days Of Yore Example Sentences:

In the days of yore, knights in shining armour would ride off to battle on their noble steeds
In the days of yore, people would gather around the fire to tell stories and sing songs
In the days of yore, kings and queens ruled with an iron fist
In the days of yore, people would travel by horse and carriage
In the days of yore, people would barter goods and services instead of using money

4. In The Heat Of The Moment

Definition and meaning: in the heat of the moment.

The phrase “in the heat of the moment” is used to describe a situation where someone does something without thinking about it first, usually because they are angry, upset, or excited.

In The Heat Of The Moment Example Sentences:

I said some things I didn’t mean in the heat of the moment
She made a rash decision in the heat of the moment
He acted without thinking in the heat of the moment
I regret my actions in the heat of the moment
He made a promise he couldn’t keep in the heat of the moment

5. On The Edge

Definition and meaning: on the edge.

The expression “on the edge” can mean different things depending on the context.

On The Edge Example Sentences:

She was on the edge of her seat during the entire movie
He was on the edge of tears when he heard the news
She was on the edge of losing her temper when her boss criticized her
He was on the edge of bankruptcy and had to make some tough decisions
She was on the edge of a breakdown after working so hard for so long

6. In The Nick Of Time

Definition and meaning: in the nick of time.

The expression “in the nick of time” means that something happened just in time, or at the last possible moment.

In The Nick Of Time Example Sentences:

I arrived at the airport just in the nick of time to catch my flight
I finished my project in the nick of time before the deadline
I managed to finish my presentation in the nick of time before the meeting
I was able to get to the hospital in the nick of time to see my grandmother before she passed away
I was able to get to the store in the nick of time to buy the last item I needed for my recipe

7. To Be Continued

Definition and meaning: to be continued.

It means that the story is not over yet and that there will be more to come.

To Be Continued Example Sentences:

The story of the brave knight and the dragon was full of suspense and excitement, but the ending was left to be continued..
The debate between the two candidates was heated, but the final verdict was to be continued..
The mystery of the missing jewels was intriguing, but the solution was to be continued..
The journey of the explorer was full of danger and adventure, but the final destination was to be continued..
The search for the lost city was long and arduous, but the outcome was to be continued..

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COMMENTS

21 Inspiring writing idioms (with examples & definitions)
Put pen to paper. This idiom about writing could be losing relevance, since most writing nowadays is done electronically. Still, to instruct someone to put pen to paper is to tell them it's time to start writing. "Ok boys and girls, the exam has started to it's time to put pen to paper. Good luck.".
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make your essay interesting and help enhance the quality of your essay . further develop your writing skills by using stylistic devices . You can start by trying to use 1 idiom for each essay and then increase the number if appropriate. However, avoid overpopulating your essay with idioms unnecessarily as they should only be used intentionally ...
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Idioms for Writing Break a Leg - Good Luck. Meaning: To wish someone good luck, especially before a performance or undertaking. In a Sentence: As the actor stepped onto the stage, his friend whispered, "Break a leg," hoping for a stellar performance. Bite the Bullet - Facing Challenges. Meaning: To endure a painful or difficult situation with courage.
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Idioms for Essay Writing. 21. Out of sight. outside the area that you can see. She kept waving her hand until the car was out of sight. 22. Out of sorts. to be sick. He could not attend the class as he was out of sorts.
21 formal idioms and collocations for IELTS Task 2 essays
The following list, in contrast, contains a variety of idioms and collocations (words frequently paired together) commonly used by contemporary native English speakers in business and academic writing. While some of the phrases are relevant to specific topics, the focus is on expressions that can be used in responses to a wide range of questions.
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What Is an Idiom? 24 Idiom Examples. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Sep 27, 2022 • 7 min read. Every language has its unique collection of sayings and phrases. These expressions, known as idioms, often contain meanings that may not be obvious by simply looking at the individual words.
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Idiom 5: Cross (your/my) fingers . Meaning: A wish for good luck or that something happens the way you want it to. Sentence: My students have studied tirelessly for their exams.I can only cross my fingers and hope for the best for them! Idiom 6: Cut corners . Meaning: To do something most easily or least expensively; a shortcut . Sentence: When the bookshelf came tumbling down, it was obvious ...
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List of Idioms and Phrases Useful for IELTS Writing Idioms and Phrases Useful for IELTS Writing 1 - 5. 1. Over the moon- To be extremely pleased or happy. I was over the moon when I passed my test. 2. Once in a blue moon- Happens very rarely. A tourist will see Rafflesia in full bloom once in a blue moon. 3. A piece of cake - Very easy.
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Learning to use common idioms and expressions will make your English sound more native, so it's a good idea to master some of these expressions with daily practice, so bookmark this page or share it with your friends; now let us learn about idioms for Essay Writing together. Idioms for Essay Writing with Meanings, Definitions & Example ...
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The idiom just means that like a panicked chicken, Sophie is running around in a haphazard manner. This is a funny, light-hearted way of explaining Sophie's situation. 4. Idioms make you sound like native speakers. This is another good reason for slipping idioms into your writing. Every language has its own idioms that emerge from its culture.
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4. That is to say. Usage: "That is" and "that is to say" can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: "Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.". 5. To that end. Usage: Use "to that end" or "to this end" in a similar way to "in order to" or "so".
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1 against the clock. Meaning: if you work against the clock, you are trying very hard to finish something before a deadline. Use: Police are working against the clock to find the evidence they ...
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Don't rain idioms. However, rhyming idioms have a small yet distinct advantage. Many rhyming idioms can be used as adjectives, which makes them a little more versatile. For example, a hotshot businessman, a humdrum job, or a hotchpotch bunch of garden flowers. In either case, be careful. The overuse of idioms is a common fault in writing.
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Academic Idioms List: background to the list. The list of academic idioms (below) comes from the study by Julia Miller (2019), which used two academic English corpuses: the British Academic Spoken English (BASE) corpus for spoken texts (lectures and seminars), and the Oxford Corpus of Academic English (OCAE) for written texts. Only idioms with a frequency of more than 1.2 per million words ...
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Breathing down someone's neck. When you breathe down somebody's neck it means that you are having a keen and close eye on them which can make them feel uncomfortable. Clinch a deal. Clinching a deal is when you reach a certain agreement over some business proposal you had with another party. A done deal.
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Beating around the bush. Meaning: This means avoiding the main topic or situation by saying or doing something else. Example: "Quit beating around the bush and tell me exactly what happened to my money.". Beating a dead horse. Meaning: trying to add energy to revive a situation that is hopeless or dead.
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Idioms are phrases, expressions or a group of words that do not actually do not mean what has been stated but have hidden meanings. To understand correct practice of idioms in writing essays, we would be discussing some commonly used idioms with sentences below: #1. Whole nine yards Meaning: Everything possible or available, full measure
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Essay Expression PDF - (download) academic, essay expressions, essay writing. We share daily lessons, free English learning materials for ESL students and language learners from all over the world. These useful academic expressions, words, vocabulary and phrases will help you to write a top-notch essay. PDF also available.
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In the days of yore, people would gather around the fire to tell stories and sing songs. In the days of yore, kings and queens ruled with an iron fist. In the days of yore, people would travel by horse and carriage. In the days of yore, people would barter goods and services instead of using money. 4.