The ability to use idioms in IELTS satisfies the Band 7 criteria in both Writing and Speaking. However, candidates must be cautious when employing idioms.
Firstly, some idioms are redundant because of overuse. This means that although a native speaker may understand the meaning of the idiom, the speaker would rarely use it as it would sound strange to others.
A good example of this is ‘Let the cat out of the bag’, meaning to give away a secret.
IDIOMS IELTS SPEAKING
Part of the marking criteria for IELTS Speaking is ‘skillful use of idiomatic expressions’. Notice ‘skilled use’. An examiner would be unlikely to regard ‘let the cat out of the bag’ as skillful because of its overuse.
IDIOMS IELTS WRITING
Because idioms are often considered casual, they should not be utilized in Academic Writing Task 1 or 2.
However, if used in General IELTS Writing Task 1 or 2, the examiner may offer extra points for idiomatic language because the task may necessitate a more informal approach, but these idioms must be utilized carefully. Simply using idioms for the sake of using them will not really impress the examiner; however using idioms in the context of the topic question that’s given to you and using idioms to tie back to the reasons that you have given in support of the topic will boost your chances of obtaining a better score on Writing on the General IELTS test.
Idioms are a sort of metaphorical language that can be utilized to breathe life into an otherwise dull text. Idioms can also be used to communicate complex ideas in a simple way. Idioms can often be used to explain a complex or abstract topic in a concise and understandable manner.
Let’s consider some examples of idioms to describe intelligence.
Intelligence is often compared to light. Examine these colloquial terms to see if you can see the intelligence reference.
POSITIVE CONNOTATIONS
She is the class's brightest student.
She outshines everyone else.
He is a brilliant student of English.
They had a flash of inspiration.
NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS
He didn’t impress me very much. In fact, he seemed quite dim.
This is the product of a drab intellect.
Furthermore, intelligence is sometimes compared to sharp, cutting instruments like blades, razors, and scalpels.
He’s incredibly sharp. He knows everything!
She has a razor-sharp mind.
He has a keen intellect.
We dissected the problem piece by piece.
He was an incisive critic.
Commonly Confused Idioms
Just Deserts
Another idiom that preserves an old form of a term that has fallen out of usage outside of this specific expression is "just deserts." Because of how we say it, the term is frequently miswritten as just deserts. This term, however, has nothing to do with cake and ice cream or hot, sandy wastelands. When we say that someone received their just desserts, we mean that they received exactly what they deserved. They received what they deserved, to put it another way. Deserts is a slang term for "deserve."
Different From
Although different from what is commonly used in speech, the appropriate preposition with difference is from. Most authorities, on the other hand, will accept different than in a phrase like "Ice cream tastes different than it did when I was a kid," because otherwise you'd have to use a more wordy structure like "Ice cream tastes different from how it tasted when I was a kid."
Take for Granted
It's easy to misunderstand this one as take for granite. After all, it does make some logic. Taking something for granted means failing to appreciate it because it appears to have always existed and will continue to exist. Isn't granite a relatively long-lasting material? But what the word really means is that we assume something has been given to us indefinitely.
CONCLUSION
In summary, you should NOT use idioms in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 or 2; however, in the IELTS General exam, the task may require this and may improve your score.
It is not enough to employ idiomatic language in IELTS Speaking; you will boost your score if you can use them "skillfully" or with "sophistication."
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