Useful Phrases for IELTS Topic Entertainment and Art

Subtopic Entertainment

“Entertainment” is one of the common topics that often appear in the IELTS exam. Let’s immediately learn the following phrases provided by azVocab.

PHRASE	MEANING	EXAMPLE
Free time activities	The activities that you do for fun in your leisure time	I like to listen to music in *my free time activities*.
Extracurricular activity	Activity performed by students, that falls outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school, college or university education	Playing football was seen as an extracurricular activity.
Leisure activity	Activity people participate in when free, maybe in the evenings or weekends	One of my favorite *leisure activities* is dancing because it makes me happy when I can listen to music and move my body at the same time.
Leisure pursuit	An activity or hobby that someone chooses to do in their free time for enjoyment, rather than out of necessity or obligation	She keeps the perfect balance between work and home and takes time for her leisure pursuits.
Public figure	A famous person who is often written about in newspapers and magazines or is often on television or the radio	This account, then, is the public face of an influential and much respected *public figure*, an institutional big-man.
Recreational activity	Any outdoor activity undertaken for the purpose of exercise, relaxation or pleasure, including practice or instruction in any such activity	Fishing, in general, is considered more of an outdoor *recreational activity*.
The rat race	A way of life in modern society, in which people compete with each other for power and money	Having a leisure time activity will help them escape from the rat race* to enjoy the time themselves.*
Source of pleasure	Enjoyment, happiness, or satisfaction, or something that gives this	Museums and art stores are also sources of pleasure* and inspiration.*
Healing music	The sound and rhythm of music promotes good physical, mental, and emotional health	I also love hearing to some healing music* online, which helps me to relieve stress.*
To idle away the hours	To spend a period of time relaxing and doing very little	In my time off I often *idle away the hours* by playing guitar.
To binge-watch	To watch several episodes (= separate parts) of a television series or programme, one after another	We binge-watched* an entire season of “Breaking Bad” on Sunday.*
To escape from the hectic pace of life	To get free from a life that is full of activity, or very busy	Enjoying my leisure activities helps me escape from the hectic pace of life.
To have sb’s energy boosted	To increase a positive or desirable quality	I feel like I can have my energy boosted* when I can enjoy myself through leisure activities.*
To recharge sb’s battery	To rest and relax for a period of time so that you feel energetic again	Leisure pursuits are the things that help me recharge my battery.
To be a drain on energy	To take away a lot of your energy and makes you tired	The work is stressful and demanding and it has been a drain on my energy.
To spread a positive message	To communicate a positive message to a lot of people	Please share this article with those you love and care about and help me *spread the message* of body safety!
To cheer oneself up when one feels blue	To feel encouraged and happier, or to cause someone to feel this way	Watching my favorite movie is a way to cheer myself up when I feel blue.
To awake sb’s interest	If a wish, interest, or emotion awakens or is awakened in you, you notice it for the first time	My holiday in Paris *awakened my interest* in French food.
To be/become a pastime	To be an activity that is done for enjoyment	The same sources tell us that this game caught on pretty quickly and soon became *a favorite pastime* of the nobility and royalty.
To be hooked on	To enjoy something so much that you are unable to stop having it, watching it, doing it, etc.	He’s totally *hooked on* motor racing these days.
To be into	To be interested in or involved with	I *am really into* watching movies. In fact, I go to the movie theatre every single weekend.
To be widely recognised	To be recognised by a large number of people	She’s *widely recognised* for her ability to grow technology products and gain user adoption.
To blow/let off steam	To do or say something that helps you to get rid of strong feelings or energy	Call me any time you need to *blow off some steam*.
To boost your mood	To improve or uplift a person’s emotional state, typically by enhancing feelings of happiness, positivity, motivation, or overall well-being	If you use the internet to *boost your mood* or to feel better, you may have a problem.
To bring (sb) enjoyment	To make someone feel happy	Listening to music brings him great enjoyment.
To chill out	To relax completely, or not allow things to upset you	I’m just *chilling out* in front of the TV.
To come round	To visit someone in their home	Do you want to *come round* and play piano later?
To fire the imagination	To make someone feel very interested in something and excited about something	He *fired the imagination* of contemporaries and of later generations.
To hang out (with sb)	To spend a lot of time in a place or with someone	They spent the whole day hanging out* by the pool.*
To have a bit “me time”	To have the time spent focusing on oneself and only doing things one wants to do	I enjoy *having a bit of “me time*” by meditating.
To have a bit of spare time	To have a bit of free, personal, or leisure time outside of one’s work, school, or other primary obligations	So when I do *have a bit of square time*, I usually just stay at home.
To let your hair down	To allow yourself to behave much more freely than usual and enjoy yourself	Why are you so tense? Just *let your hair down* and enjoy the event.
To lock yourself away	To keep (oneself) alone in a room or place for a long period of time	She *locks herself away* for hours in front of the computer and goes online every night.
To maintain a well-balanced life	To make time for the things you have to do, as well as the things you want to do	Maintaining a balanced life is becoming increasingly important for your personal health and well-being in a fast-paced, modern world.
To make the most of your free time	To take full advantage of your free time because it may not last long	I often *make most of my free* time reading books, which is a great way for me to relieve stress.
To make time for yourself	To set time aside consciously	She taught me that sometimes you have to *make time for yourself* so that you will have the energy to give to your children.
To reduce stress and improve health	To release stress and reduce its negative effects on our lives	Regular exercise helps to *reduce stress and improves health* by releasing endorphins.
To schedule your free time	To arrange your free time	If I have a lot of homework, I try to *schedule my free time* for watching at least one of my favorite shows.
To set aside time for your self	To spend time on your own doing what you want to do, not what anyone else thinks you should be doing	I *set aside time* for myself every day.
To take sb’s mind off sth	To stop you from worrying or thinking about a problem or pain, often by forcing you to think about other things	The good thing about running is that it *takes my mind off* any problems I have.
To take up sth as a hobby	To become interested in something and spend time doing it as a hobby	He *took up jogging* after his doctor advised him to get some exercise.

Subtopic Art

Below, azVocab will provide you with phrases related to the “Art” topic. You can apply them to your Writing Task 2 or Speaking part.

PHRASE

MEANING

EXAMPLE

A literature festival/a book festival

A regular gathering of writers and readers, typically on an annual basis in a particular city

One way in which to attract tourists to a city is to stage an annual literature festival and invite well-known writers to attend.

A mixed funding model for the arts

A model in which some money to support the arts is given by the government and some money is provided by private individuals or commercial organizations

I would argue that a mixed funding model for the arts is the best way to support artists, musicians, and writers by combining public and providing funds and even donations.

Priceless portrait

A priceless painting, photograph, drawing, etc. of a person or, less commonly, of a group of people

Private art collections may sometimes include priceless portraits of kings or queens painted by famous artists.

Private viewing

An occasion when a few people are invited to look at an exhibition of paintings, a movie, etc. before the public is allowed to see it

Paintings are sometimes considered as a form of investment, and art dealers arrange private viewings for art collectors to purchase works of value.

Talented playwright

A person who writes plays that is talented

Directors of theatres must encourage talented playwrights by staging their plays for theatre-goers.

Abstract art

tThe art hat uses shapes, lines, and colour in a way that does not try to represent the appearance of people or things

Abstract art arouses viewers’ emotions in different ways.

Acrylic painting

A painting done with pigments in a solution of an acrylic resin

Acrylic paint becomes water-resistant when dried on paper.

An art movement

A period of time when popular art shares similar styles

The creative aspect of art is demonstrated by the number of art movements over the centuries – including the Impressionists, the Romantics and the Modernists.

Charcoal drawing

A form of art in which charcoal powder and different types of charcoal-vine, compressed, pencil form is used

It is necessary for artists to use paper with a rough surface in order to create a charcoal drawing.

Decorative art

Arts or crafts whose object is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional

Decorative art can be found in multiple items in our lives.

Depict perfection in something

To represent or show the perfection in a picture or story

A traditional reading of simplicity often maintains that the different divine perfections must entail one another.

Digital painting

An art form using computer software such as Adobe Photoshop with a graphics tablet and stylus pen

Digital painting is time-saving compared to the others as artists don’t have to wait for the drying process.

Fine art

Drawings, paintings, and sculptures that are admired for their beauty and have no practical use

Fine art has suffered from the lack of government subsidies.

Form of art

A particular type of artistic activity

Any form of art needs to be copyrighted in order to protect artists against acts of infringement.

Funding for the art

Cost of materials, professional development, travel and/or living expenses, depending on the source of funding

Government funding for the art encourages people of artistic ability to express their talent to the public.

To cut the budget

To reduce budgeted expenditures

Sometimes, artists need to cut their budget to afford art supplies.

To have a flair for art = To have inborn ability

To be talented or skilled in art

Alice has quite a flair for art. She draws really well.

To have a lifelong passion for art

To have a very powerful feeling that lasts for the whole of a person’s life for art

Mr. Jolles had a lifelong passion for contemporary art and acquired a sizable personal collection.

To have an eye for drawing

To be good at art or making judgments about it

Susan has a keen eye for drawing, so each painting is beautifully finished off.

Gifted people

Those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude or competence in one or more domains

Schools often fail to meet the needs of gifted children.

Literary and artistic heritage

The literature works and artworks of a particular country, society, or company that exist from the past and continue to be important

Visitors to Britain can enjoy the rich literary and artistic heritage by going to such places as the birthplace of Shakespeare and the National Art Gallery in London.

Oil painting

A picture painted with oil paints

Beginners should try painting with a palette knife when it comes to oil painting.

Pastel painting

An artwork made using pastels

Pastel paintings need a special preservation process as their surface is usually fragile.

Pencil sketching

A simple, quickly-made drawing that does not have many details

Pencil sketching is an important step before painting.

Performance art

A type of theatre entertainment in which the artist’s personality and the way in which they create and develop their ideas form part of the show

Tickets to the opera are the best gifts for people who have a passion for performance art.

Piece of art

Something that is made by an artist

One of my favourite pieces of art is The Mona Lisa.

Style of painting

The way the artwork looks

Vincent Van Gogh’s style of painting is one of a kind.

The aesthetic qualities

The feeling, mood or atmosphere of the artwork, generated by the use of art elements and principles

One advantage of studying the arts is that students learn to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of paintings, literature, and music.

The imposition of censorship

The suppression of speech, public communication, or other information

I believe that the imposition of censorship is sometimes necessary to protect young people from exposure to pornographic writing or images.

The portrayal of something/somebody

The way that someone or something is described or represented in a painting, film, book, or other artistic work

In the past, the portrayal of women in art was often as possessions, owned by rich men.

To appeal to audiences

To persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain emotions to make them feel the way the author wants them to feel

Plays which deal with contemporary social issues are likely to appeal to audiences.

To be a connoisseur of

To be a person who knows a lot about and enjoys one of the arts, or food, drink, etc. and can judge quality and skill in that subject

In order to enjoy beautiful paintings, it is not necessary to be a connoisseur of works of art.

To be an inspiration to someone

To make someone feel that they want to do something and can do it

She has been an inspiration to other young athletes from a similar background.

To be bowled over by something

To be affected with sudden and great wonder or surprise

I am bowled over by the beauty of The Mona Lisa artwork.

To be displayed at an art gallery

To be arranged so that it can be seen by the public in an art gallery

It was first displayed at the art gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

To broaden one’s mind and outlook

To increase the range of one’s knowledge, understanding, or experience

Picasso has broadened my mind and outlook on abstract art.

To commission painting

To formally arrange for someone to do a piece of work for you

Artists in the past often relied on wealthy people to commission paintings or music from them.

To create a masterpiece

To create a thing made or done with masterly skill; great work of art or craftsmanship

To create a masterpiece, your work needs to pull people away.

To express oneself

To say or show one’s thoughts and feelings

Schools should encourage pupils to express themselves through art, music, or creative writing in order to stimulate their imagination.

To inspire somebody with something

To fill someone with confidence and desire to do something

Vincent Van Gogh has inspired me with his amazing artworks.

To place/put something on display

To put somewhere for people to see

His artworks were placed on display at the museum.

To spark an interest in somebody

To create an unusual amount of interest (in something)

My art teacher has sparked an interest in me to pursue fashion design.

To stage a play

To produce a play on the stage

It is important to encourage children to be creative, for example by staging a school play or displaying their artwork on school open days.

To think out of the box

To think imaginatively using new ideas instead of traditional or expected ideas

It’s crucial for Art students to think out of the box daily.

Visual art

The arts of painting and sculpture, rather than literature and music

The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous works of visual art in the world.

Watercolour painting

A picture that has been done with watercolur

If you are new to watercolour painting, you should work from light to dark.

Works of literary fiction

A novel that emphasize style, character, and theme over plot

It takes enormous creativity to write works of literary fiction and the greatest writers are rightly considered literary geniuses.

azVocab hopes that these phrases for the topic of “Entertainment and Art” will help you easily approach these two subjects. Wishing you good study and success in your upcoming IELTS exam!

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