The use of idioms in the IELTS Speaking test is a significant advantage for any candidate, so idioms are highly emphasized during the IELTS preparation process. Being able to use idioms fluently will help you communicate more naturally and also help you earn more points in the IELTS test. Let’s explore the 4 most popular idioms learning books for IELTS so that you can consider and choose the right book! In this article, azVocab will summarize 4 books suitable for candidates with different band score goals and different purposes for learning idioms.
Oxford Dictionary of Idioms
This is considered the most common among idioms books for IELTS. Not only is it an excellent source for learning idioms with over 1000 idioms, but it is also a resource for you to look up when you encounter a new idiom during your preparation. Idioms in the book are arranged alphabetically and by specific words within the idiom, making it very easy to quickly look up the meaning of idioms. Furthermore, some idioms have explanations about their origins or suitable situations for use, which helps users understand the meaning of idioms more deeply and apply them effectively.
However, this dictionary does not provide example sentences for each idiom, so users may find it challenging to understand how to use the idioms in specific contexts. Therefore, it’s recommended to combine this book with other sources for optimal results when learning idioms.
Oxford Word Skill Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
Another book from Oxford that helps you learn idioms effectively for IELTS Speaking. The book is divided into Intermediate and Advanced levels, making it suitable for a wide range of IELTS candidates with different band score goals. The significant advantage of this book is that users can learn idioms and phrasal verbs in specific contexts through the provided sample passages. Each idiom or phrasal verb comes with an English definition to help users understand the meaning and how to apply it in context. Idioms in the book are categorized by topic, and after each lesson, there are exercises at different levels of remembering, understanding, and applying idioms to help users remember idioms better.
A drawback of this book is that the sample passages use too many idioms, making it initially difficult for users to understand the content of the passages. One way to overcome this is to guess the meanings of idioms used in the passage first, then check the explanations below, do the exercises, and finally reread the passage. This way, you will understand the meaning of idioms and know how to apply them effectively.
Check your English vocabulary for Phrasal verbs and Idioms
As the name suggests, Check your English vocabulary for Phrasal verbs and Idioms focuses on applying idioms through various exercises. Therefore, from beginning to end, the book contains different types of exercises to test the meaning and application of idioms. This book requires you to have a relatively good foundation of idioms, so it may not be suitable for beginners. However, it will be a rapid way to improve your idiom skills if you already know a fair number of idioms. The book offers 300 most common idioms divided into different topics and each of them is a chapter in the book. In each chapter, the book provides more than 10 idioms with accompanying exercises to help learners remember vocabulary and know how to apply it in specific contexts. Additionally, the book provides notes on using idioms in specific contexts and suitable situations for use, which is very suitable for beginners who are learning idioms for the IELTS exam.
However, the exercises in the book are quite simple, focusing on helping learners remember idioms, while understanding and applying may not be the book’s strong suit. Therefore, this book may not be suitable for those who already have a relatively extensive idiom vocabulary or are preparing for high band scores in IELTS.
Work On Your Idioms
This is a very suitable book for those who are just starting to learn IELTS and want to find the most common idioms. Work on Your Idioms consists of the 300 most common idioms, divided into different topics, with each topic being a chapter in the book. In each chapter, the book provides more than 10 idioms with various exercises to test the meaning and application of idioms. The book also provides additional notes on using idioms in specific contexts and suitable situations for use. This book is ideal for beginners who are preparing for the IELTS exam and want to learn idioms.
However, the exercises in the book are relatively simple, focusing on helping learners remember idioms, while deep understanding and application may not be the book’s strong point. Therefore, this book may not be suitable for those who already have a relatively extensive idiom vocabulary or are aiming for high band scores in IELTS.
Above are the 4 most popular idioms learning books for IELTS Speaking. In addition, azVocab also has articles summarizing Idioms for IELTS Speaking by the most common topics, hoping to be a useful resource for IELTS preparation. Good luck to you in your upcoming IELTS exam!
