Useful Phrases for IELTS Topic Time and History

Subtopic: TIME

Time is one of the common topics in IELTS exams. Below, azVocab will introduce to you vocabulary phrases related to the Time topic.

PHRASE	MEANING	EXAMPLE
To work against the clock to do sth	if you are doing something against the clock, you are doing it in a great hurry, because there is very little time	The emergency services were working against the clock* as the tide began to rise*.
Time flies	used to mean that time passes surprisingly quickly	Time flies at a party because you’re having so much fun!
Time is money	said to emphasize that you should not waste time, because you could be using it to earn money	I can’t afford to spend a lot of time standing here and talking. Time is money, you know!
To have/go through a rough/hard/tough time	to experience a difficult time	It’s tempting to believe that the best way to get through hard times is by ignoring painful emotions and “putting on a brave face”.
To be pressed for time	to be in a hurry	Don’t plan an elaborate meal if you‘re pressed for time -we can just order a pizza instead.
To run out of time	to have no more time to do or complete something	We’re running out of time* – the report has to be ready for the meeting tonight.*
A race against time	a situation in which something must happen or be done quickly because little time is available	It’s a race against time* to get the building finished before the rainy season sets in.*
No time to lose	no time to waste	The UK had no time to lose* in the coronavirus battle.*
The right time for something	in the best time to take advantage of an opportunity	It’s the right time for* revising what you’ve learned. The exam is coming.*
It’s about time to do sth	(it is) past the time when something should have happened	It’s about time to go to the market and get ready for tonight’s birthday party.
Not the time/ hardly the time	it is not time to start doing something or for something	I’d argue that this is hardly the time* for modest upgrades for HTC, but Chris gives us some insight into what they were thinking.*
To lose track of the time	to be unaware that so much time has passed	I’m sorry I’m late. I lost track of the time.
To keep up/move/change with the times	to stay current; to change as conditions change	The BBC knows it has to move with the times* in its negotiations over broadcasting rights.*
To waste time	to be not worth the time that you use because there is little or no result	If you’d done your work instead of wasting time* on your phone, you’d be finished by now.*
Once in a lifetime	extremely rare, especially as an opportunity	An opportunity that is as good as this arises once in a lifetime.
To keep (sb) on track	to make sure that someone or some process continues to progress properly	Please make sure everyone in your entire department keeps on track* to meet their sales quotas for the year.*
Many moons ago	a long time ago	Many moons ago, mining was done using the bell system.

Subtopic: HISTORY

History is a challenging topic in both the IELTS Speaking and Writing exams because many candidates lack extensive knowledge about history as well as typical vocabulary for this subject. Therefore, azVocab has prepared a set of phrases for the History topic to help you easily navigate through this historical knowledge.

PHRASE	MEANING	EXAMPLE
A history buff	a person who knows a bunch about history and is also usually really interested in history	I have never really thought of myself as a history buff, but I suppose I am mildly interested.
Bloody revolution	a way to gain power and overlook the violence, death, and oppression that it can cause	In the past, *bloody revolutions* occurred because the opposition and the government could not compromise.
National identity	a person’s identity or sense of belonging to one or more states or one or more nations	The complexities of national identity* became apparent during the war.*
Territorial integrity	one of the rights inherent in sovereignty and independence	On 6th February 1873 Bolivia entered upon a secret agreement with Peru, the ostensible object of which was the preservation of their territorial integrity.
To have thorough insight into	to gaining in-depth knowledge or understanding of something	To study history is to *have thorough insight into* what happened in the past.
To develop one’s patriotism	to develop the feeling of loving your country more than any others and being proud of it	History helps young people feel connected with the past and *develop their patriotism*.
To defend their land against outside intruders	to fight against outside intruders to protect your country	Children are taught about how their ancestors *defended their land against outside intruders*.
History repeats itself	things that have happened in the past will or tend to happen again in one way or another	It seems that *history* is going to *repeat itself* for that nation, and more people will be killed for expressing their disgust to the government.
To reclaim one’s sovereignty	to take back complete power to govern a country	They will have the opportunity to vote on whether or not we *reclaim our sovereignty.*
To take pride in one’s origin	to feel very pleased about your origin	Those young children would *take pride in their origin* and treasure the life they have today.
To overthrow a government	when a government or leader is overthrown, they are removed from power by force	The citizens couldn’t bear the tyranny of their leader and decided to *overthrow his government.*
Traditional values and identity	unique and good cultural identities that have been formed and handed down from the time of national construction to the present day	Students need to understand their hometown’s *traditional values and identity.*
The course of history	the way things happened or will happen	The invention of flying cars could change *the course of history* in terms of automobiles.
Historical backgrounds	information regarding the formation date, time of the event, activities, etc.	Being taught about other countries’ *historical backgrounds* would benefit young learners in their future careers.
To take a stroll/trip/walk down memory lane	to remember happy times in the past	His 1998 memoir is a delightful trip *down memory lane.*
To rewrite history	to change what has happened in the past	Some countries rewrite history that the young generation becomes blinded by the truth.
To depict the mistakes made in the past	to describe the mistakes made in the past	History *depicts the event made in the past*, hence helping people to avoid similar ones in the future.
In this day and age	at the present time	Honestly speaking, I didn’t recognize the value of History classes before, but fortunately, *in this day and age*, I’m able to cherish the significance of this subject.
Historical highlights	the best or most exciting, entertaining, or interesting events in the history	The Vietnam war, which ends in 1975, is one of the *historical highlights* of our country.
To pay tribute to sb	to honor and praise (someone)	We have held an annual celebration to *pay tribute to* those who sacrificed for the country.
To make history	to do something important that has not been done before and will be recorded publicly and remembered for a long time	Yesterday’s final of the World Cup was amazing; it will make history.
Historical figure	a person who lived in the past and whose deeds exerted a significant impact on other people’s lives and consciousness	I have developed an interest in *historical female figures* such as Ba Trieu or Hai Ba Trung.
Victorious past	having achieved a victory; conquering; triumphant past	History is not only a subject to me, it is also a source of invaluable information about our origin as well as the *victorious past* of our ancestors.
Period of history	a length of past events considered together, especially events of a particular period, country, …	It is an unforgettable *period of history* for some reasons.
Well-armed	having many or good weapons	When compared to such a *well-armed* country like America, it was hard to think that we could defeat them.
Prominent leader	very well-known and important leader of a group of people or an organization	President Ho Chi Minh is a *prominent leader* and he led many resistances that defeated foreign invaders to bring peace and protect national sovereignty.
Valuable traditions	important traditional customs, beliefs, or methods are ones that have existed for a long time	Historical museums, where *valuable traditions* are preserved and are ideal places for people to cherish the past.
Independence Day	a day on which a country celebrates being independent from foreign rule	The Independence Day of Vietnam is the 2nd of September.

azVocab hopes that these provided phrases will help you easily approach and overcome these challenging subjects. Don’t forget to follow azVocab to stay updated on more new and helpful IELTS vocabulary practice articles!

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