现在很多口语老师喜欢大谈“口语要高端，要好词，要俚语！”，口语考官真的需要这样的语言吗？请看考官对此发表的评论，你会明白什么叫“适合自己的才是最好的！”
 

Many students ask me about idioms: What are they? Should you use them? Do they help your score?
 

Meaning：My dictionary defines an idiom as "a group of words whose meaning is not deducible from the meaning of each individual word". This means that you cannot understand an idiom by analysing it word for word. For example, "it's a piece of cake" means "it's easy". Phrasal verbs are also idiomatic expressions (e.g. "look up" can mean "search in a dictionary").

Using idioms：English speakers use idioms all the time in conversation, but less so in formal/academic speaking and writing contexts. However, we often write things like "focus on an issue" or "the key to solving a problem" and here we are using 'focus' and 'key' in a figurative or idiomatic way.

Idioms in IELTSYou need to be really careful when using idioms in your IELTS test. Please don't learn lists of idioms; if you use them in the wrong way, your speech/writing will seem forced and unnatural. Also, remember that many idioms are informal or clichéd. So, what should you do? Read my tip below.

My tipYou can only be sure that you are using an idiom correctly if you have seen or heard it used in context. For example, if you've read about someone who "set up a business", you can use that phrase with confidence (and it might help your score). If you've only seen the idiom on a list, don't use it.