Remember, if you want to score a band 7 in your IELTS speaking test, it’s important to use some less common idiomatic expressions. The best place to slip these idioms into your speech is in part 2, because you have 1 minute to prepare. If you are a clever clogs, you will be able to sneak your idioms into your speech naturally. When preparing for your exam it’s best to always try to go the extra mile, because there is a lot to learn. Firstly, you have to learn how to use linking phrases. To be honest, I have to admit these are sometimes tricky to remember. On the other hand, once you have learned them, they can be difficult to forget. Secondly, you have to learn how to paraphrase, and use synonyms. It’s good to spend time in a thesaurus and arm yourself with lots of alternative words. If you do this you will gain ground. Thirdly, in order to avoid feeling lost at sea when you take your exam, make sure you have one or two idioms up your sleeve. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach an English student a new idiom. Now take the quiz that goes with this podcast, and book your IELTS mock speaking test with me.