Natural vocabulary and idioms in speaking
Lexical Resource rewards precise, natural vocabulary, not a list of memorised idioms. Learn the conversational chunks, collocations and topic words that examiners reward, how to paraphrase the question, and how to use idiomatic language skilfully across Parts 1, 2 and 3.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Understand what the Lexical Resource criterion rewards at bands 6, 7 and 8, and why forced idioms often lower your score.
- Use natural conversational chunks (I'm not much of a…, it's not really my cup of tea, on the go, once in a while) with the correct form.
- Replace common collocation errors, including direct translations from Bangla, with natural pairings.
- Paraphrase the examiner's question instead of echoing it.
- Swap general words (good, nice, very, a lot of) for precise, topic-specific vocabulary.
- Keep your style informal but correct: no slang and no essay language.
Lexical Resource: a quarter of your Speaking score
Lexical Resource (LR) is one of the four Speaking criteria, so it carries 25% of your band. Many students prepare for it by memorising lists of idioms (raining cats and dogs, a piece of cake, over the moon) and pushing them into every answer. Examiners hear these phrases many times a week, and they rarely help.
Here is what the band descriptors reward (simplified from the public descriptors):
| Band | What LR sounds like |
|---|---|
| 6 | Enough vocabulary to talk at length. Some words are used inappropriately, but the meaning is clear. Generally paraphrases successfully. |
| 7 | Vocabulary used flexibly across topics. Some less common and idiomatic items and an awareness of style and collocation, with some inappropriate choices. Paraphrases effectively. |
| 8 | A wide vocabulary used readily and flexibly to convey precise meaning. Skilful use of less common and idiomatic items, with only occasional inaccuracies. |
Look at the key words: flexibly, precise, collocation, style, skilful. Nowhere does it say uses lots of idioms. An idiom in the wrong situation or the wrong form is an inappropriate choice, and that pulls you towards band 6, not 8.
This lesson shows you what examiners actually mean by natural, idiomatic English: the everyday chunks, collocations and precise words that make a speaker sound at home in the language.
Forced vs natural: ‘Do you like rainy days?’
Band 6: forced idioms
Yes, I like rainy days very much. In Bangladesh, in the monsoon season it rains cats and dogs, so it is a blessing in disguise for farmers. When it rains, I feel over the moon and I enjoy it to the fullest. It is a piece of cake for me to stay at home and enjoy the rain.
Band 8: natural and precise
Mostly, yes, as long as I don't have to go anywhere! There's something really relaxing about a heavy monsoon downpour when you're indoors with a cup of tea. The problem is getting around afterwards. In my part of Dhaka, the streets get waterlogged after an hour of heavy rain, so a ten-minute rickshaw ride can easily turn into an hour. So I'd say I love the rain, but only from behind a window.
The band 6 answer is full of idioms, but most of them are misused. ‘A blessing in disguise’ means something that seemed bad but turned out to be good, which doesn't fit here, and ‘a piece of cake’ (very easy) makes no sense with staying at home. ‘Rains cats and dogs’ sounds old-fashioned and memorised. The band 8 answer contains no textbook idioms at all, yet it sounds far more idiomatic: ‘as long as’, ‘a heavy monsoon downpour’, ‘getting around’, ‘waterlogged’, ‘can easily turn into’, ‘from behind a window’. These are precise collocations and natural chunks that fluent speakers really use.
What ‘idiomatic’ really means
When examiners talk about idiomatic language, they mostly mean the chunks fluent speakers use without thinking, not colourful proverbs. There are four kinds:
- Conversational chunks: I'm not much of a…, it's not really my cup of tea, to be honest, it depends on my mood, every now and then, once in a while, it's not a big deal, I can't stand…
- Phrasal verbs: get around, catch up with friends, put off a decision, pick up a skill, end up doing something, cut down on sugar.
- Collocations: heavy traffic, a hectic schedule, a tight budget, make progress, take up a hobby, highly unlikely.
- Natural idioms that educated speakers use today: on the go, a night owl, get the hang of something, recharge my batteries, the best of both worlds, a far cry from.
The friend test. Before you use an expression in the exam, ask: would a fluent English speaker in their twenties say this to a friend today? If yes, it's a safe, natural choice. If it belongs in a children's book of idioms, leave it there.
Get the grammar of the chunk right. I'm not much of a reader (not I'm not much reader). It's not my cup of tea (singular, with my). I'm really into cooking (be into + noun or -ing).
Natural expressions that earn credit (when they fit)
| Expression | Meaning | Example in a Part 1 answer |
|---|---|---|
I'm not much of a + noun | I don't do this much, or I'm not good at it | I'm not much of a cook, to be honest. I can make an omelette and that's about it. |
It's not really my cup of tea | I don't particularly like it (polite) | Horror films aren't really my cup of tea. I'd rather watch something light. |
I'm (really) into + noun / -ing | I'm very interested in it | I'm really into photography at the moment, mostly street scenes. |
on the go | busy and moving around all the time | I'm on the go all day, so I usually grab something quick from a street stall. |
once in a while / every now and then | sometimes, but not often | I go to the cinema once in a while, maybe every couple of months. |
I can't stand + noun / -ing | I really dislike it | I can't stand waiting in queues, so I pay most of my bills on my phone. |
It depends on my mood | my preference changes | It depends on my mood. If I'm tired, I just want something quiet. |
get the hang of something | learn how to do something after some practice | Driving in Dhaka was terrifying at first, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it. |
a bit of a night owl / an early bird | someone who stays up late / gets up early | I'm a bit of a night owl, so I do most of my studying after ten. |
recharge my batteries | rest and get my energy back | I go back to my village during Eid to recharge my batteries. |
the best of both worlds | the advantages of two different things at once | Chattogram gives you the best of both worlds: a big city and the sea. |
catch up with someone | meet and talk after some time apart | On Fridays I usually catch up with old school friends. |
Collocation: the fastest route to precision
A collocation is a pair or group of words that naturally go together: heavy rain, not strong rain; make a mistake, not do a mistake. You can be understood with the wrong collocation, but every slip tells the examiner that your vocabulary isn't fully under control. Band 7 needs an awareness of collocation; band 8 needs it to be mostly accurate.
Common collocation slips and their fixes
| Instead of… | Say… |
|---|---|
| do a mistake | make a mistake |
| big / much traffic | heavy traffic |
| strong rain | heavy rain |
| learn knowledge | gain knowledge, or simply learn a lot |
| an expensive price | a high price (the item is expensive) |
| make a crime | commit a crime |
| say a lie | tell a lie |
| do a party | have / throw a party |
| very much tired | really tired, exhausted |
Strong collocations to learn as chunks: a tight budget, a hectic schedule, a demanding job, a close friend, a steep learning curve, highly recommended, broaden my horizons, make an effort, take something for granted, play a key role, meet a deadline.
How to learn them: never note a single word. Note the word with its partner and a sentence about your own life: not just deadline, but I'm terrible at meeting deadlines; I always finish assignments the night before.
Check: idioms, chunks and collocations
7 questions- 1
‘Do you like cooking?’ Which answer shows the strongest Lexical Resource?
- 2
Find and correct the mistake:
I did a big mistake in my first presentation.
- 3
Find and correct the mistake:
In the evening there is always big traffic near my house.
- 4
Match each verb to the noun it collocates with.
committellsitgainmeet - 5
I'm not much a reader, to be honest. I prefer podcasts.
- 6
Choose TWO expressions that would sound natural in a Part 1 answer about free time.
Select 2.
- 7
What does ‘It's not really my cup of tea’ mean?
Answer every question to check.
Paraphrasing the question: don't echo the examiner
Bands 7 and 8 both mention effective use of paraphrase. In Speaking, that means two things: rewording the examiner's question in your answer, and talking around a word you don't know (you practised that in the fluency lesson).
Weaker candidates repeat the question word for word: Do you enjoy shopping? → ‘Yes, I enjoy shopping because shopping is enjoyable.’ That wastes the first sentence and shows no range. Stronger candidates use a different word or structure straight away.
Five ways to paraphrase
| Technique | Question | Your answer |
|---|---|---|
| Synonym | Do you enjoy shopping? | I'm not a big fan of it, to be honest. |
| Change the word form | Is public transport good in your city? | Getting around by bus is pretty stressful. |
| General → specific | Do you like sport? | I'm really into badminton. I play most evenings in winter. |
| Use a chunk | Do you often cook? | I'm not much of a cook. |
| Opposite + negative | Is your neighbourhood noisy? | It's far from peaceful, let's put it that way. |
Don't overdo it. Repeating a key topic word (cooking, shopping, music) is perfectly natural. The aim is to avoid echoing the whole question, not to avoid every word in it. Forced synonyms (Do you like music? → I adore melodious auditory art) sound far worse than simple repetition.
Examiner: Do you often eat out?
Candidate: Not that often, to be honest. I'm on a pretty tight budget as a student, so it's more of a once-in-a-while thing, usually when a friend has something to celebrate. When we do go out, our go-to place is a small kacchi restaurant near campus. It's nothing fancy, but the food is consistently good.
Examiner: Do you like cooking?
Candidate: I'm not much of a cook, I'm afraid. I can rustle up a basic egg curry, but that's about it. My mother keeps telling me I need to learn before I go abroad, so I suppose I'll have to get the hang of it sooner or later.
Examiner: What kind of food is popular in your country?
Candidate: Rice and fish are the backbone of most meals, especially river fish like hilsa. But tastes are changing fast. In the cities, young people are really into fusion food: Korean fried chicken, Thai noodles, that kind of thing. Street food is hugely popular too, particularly fuchka, which you'll find on almost every corner in Dhaka.
- Paraphrasing the question‘eat out’ becomes ‘a once-in-a-while thing’ and ‘go out’; ‘like cooking’ becomes ‘not much of a cook’. The candidate answers immediately without echoing the question.
- Collocations‘a tight budget’, ‘consistently good’, ‘street food’, ‘hugely popular’: precise pairings that sound effortless.
- Natural idiomatic chunks‘nothing fancy’, ‘go-to place’, ‘rustle up’ (cook something quickly), ‘get the hang of it’, ‘the backbone of’. Each one fits its context exactly, and none sounds memorised.
- Topic-specific words‘kacchi’, ‘hilsa’, ‘fusion food’, ‘fuchka’. Local food names are fine when the context makes them clear, and they add precision.
- Informal but correct‘to be honest’, ‘I'm afraid’, ‘pretty’, ‘that kind of thing’ are conversational without being slang: the right style for Part 1.
Precision beats decoration
Examiners don't reward big words; they reward exact words. The most common LR problem at band 5–6 isn't a lack of rare vocabulary. It's leaning on the same general words: good, bad, nice, very, a lot of, thing, people. Replace them with words that say exactly what you mean.
| General | Precise, depending on what you mean |
|---|---|
| a good teacher | a patient / inspiring / demanding teacher |
| a nice place | a laid-back / lively / picturesque / spotless place |
| very crowded | packed, overcrowded, bustling |
| very tired | exhausted, worn out, drained |
| bad weather | stifling heat, a torrential downpour, muggy weather |
| a lot of work | a heavy workload, snowed under with work |
| use the internet | browse, scroll through, stream, look something up |
Build topic sets, not word lists. For each common IELTS topic, collect 8–10 words and chunks that you can use about your own life:
- Work and study: a heavy workload, meet a deadline, a steep learning curve, a part-time job, career prospects
- Technology: scroll through social media, screen time, stream videos, tech-savvy, go viral
- Home and city: a high-rise, a quiet residential area, cramped, get around, commute
- Health: cut down on sugar, stay in shape, a sedentary lifestyle, work out
- Travel: off the beaten track, a breathtaking view, a long-haul flight, get away from it all
Style check. Parts 1 and 2 are conversations, so informal-but-correct English is ideal: kids, a bit, pretty good, I reckon, get on with. Avoid slang (lit, bruh, chill vibes) and essay language (Furthermore, It is an undeniable fact that…, In this modern era). Part 3 can be a little more formal, but it is still speech.
Band 6 vs band 8 (Part 3): ‘Why do some people prefer to live in the countryside?’
Band 6
I think some people like to live in the countryside because it is very peaceful and the environment is very good. In the city there is a lot of pollution and a lot of noise and a lot of people. In the village the air is very fresh and the food is also very fresh. Also the life is not very expensive. So many people, especially old people, like to live in the village because it is good for their health.
Band 8
I think it mostly comes down to quality of life. Cities offer opportunities, but they can be exhausting: the noise, the pollution and the sheer number of people wear you down after a while. The countryside gives people space and a slower pace of life, and for many older people in particular, that's worth more than convenience.
There's also the cost of living. Rent in a big city can eat up half of someone's salary, whereas in a small town the same money goes a lot further. And interestingly, now that more jobs can be done remotely, some young professionals are moving out of cities too, so they get the best of both worlds: a city salary and a rural lifestyle.
The band 6 answer communicates clearly, but it leans on ‘very’ (six times), ‘a lot of’ (three times), ‘good’ and ‘fresh’, so the vocabulary is general and repetitive. The band 8 answer uses precise collocations (‘quality of life’, ‘a slower pace of life’, ‘cost of living’, ‘done remotely’), natural idiomatic chunks (‘comes down to’, ‘wear you down’, ‘eat up half of someone's salary’, ‘goes a lot further’, ‘the best of both worlds’) and a less common word used precisely (‘the sheer number’). None of these is a textbook idiom, but together they make the answer sound fluent, precise and natural.
Listen: natural expressions in a Part 2 extract
Speaking Part 1 practice
5 questions · up to 45s eachWhat do you usually do in your free time?
Listen to the question, then record your answer.
Tips for a band 7+ answer
- • Answer each question in 2–3 sentences (about 15–25 seconds), starting with a paraphrase rather than repeating the question.
- • Use two or three natural chunks across the five answers (I'm really into…, once in a while, on the go, I can't stand…), not all of them in one answer.
- • Replace ‘very good’ and ‘very nice’ with precise words: relaxing, hectic, packed, laid-back, mouth-watering.
- • Keep the style conversational: ‘to be honest’, ‘a bit’ and ‘pretty’ are fine; ‘Furthermore’ is not.
- • After recording, find every ‘very’, ‘good’ and ‘nice’ in your transcript and choose a more precise word for each.
Speaking Part 2 practice
1 min prep · up to 2 min talkDescribe a skill that took you a long time to learn.
You should say:
- what the skill is
- when and how you learned it
- why it took you a long time to learn
and explain how you feel about this skill now.
Start your one minute of preparation, then talk for up to two minutes.
Tips for a band 7+ answer
- • In your one minute, note 4–6 precise words or chunks you want to use, e.g. a steep learning curve, get the hang of, nearly gave up, stick with it, second nature.
- • Describe feelings precisely (frustrated, self-conscious, determined, relieved, proud) rather than just ‘happy’ and ‘sad’.
- • One or two natural idioms are plenty. Make sure each one fits the meaning exactly.
- • Paraphrase the bullet points instead of reading them aloud: ‘It took me ages because…’, not ‘Why it took me a long time to learn is…’.
- • Keep talking for the full two minutes. If a word won't come, describe it instead of stopping.
Speaking Part 3 practice
4 questions · up to 90s eachWhy do some adults find it difficult to learn new skills?
Listen to the question, then record your answer.
Tips for a band 7+ answer
- • Choose exact words (motivation, self-conscious, overwhelmed, hands-on) over ‘good’ and ‘bad’.
- • Use topic collocations: pick up a skill, a steep learning curve, a hectic lifestyle, financial literacy, hands-on experience.
- • Paraphrase the question in your first sentence, e.g. ‘learn new skills’ becomes ‘pick up something new’.
- • Part 3 can be slightly more formal than Part 1, but it is still speech: ‘I reckon’ and ‘a lot of’ are fine; ‘Moreover’ in every sentence is not.
- • Check your transcript: if any word appears more than three times, find an alternative.
Final check: natural vocabulary
12 questions- 1
I usually grab something to eat the go, mostly on the way to class.
- 2
I only eat out once in a , maybe twice a month.
- 3
Find and correct the mistake:
Horror films aren't really my cups of tea.
- 4
Find and correct the mistake:
I learned a lot of knowledge from my part-time job.
- 5
Find and correct the mistake:
I gave my HSC exams in 2023.
- 6
Which sentence is the wrong style for a Part 1 answer?
- 7
‘Describe a time when you were very busy.’ Which sentence uses idiomatic language most naturally?
- 8
Match each general phrase to a more precise alternative.
very crowdedvery tiredhot and humida lot of worka very beautiful view - 9
At band 7, candidates use vocabulary flexibly to discuss a variety of topics. They use some less common and idiomatic vocabulary and show an awareness of style and collocation, although there may be some inappropriate choices. They paraphrase effectively.
A band 7 candidate never makes an inappropriate word choice.
- 10
At band 7, candidates use vocabulary flexibly to discuss a variety of topics. They use some less common and idiomatic vocabulary and show an awareness of style and collocation, although there may be some inappropriate choices. They paraphrase effectively.
Effective paraphrasing is one of the features of band 7 Lexical Resource.
- 11
Choose TWO good ways to begin an answer to ‘Do you enjoy reading?’
Select 2.
- 12
Put these steps for learning a new expression into a sensible order.
Drag the cards (or use the arrows) into the correct order.
- 1Write a sentence about your own life that uses it.
- 2Use it in a recorded practice answer.
- 3Check its exact meaning, its form and how formal it is.
- 4Listen back: did it fit naturally, or did it sound forced?
- 5Notice the expression in real English: a podcast, a series or a conversation.
Answer every question to check.
Key takeaways
Natural spoken expressions
Saved as flashcards with a free accountnot much of a
phrase/nɒt ˈmʌtʃ əv ə/
used before a noun to say that you are not very good at something or don't do it often
তেমন একটা … নই
I'm not much of a cook, but I can make a decent omelette.
not my cup of tea
idiom/nɒt maɪ ˌkʌp əv ˈtiː/
not something that I like or am interested in
আমার পছন্দের জিনিস নয়
Horror films aren't really my cup of tea.
on the go
phrase/ɒn ðə ˈɡəʊ/
very busy and moving around; also, in progress (have a book on the go)
সারাক্ষণ ব্যস্ত ও ছুটোছুটির মধ্যে
I'm on the go all day, so I usually eat something quick on the bus.
once in a while
phrase/ˌwʌns ɪn ə ˈwaɪl/
sometimes, but not often
মাঝেমধ্যে
I treat myself to a restaurant meal once in a while.
be into
phrasal verb (informal)/bi ˈɪntuː/
to be very interested in an activity or subject
কোনো কিছুর প্রতি খুব আগ্রহী হওয়া
I'm really into photography at the moment.
get the hang of
idiom/ˌɡet ðə ˈhæŋ əv/
to learn how to do something, especially after some practice
রপ্ত করা, আয়ত্তে আনা
Cycling in traffic was scary at first, but I soon got the hang of it.
recharge your batteries
idiom/ˌriːˈtʃɑːdʒ jə ˈbætəriz/
to rest and relax so that you have energy again
বিশ্রাম নিয়ে আবার শক্তি ফিরে পাওয়া
I go back to my village during Eid to recharge my batteries.
snowed under
adjective (informal)/ˌsnəʊd ˈʌndə(r)/
having so much work that you can hardly deal with it
কাজের চাপে ডুবে থাকা
I was completely snowed under with assignments last week.
the best of both worlds
idiom/ðə ˌbest əv ˌbəʊθ ˈwɜːldz/
a situation in which you enjoy the advantages of two different things at the same time
দুই দিকেরই সুবিধা
Working from home two days a week gives me the best of both worlds.
a far cry from
idiom/ə ˌfɑː ˈkraɪ frəm/
very different from something
একেবারেই আলাদা
My grandparents' quiet village is a far cry from the noise of Dhaka.
heavy workload
noun (collocation)/ˌhevi ˈwɜːkləʊd/
a large amount of work that someone has to do
কাজের বিরাট চাপ
Medical students have an extremely heavy workload.
second nature
noun/ˌsekənd ˈneɪtʃə(r)/
something you can do easily and without thinking because you have done it so often
অভ্যাসে সহজাত হয়ে যাওয়া
After a few months, cycling through traffic became second nature.
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