You must be ready to discuss your work or study on IELTS Speaking Part 1.
This section will contain questions about either work or study or your home or hometown.
It is vital that you have idioms to describe working and being on a team.
Today you’ll learn idioms to describe working habits.
#1: Pulling one’s weight
This means doing one’s fair share of work.
This is perfect for Speaking Part 1 questions about work or study.
- It is extremely important for me to pull my weight at work. I want my team to know they can count on me.
- I had a group project in one of my classes and it was so frustrating that not everyone pulled their weight!
#2: Do one’s fair share
If someone is doing their fair share, they are contributing equally to a group effort.
You might be asked on Speaking Part 3 about what makes a good team member.
Use this idiom to share that you strive to do your share of the work.
It can also be used to describe coworkers or classmates.
- It’s absolutely vital for every member of a team to do their fair share.
Another Part 3 question might be whether you think group projects are effective in schools or universities.
- Group projects in university courses aren’t always ideal because sometimes group members don’t do their fair share.
#3: Pitch in
Pitching in means helping out or contributing effort to a task.
You can use this on a variety of Part 2 questions.
For example, you might be asked to describe a time when you worked as part of a team.
- As a teenager, I volunteered at a food bank and was on a team that planned their annual fundraiser. Luckily, everyone pitched in and we were able to divide up tasks. I worked on design invitations and making decorations, and the event ended up going really smoothly.
#4: Step up to the plate
This refers to taking responsibility.
It often implies volunteering to do something without being asked.
This can also be used on every part of the IELTS Speaking exam.
In Part 2, you might be asked to describe a group project you did at school or university.
- During my final year at university, I was assigned a group project. A lot of the students were not very communicative so I had to step up the plate to organize our meetings.
Takeaway
There’s a good chance you will be asked on Part 1 about work or study.
Questions about work ethic can also be asked on every part of the exam.
Be prepared with today’s idioms.
Practice using these phrases in your own practice answers.
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