Appearance comes up often on IELTS Speaking.
Your question may be about this directly or it can be used to add extra detail.
You may need to describe your own or someone else’s appearance.
It’s vital that you’re ready with high-scoring vocabulary.
Today you’ll learn idioms related to appearance.
Idiomatic language on IELTS
The idioms you learn today will help you show a variety of lexical resources.
This variety is required by the scoring system.
It’s vital to use slang, phrasal verbs and idioms.
This shows the Examiner that you can use variety.
Be sure to use idioms word-for-word.
Otherwise they don’t make sense!
Part 3 of a series
Today’s episode is Part 3 of an amazing series!
Part 1 was on the All Ears English podcast.
You can find it here: AEE 2230: How Should You Describe Someone’s Appearance in English?
Part 2 was on The Business English Podcast.
Listen to it here: BE 280: Should You Comment on Appearance at Work?
These episodes give you great vocabulary for appearance.
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Appearance on IELTS
You may need to describe your own appearance on Part 1 or Part 2.
You could also be asked about the appearance of friends or family members.
On Speaking Part 2, you might describe a person you know or admire.
Use these idioms to boost your vocabulary scores!
#1: A tall drink of water
This idiom is used to describe someone who is very tall.
It is very positive, as in the U.S. height is generally considered a positive attribute.
You would not use this to describe someone of average height.
It is reserved for those whose height is noticeable.
#2: Dressed to kill
This idiom is about the clothing a person is wearing.
When someone is dressed up for an event, this would be appropriate.
It will most often be useful in the negative.
I’m not exactly dressed to kill when I got to the grocery store.
I’m rarely dressed to kill, but I bought a cocktail dress for an event last week!
#3: All decked out
This idiom is also related to a person’s appearance.
It is similar to “dressed to kill” as it means dressed up.
Though it can be used for fancy clothing at an event, it more often means a costume.
He was all decked out at the Halloween party.
I was excited to get all decked out! I went to a thrift store and bought a bunch of accessories.
#4: You clean up well!
This is a fun and lighthearted expression.
It points out the fact that we often are not dressed up in our day-to-day lives.
When someone gets dressed up for an event, we’d say this.
I was impressed by what he wore to the party. He cleans up well!
#5: Spitting image
This idiom means to look exactly like another person.
Often we use it when two people are related.
He’s the spitting image of his father!
If you’re describing someone on Speaking Part 2, share who they look like!
My friend is the spitting image of her mother!
Takeaway
When describing a person on IELTS Speaking, you need to share details!
You can describe appearance, clothing and personality.
Today’s idioms will boost vocabulary scores for these answers.
Idiomatic language shows variety.
Practice using idioms so you can use them correctly.
They must be used word-for-word or their meaning is lost!
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What questions do you have from today’s episode?
Please leave a comment below.
