IELTS idioms

Idioms for IELTS Speaking: change and new experiences

This page gives you 14 idioms about change and new experiences for IELTS Speaking, each with its meaning, an example you could say in Part 1, 2 or 3, and a note on whether it sounds natural or is best avoided. They describe trying new things, adjusting to change and breaking old habits.

Example

take the plunge

After years of thinking about it, I took the plunge and moved abroad.

See all 14
  • 14 idioms
  • 11 natural choices
  • Speaking only
See the idioms →Practise Speaking with the AI examiner

How to use change and new experiences idioms

Many Part 2 cards ask about learning something new or a change in your life. "Take the plunge" and "find my feet" mark the beginning and the end of that story naturally.

The labels tell you how each one lands with a listener. Natural idioms are safe in any Speaking part. Informal ones suit relaxed Part 1 and Part 2 answers. Overused ones are correct but examiners hear them constantly, so use them once at most. Avoid means dated, slang or a cliché that sounds memorised. None of these belong in Writing Task 2.

14 idioms

Change and new experiences idioms with examples

  • take the plunge

    Natural in Speaking

    decide to do something risky or new

    After years of thinking about it, I took the plunge and moved abroad.

    Natural and useful.

  • a fish out of water

    Natural in Speaking

    someone in an unfamiliar, uncomfortable situation

    At my first business dinner I felt like a fish out of water.

    Natural and vivid.

  • find your feet

    Natural in Speaking

    become confident in a new situation

    It took me a few months to find my feet at university.

    Natural for adjustment stories.

  • get the hang of

    Natural in Speaking

    learn how to do something

    Driving on the left was strange, but I soon got the hang of it.

    Very natural.

  • a steep learning curve

    Natural in Speaking

    a lot to learn in a short time

    My first job was a steep learning curve.

    Natural, slightly business-like.

  • a whole new ball game

    Natural in Speaking

    a completely different situation

    Teaching online is a whole new ball game.

    Natural and lively.

  • shake things up

    Natural in Speaking

    make big changes to improve something

    The new principal really shook things up.

    Natural.

  • old habits die hard

    Natural in Speaking

    it is hard to stop doing something you've always done

    I still check my old email account; old habits die hard.

    Natural and common.

  • a change of scenery

    Natural in Speaking

    a new place, for a break or a fresh start

    I needed a change of scenery, so I moved to a smaller town.

    Natural.

  • dip a toe in the water

    Natural in Speaking

    try something carefully before committing

    I dipped a toe in the water with a short evening course.

    Natural and less common.

  • turn your life upside down

    Natural in Speaking

    change your life completely

    Having a baby turned their lives upside down.

    Natural, strong.

  • turn over a new leaf

    Overused: once at most

    start behaving better

    This year I've turned over a new leaf and go to bed earlier.

    Common in New Year answers. Fine once.

  • step out of my comfort zone

    Overused: once at most

    do something that feels uncomfortable or new

    Joining the drama club meant stepping out of my comfort zone.

    Heard in almost every "new experience" answer. Say what you actually did.

  • you can't teach an old dog new tricks

    Avoid

    older people find it hard to learn new things

    My dad says you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

    A proverb and a stereotype. It sounds rehearsed.

Part 2

Use it in an answer

Here is a sample answer we wrote to show how a few of these idioms fit into natural speech. Notice that it uses only a handful, spread out, with plain English around them.

IELTS Speaking Part 2Describe a time when you had to learn something new.

When I started my first job, I had to learn accounting software I'd never seen before. It was a steep learning curve, and for the first couple of weeks I felt like a fish out of water in meetings. A colleague sat with me every lunchtime and explained the shortcuts, and gradually I got the hang of it. By the end of the second month I'd found my feet and was even helping the new interns.

Frequently asked questions

Is "comfort zone" overused in IELTS?+

Yes. "Step out of my comfort zone" is one of the most common phrases in answers about new experiences. Describe the actual challenge instead, or use "take the plunge".

Which change idioms fit Part 3?+

"Shake things up", "a whole new ball game" and "old habits die hard" all work when you discuss technology, work or society changing.

Can I use these change and new experiences idioms in IELTS Writing?+

No. Idioms belong in Speaking. Writing Task 2 is a formal essay, so idioms and contractions make it sound too casual. Use precise, neutral vocabulary there instead.

How many idioms should I use in one Speaking answer?+

One or two, only where they fit what you want to say. Forced idioms sound memorised and can lower your score. On this page, be careful with "turn over a new leaf", "step out of my comfort zone", "you can't teach an old dog new tricks": examiners hear them often or they sound dated.

Keep going

Related pages

More idiom themes:

Practise them on real questions:

Written by Fizza Butool Zaidi and Ali Zaidi. Lexical Resource is one of the four Speaking criteria in the public IELTS scoring guide on ielts.org. BandLadder is not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council or IDP, and no list of idioms guarantees a band score.

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