Example
walking on air
I left the interview walking on air because I was sure it had gone well.
Happiness questions come up constantly in Part 1 (birthdays, gifts, weekends). Choose one idiom that matches the size of the feeling: "made my day" suits a small pleasure, "over the moon" suits real news. Using a huge idiom for a tiny event sounds odd.
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.
13 idioms
extremely pleased about some news
When my sister told me she was expecting a baby, I was over the moon.
Correct and well known, but it appears in a huge number of IELTS answers. Save it for genuinely big news and use it once.
extremely happy, usually for a while after good news
For about a week after I passed my driving test I was on cloud nine.
Heavily taught in IELTS courses, so examiners hear it a lot. Fine once if it fits naturally.
so happy that you feel light
I left the interview walking on air because I was sure it had gone well.
Less common in exam answers than "on cloud nine", so it sounds fresher.
make someone very happy, often with something small
A neighbour left fresh mangoes at our door, and honestly it made my day.
Excellent for Part 1 and Part 2 stories about small, pleasant surprises.
very pleased (British)
My grandmother was thrilled to bits when we turned up for her birthday.
Warm and very British. Good for talking about other people's reactions.
smile very widely
When my little brother opened his present, he was grinning from ear to ear.
Paints a clear picture, which helps a Part 2 description.
cheerful and full of energy
Everyone was in high spirits on the last day of term.
Slightly more formal, so it also works in Part 3 when you describe groups of people.
very excited because there are so many good things to choose from
In the bookshop at the airport I was like a kid in a sweet shop.
Natural and vivid. "Candy store" is the American version; pick one and keep it.
extremely happy and confident
After my first half-marathon I felt on top of the world.
Common but not as overused as "over the moon". Works well after an achievement.
a quiet feeling of pleasure, often after helping someone
Volunteering at the food bank always gives me a warm glow.
Good for Part 3 answers about helping others and why people volunteer.
feeling very happy and excited, usually after something went well
The whole team was on a high after we won the final.
Natural and current. It suggests the feeling will fade, so it fits short-term excitement.
something people are excited about, said with humour
My uncle thinks his new air fryer is the best thing since sliced bread.
Usually ironic. If you use it seriously, it sounds like a memorised cliché.
very pleased and amused
She was tickled pink by the card her students made.
Sounds old-fashioned from a young speaker. "Really chuffed" (British, informal) is more current.
Part 2
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.
I'd like to talk about the day I found out I'd got a place on a summer exchange programme. I'd applied months earlier and had almost forgotten about it, so when the email arrived I was genuinely walking on air. I rang my mum straight away, and she was thrilled to bits, probably more excited than I was. What really made my day, though, was that my best friend had been accepted too, so we knew we'd be travelling together.
It is correct, but examiners hear it constantly because so many courses teach it. Using it once, naturally, is fine. A less predictable option such as "walking on air" or "it made my day" shows a wider range.
"It made my day" fits most Part 1 questions because Part 1 is about everyday life and small events. Save the bigger idioms for Part 2 stories about important news.
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.
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 "over the moon", "on cloud nine", "the best thing since sliced bread": examiners hear them often or they sound dated.
Keep going
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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