Example
in the nick of time
We reached the gate in the nick of time, just as it was closing.
Time idioms fit almost any Part 2 story, because every story has a moment when something happened just in time or too late. "In the nick of time" and "at the eleventh hour" are both natural ways to build tension.
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
only just in time
We reached the gate in the nick of time, just as it was closing.
Great for the turning point of a story.
do something to pass time while waiting
I killed time at the station by reading the news.
Natural for waiting situations.
time passes very quickly
I can't believe I've lived here for five years; time flies.
Natural on its own. The longer "time flies when you're having fun" sounds memorised.
very rarely
I only eat fast food once in a blue moon.
A favourite of IELTS courses. Correct, but examiners hear it constantly.
over a long period in the future
Cooking at home saves money in the long run.
Natural and useful in Part 3.
all day and all night
Hospital staff work around the clock.
Natural and clear.
at the last possible moment
The concert was cancelled at the eleventh hour.
Natural, slightly dramatic.
a very enjoyable experience
I had the time of my life on that school trip.
Natural for happy memories.
for now, but not permanently
I'm living with my parents for the time being.
Neutral and very useful.
trying to finish before a deadline
We were working against the clock to finish the project.
Natural for deadlines and competitions.
old-fashioned
My grandfather is a bit behind the times when it comes to technology.
Useful for technology and generation questions.
very quickly
With the new app, you can book a taxi in no time.
Common and natural.
return to an earlier time
If I could turn back the clock, I'd have started learning English earlier.
Good for Part 2 and Part 3 questions about regret.
it's better to do something late than not at all
I started exercising at forty, but better late than never.
A familiar saying. Fine once, but don't build an answer around it.
Part 1
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.
Mostly, yes. I hate keeping people waiting, so I usually arrive early and kill time with a coffee nearby. The one exception was my sister's wedding, funnily enough. The traffic was terrible and I got to the venue in the nick of time, about two minutes before she walked in. These days I leave even earlier, because I'd rather wait than rush.
It is correct, but it is one of the most taught idioms, so it does not stand out. Use "hardly ever" or "only now and then" if you want a natural alternative.
"In the long run", "around the clock" and "behind the times" describe general situations, so they suit Part 3 discussion well.
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 "once in a blue moon", "better late than never": 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.
© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy