Learning Idioms: Have The Upper Hand With These 3 Tips

Previously, I wrote about how one of the questions in the Vocabulary MCQ section of Paper 2 tests your knowledge of common English idioms, and how you go about answering such a question. In this follow-up post, I am going to recommend to you the S.A.T. (Super.Awesome.Terrific) way in learning idioms.

1. Sort idioms according to types

There are so many idioms out there but do not despair. The most effective way to learn them is to get organised!

Categorise them according to topic or theme, for instance, some idioms can be sorted according to colour (e.g. a bolt from the blue, to have a green thumb, the silver screen) while others focus on animals (e.g. an eager beaver, a bull in a china shop, a fish out of water). Arranging the idioms in this manner makes it less of an uphill battle for you to learn them.

For ideas on the different categories, the three websites listed below can be a good place to start:

• http://www.idiomconnection.com/

• http://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idioms_proverbs.html

• https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/idioms.htm

2. Add pictures or your own illustrations

You may or may not be a visual learner but I always find it easier to remember when there is a picture to go along with the words, especially when learning new vocabulary. It does not matter if you are not Picasso or Van Gogh and cannot draw to save your life (like me); a simple illustration will do! What matters is that the drawing makes sense to you, and helps you to remember the idiom and what it means.

Check out this website (https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/) which has some really lovely illustrations that accompany the idioms. Here’s an example: