7 useful idioms for comparing two things

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One of the key differences between bands 6 and 7 in the lexical resource (i.e., vocabulary) assessment criteria of the Speaking test is the ability to use idiomatic language. As the band 7 descriptor says, the candidate at this level “uses some less common and idiomatic vocabulary”. Thus the ability to insert a steady stream of appropriate idioms into your response is one of the easiest ways to improve your lexical resource score.

 

In part 3 of the test you are often asked to compare and contrast two things or to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of two things. For example, you might be asked compare working for a large company with working for a small company, living in a large city with living in a small town, or watching movies on TV with watching movies in a cinema, etc.

 

Here are a few useful idioms you should try to use when making comparisons.

 

1) If two things are very different you might describe them as “chalk and cheese”, “apples and oranges”, “night and day”, or “poles apart”. For example:

 

Examiner: Is studying at high school very different from studying at university?

 

Candidate: In my opinion, they are poles apart/like chalk and cheese/like apples and oranges/like night and day. In high school, students cannot usually choose their subjects and there is a lot of exam pressure. But university students have a lot of freedom to choose subjects that they are interested in and there are many other forms of assessment besides tests; for example, multi-media projects, presentations, and group assignments.

 

 

2) If two things are very similar, you might use expressions such as “carbon copy” or “peas in a pod”. For example:

 

Examiner: Who in your family are you most similar to?

 

Candidate: My younger sister and I are like peas in a pod. We have very similar personalities and exactly the same taste in music, movies, and clothes. In fact, we often wear each other’s clothes. I guess you could say she is a carbon copy of me.

 

 

3) If both sides have their advantages and disadvantages, but there is ultimately little difference between them you might use the expression, “swings and roundabouts” For example:

 

Examiner: Is living in a large city better than living in a small town?

 

Candidate: Well, both sides have their pluses and minuses, but at the end of the day, it’s a case of swings and roundabouts. Cities are generally more convenient and have more employment opportunities, but they are very expensive and sometimes unfriendly places. On the other side of the coin, even though small towns have fewer public facilities and jobs, they are cheaper to live in and there is more of a community atmosphere. So it doesn’t really matter which one you choose, they are both good places to live, but neither is perfect.

 

 

NOTE. It’s important to use a variety of idioms in the speaking test. If you describe two very different things as ‘chalk and cheese’ several times during the interview, this will indicate a lack of lexical flexibility, and the benefit of using the idiom will be nullified.

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