Việc sử dụng idioms cũng là một con dao hai lưỡi. Thí sinh chỉ nên sử dụng idioms khi biết chính xác nghĩa và cách dùng của chúng qua việc đã chứng kiến người bản ngữ sử dụng những cụm từ này. Thí sinh cũng KHÔNG nên học thuộc và cố gắng sử dụng chúng khi trả lời câu hỏi, điều này sẽ làm cho câu văn nghe gượng ép và mất tính tự nhiên.
Dưới đây là một số idioms thường được người bản ngữ sử dụng trong giao tiếp hàng ngày.
19 common idioms that native speakers usually use in daily conversations
No. | Common idioms | Example of usage |
1 | Over the moon: Rất hạnh phúc | Q: How did you feel when you passed the university entrance exam? A: I was over the moon on hearing the news that I just became a college student because I put all my heart and soul into the preparation for the entrance exam, which is the most important one in my student life. |
2 | Once in a blue moon: Hiếm khi | Q: How often do you eat at restaurants? A: Well, I used to go to restaurants all the time when I was studying at university, but now just once in a blue moon because I’m quite occupied with my work. |
3 | A piece of cake: Quá dễ | Q: How do you remember all the functions of your keys? A: Actually, it’s a piece of cake! I attach a small sheet of paper to each of my keys to remind me of their functions. |
4 | A drop in the ocean: Quá ít | Q: Do you think that governments should provide more money to support the poor? A: Definitely! I think the current governmental financial support for the people who are living in poverty is just a drop in the ocean. |
5 | Back to the drawing board: Bắt đầu lại từ đầu | Q: What do you think what people would feel when they fail to do something? A: People get disappointed when they fail to achieve something and sometimes they wanna give up because when they put all their eggs in one basket, yet don’t get anything in return, the idea of gettingback to the drawing board scares them. |
6 | Put all your eggs in one basket: Dồn hết tiền bạc tâm sức vào một thứ | |
7 | Find one’s feet: Có thể làm gì một cách tự tin thoải mái | Q: How did you usually deal with challenges? A: To be honest, when setbacks get in my way, I felt a little scared because the first stage of solving a problem is a real deal. But I soon found my feet with the help of my friends who always consoled me thatevery cloud has a silver lining and that I had to be strong. |
8 | Every cloud has a silver lining: Sau cơn mưa trời lại sáng | |
9 | Keep an eye on somebody/something:Trông coi ai/cái gì | Q: Who normally is the person who takes care of your garden? A: Usually it’s my mother who keeps an eye on the garden because she knows how to trim the bushes and water the trees. |
10 | Get up on the wrong side of the bed:Trải qua điều tồi tệ nào đó | Q: Describe a frustrating time you had to go through A: It was a few months ago when I had to experience a heart-breaking incident: I had to break up with my girl friend. I can still remember one or two weeks after that I always got up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning. |
11 | (as) fit as a fiddle: Khỏe mạnh | Q: How often did you play sports in the past? A: Well, I was a sporty person so I used to participate in a lot of physical activities which really helped me become as fit as a fiddle. |
12 | Sit on the fence: Ba phải | Q: Describe the time when you have to give your opinion on something important A: It was the time when my brother consulted me about his university selection because he didn’t know which one he should apply for. I told him that he should be firm and never sit on the fence. |
13 | Practice makes perfect: Có công mài sắt có ngày nên kim | Q: Is diligence one of the determinants of success? A: Yes, absolutely. Practice makes perfect! |
14 | Under the weather: Không được khỏe | Q: Describe something unpleasant that you experienced. A: Two weeks ago, I forgot my umbrella at my office. Unfortunately, it rained cats and dogs on my way home and I felt under the weather for the next 2 days. |
15 | Rain cats and dogs: Mưa như trút nước | |
16 | Bend over backwards: Cố gắng hết sức để giúp ai đó | Q: Describe a time when you helped a friend A: My close friend broke up with his girl friend last month and he was really upset about that. As a friend, I bent over backwards to comfort him. |
17 | Actions speak louder than words: Nói ít làm nhiều | Q: Is having a plan important for someone to succeed? A: Honestly, I think having a plan isn’t enough! We need to execute that plan immediately and never stop working hard. Actions speak louder than words! |
18 | A hot potato: Chủ đề nóng hổi | Q: Describe a hotly debated issue in your country |
19 | Judge a book by its cover: Trông mặt bắt hình dong | Q: What is your opinion about the fact that people usually judge each other based on their first impression? A: I think people shouldn’t do that because we can’tjudge a book by its cover. |
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