Common Idioms for IELTS Speaking Topic - Anger and Irritation
The IELTS Speaking evaluation criteria concentrate on how well the candidates can use idiomatic language. The IELTS Speaking section can be well prepared with the help of different kinds of idioms. Idioms come in different types, and candidates are able to understand in IELTS speaking conversations. This particular article contains common idioms and exercises related to Anger and Irritation.
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Topic: Common Idioms for IELTS Speaking Topic - Anger and Irritation
Exercise 1:
Find four idioms that have the same meaning.
- Elisa’s parents hit the roof when she crashed their car.
- Our teacher was clearly getting angry, then suddenly she blew a fuse.
- Everyone finds the new student a complete pain in the neck.
- Kenji finally lost it when his laptop crashed again.
- I don’t want to tell you because I’m sure you’ll throw a fit.
- Don’t mention English grades because Jonas has a chip on his shoulder after doing badly last year.
Answer: 1,2,4,5
Explanation: The four idioms that have the same meaning are hit the roof, blew a fuse, lost it, and chip on his shoulder. All these idioms refer to showing sudden anger and losing temper over anything. Hence these four sentences have idioms related to anger which is why they have the same meaning.
Also, check:
Exercise 2:
Complete the sentences with the words in the box.
up | on | in off | through | off
- His stupid jokes drive me ________ the wall.
- My sister will go ________ the roof when she finds out.
- I was surprised when she bit my head ________
- Lourdes is always flying ________ the handle at her husband.
- There’s a boy In our class who’s a real pain ________ the neck.
- I think you’ve got a bit of a chip ________ your shoulder.
Answer 1: up
Meaning: The idiom that drives me up the wall refers to getting angry or irritated.
Answer 2: through
Meaning: The idiom to go through the roof means to become very angry or upset.
Answer 3: off
Meaning: Bite my head off - this idiom refers to yelling at someone suddenly.
Answer 4: off
Meaning: This idiom flying off the handle means to lose control of one’s emotions.
Answer 5: in
Meaning: Pain in the neck idiom refers to annoyance or source of grief.
Answer 6: on
Meaning: To have a chip on your shoulder means to seem angry all the time.
Exercise 3:
Match sentence halves 1-8 with A-H to make complete sentences.
| 1 Majid gave me a filthy look 2 Driving lessons are Paula’s sore spot because 3 Mum always has a fit when 4 My boss often snaps my head off when 5 My friends will give me hell if 6 It drives me up the wall 7 She had a face like thunder, 8 Dora makes my blood boil, |
A to hear Viktor talking about all his successful business deals. B we’re understaffed and I’m late for work. C the way she never thanks me for my help. D so I asked her what was wrong. E she’s failed her test four times. F I keep them waiting yet again. G we don’t clean the kitchen properly. H to shut me up. |
Answer 1: H
Meaning: The idiom used in this sentence - filthy look which is an expression of disgust or disapproval.
Answer 2: E
Meaning: Sore spot refers to something that makes someone angry, upset or embarrassed.
Answer 3: G
Meaning: To have a fit means to become very or unreasonably angry or upset.
Answer 4: B
Meaning: The idiom - snap someone's head off is to reply rudely and sharply.
Answer 5: F
Meaning: To give someone hell refers to making things very unpleasant for someone.
Answer 6: A
Meaning: The idiom used in this sentence - drive up the wall refers to making someone irritated.
Answer 7: D
Meaning: Face like thunder means to give an extremely angry expression.
Answer 8: C
Meaning: To make someone's blood boil means to make someone else very angry.
Exercise 4:
Re-order the phrases to make sentences. Add punctuation where necessary.
- a dirty look for / his brother / Dmitri gave / laughing
- with Cynthia / is a sore point / Virginia’s engagement
- gave us hell / what we’d done / the headmaster / when he found out
- if you promise / I’ll only tell you / not to blow a fuse
- borrow her bike again / fly off the handle / if you ask to / Clara is likely to
- when / he hit the roof / the mess / Dad discovered
- the knowledge that / of this crime / he is guilty / makes my blood boil
- marching out of the room / I saw / with a face like thunder / Mr. Clarke come
Answer 1: Dmitri gave his brother a dirty look for laughing.
Meaning: The idiom used in this sentence - dirty look which is an expression of disgust or disapproval.
Answer 2: Virginia’s engagement is a sore point with Cynthia.
Meaning: Sore spot refers to something that makes someone angry, upset or embarrassed.
Answer 3: The headmaster gave us hell when he found out what we’d done. OR When he found out what we’d done, the headmaster gave us hell.
Meaning: To give someone hell refers to making things very unpleasant for someone.
Answer 4: I’ll only tell you if you promise not to blow a fuse.
Meaning: This idiom is used when someone becomes very angry or upset
Answer 5: Clara is likely to fly off the handle if you ask to borrow her bike again. OR If you ask to borrow her bike again, Clara is likely to fly off the handle.
Meaning: This idiom flying off the handle means to lose control of one’s emotions.
Answer 6: When Dad discout he is guilty of this crime, it makes my blood boil.
Meaning: To make someone's blood boil means to make someone else very angry.
Answer 7: I saw Mr. Clarke come marching out of the room with a face like thunder.
Meaning: Face like thunder means to give an extremely angry expression.
Exercise 5:
Match words 1-6 with phrases A-F to make idioms from this unit.
1 blow A your blood boil
2 bite B off the handle
3 drive C a fuse
4 fly D someone up the wall
5 make E a chip on your shoulder
6 have F someone’s head off
Answer 1: C
Meaning: This idiom is used when someone becomes very angry or upset
Answer 2: F
Meaning: Bite my head off - this idiom refers to yelling at someone suddenly.
Answer 3: D
Meaning: The idiom used in this sentence - drive up the wall refers to making someone irritated.
Answer 4: B
Meaning: This idiom flying off the handle means to lose control of one’s emotions.
Answer 5: A
Meaning: To make someone's blood boil means to make someone else very angry.
Answer 6: E
Meaning: To have a chip on your shoulder means to seem angry all the time.
Exercise 6:
Correct the idioms in these sentences.
- It makes my head boil just to think about the way he spoke to me.
- When I arrived he was sitting in the chair with a look like thunder.
- I asked him how he was, and he just bit my neck off!
- She looked really upset when I said that. I must have hit a sore shoulder.
- He’s got a fiery temper. He flies off the fuse for the smallest reason.
- I can’t stand it when he does that. It drives me up the roof!
- That boy is really irritating. He’s a pain in the head.
- When I mentioned the incident, he gave me such a filthy chip.
Answer 1: makes my blood boil
Meaning: To make someone's blood boil means to make someone else very angry.
Answer 2: a face like thunder
Meaning: Face like thunder means to give an extremely angry expression.
Answer 3: bit my head off
Meaning: Bite my head off - this idiom refers to yelling at someone suddenly.
Answer 4: hit a sore spot/point
Meaning: Sore spot refers to something that makes someone angry, upset or embarrassed.
Answer 5: flies off the handle
Meaning: This idiom flying off the handle means to lose control of one’s emotions.
Answer 6: drives me up the wall
Meaning: The idiom used in this sentence - drive up the wall refers to making someone irritated.
Answer 7: a pain in the neck
Meaning: Pain in the neck idiom refers to annoyance or source of grief.
Answer 8: a filthy look
Meaning: The idiom used in this sentence - filthy look which is an expression of disgust or disapproval.
Exercise 7:
Choose the most appropriate thing A-H to say in each situation 1-8.
- Someone is really annoying you.
- You think someone has a deep resentment about a family member.
- You find a particular task really tiresome and annoying.
- You are talking about a teenager you know who really makes his mother’s life difficult.
- Someone has looked at you in a way to suggest they are angry with you.
- You realize you have reacted strongly to someone because they’ve mentioned something you feel quite emotional about.
- A teacher is looking angrily at the students in his classroom.
- Your friend tells you to shut up when you enter the room and say hello.
- It’s a pain in the neck.
- You’re driving me up the wall.
- Why did you give me a dirty look?
- There’s no need to snap my head off.
- He has a face like thunder.
- I think you’ve got a chip on your shoulder.
- I’m sorry. It’s just that you hit a sore spot when you said that.
- He gives his mother hell.
Exercise 7:
Answer 1: B
Meaning: The idiom used in this sentence - drive up the wall refers to making someone irritated.
Answer 2: F
Meaning: To have a chip on your shoulder means to seem angry all the time.
Answer 3: A
Meaning: The idiom used here pain in the neck refers to annoyance or source of grief.
Answer 4: H
Meaning: To give someone hell refers to making things very unpleasant for someone.
Answer 5: C
Meaning: The idiom used in this sentence - dirty look which is an expression of disgust or disapproval.
Answer 6: G
Meaning: Sore spot refers to something that makes someone angry, upset or embarrassed.
Answer 7: E
Meaning: Face like thunder means to give an extremely angry expression.
Answer 8: D
Meaning: The idiom - snap someone's head off is to reply rudely and sharply.
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