Common Idioms used for IELTS Topic- At sixes and sevens

IELTS Idioms are essential for all the sections. The reading, writing and listening, and speaking sections contain different idioms and phrases for IELTS. The common idioms for IELTS speaking like “At sixes and sevens” help candidates learn a wide range of idioms, phrases and vocabulary that are helpful in IELTS preparation. The examiners notice the range of colloquial expressions and vocabulary used by the candidates, and learning from the idioms for IELTS writing will help them score high in the IELTS test. Idioms used in IELTS are very common. Specially idioms to use in IELTS speaking are used in regular day to day life.

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Topic: Common Idioms used for IELTS Topic- At sixes and sevens

The IELTS idiom “At sixes and sevens” means a disordered state of activities.

Sentence: The new budget of financial year 2021-22 seems to be at sixes and sevens.

The actual origin of the IELTS idiom “at sixes and sevens” was back on the 14th century. A tailor named Merchant Taylors and Skinner Livery companies were competing with each other for the same position. After a quite tough competition the honorable Mayor of London, SIr Robert Billesden solved the problem. He asked the Merchant Taylors and Skinner Livery companies to take sixth and seventh position alternatively, each year. This way the competition for the sixth position got resolved. And each year this alternating position of the companies continued till date. Hence, the idiom “At sixes and sevens” was derived from the instance.

This idiom “At sixes and sevens” can be used for both IELTS speaking and writing sections in different ways. In this article, we have discussed how one can use this idiom in different scenarios keeping the meaning and intentions intact.

Idiom Scenario 1: For IELTS Speaking

(using the idiom in the conversation)

Ramesh: Did you see the news?

Suresh: Yeah! Specifically which one you want to know?

Ramesh: The Talibans conquest in Afganistan?

Ramesh: Yes! I know. The situation there is very difficult. The people must be wondering in confusion, pain, threat and what not?

Suresh: Think about the Govt. as well. It is left at sixes and sevens for sure.

Explanation: From the above conversation between Ramesh and Suresh it is evident that a country is under terrorist control and the Govt is left in an abandoned state of situation of odds.

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Idiom Scenario 2: For IELTS Speaking

(using the idiom in the conversation)

Brother: Do you know where is our father?

Sister: No, I guess he is out for some work.

Brother: But we needed him for our PTM today after noon.

Sister: Yes, then what should we do?

Brother: Yes. He has left us at sixes and sevens.

Explanation: From the above conversation, we can see that a brother and sister were left alone by their father. The father must be busy with some more important work and forgot about the PTM at his children’s school. Hence the brother sister duo is left in this odd situation alone.