Can’t Beat Them, Join Them - Idiom of the Day for IELTS Speaking & Writing
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Discover how to use “Can’t Beat Them, Join Them” in IELTS Speaking & Writing and describe adapting to a situation by joining the majority. Check out the meaning and learn how to include it in answers for a higher language proficiency level.
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The idiom 'Can’t Beat Them, Join Them' can be used to uplift your language quality for the IELTS Speaking & Writing sections. Remember that you will be assessed based on your fluency, flexibility, and the ability to speak and write in the IELTS Exam. As you learn this expression, you can use it to show a better command of lexical resources, improve coherence, and clarify your argument in your answers. This practice technique will help you in getting closer to your desired band scores while building your confidence in using it.
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Meaning of the Idiom ‘Can’t Beat Them, Join Them’
Mistakes in using idioms will increase your lexical power while making your answers sound more native-like. To effectively use the IELTS Vocabulary, the table below presents its definition, synonyms, and example sentences related to the idiom ‘Can’t Beat Them, Join Them’. This will help you see clearly the meaning, usage, and the surrounding context, and improve answers with much confidence.
|
Topic |
Description |
|
Can’t Beat Them, Join Them |
Idiom |
|
Definition |
If you are unable to defeat your opponents, might as well work with them, or do what they do, and thereby benefit. |
|
Synonyms |
Go with the flow, Adapt to the situation, Play along, Follow trend |
|
Origin |
The oldest use of this expression is in the Atlantic Monthly Magazine in 1932. Beyond that, its origins are shrouded in mystery. |
|
Example |
I guess everyone’s going to vote for Aruba for the company getaway, so I will too. You know what they say, if you can’t beat them, join them. Everyone seems to be buying these newfangled electric cars. I guess I better get mine too. If you can’t beat them, join them.
With rising support for tighter immigration restrictions, the liberal party decided to cave in. After all, if you can’t beat them, join them. When asked why he is willing to help the new Government in formulating policy, the Opposition Leader simply said, if you can’t beat them, join them. |
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How to Include ‘Can’t Beat Them, Join Them’ in IELTS Speaking & Writing Sections?
The idiom ‘Can’t Beat Them, Join Them’, when used in the right situation, will help you to showcase an individual’s attitude, or while making choices. This usage can make you sound like a native speaker during the IELTS Speaking & Writing exams. The table below would help you get the knowledge to include the idiom without losing accuracy, coherence and relevance to the topic.
|
Situation |
Description |
Example |
|
Peer pressure or social trends |
Use it when talking about the reasons of someone's following others |
At first, social media didn’t interest me but all my friends were on it, so I thought if I can’t beat them, I should join them. |
|
Explaining any challenging situation |
Incorporate the phrase to convey acceptance rather than opposition |
When the new work rules went into effect, most workers thought that if they couldn’t beat management, they might as well join them. |
|
Recounting personal instances in Part 1/2 of Speaking |
Utilize the idiom to sound informal while narrating personal stories |
I wasn’t a fan of waking up early for workouts, but my flatmates were, so I finally accepted that I couldn’t beat them and I joined them. |
|
Discussing situation of the people in the society |
Apply it to explain how people react by adjusting and accepting changes that are inevitable |
With the transition to cashless payment, the older generation decided to adopt it as they realized that if they can't beat them, join them. |
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Exercise on the Idiom ‘Can’t Beat Them, Join Them’ for IELTS Speaking & Writing
To use this idiom, it is necessary to check your grasping knowledge of its meaning, correctness, and context fluency. By diving into the exercise provided below, you will be able to pinpoint situations where the idiom fits in an effective way. With time, this practice will make the idiomatic expression, ‘Can’t Beat Them, Join Them’, a part of your vocabulary list naturally.
Choose the following idioms to fill in the blank:
|
Bite off more than you can chew |
On cloud nine |
Once in a blue moon |
|
Spill the beans |
A fish out of water |
Can’t beat them, join them |
1 Riya takes a day off very rarely, only _______________.
2 When I enrolled in the advanced coding class, I _______________ among all the coding gurus.
3 He regretted his decision to _______________ as the deadline was tomorrow and promised to do the whole project by himself.
4 Arjun eventually concluded, “If the whole world is doing it, _______________” after refraining from following the trend for more than a month.
5 For a long time after Asha got the scholarship, she was _______________.
6 The anticipation of the announcement was _______________ Karan to the team, and the team was quick to join Karan in the anticipation of the announcement.
Answer to the Exercise on the Idiom ‘Can’t Beat Them, Join Them’ for IELTS Speaking & Writing
If using idioms confidently is your goal, then you must consistently. The answers below will help you monitor your grasp of the idiom and make it possible for you to use it naturally. Let’s check your level of understanding and work on the areas of improvement to achieve an IELTS Band Score of 8+.
- Once in a blue moon
- A fish out of water
- Bite off more than you can chew
- Can’t beat them, join them
- On cloud nine
- Spill the beans
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It is vital for you to work on your Lexical Resource scores which you can achieve by learning to use idiomatic expressions correctly in context. Remember to continue with areas like fluency and coherence, grammatical range and accuracy, and task response which will help you in your Speaking and IELTS Writing sections. By regularly practicing idioms in sample answers, you can work on your sentence structures, and increase your vocabulary depth. With consistent practice, the quality of communication can be improved.
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