Until the Cows Come Home - Idiom of the Day for IELTS Speaking & Writing

By including the idiom, ‘Until the Cows Come Home’, in your IELTS Speaking & Writing answers, you can showcase a higher level of language proficiency. This idiom not only levels up your language proficiency level but also paints a picture and ideas in a more effortless and vivid manner. In both the Speaking and Writing Sections of the IELTS Exam, idiomatic phrases are important for well-developed vocabulary, which will expand your lexical flexibility. However, you must learn the appropriate usage of the idiom so that you can effectively incorporate it.

What Does ‘Until the Cows Come Home’ Mean?

A vocabulary is necessary in order to improve your skills to achieve an IELTS Band Score of 8+. By including the idiom ‘Until the Cows Come Home’, it will make your answer sound more interesting and conversational. Before you start practising with this idiom, you must first understand the meaning, synonym, and example sentences related to the idiom. Let’s check out the table below.

Want to learn Useful Idioms for IELTS Speaking? Check out the video given below!

How to Use ‘Until the Cows Come Home’ in IELTS Speaking & Writing Answers?

The idiom, ‘Until the Cows Come Home’, can be used in different contexts in the IELTS Speaking and Writing Sections. This will make your answers stand out and display a better command of the English language. Let’s look at the sentences which can help you understand how to integrate the idiom into your answers.

• In IELTS Speaking

You can apply this idiom when addressing repeated habits, discussions, ongoing activities, or situations seeming never-ending to conclude. 

It brings informality to your answers and shows that you can speak smoothly while utilizing idiomatic phrases properly.  With this idiom incorporated in Part 2 and Part 3 questions, you will be able to elaborate and detailed explanations. 

• In IELTS Writing:

Use it in your essay to focus on the ongoing challenges, prolonged arguments, or unresolved issues.

This would indicate that you are capable of incorporating this idiomatic phrase in formal writing, enhancing your lexical sophistication. Therefore, this idiom is appropriate in argumentative or discussion essays where emphasizing length or continuity of a particular issue improves your viewpoint.

Exercise on ‘Until the Cows Come Home’ for IELTS Speaking & Writing

It is crucial to grasp idioms and apply them in conversation as this broadens your lexical repository. This would improve your ability to use such phrases in IELTS Speaking and Writing tasks. Let’s analyse this exercise and observe the operation of such idioms in the given context.  

1 Bobby would have been playing ball until the cows came home if it hadn’t been for Suzie dragging him away to eat dinner.

1. Bobby was just about to stop playing ball.
2. Bobby didn’t even want to play ball to begin with.
3. Bobby prefers nature to athletics.
4. Bobby would have continued playing ball for a long time.

2 Even if you handed her an extension, the time she would spend on retelling her holiday experiences until the cows come home.

1. She would engage in lengthy conversations about her vacation.
2. She would choose not to speak about her vacation.  
3. She would give a brief commentary about her vacation.  
4. She would cease speaking on being interrupted.  

3 The children could play video games until the cows came home if no one reminded them to take a break.  

1. They would cease playing after a short while.  
2. They could continue playing boundlessly. 
3. They are not fond of video games.  
4. They would rather study than play games.  

4 My grandparents can talk about their childhood until the cows come home.

1. They can talk about it for hours without stopping. 
2. They avoid talking about their childhood.  
3. They forget details quickly.  
4. They prefer to talk about the future.  

5 The deadline will not be changed even if you argue with the teacher until the cows come home.  

1. The deadline might be extended if you argue.  
2. The teacher dislikes arguments.  
3. No amount of arguing will change the deadline. 
4. The students agree with the teacher.

Answer to the Exercise on ‘Until the Cows Come Home’ for IELTS Speaking & Writing

Completing the exercise on ‘Until the Cows Come Home’ is just the starting point. However, the real work begins after the exercise when you review the right answers and carefully look for any errors which you might have made. Remember that addressing these mistakes is crucial as it enhances your comprehension skills. Let’s look at the answers below.

1. D. 
2. A. 
3. B. 
4. A. 
5. C.

To improve your Speaking and IELTS Writing answers, you must practice using these idioms such as ‘Until the Cows Come Home’ in your IELTS preparation. This will help you to communicate effectively and appropriately in different situations. Therefore, continue your practice and move on to the next idiom to build confidence for the exam day.

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Also Check: 

• Five Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary
• 1200 Common Words in IELTS Listening
• IELTS Vocabulary Words List for Band 8 or 9
• How to Build Vocabulary for the IELTS Exam: Practical Tips
• IELTS Exam Preparation Tips for Band Score of 8+