Help and Encouragement: Useful Idioms for IELTS Speaking

In the IELTS Speaking test, demonstrating your range of vocabulary is key to achieving a Band 7.0 or higher. One effective way to do this is by using idiomatic expressions related to the topic, like help and encouragement idioms for IELTS. They not only make your speech more natural and fluent, but they also show that you have a good command of English beyond basic sentence structures.

In this blog, we will explore some of the most useful idioms about help and encouragement, complete with meanings, examples, and exercises to help you prepare for the latest IELTS Speaking topics with Part 2 & 3 questions.

List of Help and Encouragement Idioms for IELTS

One important area in IELTS topics is help, encouragement, and motivation, themes that often appear in cue cards such as, ‘Describe a time someone helped you’, ‘Describe a person who motivates you’, ‘Describe a difficult situation and how you handled it’, ‘Discuss the importance of friendship, support, or teamwork’, etc. Therefore, learning some common idioms in IELTS Speaking related to help and encouragement is essential.

Here’s a comprehensive table of idioms related to support, assistance, and emotional strength. Each one includes a definition, an example, and tips on when to use it in the IELTS Speaking test.

IELTS-Specific Examples Using the Help and Encouragement Idioms

To understand what IELTS examiners look for in the speaking test, especially in terms of lexical resources, it is important to go through some Band 7+ samples that use the above-mentioned help and encouragement idioms for IELTS.

Given below are sample responses showing how these idioms can be naturally included in IELTS answers.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 

Question: Do you enjoy working in a team?

“Yes, I enjoy teamwork. It involves a lot of give and take and requires everyone to meet each other halfway. I think when team members support one another and lend a hand when needed, the results are always better.”

IELTS Speaking Part 2 

Cue Card Topic: Describe a person who has helped or motivated you.

“I’d like to talk about my cousin, Ria, who really took me under her wing when I started college. I was nervous and overwhelmed, but she bent over backwards to make sure I settled in. Whenever I was homesick, she was there for me emotionally and gave me the motivation to keep going. Honestly, she has been a tower of strength in my life.”

IELTS Speaking Part 3

Question: Do you think people today help each other as much as in the past?

“In my opinion, modern lifestyles have made people a bit more individualistic. However, in difficult times, such as during natural disasters or pandemics, people often come together and put their heads together to find solutions. It’s all about give and take in any community or relationship.”

Help and Encouragement Idioms for IELTS: Practice Exercises

The exercises given below are designed to deepen your understanding and ensure you are ready to use the help and encouragement idioms for IELTS confidently in the speaking contexts. Take them and find out if you have understood the idiom correctly.

Exercise 1

1 I phoned to give you a pat __________ the back for saving the situation.

2 Let’s put our heads __________ and think of some people who could help.

3 As we’re both __________ the same boat, it might be sensible to work together.

4 Most parents bend __________ backwards to treat their children equally.

5 Jane took us __________ her wing and showed us around.

6 I try to think positively and keep my chin __________.

Exercise 2

1 There is usually a fair amount of __________ and take in a trading relationship.

a          pat       b          give                             c          hand

2 They want to negotiate and we’re very willing to __________ them halfway.

a          meet                b          bend                c          hold

3 Hannah was happy to __________ a hand in practical ways if she could.

a          pat                   b          lend                 c          take

4 For most of the afternoon, Mum had been __________ Cyril’s praises.

a          giving              b          putting             c          singing

5 I want to be __________ for my kids because my dad wasn’t for me.

a          there                b          together           c          over

6 The government finds it easiest to __________ the   other    way regarding this issue.

a          look                 b          bend                c          keep

Exercise 3

1          If you take someone under your wing, do you ignore or help them?

2          If you keep your chin up, are you being cheerful or miserable?

3          If you give someone a pat on the back, should they be pleased or offended?

4          If you bend over backwards, are you ignoring someone or trying to help them?

5          If someone lends you a hand, are you being helpful, or are they being helpful to you?

6          If you hold someone’s hand in a difficult situation, do you need help or do you give help?

Exercise 4

1 women candidates / bends over backwards / to attract / the party

2 learn that / girls and boys / give and take / there must be / in all relationships

3 lend a hand with / the whole family / the harvest / has to

4 they must / sensible decision / in order to reach a / put their heads together

5 for you / you know / be there / I’ll always

6 choose to / what should we / look the other way / do if our elected representatives

Exercise 5

1 Keep your chin up. I’m sure everything will be alright in the end.

2 If we put our heads together, we’ll come up with a solution.

3 You must have made a good impression on the manager – he was singing your praises!

4 The trouble is, so many of us look the other way when we realize there’s a problem.

5 I know how you feel. I’m in the same boat as you.

6 His parents bend over backwards for him but they get no thanks.

7 I’ll do what I can for him just now but I can’t hold his hand forever.

8  My husband has been a tower of strength throughout this ordeal.

A do everything possible to help

B in an identical situation

C stay optimistic

D support him

E being complimentary about you

F deliberately ignore the situation

G someone who is helpful and supportive

H work as a team

Exercise 6

Use sentences A-H to answer questions 1-8.

1 Who was a kind and supportive mother?

2 Who likes to find a compromise?

3 Who was given a generous welcome?

4 Who found someone to help him?

5 Who is rather pleased with what he has done?

6 Who was a kind and supportive father?

7 Who is managing to remain cheerful?

8 Who thinks that other people have similar problems?

Your turn!

Use the idioms in this unit to describe how someone has helped or encouraged you, or how you have helped someone else. For example:

I’m finding the grammar classes really difficult but it helps to know we’re all in the same boat.

My colleagues and I put our heads together and submitted the winning proposal.

Answer Key for the Practice Exercises

Now that you have solved the above exercises, you are going to have to cross-check your answers with the answer key below in order to find out whether or not you understand the help and encouragement idioms for IELTS or not!

Exercise 1

1          on

2          together

3          in

4          over

5          under

6          up

Exercise 2

1 b       3 b       5 a

2 a       4 c       6 a

Exercise 3

1 help them

2 cheerful

3 pleased

4 trying to help them

5 they are being helpful to you

6 give help

Exercise 4

1          The party bends over backwards to attract women candidates.

2          Girls and boys learn that there must be give and take in all relationships.

3          The whole family has to lend a hand with the harvest.

4          They must put their heads together in order to reach a sensible decision.

5          You know I’ll always be there for you.

6          What should we do if our elected representatives choose to look the other way?

Exercise 5

1          C         5          B

2          H         6          A

3          E          7          D

4          F          8          G

Exercise 6

1          Maria

2          Smith and Burnet

3          Sven

4          Ewen

5          Rakesh

6          Manuelle

7          Sasha

8          Lisa

To conclude, using appropriate help and encouragement idioms for IELTS can significantly elevate your IELTS Speaking score when used properly. They bring color, emotion, and fluency to your answers, making you sound more like a native speaker. Remember, practice makes perfect. So, start incorporating these idioms in your daily conversation or IELTS speaking practice tests, and explore other IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics to prepare real examples using these idioms to make your speech more convincing and memorable.

Useful Links:

• IELTS Accommodation Vocabulary: Useful Phrases, Idioms & Questions in IELTS Speaking
• IELTS Work Vocabulary: Useful Phrases And Expressions in IELTS Speaking
• Useful Idioms for IELTS Speaking to Score Band 8.0+
• Latest IELTS Speaking Vocabulary to Boost Your Score: Topic-Wise
• The Best Phrases to Use in IELTS Speaking
• Common English Words Used in IELTS Speaking Test