Phrasal verb: pass (something) out

"pass (something) out" Meaning: give the same thing to many people Example: Our teacher passed the examination booklets out b...

Idiom: pooped

"pooped" Meaning: very tired; exhausted Example: Rachel went to bed. She was pooped from today's sporting event. Last ...

Idiom: on time

"on time" Meaning: at the scheduled time Example: You'd better leave now if you want to make it to the concert on time . ...

2 Tips for Multiple Choice/Answer Questions in IELTS Listening

When you encounter this type of question, remember the following: 1. There are several possibilities for the ideas expressed in the list. ...

3 Tips for Classification Questions in IELTS Listening

When you encounter questions in the IELTS Listening Module that require you to classify, remember the following: 1. The numbered and the l...

4 Tips for Diagram/Flow Chart Completion Questions in IELTS Listening

Hi. Here are 4 things to remember when you encounter diagrams/flow charts in the IELTS Listening Module. 1. Like in the previous tips, pre...

Idiom: Not on your life!

"Not on your life!" Meaning: Absolutely not! (a strong "no"). Example: Kim: Willie told me you were with Anne last ...

Phrasal verb: make (someone) up

"make (someone) up" Meaning: apply cosmetics to Example: Assist Veronica. Make her up for her birthday party. Last week...

Idiom: make up (one's) mind

"make up (one's) mind" Meaning: decide what to do. Example: Which car should I get? Ford Focus? Mitsubishi Lancer Evo? Sub...

Phrasal verb: look after (someone/something)

"look after (someone/something)" Meaning: take care of Example: I have to look after my son who now has fever. Last week&#...

Idiom: a let-down

"a let-down" Meaning: a disappointment; something that's very disappointing. Example: Lloyd could've viewed his defeat...

"Major, Major" Congratulations, Ms. Venus Raj!

Well, I presume that you've all watched Miss Universe 2010. We were rooting for our own Ms. Venus Raj... And wow, she really looked gorg...

Phrasal verb: keep (someone/something) out

"keep (someone/something) out" Meaning: stop from entering Example: Mom has just finished mopping the floor, so keep your soil...

Idiom: keep (one's) chin up

"keep (one's) chin up" Meaning: remain brave and confident in a difficult situation; don't despair or worry too much E...

Idiom: jump to conclusions

"jump to conclusions" Meaning: decide something too quickly and without thinking about it or considering all the facts. Exampl...

6 Sentence/Summary Completion Question Tips in IELTS Listening

Here are the tips whenever you encounter Sentence/Summary Completion Questions in the IELTS Listening Module. 1. Make it a point to read t...

5 Tips for Notes/Table Completion Questions in IELTS Listening

Here are the tips when you encounter questions that require you to complete notes or a table: 1. Predict the kind of word or phrase you wo...

Idiom: inside out

"inside out" Meaning: with the inner part on the outside and the outer part on the inside. Example: I just saw Stephen at the ...

Phrasal verb: hand (something) out

"hand (something) out" Meaning: to distribute to a group of people Example: The ushers will hand out your name tags at the re...

Idiom: hard feelings

"hard feelings" Meaning: anger; animosity; bitter feelings. Example: Leo was the better fighter today, and he deserved to win....

Phrasal verb: get around

"get around" Meaning: have mobility Example: Bea can get around quite well with her new bicycle. Last week's phrasal v...

Idiom: get lost!

"get lost!" Meaning: go away Example: Tell Edward to get lost . I don't want to be bothered right now! Last week's ...

Phrasal verb: fall out

"fall out" Meaning: separate from an interior Example: My cellphone must have fallen out of my bag. Last week's phrasa...

Idiom: fire (someone)

"fire (someone)" Meaning: dismiss someone from a job because of poor performance Example: My boss said that if I don't mee...

Idiom: an egghead

"an egghead" Meaning: a very intelligent person Example: Dexter has aced the exam again. He's proven himself to be a real ...

5 Tips for Matching-Type Questions in IELTS Listening

Now we tackle the things you should note when you encounter matching-type questions in the IELTS Listening Module. 1. Before starting to l...

9 Interesting Wikipedia Edit Wars

I just found this Wikipedia article interesting. It appears that with some matters of spelling, punctuation, or capitalization, the experts...

7 Tips for Short-answer Questions in IELTS Listening

A few months ago, we started sharing some tips for handling multiple choice questions for the IELTS Listening module . We're continuing ...

When to use "i.e." in a sentence

Hi guys. I just found this interesting comic from The Oatmeal . Use the tips in the article to you...

Phrasal verb: do away with (something)

"do away with (something)" Meaning: discard Example: Mom told me to do away with all of my broken electronic gadgets . Last...

Idiom: ditch class

"ditch class" Meaning: skip class/play hookey Example: Our teacher gave a surprise quiz yesterday. You were not able to take i...

Phrasal verb: call (something) off

"call (something) off" Meaning: cancel Example: Rick called the meeting off because he was still recovering in the hospital. ...

Idiom: catch (one's) eye

"catch (one's) eye" Meaning: attract one's attention/interest. Example: That red Lancer Evolution caught my eye while...

Phrasal verb: blow up

"blow up" Meaning: explode Example: The soldier threw a hand grenade which blew up at the enemy barracks. Last week's ...

Idiom: be all ears

"be all ears" Meaning: be eager to hear what someone has to say. Example: Please tell me what Boots said. I'm all ears . ...

Phrasal verb: add up to (something)

"add up to (something)" Meaning: equal Example: The groceries you bought add up to P10,000 . Last week's phrasal verbs:...

Idiom: and then some

"and then some" Meaning: and much more besides. Example: Dave's car costs P1,000,000 and then some as he made some modifi...

Idiom: Zip your lip!

"Zip your lip!" Meaning: keep something secret; promise not to tell what has just been said. Example: You should not tell this...

Idiom: You don't say!

"You don't say!" Meaning: Really? / Is that really true? Example: Ruby: "I just saw Alejandro's tweet. He said h...

Phrasal verb: warm (someone/something) up

"warm (someone/something) up" Meaning: increase the temperature Example: I'll hand you a blanket so you could warm yoursel...

Idiom: wear out (one's) welcome

"wear out (one's) welcome" Meaning: make someone uncomfortable by visiting too long. Example: Nigel left the house because...

Idiom: until hell freezes over

"until hell freezes over" Meaning: forever Example: Noel can use the karaoke until hell freezes over , but my guess is he'...

Phrasal verb: take (something) apart

"take (something) apart" Meaning: purposely break into pieces Example: Manny took the electric fan apart and found a problem ...

Idiom: tell a white lie

"tell a white lie" Meaning: say something that isn't true in order not to hurt or offend someone Example: The spaghetti th...

Phrasal verb: set (something) up

"set (something) up" Meaning: arrange, organize Example: Great! Let's set a meeting up with our client tomorrow morning. ...

Idiom: schmooze

"schmooze" Meaning: make relaxed, casual conversation. Example: James and I were not talking about the party. We were just sch...