Idioms for TOEFL | Interesting facts you need to know

Idioms are words or phrases with an interpretation different than the literal meaning of the words comprising them. If you hear the phrase “crying wolf,” you may already know what “crying” and “wolf” means, but when they’re used together, this term takes on a completely different meaning. “Crying wolf” is an idiom that refers to asking for assistance when you don’t require it. Idioms for TOEFL can be perplexing even for individuals raised speaking English. Noticing common idioms could indeed help you better understand English and sound like a native speaker.

If you have studied idioms for other standardized tests, such as the SAT or GRE, you’ll know that the idioms tested on those exams are not the same as those tested on the TOEFL. Instead, you’ll be tested on prepositional idioms and infinitive idioms.

Why are idioms meaningful?

Idioms are not part of the essential skills tested on the TOEFL, such as reading comprehension or argument formation. It’s possible to get through TOEFL without encountering a single idiom. Still, TOEFL idioms are useful to learn if you plan to study for the TOEFL. If you come across an idiom on the TOEFL that you don’t recognize, it can be difficult to understand its statement or paragraph.

Therefore, you must dedicate some of your TOEFL study time to learning common idioms and comprehension of how idioms for TOEFL. Finally, suppose you are familiar with idioms for TOEFL. In that case, you could include either one or two within your speaking or writing responses to demonstrate to the graders how powerful your English skills are. Using an idiom in your reactions helps you appear more like a native speaker, leading to higher scores.

Appraisal of the idioms

You’ll anticipate what to expect before you even start the TOEFL if you recognize how idioms are tested. It is important to understand that no questions on the TOEFL will ask you straight about an idiom. For example, a reading question will never ask, “What is the definition of ‘feeling blue?'” or a speaking question such as “Describe a time when you felt butterflies in your stomach.”

Idioms are too unclear, with most non-native speakers being tested directly on the TOEFL. Idioms for TOEFL will instead be included in written passages or sound clips. They aren’t usually a crucial part of the passage but knowing what an idiom means could even assist you in putting the rest of the passage into context and better understanding what’s being discussed.

Let’s take a look at how particular TOEFL sections assess idioms.

Reading

The reading section of the TOEFL contains the longest passages; you might expect idioms to appear fairly frequently. On the other hand, TOEFL passages are typically drawn from academic texts and do not include much informal writing. Most TOEFL reading verses do not include idioms because they are generally used in more unofficial and casual speech. Idioms are frequently found in reading passages as part of a quote or an expressed opinion by someone.

The idiom is often enclosed in quotation marks, which the TOEFL creators use to imply a phrase or word with a different definition than the most generally recognized one.

Listening

In the TOEFL, the listening section contains most of the idioms. This is because the audio clips in this section are intended to depict realistic conversations on a university campus. The TOEFL creators want the conversations to sound authentic, and because people use idioms for TOEFL in normal conversation, idioms can be discovered in these audio clips.

Writing and Speaking

Idioms are less likely to appear in the speaking and writing sections of the TOEFL because these sections contain fewer written and audio passages, resulting in fewer possibilities for idioms to be included.

Idioms will not be used in prompts or questionnaires, as they are in other sections. Instead, they will be included in the sources of info or audio clips accompanying some of the questionnaires in these sections.

Catalog of common idioms 

Now that you know idioms are important, which ones are the most beneficial for the TOEFL? The following are some of the best idioms to remember for the TOEFL. These idioms previously used in the TOEFL are used frequently enough in English to be useful or both. The definition is provided for each idiom.

Idioms	Meaning
A blown fuse	A short temper
Beat around the bush	To ignore the main topic or to avoid speaking directly.
Be on your toes	Prepare yourself
Breeze through something	To complete a task quickly and easily.
Butterflies in your stomach	To be anxious
Costs an arm and a leg	Is quite pricey
Couch potato	Someone who is sluggish.
Hang in there	Please be patient
Hard up	Insufficient funds.

Key takeaways

• Idioms are phrases or words with a different meaning than their true definition.
• Idioms for TOEFL are usually used in written passages or voice audios.
• Using an idiom in your responses makes you sound like a native speaker, which could also result in higher scores.

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FAQs

Q1. Can idioms be used in the TOEFL?

Answer – Idioms are too mysterious for most non-native respondents to be tested directly on the TOEFL. Idioms for TOEFL will instead be included in written passages or sound files.

Q2. What are idioms for English learners?

Answer – A phrase or saying that is frequently used in everyday English to convey specific thoughts or views is known as an idiom.

Q3. What exactly is idiomatic writing?

Answer – An idiomatic representation is a turn of phrase that makes sense in one language but does not make sense when translated literally into another. Here are some examples: put out the cat, put out the light, etc.