安德魯雅思英文工作室

安德魯雅思英文工作室 Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from 安德魯雅思英文工作室, Tutor/Teacher, 中山區建國北路三段92號4C410室, Zhongshan District.

我是安德魯老師（Andrew Guilfoyle），澳大利亞墨爾本人，已婚並育有一子，西元2008年初舉家搬回台灣，我從事英文教學工作已經33年（專長雅思領域)，曾任25年雅思考官（18年雅思作文評分考官）。

我熱愛教學，希望學生學習的不只是雅思高分技巧，而是真正提高英文程度，而且我自己能肯定我是全球唯一自編7本雅思教材的老師（Practical IELTS Strategies系列書），我也熱愛下西洋棋和不斷更新我上課的簡報PPT，期望下一次報名我課程的學生能夠更快、更容易吸收我教的內容🥰。

Idiomatic Vocabulary 15Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic lan...
13/08/2026

Idiomatic Vocabulary 15

Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic language naturally. So, let’s look at another example of idiomatic vocabulary. What about the phrase … ‘to take [sth.] with a grain of salt’?

This is a verb phrase meaning you don’t really believe the previous fact. This is useful for IELTS because there are so many lies and so much deceit in the world. An intelligent person doesn’t necessarily believe it all, and we often have to indicate this to other speakers.

Here are two example sentences.

• “He claims he really helped me – but I took it all with a grain of salt.”
• “All the advertising is just basically garbage. You have to take it all with a grain of salt.”

By the way, you can find out more about me at:
https://www.aisielts.com

Idiomatic Vocabulary 14Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic lan...
04/06/2026

Idiomatic Vocabulary 14

Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic language naturally. So, let’s look at another example of idiomatic vocabulary. What about the phrase … ‘to be on steroids’?

This is an adjectival phrase meaning extremely developed when compared to something else.

Body builders take ‘steroids’ [a hormonal drug – see the picture] in order to develop abnormally large muscles. Similarly, when comparing a strong with a weak form, we can consider the strong one to be ‘on steroids.

Examiner: Did you like Shianghai?
Speaker: In some ways. It’s sort of like Taipei on steroids.

Here are two more example sentences.

• “The chess player, Kasparov, played a computer called ‘Deeper Blue’ – which was, basically, just your average computer on steroids.”
• “The competition in schools in Taiwan is insane. It’s like a dog-eat-dog world on steroids.”

Notice, I used ‘dog-eat-dog’ from the previous post (No. 13).

By the way, you can find out more about me at:
https://www.aisielts.com

Idiomatic Vocabulary 13Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic lan...
18/05/2026

Idiomatic Vocabulary 13

Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic language naturally. So, let’s look at another example of idiomatic vocabulary. What about the noun phrases … ‘the rat race’ and ‘the concrete jungle’, and the adjective ‘dog-eat-dog’.

These describe the intense and often nasty competition in society. These phrases are useful because we all live in a society which has such competition. We can all be compared to laboratory rats racing each other to get food. City life can be compared to a jungle of buildings – a concrete jungle – where animals eat other animals, even of their own kind – a real dog-eat-dog existence. These phrases all express strong criticism or negative feelings towards this existence – and if you honestly feel this, express it.

Here are two example sentences.

• “After some 20 years in the workforce, I just want to get out of this rat race, and live in a quiet rural area.”
• “Coming from Australia, it’s really weird that I find myself now marooned, probably forever, in an unlovely concrete jungle.”

By the way, you can find out more about me at:
https://www.aisielts.com

Idiomatic Vocabulary 12Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic lan...
01/05/2026

Idiomatic Vocabulary 12

Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic language naturally. So, let’s look at another example of idiomatic vocabulary. What about the phrase … ‘to have a sweet tooth’?

This mean that you like eating sweet and sugary food and drink. This phrase is useful because it can describe almost everyone, and food is a common topic that can come into many conversations. We all either like, or don’t like, sweet food.

Here are two example sentences.

• “Oh, I definitely have a sweet tooth. I just love chocolate, cheesecake, and various snacks.”
• “I really have a sweet tooth, just like my mother, but my father didn’t have one at all.”

By the way, you can find out more about me at:
https://www.aisielts.com

Idiomatic Vocabulary 11Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic lan...
21/04/2026

Idiomatic Vocabulary 11

Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic language naturally. So, let’s look at another example of idiomatic vocabulary. What about the phrase … ‘super-[adj]’?

This is a prefix which makes the adjective which follows much stronger. It is used as a prefix (meaning ‘more than’) in some formal words, such as…

superstar
superstition
supersonic
superhero [see picture]
supernatural
superhuman

…and many others, but it can be used playfully to give a more informal feel to the speaking. Here are two example sentences.

• “Oh, I thought the movie was good – super-good, in fact.”
• “I didn’t like the food in America. The deserts were super-sweet, so different to what we have in Taiwan.”

By the way, you can find out more about me at:
https://www.aisielts.com

Idiomatic Vocabulary 10Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic lan...
13/04/2026

Idiomatic Vocabulary 10

Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic language naturally. So, let’s look at another example of idiomatic vocabulary. What about the phrase … ‘[Word stem]-olic’?

This indicates that you are addicted or highly dependent on something. This is useful because it can describe many more extremes of behaviour, and has a fun and upbeat feel.

It all comes from the formal word, ‘alcoholic’ [see picture]. However, the ‘-holic’ suffix now has been attached to many words to show a similar dependence. Many of these now appear in dictionaries, such as workaholic, shopaholic, and chocoholic.

The suffix can be playfully twisted (with the appropriate fun intonation and facial expressions) to show even greater flexibility, giving words such as...

I’m a bit of a
 coffeeholic.  chess-aholic.
 bookaholic.  sleepaholic.
 surfaholic.  swimaholic.

Here are two example sentences.

• “Sometimes I think I’m a coffeeholic, the way I drink the stuff.”
• “I’m a bit of a workaholic, I’m afraid.”

By the way, you can find out more about me at:
https://www.aisielts.com

Idiomatic Vocabulary 9Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic lang...
08/04/2026

Idiomatic Vocabulary 9

Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic language naturally. So, let’s look at another example of idiomatic vocabulary. What about the phrase … ‘to be a nerd/geek’?

These terms refer to people absorbed in technology or books to the extent that they are socially awkward in the way they speak and act.

These terms are useful because technology is becoming such a part of our lives that many people are becoming (overly) absorbed by it. In actual fact, the terms were once very negative, but are becoming increasingly less so, and even positive, as ‘computer nerds’ such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and many others, achieved incredible fortunes with their ‘obsession’ with computers.

Here are two example sentences.

• “Oh, I’m not really technologically conversant. I don’t even know what my computer is called in geek-speak. Apple-Mac, or something like that.”

• “It’s really weird, sometimes, when you think of all those computer nerds who are now multi-billionaires! I guess they get the last laugh, right?”

By the way, you can find out more about me at:
https://www.aisielts.com

Idiomatic Vocabulary 8Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic lang...
04/04/2026

Idiomatic Vocabulary 8

Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic language naturally. So, let’s look at another example of idiomatic vocabulary. What about the phrases ‘Mr Right’ and ‘Prince Charming’?

These terms simply refer to a perfect partner. This phrase is useful (usually for female candidates) because most IELTS candidates are single, and may well need to refer to such a person when talking about the future, ambitions, problems in life – in other words, typical IELTS speaking topics.

Here are two example sentences.

• “Oh, I went to a nightclub, but I quickly realised I wouldn’t find Mr Right in that sort of place.”
• “Basically, all us girls are looking for our Prince Charming, but it never happens, does it?”

By the way, you can find out more about me at:
https://www.aisielts.com

IDIOMATIC VOCABULARY 7Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic lang...
02/04/2026

IDIOMATIC VOCABULARY 7

Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic language naturally. So, let’s look at another example of idiomatic vocabulary. What about the phrases … ‘fingers crossed’ or ‘knock on wood’?

These terms are interchangeable, and are something you say when you hope for something to happen. These are useful because we often wish for things to happen, and in the IELTS Speaking Test, we talk about our lives, our wishes, and our future hopes.

Here are two example sentences.

• “Well, one day – fingers crossed – I can get a mainstream publisher interested in my novels.”
• “The market in China could be huge, so – knock on wood – maybe I can get some books published there.”

By the way, you can find out more about me at:
https://www.aisielts.com

IDIOMATIC VOCABULARY 6Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic lang...
29/03/2026

IDIOMATIC VOCABULARY 6

Remember, the IELTS Band Descriptors (public version) state that an IELTS Nine uses idiomatic language naturally. So, let’s look at another example of idiomatic vocabulary. What about the phrase …to be a real eye-opener.

This simply refers to an event or experience that is very surprising, and shows you something that you did not already know. This phrase is often useful for when describing event when traveling to other countries.

Here are two examples.

• “Oh, when I went into Libya it was a real eye-opener. I realised what a police-state was like, and the word ‘democracy’ finally took some meaning for me.”
• “In Manilla, I had the opportunity to sleep one night in a slum, and I’ll tell you, that experience was a real eye-opener.”

By the way, you can find out more about me at:
https://www.aisielts.com

Address

中山區建國北路三段92號4C410室
Zhongshan District
104069

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Monday 13:00 - 22:30
Tuesday 13:00 - 22:30
Wednesday 13:00 - 22:30
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Friday 13:00 - 22:30
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Sunday 09:00 - 22:30

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