Feelings Vocabulary and Idioms in English | IELTS Speaking
Table of Contents
Useful Phrases
1. I find it boring
Adjective: verb + ing = impact
I find it boring / interesting /fascinating
I find it _____
I find politics boring
2. It bores me
Noun + verb + person
- It bores / interests / fascinates me
It _______ me
Politics bores me
Listening to politics bores me
Note: Noun phrases can be made from gerunds of verbs
- Listening to politics bores me
- Doing the laundry bores me
- Baking cakes bores me
3. I feel bored whenever I listen to politicians
Adjective: verb + ed = feeling
I feel bored / interested / fascinated whenever _____
I feel _______ whenever ______
I feel excited whenever I have a live lesson
Listening Activity
1. Listen to Maya and Leo. Which statement best summarises their conversation?
A. They dislike history and want to choose a different university course.
B. They find one history class boring and discuss ways to stay interested.
C. They are worried because they haven’t prepared for an important exam.
B
2. Listen again and complete each phrase with one word.
- My mind starts to __________.
- You have a short attention __________.
- Even you looked bored to __________.
- It might help us __________.
- I lose __________ of time.
- Different ways to keep ourselves __________.
- My mind starts to wander.
- You have a short attention span.
- Even you looked bored to tears
- It might help us concentrate.
- I lose track of time.
- Different ways to keep ourselves occupied.
Notes:
- To wander = to walk in a relaxed way without a goal.
- To wonder = to think about something.
- A span = a period of time something happens
- To track = to record the progress of something
3. Listen again, read and notice the useful phrases and collocations.
Maya: You look exhausted. Have you just come from Professor Harris’s history class?
Leo: Yes. Honestly, I find it so boring. He just stands at the front and reads from his slides.
Maya: I know. It bores me too, and I normally find history fascinating.
Leo: Me too! I just feel so bored whenever a teacher speaks for an hour without asking us any questions. After about ten minutes, my mind starts to wander.
Maya: That my friend, is because you have a short attention span.
Leo: Perhaps! I get bored so easily unless I’m actively doing something. But this morning, I was a bit taken aback…even you looked bored to tears.
Maya: I was! I kept looking at the clock, but time was moving incredibly slowly.
Leo: So, what can we do? We can’t stop going to class.
Maya: Why don’t we sit near the front next time? It might help us concentrate.
Leo: I’m not sure. Sitting closer won’t make the lecture more interesting.
Maya: No, but we could turn it into a challenge. We could take notes using pictures instead of writing everything down.
Leo: Nice idea. I find drawing much more interesting than copying sentences. When I’m drawing, I lose track of time.
Maya: I know what you mean. I find mind maps really useful. I love organising ideas visually.
Leo: There you go. We just need to find different ways to keep ourselves occupied.
Maya: And if that doesn’t work?
Leo: Strong coffee?
Maya: Now that ….thrills me to bits!
Idioms
1. To spice things up
To make something more interesting or exciting.
We could play a quick game in class to spice things up.
2. To be bored to tears
To be extremely bored.
The lecture lasted two hours, and I was bored to tears.
3. To be scared stif
To be extremely frightened.
The teacher suddenly asked me to speak in front of the whole class, and I was scared stiff.
IELTS Speaking Model Answer
- Do you often feel bored?
- What do you do when you are bored?
- Which is more boring, childhood or adulthood?
1. Listen and watch these model answers. What does he do when bored at home?
2. Listen and again and notice and note any interesting chunks / collocations.
1. Do you often feel bored?
Not really. I think I'm quite good at keeping myself occupied.
That said, I do find reading boring.
I have a short attention span.
I just can't concentrate on written text, and non-fiction books in particular bore me to tears.
2. What do you do when you are bored?
It depends really. I can usually find ways to entertain myself.
For example, at home, I can watch a film or play some music.
If I'm at a party and I find a conversation boring, I try to change the topic or I will make my excuses and leave.
3. Which is more boring childhood or adulthood?
That's a tricky question, but I would say adulthood.
I think people, once they've been working for a long time or they've been in a marriage for a long time, they get stuck in a rut (=stuck in a difficult and boring situation for a long time).
They do the same thing day in, day out (=regularly).
It's all very boring. It's difficult to spice things up.
So yeah, adulthood. I know that's a generalisation, but there you go.
Song
I think it’s me!
Every night, we do the same,
Same food, same old game.
She starts to talk, my mind starts to wander,
And every minute feels much longer.
Chorus
I’m bored to death, I’m bored to tears,
Nothing new to do over here.
We need to laugh, and have fun now,
We need to spice things up somehow.
We need to spice things up somehow.
We need to spice things up somehow.
I watch films; she complains.
She wants to go out, once again.
But I say no and check my phone,
No wonder I feel alone.
Chorus
I’m bored to death, I’m bored to tears,
Nothing new to do over here.
We need to laugh, and have fun now,
We need to spice things up somehow.
We need to spice things up somehow.
We need to spice things up somehow.
Then she looks at me and says,
“You never go out.
You never talk, you never try—
Perhaps the boring one’s not I.”
And then I start to see
She isn’t boring—I think it’s me
I wait for her to make life fun,
But maybe I’m the boring one.
Final Chorus
I’m bored to death, I’m bored to tears,
Nothing new to do over here.
We need to laugh, and have fun now,
We need to spice things up somehow.
I think it’s me
I think it’s me
I think it’s me
No more excuses, no more phone,
No more sitting here at home.
I was blaming her, but I was wrong
I was the boring one all along.
Oh dear, I think it’s me!
Oh no, I think it’s me!
Oh yes, I think it’s me!
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