Speaking 14 分鐘裡，考官會問你感受至少 5 次：How did you feel? / Were you excited? / What's your mood like these days? 用 happy / sad / nervous 回答——Band 5。情緒慣用語是最好投資的一類。
15 個情緒慣用語
| 慣用語 | 中文 | 自然例句 | |---------------------------------|------------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | over the moon | 開心爆棚 | I was over the moon when I got the scholarship. | | on cloud nine | 飄飄然、幸福中 | She's been on cloud nine since she got engaged. | | down in the dumps | 情緒低落 | I've been a bit down in the dumps all week. | | in a good mood | 心情不錯 | My dad's always in a good mood on Fridays. | | in a bad mood | 心情差 | Don't talk to her — she's in a bad mood. | | feel blue | 感到憂鬱 | Rainy weeks always make me feel blue. | | have butterflies in my stomach| 緊張到胃翻 | I had butterflies in my stomach before the interview. | | a bundle of nerves | 超級緊張 | He was a bundle of nerves before his wedding speech. | | walking on air | 樂不可支 | I was walking on air after the audition. | | on edge | 焦躁不安 | I've been on edge waiting for the test results. | | feel like a million dollars | 神清氣爽、超好 | After the spa day, I felt like a million dollars. | | in high spirits | 興高采烈 | The whole team was in high spirits after the win. | | fed up (with sth) | 受夠了 | I'm completely fed up with this rainy weather. | | let your hair down | 放鬆、盡情玩 | Weekends are when I really let my hair down. | | at the end of my tether | 快崩潰了 | Three kids under five — I'm at the end of my tether. |
考場 Q&A 示範
Q&A 1：How did you feel on your first day of university?
I was honestly a bundle of nerves — I had butterflies in my stomach the whole morning. But once I met my roommates and we went for dinner together, I started to relax and by the evening I was actually on cloud nine. I remember calling my mum late that night, still walking on air about the whole experience.
用了：a bundle of nerves / butterflies in my stomach / on cloud nine / walking on air——4 個遞進的情緒表達，從緊張到興奮的轉折清楚。
Q&A 2：Is it important to manage stress?
Definitely. If you're constantly on edge or at the end of your tether, your health will suffer — both physically and mentally. I think everyone needs time to let their hair down, whether that's exercise, seeing friends, or just switching off your phone. Otherwise you end up down in the dumps, and it starts to affect your work.
用了：on edge / at the end of your tether / let your hair down / down in the dumps——4 個 Part 3 抽象題目的好選擇。
Q&A 3：Part 2 — Describe a happy memory from childhood
The happiest memory I can think of is the day my parents surprised me with a puppy for my eighth birthday. I'd been begging for a dog for years, so when I came home and saw this tiny golden retriever sitting on the sofa, I was over the moon — I genuinely couldn't stop crying.
That whole week I felt like a million dollars, taking her for walks before school, sleeping with her at the foot of my bed. Even years later, just thinking about that day puts me in a good mood.
用了：over the moon / feel like a million dollars / in a good mood——3 個貼合敘事的情緒慣用語。
三個使用誤區
誤區 1：over the moon 用在小事
"I was over the moon because lunch was good" — 語氣過度，變成反諷。Over the moon 用在真正大事：錄取、求婚成功、大獎。
誤區 2：feel blue 重複 sad
❌ "I felt sad and blue and down in the dumps."
三個同義詞連用——Band 5 堆砌。選一個。
誤區 3：用現在式講過去感受
❌ "When I got the news, I am over the moon."
✓ "When I got the news, I was over the moon."
過去的事用 was/were — 很多考生講到慣用語會忘記時態。
情緒慣用語的語氣等級
| 正向強度 | 慣用語 | |----------|-------------------------------------| | ★★★★★ | on cloud nine / walking on air / over the moon | | ★★★★ | feel like a million dollars / in high spirits | | ★★★ | in a good mood |
| 負向強度 | 慣用語 | |----------|-------------------------------------| | ★★★★★ | at the end of my tether / fed up | | ★★★★ | down in the dumps / a bundle of nerves | | ★★★ | feel blue / on edge / in a bad mood |
選對強度 = 真實。所有題目都回答「on cloud nine」= 不真實。
練習任務
用這三題各答 40 秒，至少用 2 個情緒慣用語：
- How do you feel about your birthday?
- Describe a time you were very nervous.
- Are you in a good mood today?
錄音檢查：情緒強度是否跟事件的規模相符？