Mastering the Idiom: “He has bigger fish to fry” for IELTS Success

Idioms and expressions play a vital role in the English language, frequently appearing in both spoken and written forms. In the IELTS exam, having a strong grasp of idiomatic expressions can significantly boost your vocabulary …

Businessman Prioritizing Tasks

Idioms and expressions play a vital role in the English language, frequently appearing in both spoken and written forms. In the IELTS exam, having a strong grasp of idiomatic expressions can significantly boost your vocabulary and enrich your communication skills. One such idiom is “He has bigger fish to fry”. In this article, we will dig deep into the meaning, usage, and the relevance of this idiom in the IELTS exam, along with several related expressions.

Understanding the Idiom

Meaning and Pronunciation

“He has bigger fish to fry” [hi hæz ˈbɪɡər fɪʃ tə fraɪ]
This idiom means that someone has more important or more significant matters to attend to than the current task or issue. It suggests prioritization of significant matters over trivial ones.

Synonyms and Antonyms

Here are several synonyms and antonyms with their explanations and example sentences:

  1. More pressing matters (ˈmɔːr ˈprɛsɪŋ ˈmætərz) – More urgent or important issues.

    • Synonym Example: “She decided not to attend the meeting because she had more pressing matters at hand.”
  2. More important things to do (ˈmɔːr ɪmˈpɔːrtnt θɪŋz tə duː) – The necessity to prioritize certain tasks over less critical ones.

    • Synonym Example: “Considering the crisis, he had more important things to do than deal with minor complaints.”
  3. Trivial matters (ˈtrɪviəl ˈmætərz) – Less important issues.

    • Antonym Example: “She couldn’t bother with trivial matters when there was a major deal to close.”

Use in Sentences

  1. “Despite the team’s request for a meeting, the CEO had bigger fish to fry, focusing on the merger negotiations.”
  2. “He didn’t join the protest because he had bigger fish to fry, such as securing funding for his startup.”
  3. “She opted to skip the tedious reports as she had bigger fish to fry, like planning the company’s expansion.”
  4. “Brian avoided the minor dispute with his neighbor because he had bigger fish to fry.”
  5. “In the midst of the financial turmoil, the government had bigger fish to fry than addressing minor policy changes.”

Businessman Prioritizing TasksBusinessman Prioritizing Tasks

Relevance in the IELTS Exam

Idiomatic expressions like “He has bigger fish to fry” can appear in both the Speaking and Writing sections of the IELTS exam. Demonstrating an understanding and proper usage of idioms can showcase advanced language skills, which are crucial for scoring higher bands.

IELTS Speaking Section

Part 2 Example: Describe a time when you had to prioritize your tasks.
Response with Idiom:

  • “Last year, while preparing for my final exams, I realized that I was spending too much time on social media. I had bigger fish to fry, so I decided to focus solely on my studies and limit my online activities.”

IELTS Writing Section

Task 2 Example Question: Some people think that the government should focus on education rather than other issues. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Response with Idiom:

  • “While some argue that the government has bigger fish to fry, such as economic development and healthcare, it’s undeniable that education plays a pivotal role in a nation’s progress. Prioritizing education can eventually lead to long-term benefits in other sectors.”

Combining the Idiom with Other Words

The idiom “He has bigger fish to fry” can be creatively combined with various words in different contexts to enrich your sentences. Here are some examples:

  1. Professional Context: Instead of handling accounting irregularities, the CFO mentioned he had bigger fish to fry in managing corporate mergers.
  2. Academic Context: The professor told the students to focus on their final projects instead of weekly quizzes, as they had bigger fish to fry.
  3. Daily Life Context: During renovations, the homeowner neglected minor repairs, stating she had bigger fish to fry with the structural changes.

Related Idioms and Expressions

  1. “Other fish to fry” – Having different tasks or goals to pursue.

    • Example: “He’s not interested in small investments; he has other fish to fry.”
  2. “Pressing matter” – An urgent or important issue that requires immediate attention.

    • Example: “She had to leave the meeting due to a pressing matter at home.”
  3. “First things first” – An expression used to prioritize important things before anything else.

    • Example: “First things first, we need to address the budget before planning the trip.”
  4. “More important priorities” – Tasks or goals that take precedence due to their significance.

    • Example: “Facing the climate crisis, governments have more important priorities than minor regulations.”
  5. “No time for small talk” – Indicating the need to get to important matters without wasting time on trivial conversations.

    • Example: “Given the urgency of the project, there was no time for small talk.”

Conclusion

Understanding and effectively using idioms like “He has bigger fish to fry” can greatly enhance your IELTS performance, particularly in the Speaking and Writing sections. By incorporating such idioms naturally in your language, you can demonstrate a higher proficiency and depth of understanding in English.

For practice, try using this idiom in different contexts and combine it with related expressions to enhance fluency. Remember, practicing regularly and expanding your vocabulary will substantially improve your language skills and help you achieve your desired IELTS band score.

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