Everyday idioms: packed like sardines
In a Task 2 essay from the Saturday session, one of our dear members wrote that passengers are often ‘packed like sardines’ 🐟🐟🐟 (= uncomfortably close together) on trains.
Normally I would not recommend using idioms in formal, academic essays, but remember that writing for IELTS is not the same as writing for publication or for an academic assignment at university.
The purpose of writing for IELTS is ALWAYS to demonstrate your ability to make the right language choices using a wide range of vocabulary.
So the idiom ‘packed like sardines’ is perfect here - it sums up the experience of the average commuter being forced to use over-priced and under-funded transport systems!
By the way, is it true that the word ‘sardines’ come from the island of ‘Sardinia’?
See tomorrow’s tip of the day. 🐟
