English Idioms: Lingua Franca

The idiom “Lingua Franca” is a useful idiom to know for both speaking and writing. It is commonly used in relation to the topic of communication and language. It is fine to use this idiom in IELTS Writing Task 2 as well as in your IELTS Speaking Test. It is high band score. Considering most idioms are informal and can’t be used in your IELTS essay, this is a perfect idiom to learn.

Idiom: Lingua Franca

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Note: This idiom is a countable noun.

Idiom Questions

Let’s look at the meaning and use of this idiom:

Question 1: What is the correct meaning of this idiom?

  • a) The French language spoken outside of France.
  • b) Being honest, direct and frank when communicating with someone rather than being insincere.
  • c) One common language used for communication by a group of people who have a different native language.

Question 2: What are the mistakes in the sentences below?

a) One day Chinese might be replaced English as the world’s lingua franca.

b) Honesty breed trust. We should all remember this.

Answers:

Post your answers in the comments box below.

I will post the answers tomorrow.

Liz

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Comments

  1. Mohammed A. Shalabi says

    1-c
    2-a- One day Chinese might be replaced by English as the world’s Lingua Franca.
    b- We should all remember this, Honesty shall breed trust.

  2. Honesty breeds trust. We should all remember this.

  3. Shahin says

    1-C
    2- One Day English Might be replaced by Chinese as Lingua Franca
    3- Honesty breeds Trust

  4. 1. C
    2. a. One day Chinese might be replaced with English as the world’s lingua franca.
    b. Honesty breeds trust. We should all remember this.

  5. Giang says

    1. C
    2. a, might replace
    b, Honesty breeds trust.

  6. Endurance says

    Question 1 – C

    Answer to question 2
    – One day, Chinese might replace English as the world’s lingua franca.
    – Honesty breeds trust. We should remember this.

  7. Endurance says

    Question 1- C

    Answer to question 2
    – One day Chinese might replace English as the world’s lingua franca.
    – Honesty breeds trust. We should remember this.

  8. Good job Liz! You are blessing!

  9. Ahmed says

    1. C
    2.a One day Chinese might replace English as the world’s lingua Franca
    2. b breeds

  10. Kelvyne says

    Hi Liz,

    Thanks very much for the materials and guidance on IELTS. I managed to get the score desired. I wish you well in your endeavours.

  11. Omon Newton says

    1. C
    2. One day Chinese language might replace English language as the World’s lingua franca.
    3.Honesty breeds trust. We should all remember this.

  12. Chinemelu says

    1. C
    2. One day, Chinese might be replaced with English
    3. Honesty breeds truth

  13. Narinder says

    Q1: C
    Q2: One day Chinese language might be placed by english as world’s lingua franca

  14. Rina Gupta says

    Q1 Ans. C
    Q2. Part a answer by
    Part 2 breeds

  15. Ahsan Danish says

    Hi Liz
    Thank you for teaching us new vocabulary.
    Here are my answers :

    Q1. “C”
    Explanation: Lingua Franca means a common language being spoken by different languages’ speakers.

    Q2 (a). “One day Chinese might replace English…”
    Explanation: Either it can be “Chinese might replace English” or “English might be replaced by Chinese” . (Active voice: Might + verb present form) or (Passive voice: Might be + verb past form)

    Q2 (b). “Honesty breeds trust. We all should remember this.”
    Explanation: Honesty is singular so there will be s after verb – breed(s). It’s more appropriate to put “all” right after “We” in order to make both words a combined subject.

    I hope my answers and explanations are correct. Please correct me if I am wrong.

    Thank you

  16. Edicha Onekutu says

    1.C
    2.B

  17. Question 1.C
    Question 2.
    a) replace
    b) breeds

  18. Kelly Amis says

    Q1) C
    Q2) One day Chinese might replace English as the world’s lingua franca
    Honesty breed’s trust

  19. Noor A Mubin says

    Question 1.Ans (c)
    Question 2.Ans(a)In one day,Chinese might be replace English as world’s Lingua Franca
    (b)Honesty breeds the trust. We all should remember this.

  20. No. 1: C
    No 2a: One day Chinese might replace English as their lingua franca.
    2b: Honesty breeds trust. We should all remember this.

  21. Question 1: C
    Question 2: a) One day, Chinese might replace English.
    b) Honesty breeds trust.

  22. Pablo says

    hello Liz, I will start studying throught your blog as I heard that is very good with a lot of material as I have seen. I took ielt exam few months ago, but I was not succesful as I got 6 instead of 6.5 that I needed. Hopefully I can achieve my goal soon. Cheers from Chili.

  23. Pablo says

    Question1. C.
    Question2. breeds

  24. Misozi sibande says

    Question 1:C
    Question 2:a)One day Chinese might be replaced ‘with’ English a worlds Lingual Franca.
    b).Honesty breeds trust

  25. Hayman says

    The answer of question no 1 is C.
    The mistakes of two sentences are those in the following:
    1. One day, Chinese might be replaced English Languages as the worlds lingua franca.
    2. Honesty breeds trust! we should all remember this.

  26. 1 Question – C option
    2. Might replace, breeds

  27. rosimar says

    Question 1: c)
    Question 2: One day, Chinese might replace English …
    Honesty breeds trust.

  28. HINA afroz says

    Q1) c : one common language used for communication by a group of people having different native languages.
    Q2 (a) One day Chinese might replace English as the world’s lingua franca.
    (b) Honesty breeds trust. We should all remember it.

  29. 1.- C
    2.- a. …by English…. It lacks “by” before English
    2.- b. Honesty breeds thruth

  30. 1. C
    2a. One day, Chinese might replace English as the world’s lingua franca. ( Not *might be replaced English…..*).
    2b. Honesty breeds trust. We should all remember this. ( Not * honesty breed trust.*).

  31. Jophy Jose says

    Replace with
    Honesty breeds

    • Wesam says

      Q1.C
      Q2.1.One day,Chinese might ……….. .
      2.Honesty breeds trust ……… .

  32. Hashimu Ibrahim says

    1. C
    2. Honestly, we should all remember this.

  33. P Naveen Babu says

    Instead of “might be replaced”, it should be might replace or may replace

  34. Mabel Morgun says

    Oh I forgot to mention that Language and communication was part of my speaking topic. In my country English is is the official language. I was asked by the examiner what language we speak in my Country. I said well English language is the Lingua Franca in my country and so I have been speaking English since I was toddler. Immediately I mentioned the word Lingua Franca, she immediately checked off something in her notes. I got a band 8 score in my speaking exam.

  35. Raphael says

    Q1 – C
    Q2 – there is an omission of the word “with” after replaced
    The statement should have read One day Chinese might be replaced with English as the world’s lingua franca

    There should be an ‘s’ behind the breed
    Honesty breeds trust. We should all remember this. – this is the right sentence

  36. Mabel Morgun says

    Question 1- C

    Question 2- One day, the Chinese Language may replace English Language as the world’s Lingua Franca.

    We should all remember that honesty breeds trust.

  37. Q1 c
    Q2 might replace, breeds

  38. sunil says

    1. C
    2. Missing ‘BY’ before English
    3. one extra word: “all”. We should remember this

  39. MAHDI HAMADI WADI says

    Dear Ms. Liz
    Thank you very much indeed for lucid clarification of the idiom ” Lingua Franca”, as I have now known two other meanings for the idiom.
    The following are my answers to the mistakes I observed in the two sentences you provided in the exercise.
    1- The correction is either: One-day Chinse might replace English as the world’s Lingua Franca. OR One-day English might be replaced by Chinese as the world’s Lingua Franca.
    2- The correction is as follows: Honesty breeds trust. We should all remember this. or All of us should remember this.

  40. Waleed Ahmed says

    Lingua Franca is a language spoken by different people with different languages as a means of communication…
    The mistake in the sentence is grammatical, it should be honesty breeds trust.

  41. Udenna says

    The correct statement should be”One day Chinese might replace English as the world’s lingua franca.”

  42. iftakhar says

    thank you liz.i am your new student.i am so weak in English. everyday i follow your instructions. but i am afraid a lot how i improve my weakness.

    • This is mainly an IELTS website which means it focuses more on exam skills and less on English language. You need an English language website. Just google to find them.

      • Mabel Morgun says

        Thank you Liz, your website was my only study material. Thank you for the selfless work you are doing. I wish you good health.

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