OMG stands for Oh my God, a reaction like wow or I can't believe it. People use it to react to news that has surprised or delighted them. It belongs in texts to friends and on social media: it has no place in a message to a teacher or colleague, let alone in an IELTS essay.
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omg, + news or reaction; omg + so + adjective; omg!!! on its own
- omg, I just got the job offer from the design studio!
- omg that cake is so cute, did you bake it yourself?
- omg, my train's cancelled again, I'm going to be so late for work.
What changed
First versionDear Ms Carter, omg, I got the scholarship. Thank you for recommending me.
RevisionDear Ms Carter, I'm delighted to say I got the scholarship. Thank you for recommending me.
OMG is an emotional exclamation from chats, while a message to a teacher calls for a more restrained tone. Here the neutral phrase I'm delighted to say conveys the joy, and the rest of the message stays the same.
Out loud, people more often say the full Oh my God, and many prefer the softer oh my gosh or oh my goodness: Oh my goodness, look at all this snow! In IELTS Speaking, it's better to express surprise more calmly: I was really surprised or I couldn't believe it.
Your turn
Anna texts that her boyfriend proposed last night, and I reply: ___, congratulations, send me a photo of the ring!
Show the answer
omg — Anna shares news you didn't know, and you're surprised and happy: that's omg. Ikr expresses agreement with something you already thought yourself, but you've only just heard about the engagement.
Write a message to a friend about some unexpected news: start with omg, say what happened and who told you.
omg, Kate from accounts just told me our office is moving to Manchester in May!
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