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Question
Find out the meaning of the following phrase. Use them in your own sentence.
Lower than the angels
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Solution
Lower than the angels: less than perfect
sentence: The employees in Raj’s firm are lower than angels as they are seldom motivated to perform their duties.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Rearrange the following words and phrases to form meaningful sentences :
(a) coloured bus / children / we saw / full of / a yellow / excited /
(b) they were / we guessed / on the / planetarium / way / to the /
(c) part / this / study tour / of their / was /
Rearrange the following words / phrases to form meaningful sentences:
(a) your destiny / it / right hand / is said / your / that / is in /
(b) problems / determines / how / our personalities / with / in life / we deal /
(c) than others / can cope / some people / better / hardships / with /
Rearrange the following words and phrases to form meaningful sentences:
(a) one of / that of reading / known to / is / greatest / the / pleasures / man /
(b) a rich variety / adventure and wisdom / the / world of books / has / of /
(c) own / you / book / convenience / can enjoy / a / at your /
Use the following phrase in your own sentence.
To look into
Use the following phrase in your own sentence.
By fits and starts
Match the phrases given under Column A with their meanings given under Column B:
| A | B | |
| 1 | Fly a flag | Move quickly/suddenly |
| 2 | Fly into rage | Be successful |
| 3 | Fly along | Display a flag on a long pole |
| 4 | Fly high | Escape from a place |
| 5 | Fly the coop | Become suddenly very angry |
Idioms
Here are a few sentences from the text which have idiomatic expressions. Can you say what each means? (You might want to consult a dictionary first.)
-
Our entire class is quaking in its boots. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-
Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-
Mr Keeping was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-
Mr Keeping was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on him.____________________________.
Here are a few more idiomatic expressions that occur in the text. Try to use them in sentences of your own.
- caught my eye
- laugh ourselves silly
- he’d had enough
- can’t bring myself to
You have read the expression ‘not to lose heart’ in this text. Now find out the meanings of the following expressions using the word ‘heart’. Use each of them in a sentence of your own.
1. break somebody’s heart
2. close/dear to heart
3. from the (bottom of your) heart
4. have a heart
5. have a heart of stone
6. your heart goes out to somebody
Colours are used to describe feelings, moods and emotions. Match the following ‘colour expressions’ with a suggested paraphrase.
| (i) | the Monday morning blues | feel embarrassed / angry / ashamed |
| (ii) | go red in the face | feel very sick, as if about to vomit |
| (iii) | look green | sadness or depression after a weekend of fun |
| (iv) | the red carpet | the sign or permission to begin an action |
| (v) | blue-blooded | a sign of surrender or acceptance of defeat; a wish to stop fighting |
| (vi) | a green belt | in an unlawful act; while doing something wrong |
| (vii) | a blackguard | a photographic print of building plans; a detailed plan or scheme |
| (viii) | a grey area | land around a town or city where construction is prohibited by law |
| (ix) | a white flag | an area of a subject or a situation where matters are not very clear |
| (x) | a blueprint | a dishonest person with no sense of right or wrong |
| (xi) | red-handed | a special welcome |
| (xii | the green light | of noble birth or from a royal family |
Here is sentence with some words in italics. Find phrases from the text that have the same meaning. (Look in the paragraphs indicated)
The Coorg people are always ready to tell stories of their sons’ and fathers’ valour. (para 4)
Here is sentence with some words in italics. Find phrases from the text that have the same meaning. (Look in the paragraphs indicated)
The theory of the Arab origin is supported by the long coat with embroidered waist-belt they wear. (para 3)
1. This play has been translated into English from the Russian original. Are there any expressions or ways of speaking that strike you as more Russian than English? For example, would an adult man be addressed by an older man as my darling or my treasure in an English play?
Read through the play carefully, and find expressions that you think are not used in contemporary English, and contrast these with idiomatic modern English expressions that also occur in the play.
3. Look up the following phrases in a dictionary to find out their meaning, and then use each in a sentence of your own.
(i) You may take it that
(ii) He seems to be coming round
(iii) My foot’s gone to sleep
Match, the italicised phrases in Column A with the phrase nearest meaning in Column B.
(Hint: First look for the sentence in the text which the phrase in column A occurs.)
| A | B |
| 1. I was not unmindful of the fact. |
(i) had not forgotten : was aware of the fact (ii) was not careful about the fact (iii) forgot or was not aware of the fact |
| 2. When my comrades and I were pushed to our limits |
(i) pushed by the guards to the wall (ii) took more than our share of beatings (iii) felt that we could not endure the suffering any longer |
| 3. To reassure me and keep me going |
(i) make me go on walking (ii) help me continue to live in hope in this very difficult situation (iii) make me remain without complaining |
| 4. The basic and honourable freedoms of… earning my keep… |
(i) earning enough money to live on (ii) keeping what I earned (iii) getting a good salary |
The writer carefully builds up an atmosphere of loneliness and grief in the story. Working in groups, pick out words/ phrases from the story that build up the atmosphere. Copy the following table in your notebook and complete it.
| Loneliness | Grief |
| • An old man was walking through the town, now and again drawing his tattered clothes tighter to shield his body from the cold and biting wind • his lonely way |
• the whole town was wrapped in deathly silence |
Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B
| Column A | Column B |
| (a) break out | (i) to try to find somebody or something |
| (b) to look for | (ii) as a rule or in general taking all relevant factors into account |
| (c) to take over | (iii) start suddenly and strongly |
| (d) to go into | (iv) to obtain or assume control of something, or gain control of something from somebody else |
| (e) on the whole | (v) to begin a job or career in a particular area of activity |
Make a meaningful sentence of your own using the following phrase.
"to look into”
is / reading / tea / not / books / cup of/ everybody’s.
good / is/ for / it / substitute / a / watching TV
There are some phrases where the word crown is used with different shades of meaning. Use the following phrases to complete the sentences meaningfully.
In her pursuit of success, Radha has distanced herself from her family. Her fame has become a real _______.
There are some phrases where the word crown is used with different shades of meaning. Use the following phrases to complete the sentences meaningfully.
Medical science has great inventions, but organ transplantation is definitely a ______ for human beings.
Find out the meaning of the following phrase. Use them in your own sentence.
give and take
Find out the meaning of the following phrase. Use them in your own sentence.
knock someone down
Guess the meaning of the following idioms and phrases and use them in sentences of your own. One is done for you.
One-size-fits-all – suitable for or used in all circumstances
Statement: The wrist watches have adjustable belts, so one- size- fits- all.
'Once in a blue moon'
Guess the meaning of the following idioms and phrases and use them in sentences of your own. One is done for you.
One-size-fits-all – suitable for or used in all circumstances
Statement: The wrist watches have adjustable belts, so one- size- fits- all.
'One man army'
Guess the meaning of the following idioms and phrases and use them in sentences of your own. One is done for you.
One-size-fits-all – suitable for or used in all circumstances
Statement: The wrist watches have adjustable belts, so one- size- fits- all.
'Once bitten twice shy'
Guess the meaning of the following idioms and phrases and use them in sentences of your own. One is done for you.
One-size-fits-all – suitable for or used in all circumstances
Statement: The wrist watches have adjustable belts, so one- size- fits- all.
'One up on'
Choose appropriate phrases/expressions from the extract given in the options and fill in the blank appropriately.
Raj ran at a _______ to catch the train.
Discuss with your partner about the different idioms/proverbs related to word ‘tomorrow’. One is done for you
- Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
Find out expressions/phrases which denote, ‘going away’, from each stanza. One is given below. “Vanish in the throng”.
Find out the meaning of the phrase given below and use them in your own sentence.
for my money
Find out the meaning of the phrase given below and use them in your own sentence.
money for old rope
Find out the meaning of the phrase given below and use them in your own sentence.
put one’s money where one’s mouth is
Insert the appropriate word/phrase given below, in the sentence that follow.
I ______ the school gate when I heard the school bell ring.
Insert the appropriate word/phrase given below, in the sentence that follow.
After the death of my pet dog, my ______ when dad got me a new pup.
Insert the appropriate word/phrase given below, in the sentence that follow.
Do not stoop to ______ just to gain something from someone.
Insert the appropriate word/phrase given below, in the sentence that follow.
The crime went ______ for 11 years.
Rewrite the following sentence inserting the appropriate phrases in their proper form.
(to get out of, to come up, to turn on, to give in, to get into, to come down, to work out, to turn off, to give off, to give out, to work in)
To enjoy the music and relax, he _____________ the music and ___________ the lights.
Rewrite the following sentence inserting the appropriate phrases in their proper form.
(to get out of, to come up, to turn on, to give in, to get into, to come down, to work out, to turn off, to give off, to give out, to work in)
Smita ___________ to her desire and _______________ her favourite toys to the poor.
Replace the underline word/phrase with the appropriate one, to retain the proper meaning.
He contributed notably in bringing up the school.
Replace the underline word/phrase with the appropriate one, to retain the proper meaning.
Our class monitor is a perfect symbol of duty and discipline.
Replace the underline word/phrase with the appropriate one, to retain the proper meaning.
Accepting the great value of his research; they awarded him with a Ph.D. (degree)
Write as many phrases as you can using ‘enough’ and use them in your sentences.
Example: good enough
Using a dictionary, find the difference between the following pairs of phrases. Make sentences of your own with each of them.
| Phrases | Meaning | Own Sentences | |
| 1. | cut in | ||
| cut out | |||
| 2. | be held by | ||
| be held up | |||
| 3. | run away | ||
| run for | |||
| 4. | be known as | ||
| be known for | |||
| 5. | go with | ||
| go after | |||
| 6. | put fire into | ||
| put fire out |
Use the following idiom/phrase in a sentence of your own.
drop it
Use the following idiom/phrase in sentences of your own.
drop out
Use the following idiom/phrase in sentences of your own.
look backward
Use the following idiom/phrase in sentences of your own.
look forward
Use the following idiom/phrase in sentences of your own.
sign off
Fill the gap in choosing the appropriate idioms.
The siren of the ambulance ____________ all other traffic noise.
Read the text again. You will find that the text contains many phrases. Match the phrases in ‘A’ and their meanings in ‘B’. After matching their meanings, make sentences of your own.
| ‘A’ Phrases | ‘B’ Meanings |
| 1. run of terrible bad luck | a. hit on a topic |
| 2. draws heavily on | b. without being affected by a particular factor |
| 3. struck a chord | c. endure in difficult circumstances |
| 4. in spite of | d. a period of time when bad things happen |
| 5. holding on | e. makes use of |
Discuss with your partner and find proverbs, idioms, or phrases of similar meaning to the one given and fill them in the stars given below:
When different Prepositions are added to the same action verb meaning of the phrase, thus formed changes.
For example,
call out - announce
call at - visit
call for - summon
call up - make a telephone call
Try to guess the meaning of the underlined phrase and write them down.
- He promised me to look into the matter.
- He wanted to look for his lost book.
When different Prepositions are added to the same action verb meaning of the phrase, thus formed changes.
For example,
call out - announce
call at - visit
call for - summon
call up - make a telephone call
Try to guess the meaning of the underlined phrase and write them down.
- An epidemic of Cholera broke out in the village.
- The thieves broke into the apartment
When different Prepositions are added to the same action verb meaning of the phrase, thus formed changes.
For example,
call out - announce
call at - visit
call for - summon
call up - make a telephone call
Try to guess the meaning of the underlined phrase and write them down.
- She has to carry out her duty regularly.
- You must carry on trying for success
Make a meaningful sentence by using the following phrase:
'pitched in to help'
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
| 1. | A fisherman, enfeebled with age, could no longer go out to sea so he began fishing in the river. Every morning he would go down to the river and sit there fishing the whole day long. In the evening he would sell whatever he had caught, buy food for himself and go home. It was a hard life for an old man. One hot afternoon while he was trying to keep awake and bemoaning his fate, a large bird with silvery feathers alighted on a rock near him. It was Kaha, the heavenly bird. “Have you no one to care for you, grandpa?” asked the bird. “Not a soul.” “You should not be doing such work at your age,” said the bird. “From now on I will bring you a big fish every evening. You can sell it and live in comfort.” True to her word, the bird began to drop a large fish at his doorstep every evening. All that the fisherman had to do was take it to the market and sell it. As big fish were in great demand, he was soon rolling in money. He bought a cottage near the sea, with a garden around it and engaged a servant to cook for him. His wife had died some years earlier. He had decided to marry again and began to look for a suitable woman. |
| 2. | One day he heard the royal courtier make an announcement. Our king has news of a great bird called Kaha,” said the courtier. “Whoever can give information about this bird and help catch it, will be rewarded with half the gold in the royal treasury and half the kingdom!” The fisherman was sorely tempted by the reward. Half the kingdom would make him a prince! |
| 3. | “Why does the king want the bird,” he asked. “He has lost his sight,” explained the courtier. “A wise man has advised him to bathe his eyes with the blood of Kaha. Do you know where she can be found?” “No…I mean …no, no…” Torn between greed and his sense of gratitude to the bird, the fisherman could not give a coherent reply. The courtier, sensing that he knew something about the bird, informed the king. The king had him brought to the palace. |
| 4. | “If you have information about the bird, tell me”, urged the king. “I will reward you handsomely and if you help catch her, I will personally crown you king of half my domain.” “I will get the bird for you,” cried the fisherman, suddenly making up his mind. “But Kaha is strong. I will need help. The king sent a dozen soldiers with him. That evening when the bird came with the fish, the fisherman called out to her to wait. “You drop the fish and go and I never get a chance to thank you for all that you‘ve done for me," he said. “Today I have laid out a feast for you inside. Please alight and come in. Kaha was reluctant to accept the invitation but the fisherman pleaded so earnestly that she finally gave in, and alighted. The moment she was on the ground, the fisherman grabbed one of her legs and shouted to the soldiers hiding in his house to come out. They rushed to his aid but their combined effort could not keep Kaha down. |
| 5. | She rose into the air with the fisherman still clinging to her leg. By the time he realised he was being carried away, the fisherman was too high in the air to let go. He hung on grimly, and neither he nor Kaha was ever seen again. |
Pick out the words/phrases from the passage which are opposite in meaning to the following:
- Take off (Para 1)
- Readily (Para 4)
Make a meaningful sentence by using the phrase ‘to look after’.
