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Question
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'
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Solution
'Once in a blue moon' - very rarely
Statement: Raman stays in a different country and calls his parents once in a blue moon.
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detective I below / go / written / through the / story
Go through the detective story written below.
(a) can be / two / blamed I persons / the murder / for
(b) to the/ there are / culprit / may clues / real / pointing ,
(c) - the / find / murderer / who / real I out / is cy
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 /
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 is idiomatic expression that occur in the text. Try to use it in sentence of your own.
caught my eye
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.
- break somebody’s heart
- close/dear to heart
- from the (bottom of your) heart
- have a heart
- have a heart of stone
- your heart goes out to somebody
Here is sentence with some words in italics. Find phrases from the text that have the same meaning. (Look in the paragraphs indicated)
During monsoons it rains so heavily that tourists do not visit Coorg. (para 2)
Here is sentence with some words in italics. Find phrases from the text that have the same meaning. (Look in the paragraphs indicated)
Some people say that Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled there. (para 3)
Here is sentence with some words in italics. Find phrases from the text that have the same meaning. (Look in the paragraphs indicated)
Macaques, Malabar squirrels observe you carefully from the tree canopy. (para 7)
This text is written in an old-fashioned style, for it reports an incident more than two millennia old. Look for the following words and phrases in the text, and try to rephrase them in more current language, based on how you understand them.
-
give thee medicine for thy child
-
Pray tell me
-
Kisa repaired to the Buddha
-
there was no house but someone had died in it
-
kinsmen
-
Mark!
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.
Look at the italic words in the following examples.
a. We bought their biggest basket, then set off toward town.
b. One night we came upon them in the windy and deserted square.
c. He bit his lip, then in a rather put out tone he said, 'Very well.'
d. I shook my head and turned away.
Here are a few more. Match the phrases to their meanings.
| Phrases | Meanings |
| set up | to start on a journey |
| break down | to tolerate a situation or a person |
| set off | to lose control of your feelings and start crying |
| put up with | to enter |
| put off | to be faced with or opposed by |
| put on | to start/ establish a company |
| come in | to refuse/ reject |
| come across | to postpone |
| come up against | to try to get help/advice/ sympathy from someone |
| turn down | to wear |
| turn in | to meet or find by chance |
| turn to | to inform on or deliver up |
Now use the phrases given above to complete the following sentences.
1. The landlord was suspicious of the two men staying in his flat so he called the police and ……………. them …………….
2. Early in the morning we packed our bags and …………… for a hike over the mountain.
3. Janvi ……………………. some photographs of her grandfather in the old trunk.
4. My father ……………….. his own business 10 years ago.
5. The Bank …………………………….. Paul's request for a loan.
6. The Corporation's decision to reduce the leave of the employees …………………… a lot of opposition.
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 |
Find words or phrases from the passage that mean the same as the following.
(a) to renovate, redo, or revise (paragraph 1)
(b) trying to win the favor, preference, or goodwill of (paragraph 1)
(c) come in small numbers (paragraph 4)
(d) well-off; rich (paragraph 5)
(e) friendly (paragraph 6)
(f) wanting or enjoying expensive pleasures (paragraph 6)
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 |
books / them / only / read / those who / will / love
good / is/ for / it / substitute / a / watching TV
is / the / it / hobbies / one / best / of
There are some phrases where the word crown is used with different shades of meaning. Use the following phrases to complete the sentences meaningfully.
Amitabh has given us awesome movies throughout five decades. But his _______ is his performance in the movie ‘Black’.
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 _______.
Find out the meaning of the following phrase. Use them in your own sentence.
a black eye
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.
'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'
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.
be in the 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 follows.
(flattery, appealing, by fits and starts, dashed to, undetected, spirits rose)
I ______ the school gate when I heard the school-bell ring.
Insert the appropriate word/phrase given below, in the sentence that follows.
(flattery, appealing, by fits and starts, dashed to, undetected, spirits rose)
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 follows.
(flattery, appealing, by fits and starts, dashed to, undetected, spirits rose)
Do not stoop to ______ just to gain something from someone.
Insert the appropriate word/phrase given below, in the sentence that follows.
(flattery, appealing, by fits and starts, dashed to, undetected, spirits rose)
The artist completes his paintings ______.
Insert the appropriate word/phrase given below, in the sentence that follows.
(flattery, appealing, by fits and starts, dashed to, undetected, spirits rose)
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.
(be the epitome of, gear up, a brief stint, play a major role, in recognition of, take over reins)
After the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth took over the control of Scotland.
Match the phrases in table A with lines of the poem given in table B.
| Phrases | Lines |
| (1) Toil hard | (a) If you want a thing bad enough... |
| (2) Get rid of all | (b) If neither cold nor poverty, famished... |
| (3) Extremely poor condition | (c) To work day and night for it. |
| (4) Need desperately | (d) Lose all your terror of the opposition for it. |
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 sentence of your own.
drop it
Use the following idiom/phrase in sentence of your own.
look backward
Use the following idiom/phrase in sentence of your own.
look forward
Use the following idiom/phrase in sentence of your own.
let (someone) down
Fill in the gap choosing the appropriate idiom.
(drown out, hits in the head with a brick, get one’s affairs in order, connect the dots, begin to dawn, stay hungy)
The wealthy landlord made a will ______ before he could die.
Fill in the gap choosing the appropriate idiom.
(drown out, hits in the head with a brick, get one’s affairs in order, connect the dots, begin to dawn, stay hungy)
The siren of the ambulance ______ all other traffic noise.
Fill in the gap choosing the appropriate idiom.
(drown out, hits in the head with a brick, get one’s affairs in order, connect the dots, begin to dawn, stay hungy)
When the father learned about his son’s misdeeds, it ______.
Fill in the gap choosing the appropriate idiom.
(drown out, hits in the head with a brick, get one’s affairs in order, connect the dots, begin to dawn, stay hungy)
On reading exactly same essays in both answer sheets, it ______ the examiner, that the students had cheated during exams.
Pick out the words and phrases in the story that indicate that the author was not financially well off. One is done for you.
| Words | not afford | |||
| Phrases | beyond my means |
Fill in the blank with a word or a phrase given in the bracket in its appropriate form.
(startle, catch sight of, overload, water, pass)
I was ______ when the menu was brought.
Fill in the blank with a word or a phrase given in the bracket in its appropriate form.
(startle, catch sight of, overload, water, pass)
The author ______ the guest at the play.
Make a meaningful sentence by using the following phrase in your notebook.
be afraid 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.
- An epidemic of Cholera broke out in the village.
- The thieves broke into the apartment
Make a meaningful sentence by using the phrase:
‘in front of’
Look up the meanings of the following phrases under ‘dream’ and ‘sell’ in the dictionary
| dream | sell |
| dream on | sell-by date |
| dream something away | selling-point |
| (not) dream of doing something | sell-out |
| dream something up | selling price |
| look like a dream | seller’s market |
Make a meaningful sentence by using the following phrase:
'pitched in to help'
