GRAMMAR ZONE

IDIOMS

Idiom: 1[U] language of a people or country; specific character of this, e.g. one peculiar to a country,
district group of people, or to one individual; 2[C] phrase or sentence whose meaning is not obvious
through knowledge of individual meanings of the constituent words, but must be learnt as a
whole .-Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English.

Fill in the missing idiomatic expressions in the jokes below. Choose from the following. Write your answers
in the boxes below, and then check your answers.

a. brought the house down f. got a bone to pick with you j. rise and shine
b. dirt cheap g. jumping to conclusions k. rub shoulders with
c. fell head over heals h. keep it under your hat l. save for a rainy day
d. down in the mouth i. put two and two together m. stand in her way
e. give him the cold shoulder n. stand on your own feet
o. the last straw

1. I know this little restaurant where you 8. I have a date with a girl and she doesnt
can eat___________. know I wear a wig.
Cheap or not, I dont fancy eating dirt. Well, _____________.

9. Do you know what Eskimo girl did to

2. Did you hear about the chap who blamed her boyfriend?
mathematics for his divorce? His wife What?
______________. She _______________.

3. The pop group threw a stick of dynamite l0. What did one angry skeleton say to the
into the audience. That really other?
______________. Ive ______________.

4. If your wife insists on learning to drive, 11. Why did Andrew get a job as a
dont _______________. masseur at a very exclusive
health club in London?
5. In Britain, to ____________ and to save Because he wanted to ___________
for a holiday are usually the same thing. the rich and famous.

12. Why does Peter eat yeast and shoe

6. 1st man: I swallowed a pillow in bed last polish before going to bed?
night. Because he wants to __________.
2nd man: Good grief! And how do you feel
today?
1st man: Oh, a little _____________. 13. What did the horse say when it
reached the end of its nosebag?
7. I once knew an acrobat who____________ Thats _____________.
in love.

14. My mother-in-law keeps fit by

____________.
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN

Write the numbers1-16 next to the correct sentences.

a) Dont let on.

b) Hes always looked down on foreigners.

c) I can put you up.

d) I really must cut down.

e) I think its going to clear up.

f) Ill call on you tonight.

g) Im getting on a bit now.

h) Im worn out.

i) Ive been beaten up.

j) It keeps breaking down.

k) Its been held up.

l) Shes passed out.

m) Theyve decided to take me on.

n) We had to have him put down.

o) We turn out about a thousand a day.

p) Weve fallen out again.

1. Write the number 1 next to the person who has been attacked.

2. Write the number 2 next to the person who has just been given a job.

3. Write the number 3 next to the person who has quarreled with someone.

4. Write the number 4 next to the person who wants something to be kept a secret.

5. Write the number 5 next to the person who is really tired.

6. Write the number 6 next to the person who might be talking about a pet that has died.

7. Write the number 7 next to the person who is offering someone a room for the night.

8. Write the number 8 next to the person who might be talking about the goods produced at a factory.

9. Write the number 9 next to the person who is talking about a racist.

10. Write the number 10 next to the person who might be talking about a bus or a train that is late.

11. Write the number 11 next to the person who might be worried about the number of cigarettes he or she
smokes.

12. Write the number 12 next to the person who is talking about someone who has fainted.

13. Write the number 13 next to the person who is talking about his or her age.

14. Write the number 14 next to the person who is talking about the weather.

15. Write the number 15 next to the person who is talking about visiting someone.

16. Write the number 16 next to the person who probably wishes he or she had a better car.

ANSWERS

jokes :1 b , 2 i , 3 a, 4 m, 5 l, 6 n, 7 c, 8 d, 9 h , 10 e, 11 f , 12 k , 13 j , 14 o, 15 g

WHAT DOES IT MEAN:1 i, 2 m, 3 p, 4 a, 5 h, 6 n, 7 c, 8 o, 9 b, 10 k, 11 d, 12 l, 13 g 14 e, 15 f, 16 j

IF
Fill in the missing verbs in the sentences below. Choose from the following. Make sure you choose the
correct tense. Use short forms, where possible (Id have eaten, etc.). Write your answers by the correct
number below, and then check your answers.

be give (x 2) know (not) stand try

call (not) grow (not) like take want
fall have look think
forget keep plant

0. If money doesnt grow on trees, why do banks have so many branches?

1. If we get engaged to be married, ___________ you ___________me a ring?

2. If you ___________ the way I drive, get off the pavement!

3. If I _____________ how old I was going to get, I would have taken much better care of myself.

4. If you ____________out of that tree and break both your legs, dont come running on me.
5. If sunbeams were weapons, we ______________solar energy long ago. (Cole Porter)

6. If God _____________ us to go naked, we would have been born that way.

7. If you wife wants to learn to drive, then _____________ in her way.

8. If you were my husband I ______________ you a poison.

If you were my wife I______________it

9. If you really ______________like your passport photo, chances are you are not well enough to travel.

10. In Hollywood, if you dont have a psychiatrist, ___________ people ___________ youre crazy?

11. Man: Do you know your cars on fire outside?

Pianist: No, but if you hum it I ___________ to follow you.

12. If her mini skirt had been any shorter, it _____________ a collar.

13. Well if I ____________the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?

14. The garage mechanic lifted the bonnet.

If I were you, sir, I _____________ the oil, but change the car.

15. I wouldnt say my sister is stupid, but the other day she went into a pet shop and bought some bird
seed. She thinks that if she _____________ it, shell grow a bird.

1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15.

ANSWERS: 1 will( you) give, 2 dont like, 3 Id known (had known), 4 fall, 5 would have had, 6 had
wanted, 7 dont stand, 8 Id give (would give)Id take (would take), 9 look, 10 will (people) think, 11 Ill
try (will try), 12 would have been, 13 called, 14 Id keep (would keep), 15 plants

PHRASAL VERBS

Fill in the missing phrasal verbs in the jokes below. Choose from the following. Make any changes that may
be necessary. Write your answers in the boxes below, and then check your answers.

a) add up b) come out c) go out d) look down on e) run into

f) bring up g) get off h) go with i) put back j) turn down
k) come back l) get tired of m) look for n) put on o) turn out
p) come on q) give up r) look into s) run away from t) wake up

1. My uncles got a glass eye. 10. 1st woman: My child has just fallen
Did he tell you? down a well. What should I do?
No, it just __________in the 2nd woman: Buy a book on how to
conversation. __________ children.

2. The arrogant bus driver was 11. What do you think of Red China?
always telling people where to___________. I think it ____________really well
__________a blue tablecloth.

3. Education has failed the younger
generation, said the businessman. Our
survey shows that as many as 40 per cent
cant read, another 40 per cent cant write
and other 30 per cent cant ___________.
4. He has read so much about the effects of
Smoking that he has finally decided to
_____________ reading.
5. Its not so much the work I enjoy, said
the taxi driver, its the people I
_______________.
6. Hes always been a horrible child. In fact,
when he was seven, his parents
______________.
12. What did the big candle say to the
little candle?
Youre too young to ___________.
13. What makes you think your wife is
____________ you?
She hasnt been home for seven
years.
14. A friend of mine knew his son was
going to be an actor when he caught
him opening the fridge and taking
a bow every time the light
_____________.
15. Wife: Shall I ___________ the
kettle __________ ?
Husband: Dont bother, I like
the dress youre wearing better.

7. Is it true that people who fly ____________ 16. Ive got three pairs of spectacles:
people who dont fly? one for short-sightedness, one for
long-sightedness and one to
8. I was offered a job as a babysitter but I ____________ the other two.
___________ it __________. Who wants
to sit on babies? 17. Why is it that the man your wife
gave up in order to marry you
9. Thats a very interesting outfit youre always ___________ to be more
wearing. Do you think that style will ever successful?
______________?

18. Late last night a large whole was made in

the walls surrounding Sunnyvale Nudist
Camp. Police are _____________ it.

19. Money in the bank is like toothpaste its

easy to get it out, very hard to ______________.

20. What a hospital! Three oclock in the morning

they _____________ you ______________ to
 give you a sleeping pill.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 20
0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
b
1. came out 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

ANSWERS: 2 g get off, 3 a- add up, 4 q- give up, 5 e run into, 6 k- come back, 7 s- ran away from
8 d- look down on, 9 j- turneddown, 10 f- bring up, 11 h- goes with, 12 c- go out
13 l- getting tired of, 14 p- came on, 15 n- puton, 16 m- look for, 17 o- turns out,
18 r- looking into, 19 i- put back, 20 t- wakeup.