English For IELTS (Upper Intermediate-Advanced)

English for IELTS (Upper
Intermediate-Advanced)
<Idiomatic Expressions>
There is 1 task in this self-study assignment. Do one task at a time. Read the instructions for each task carefully
before beginning the task. Good luck!
Task 1
Instructions:
Take a look at these Idioms below and try to guess the meaning.
1. till the cows come home

2. take something on the chin
3. can of worms
4. piece of cake
5. tie the knot / walk down the aisle
6. the last (final) straw
7. the pot calling the kettle black
8. at the end of the day
9. water under the bridge
10. saved by the bell
11. by the skin of one’s teeth
12. sour grapes
13. know something like the back of your hand
© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
14. rub someone the wrong way <Idiomatic Expressions>
15. bite off more than one can chew
16. the writing is on the wall
17. make a mountain out of a mole hill
18. at the eleventh hour
19. cost an arm and a leg
20. live (from) hand to mouth
21. part and parcel of something
22. face the music
23. in the long run
24. over the moon

Match the idioms from the meaning and example sentence.
Idiom Meaning Example

You can talk ~ but you'll never make
1 for a very long time; forever
me change my mind.

to accept a difficult
<Idiomatic or unpleasant situation
Expressions> In this business, you have to learn to ~
2 without complaining, trying to make
criticism ~.
excuses, etc
Corruption is a serious problem, but
a situation which causes a lot of problems
3 nobody has yet been willing to open up
for you when you start to deal with it
that ~.
4 something that is very easy to do Tony felt that the exam was a ~.
5 to get married So when did they ~?
the last in a series of unpleasant events

She's always been rude to me, but it was
6 which finally makes you feel that you
~ when she started insulting my mother.
cannot continue to accept a bad situation
used to say that you should not criticize Elliott accused me of being selfish. Talk
7
somebody for a fault that you have yourself about ~!
something that you say before you give the Of course I'll listen to what she has to say
8
most important fact of a situation but ~, it's my decision.
used to say that something happened in the
We did have our disagreements but that's
9 past and is now forgotten or no longer
~ now.
important
something that you say when a difficult
situation is ended suddenly before you have Luckily my bus arrived before I had time
10
to do or say something that you do not want to reply and I was ~.
to

11 to say that you only just succeed in doing it He escaped from the secret police ~.
used to show that you think somebody is He said he didn't want the job anyway,
12 jealous and is pretending that something is but that's
not important just ~.
13 to be very familiar with something This is where I grew up. I~ this area ~.
to make somebody annoyed or angry, often

14 without intending to, by doing/saying She tends to ~ people ~.
something that offends them
I think you are trying to ~ in your
to try to do too much, or something that is
15 health care reform
too difficult
proposals.
said to mean that there are clear signs that
16 It is amazing that not one of them saw ~
something will fail or no longer exist
Don’t ~. You wrote one bad essay - it
to make a slight difficulty seem like a
17 doesn't mean
serious problem
you're going to fail your exam.
18 at the last possible moment; just in time We only received the bail at ~.
19 to be extremely expensive I'd love to buy a BMW, but they ~.

<Idiomatic Expressions> My father earned very little and there
to have just enough money to live on and
20 were four
nothing extra
kids, so we ~.
Keeping the accounts is ~ of Mathew’s
21 an essential part of something
job.
The others all ran off as soon as they
to accept criticism or punishment for
22 spotted the
something you have done
Principal, leaving me to ~.
It seems a lot of effort but I'm sure it's the
23 at a time that is far away in the future best
solution ~.
24 to be very pleased Sarah is ~ about her new car.

Now check your answers.
Idiom Meaning Example

You can talk ~ but you'll never make me
till the cows come home 1 for a very long time; forever
change my mind.
to accept a difficult or unpleasant situation
In this business, you have to learn to ~
take something on the chin 2 without complaining, trying to make
criticism ~.
excuses, etc

Corruption is a serious problem, but
a <Idiomatic Expressions>
situation which causes a lot of problems
can of worms 3 nobody has yet been willing to open up
for you when you start to deal with it
that ~.
piece of cake 4 something that is very easy to do Tony felt that the exam was a ~.
tie the knot / walk down the

5 to get married So when did they ~?
aisle
the last in a series of unpleasant events
She's always been rude to me, but it was
the last (final) straw 6 which finally makes you feel that you
~ when she started insulting my mother.
cannot continue to accept a bad situation
used to say that you should not criticize Elliott accused me of being selfish. Talk
the pot calling the kettle black 7
somebody for a fault that you have yourself about ~!
something that you say before you give the Of course I'll listen to what she has to say
at the end of the day 8
most important fact of a situation but ~, it's my decision.
used to say that something happened in the
We did have our disagreements but that's
water under the bridge 9 past and is now forgotten or no longer
~ now.
important
something that you say when a difficult
situation is ended suddenly before you have Luckily my bus arrived before I had time
saved by the bell 10
to do or say something that you do not want to reply and I was ~.
to
by the skin of one’s teeth 11 to say that you only just succeed in doing it He escaped from the secret police ~.

used to show thatExpressions>
<Idiomatic you think somebody is
He said he didn't want the job anyway,
sour grapes 12 jealous and is pretending that something is
but that's just ~.
not important
know something like the back of
13 to be very familiar with something This is where I grew up. I~ this area ~.
your hand
to make somebody annoyed or angry, often
rub someone the wrong way 14 without intending to, by doing/saying She tends to ~ people ~.
something that offends them
to try to do too much, or something that is I think you are trying to ~ in your health
bite off more than one can chew 15
too difficult care reform proposals.
said to mean that there are clear signs that It is amazing that not one of them saw the
the writing is on the wall 16
something will fail or no longer exist writing on the wall.
Don’t ~. You wrote one bad essay - it
make a mountain out of a mole to make a slight difficulty seem like a
17 doesn't mean you're going to fail your
hill serious problem
exam.
at the eleventh hour 18 at the last possible moment; just in time We only received the bail at ~.
cost an arm and a leg 19 to be extremely expensive I'd love to buy a BMW, but they ~.
to have just enough money to live on and My father earned very little and there
live (from) hand to mouth 20
nothing extra were four kids, so we ~.
part and parcel of something 21 an essential part of something Keeping the accounts is ~ of Mathew’s job.

face the music 22

<Idiomatic
to accept Expressions>
criticism or punishment for The others all ran off as soon as they
something you have done spotted the Principal, leaving me to ~.
It seems a lot of effort but I'm sure it's the
in the long run 23 at a time that is far away in the future
best solution ~.
over the moon 24 to be very pleased Sarah is ~ about her new car.
Note – Remember that you must the idioms with the exact same words. For example, face the music cannot become
face a music or face the game or watch the music or any other variations.



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English for IELTS (Upper

1. till the cows come home

© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

Match the idioms from the meaning and example sentence.

Idiom Meaning Example

© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

5 to get married So when did they ~?

the last in a series of unpleasant events

© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

to make somebody annoyed or angry, often

19 to be extremely expensive I'd love to buy a BMW, but they ~.

© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

24 to be very pleased Sarah is ~ about her new car.

© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

Now check your answers.

Idiom Meaning Example

© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

tie the knot / walk down the

© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

face the music 22

© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

© The British Council, New Delhi 2017

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