Teaching
and Learning of Idiomatic Expressions and Multi-word Verbs of English in The Context
of Sudan APPENDIX
– 6.A PRACTICE
WITH IDIOMS SELECTIONS
OF CHAPTERS (1, 5, 12, 14, 16) Prev
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Chapters
1 and 5 representing intransitive/transitive verbal idioms while 12, 14 and 16
sampling nominal, adjectival and adverbial idioms respectively. Section
I Chapter I INTRANSITIVE
VERBS WITH PARTICLES : to
die down to get around to break
in to come about to fall through
to catch on to
break down to hold on to
look on to get ahead to open up to
settle down to stand
out to come up to
show up I. GUESSINGTHE MEANING FROM CONTEXT : You can learn a lot about an idiom
if you look at the context of its use. The meaning of the words around it, and
the meaning of the whole sentence , can give you a good idea of the idiom’s meaning.
You don’t need a dictionary to understand the general meaning of the idiom. Try to guess the meaning of each idiom
as it is used in the following sentences. Provide either a one-word synonym or a definition. 1.
For three days the wind blew hard and strong, but on the fourth
day it died down. _____________ 2.
I thought John and Mary were happy, but they recently got a divorce;
how did it come about? _________________ 3.
My old car has a very bad engine; it will probably break down
and need repairs. _______________ 4.
If you want to get ahead in life, you have to work hard
and save your money. _______________ 5.
His poor clothes really stood out at the meeting because
everyone else was wearing a suit and tie. 6.
Since you don’t have a car or motorcycle, how do you get around?
_______________ 7.
Our plans for a trip to Europe
fell through because we hadn’t saved enough money for the plane tickets.
__________________ 8.
Please hold on; I’d like to ask a question before you
continue your lecture. _____________ 9.
He told me all of his marriage problems, from beginning to end;
he really opened up. __________________ 10.
Because several students didn’t understand the teacher’s ideas,
many questions came up. ________________ 11.
While I was talking, Tom broke in to tell me that he disagreed.
________________ 12.
After I spent two hours trying to explain the difficult idea,
John finally caught on. _____________ 13.
While his friends were playing football, poor Joe, who had a
broken leg, could only look on ______________ 14.
At first the students in my class were too noisy, but eventually
they settled down to work. __________________ 15.
It’s already 10 o’clock and Bill hasn’t come yet; if he doesn’t
show up soon, our meeting will fall through. _____________ Now
go back to each sentence in this exercise and underline any part of the
sentence which helped you to guess the meaning of the idiom.
In other words, try to find the context clues. Class
discussion : You
probably could guess the meaning of some idioms more easily than others. Decide which idioms were easy to guess and which were difficult.
Discuss the importance of context clues in helping you understand the meaning
of each idiom. I. DEFINITION CORRESPONDENCE : Using Exercise Exercise:I to
help you, check your guess by choosing the correct idiom which corresponds to
the definition you see on the left side. Be
sure to use context clues and to use the correct grammar forms.
to die down to get around to break
in
to come about to fall
through to catch on
to break down to hold
on to look on
to get ahead to open up to
settle down
to stand out to come up to
show up Example
: (to
move about) Most animals get around on four
legs.
correct answer
(to happen) 1, The newspaper article didn’t tell how
the accident.
______________ (to
fail to occur) 2. The
planned meeting _____________ because several
members were out-of-town. (to
make progress) 3.
He studied very hard in school so that he could __________
in his studies. (to
be noticeable) 4.
The tall building _____________ against the smaller ones. (to
stop working) 5.
The workers had to work twice as hard because the large
machine had ___________ (to
diminish) 6. When the President of the U.S. entered
the room, all the noise
_________________ (to
travel) 7. It is hard for people in wheelchairs
to ___________ (to
watch) 8. Many people __________ as firemen put
out the burning house. (to
arise) 9. In court, a question __________ about
his association with some
criminals. (to finally understand) 10.
At first I was confused, but after much explanation, I _________ (to
wait) 11. I asked my friends, who were going
out the door, to __________
while I got my coat. (to
interrupt) 12. It’s very impolite to _________________
while someone else is speaking. (to
talk honestly) 13.
Don’t hide your secrets from your wife; _____________ and tell
her how your unhappiness
came about. (to
become calm) 14.
If you ________________ and talk more slowly, I’ll be able to understand
you better; now you’re too upset to think clearly. (to
arrive) 15. When the babysitter ______________,
my parents went out for
dinner.
III. EXPLANATION OF THE IDIOMS
You probably have a good idea what each idiom means by now. Study the following explanations so that you
can understand them completely. 1. to die down – to become more quiet;
to diminish, to subside Usual subjects; feelings (excitement,
nervousness, anger, love/hatred); natural events (storm, wind, fire); sounds (music,
voices, noises). My anger at him has died down
since he apologized to me. After the storm, the strong winds died
down. The loud music died down after
the police came. 2. to come about – to happen, to occur,
to be caused
Usual subjects: events (accident, death, failure/success, defeat); situations
(problem, discussion, argument). This idiom is most often used in a
How-question, when we want to know the cause of something. How did the automobile accident come
about? His success came about after
he started working harder. The argument came about because
they were talking about politics. 3. to stand out – to be noticeable,
to be prominent, to be clearly seen Usual subjects: color, tone, figure,
shape; people With this subject, there is a contrast
with something else. A very tall man wearing a big hat stood
out in the crowd of people. The large black letters on this small
white sign really stand out. Joe is so intelligent that he stands
out in class. 4. to break down – to fail to function,
to stop working properly. Usual subjects: machines (typewriter,
engine, air-conditioning); Vehicles (car, truck, plane, train,
etc). The travelers were delayed because
the bus had broken down. It would be very regrettable if the
air conditioning broke down on a very hot day. 5. to fall through – to fail to occur,
not to happen Usual subjects: plan, project,
arrangement, agreement, contract. If your new contract agreement falls
through, the workers in your company will go on strike. The plan for a new part fell through
because no citizen wanted higher taxes. The project is so well planned that
it couldn’t possibly fall through. 6. to get ahead – to make progress,
to succeed Usual subjects: people Anyone can get ahead in life
if he or she really tries hard. Can a criminal get ahead by
stealing money from a bank? The dream of most politicians is to
get ahead in national politics. 7. to get around – to travel, to move
about Usual subjects: living things (people,
animals); information (news, ideas, secret, gossip) It’s difficult for a person with a
broken leg to get around. Everyone knows him well; he really
gets around How did my secret get around
to all my friends so quickly? 8. to hold on – to wait, to pause Usual subjects: people This idiom is usually used in a polite
command form or in indirect speech. It
is commonly used when asking someone to wait on the telephone. Please hold on; I’ll see if
the doctor is in. (polite command) I asked him to hold on before
he finally left. (indirect speech) Unusual: He held on before he
left. It is usually followed by a time expression
such as “a second, a minute”. Please hold on a second! Cold you hold on a minute? (A
question form is possible). 9. to open up – to talk honestly and
freely; to reveal a secret. Usual subjects: People This idiom basically means that one
doesn’t hide his true feelings. Their marriage plans fell through because
neither one of them could ever open up to the other. In court, you are expected to open
up about what you know. 10. to come up – to arise Usual subjects: a problem, question,
issue A serious problem came up after
the project had been started. Many questions came up about
the quality of the project. A political issue came up which
embarrassed the candidate. 11. to break in – to interrupt (someone
who is already speaking) Usual subjects: people While I was explaining my point of
view, he broke in to argue with me. During the regular TV programme, the
newsman broke in to tell about the recent disaster. When your teacher is speaking, you
shouldn’t break in. 12. to catch on – to finally understand Usual subjects: people
This idiom means that someone had difficulty in understanding something,
but finally was able to understand. After two hours of trying to learn
the new game, he caught on. The lady in the back of the room
repeated her question several times but I still couldn’t catch on. 13. to look on – to watch, to observe,
to be a spectator Usual subjects: people I looked upon as they tried
to fix the machine which had broken down. The shopkeeper could only look
on as the armed robbers stole all of his money. When people are playing sports, I don’t
enjoy looking on; I would rather play also! 14. to settle down – 1) to become calm, quiet, or peaceful 2) to
begin a normal, stable life
Usual subjects: living things (people, animals)
#1 – The children settled down when their teacher entered.
The barking dogs settled down
after the loud truck passed by.
#2 – Many young people are now getting steady jobs, getting married, and
settling down in their own homes. Many people settle down in San Diego because of the
fine weather. 15. to show up – to arrive, to appear Usual subjects: people This idiom is often used when someone
appears somewhere late. He finally showed up an hour
late. I hope our teacher doesn’t show
up so that we can leave. Class
Discussion: Now
that you have learned the meanings of the idioms and how to use them in sentences,
go back to Exercise-I and Exercise-II and check your answers.
As you do this, consider the following questions: 1. How many idioms did you guess correctly in Exercise-I? 2. How much better did you do in Exercise-II? 3. Are there any idiom meanings which are still not clear to you? 4. Is there anything you have noticed about the grammatical usage
of these idioms?
IV.
LEARNING THE GRAMMAR RULES Part
AVerbs are a part of
English grammar which are often used in idioms. Some verbs are called transitive
because they are followed by an object, which is always a noun phrase. Some verbs are called intransitive because they
are not followed by an object. Examples:
Transitive verb: to
hit
The Child hit
the ball
Subject verb object
Intransitive verb: to
go
Mary goes to her favourite restaurant
tomorrow.
Subject verb preposition phrase (p.p) time adverb. 1. Can intransitive verbs be followed by other parts of grammar?
________ Yes __________ No 2. What other kinds of adverbs could follow an intransitive verb? In
this chapter, verbs which are intransitive, because objects do not follow them,
are used with words such as around, on, through, and up.
Such words are called particles because they cannot be separated from the
verbs by adverbial forms (see Part B, Set 2, below). A particle joins with an intransitive verb to form an intransitive
verbal idiom. Example:
Intransitive verb +
particle: to stand out
A large carnation stood out on his suit
Subject verbal
idiom p.p. 1. Is the verbal idiom followed by an object?
_______ Yes ______ No 2. Why is a word like out called a particle in this idiom? Part
B Look
carefully at the following sets of sentences.
Some sentences are correct and some are incorrect.
An asterisk ( * ) means that a sentence is incorrect. Write your best answers to the questions by comparing the sentences. Set
11.
*The student got ahead his school 2.
The old man got around with difficulty. 3.
*The company fell through its plan. 4.
The student got ahead in school. 5.
The company’s plan fell through. a. Which sentence is the correct form of #1? b. Which sentence is the correct form of #3? c. Circle the correct answers:
1. The verbal idioms in this chapter (can
or cannot) be followed by an object.
2. The verbal idioms (can or cannot) be
followed by a prepositional phrase.
3. A verb which does not take an object
is (transitive or intransitive) In
the incorrect sentences above (#1 and #3), the verbal idioms were followed by
objects, which is not possible for intransitive forms.
Other parts of grammar, such as adverbs and prepositional phrases, often
occur with these verbal idioms. Set
21. *My friend caught slowly on. 2. *The chairman showed early up. 3. My friend caught on slowly. 4. *The chairman early showed up. 5. My friend slowly caught on. 6. The chairman showed up early. a. Which sentences are correct forms of #1? b. Which sentence is the correct form of #2 and #4? c. Try to explain why #5 is correct but #4 is incorrect: What
is the difference in adverbs? d. Circle the correct answer:
Words like early and slowly are
called (adjectives or adverbs). No
adverb can be placed between the verb and particle, which shows that the verb
and particle are one unit of grammar. Only
a manner adverb, which tells how something was done (quickly, quietly, slowly),
can be placed both before and after the verb + particle, if it ends in –ly. A
manner adverb such as well cannot be placed before the verb + particle. Most adverbs, including time adverbs such as early, are placed after
the idiom. My
friend caught on slowly.
(correct position) My
friend slowly caught on. (correct position) *My
friend well caught on. (incorrect position) My
friend caught on well. (correct position) *The
chairman early showed up. (incorrect position) The
chairman showed up early (correct position) If
you have any difficulty with the grammatical terms used in this section, such
as “subject, object, noun phrase,” you can refer to the Appendix at the
end of this book for further explanation.
V.
MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXERCISE Choose
the idiom which has the best meaning in the context below.
No idiom is used twice as a correct answer. 1. An elephant in a circus really ___________ a.
falls through b.
stands out c.
shows up 2. If you weren’t so careless, your typewriter wouldn’t ___________ a.
break down b.
come about c.
break in 3. He tries to __________ by studying his lessons everyday. a.
die down b.
get around c.
get ahead 4. I’m sorry that our date with each other ______________ a.
held on b.
got around c.
fell through 5. If the wind ___________, we won’t be able to fly our kites. a.
breaks down b.
dies down c.
opens up 6. Do you know how the murder ___________? a.
came about b.
pitched in c.
got around 7.
Because San Diego has a poor bus system, it is difficult to _______ if
you don’t have a car.
a. come about
b. get around
c. get ahead 8. You have to listen to me carefully if
you want to ______________
a. get head
b. catch on
c. come up 9. Many problems _________ in our serious
discussion.
a. showed up
b. came up
c. opened up 10. When Mary finally _________ we were able
to leave immediately.
a. got around
b. came about
c. showed up 11. Please __________; you shouldn’t get so upset!
a. settle down
b. die down
c. fall through 12. If you have any questions while I’m talking,
feel free to ______________
a. look on
b. come up
c. break in 13. Don’t leave without me! Please _______________
a. get ahead
b. hold on
c. catch on
VI. WRITING EXERCISE Answer
each question or statement by using the idiom in a meaningful, grammatical sentence. 1.
How do you usually get around? 2.
When might you wish that some noise would die down? 3.
Explain why a plan might fall through. 4.
To get ahead in life, what do you have to do? 5.
when you car breaks down, describe what you do. 6.
In your home or apartment, what stands out the most? 7.
How did your desire to learn English come about? 8.
When might you ask someone to hold on? 9.
Why is it better to open up if you feel angry? 10.
If you don’t know the answer to a question which comes up in
class, what do you do? 11.
Why is it impolite to break in when someone is talking? 12.
When a vocabulary word is very difficult, how do you try to catch
on? 13.
Why do some people only like to look on while others play sport? 14.
What kind of life do you want when you settle down? 15.
Why should people show up on time for appointments?
Section II Chapter 5 TRANSITIVE
VERBS WITH MOVABLE PARTICLES to make up
to clear up
to look up to think over
to put off
to point out to bring up
to carry out
to talk over to give away
to bring about
to make out to try out
to call off
to take off I. GUESSING THE MEANING FROM CONTEXT Guess
the meaning of each idiom as it is used in the following sentences.
Provide either a one-word synonym or a definition. Underline the context clues as you are trying
to guess the meaning. 1.
Nothing he told me was true; I’m angry that he made up
the whole story _________. 2.
I’ll think over your idea carefully before I make a final
decision about it. ________ 3.
If you bring up a question in class, I’m sure that your
teacher can come up with an answer for you. 4.
Sometimes a business will give away free samples of their
product so that people can learn about it ______________ 5.
Be sure to try out a new car before you buy it; look out
for problems in advance. ____________ 6.
Many students couldn’t catch on, but the teacher cleared up
the problem by going into a detailed explanation _____________ 7.
He put off his work until later, instead of doing it right
away. ______________ 8.
You have always carried out your duties well so I am going
to give you a raise. ___________ 9.
How did the accident happen? That man brought about the
accident when he hit the other car. 10.
The tour organization called off the trip because so few
people showed up at the first orientation meeting ___________ 11.
I went to the library to look up some information to use
in my term paper. ___________ 12.
He tied to get through to me by pointing out the mistakes
in my paper. __________ 13.
When people open up to each other, they usually talk over
their problems. _________ 14.
It was too dark to make out the letters on the sign far
ahead. ___________ 15.
I’ve been working too hard lately; it’s time for me to take
off a couple of weeks of vacation ______________ Class
discussion : Decide
which idioms were easy to guess and which were not.
Discuss the importance of context clues in helping you to understand the
meaning of each idiom.
II. DEFINITION CORRESPONDENCE to make up
to clear up
to look up to think over
to put off
to point out to bring up
to carry out
to talk over to give away
to bring about
to make out to try out
to call off
to take off
|
(to
consider carefully) |
1. |
You
should _________ an important matter before you finally decide on it. |
|
(to
distribute freely) |
2. |
The
new restaurant _________ prizes to its first 100 customers as an advertising method. |
|
(to
accomplish) |
3. |
The
spy successfully _________ his assignment in the enemy country, returning safely
to his country after it was completed. |
|
(to
test) |
4. |
Jeff
________ each machine and the best one soon stood out, so he bought it. |
|
(to
postpone) |
5. |
Because
a rainstorm was expected, we __________ our baseball game for two days. |
|
(to
cause) |
6. |
The
child _________ the fire in the house because he played with matches. |
|
(to
introduce) |
7. |
We thought
our plan was perfect, but at the last moment someone _________ a serious problem. |
|
(to
invent) |
8. |
If you
_________ an excuse for being late to class, the teacher might not believe in
your honesty. |
|
(to
make clear) |
9. |
At first
I couldn’t get through to the student, but finally I _________ his confusion. |
|
(to
discuss) |
10. |
Mary
had to _________ her travel problems with the airline manager. |
|
(to
cancel) |
11. |
The
President _________ the special meeting because there was no longer any need for
it. |
|
(to
have free time off) |
12. |
The
employee _________ the summer to travel with his family. |
|
(to
distinguish) |
13. |
With
my new glasses I can _________ everything much better than before. |
|
(to
try to find) |
14. |
He turned
to a bigger dictionary to ________ the exact definition of the word. |
|
(to
indicate) |
15. |
Mr.
James ____________ many examples of the difficult
theory, and soon the confused students caught on. |
III. EXPLANATION OF THE IDIOMS 1. to make up – 1)
to invent, to fabricate (a lie)
2)
to apply cosmetics
#1 Usual subjects: people
Usual objects: like, excuse, story, the
whole thing It’s a bad habit to make up
lies about things which you know are wrong; no one will believe you. He told me a strange story about his
illness, and I think that he made the whole thing up. #2 Usual subjects: people (actor, clown,
woman)
Usual objects: face, nose Many women like to make up their
face each morning. The clown makes up his nose
with red paint. 2. to think over – to consider carefully,
to ponder Usual subjects: people Usual objects: plan, suggestion, offer,
problem, matter This idiom is used when the subject
doesn’t want to make a quick, careless decision. I wanted to think over their
plan before I agreed to follow it. Think over your problems before
you finally decide what to do. 3. to bring up – 1) to introduce, to present, to raise 2)
to rear, to raise
#1 Usual subjects: people
Usual objects: question, problem, matter, subject, point
This idiom is very close in meaning to come up with.
When you want to go into a subject more carefully in class,
you should bring up
many questions. When
the President brought up the energy matter, the committee looked into it
carefully.
#2 Usual subjects: people (parents, nurse,
grandmother, foster home)
Usual objects: child, daughter, son
Parents should bring up their children with love and
devotion.
Grandmother Johnson brought up her little granddaughter
when her son and
Daughter-in-law were lost at sea. 4. to give away – 1)
to distribute freely, to give at no cost 2)
to reveal, to tell (a secret) #1 Usual subjects: people; company, business Usual objects: prize, gift, sample
product; personal possession. The popular game shows give away
many prizes and gifts to the contestants on T.V. In supermarkets, food companies often
give away samples of their products to Customers. #2 Usual subjects: people Usual objects: secret, hidden fact He gave my age away even
though I had told him not to tell anyone. This fact is my own private mater;
you shouldn’t have given away my secret. 5. to try out – to test, to check the function of
Usual subjects: people
Usual objects: machine (car, typewriter, television, etc.)
You should always try out a car before you buy it so that you can
look out for serious
problems.
After the secretary tried out the typewriter for fifteen minutes
she could see that it would
soon break down 6. to clear up – to make clear, to clarify, to remove doubt
about
Usual subjects: people; explanation
Usual objects: difficulty, misunderstanding, confusion, problem, matter,
point.
When a student cannot catch on to an idea, the teacher should try to clear
up his
Misunderstanding.
Jane and I argued for a long time, until a friend cleared up our
disagreement.
No nurse could understand the doctor’s point until he cleared it
up. 7. to put off – to postpone, to delay, to defer
Usual subjects: people
Usual objects: mater, decision, meeting, appointment, conference
I want to think over this matter fully, so I’ll put my decision
off until next week.
We had to put off the meeting because many members could not show
up at that
Time.
The businessman hadn’t gotten over his cold so he had to put off
his appointment with
The company president. 8. to carry out – to fulfil, to accomplish
Usual subjects: people
Usual objects: promise, obligation, responsibility, job, duty
This idiom is very close in meaning to to live up to.
He carried out all his promises so everyone looked up to him.
To try for a promotion, the office worker carried out his responsibilities
carefully and thoroughly. 9
To bring about – to cause (to happen)
Usual subjects: people; situation (circumstances, plan, problem, etc.)
Usual objects: situation (change, accident, illness, etc.)
This idiom is used when someone or something (subject) is the reason why
a situation
occured. It is close in meaning to to come about.
The new chairman brought about a big change in his company’s organizational
structure.
The bicyclist brought about an accident when he suddenly crossed
the street in
front of a car.
What brought about John’s illness? I thought he was taking care
of himself. 10 to call off – to cancel, to stop
Usual subjects: people
Usual objects: meeting, conference; project (plan, proposal, deal); travel
(trip,
journey, expedition); marriage, wedding.
We had to call the meeting off because the chairman was out-of-town.
When his wife didn’t get over her illness, Mr. Smith called off
their trip to Europe.
Bob and Ann called off their wedding because they couldn’t clear
up their differences
of opinion. 11. to look up – to try to find, to search for
Usual subjects: people
Usual objects: information (fact, detail, word; address; numbers); people
He looked up the necessary facts in the law book.
Students use dictionaries in order to look up vocabulary definitions.
When I visited New York, I looked up my old high school friend who
lives there. 12. to point out - to explain; to indicate
Usual subjects: people
Usual objects: aspect, truth, fact; law; argument
The teacher pointed out other facts which had been left out of the
discussion.
The policeman pointed out several driving laws I had violated.
The lawyer pointed out some arguments which brought up doubt about
the man’s
innocence. 13. to talk over – to discuss (fully); to consider
Usual subjects: people
Usual objects: matter, problem, question, project, plan; things The
principal talked over the student problem with the teacher.
The corporation members talked the plan over for some time.
To clear up a marital problem, husband and wife should talk things
over. 14. to make out – 1)
to distinguish, to manage to see 2)
to complete, to fill out (a form) #1 Usual subjects: people Usual objects: things which are hard
to see (figure, shape, cars in fog). It was very foggy so it was hard to
make out the figures of people walking on The side of the road. In the distance I could make out
the outlines of cows walking on top of a hill. #2 Usual subjects: people Usual objects: application, form, questionnaire;
check, order The bank looked up his account number
so that he could make out the check request form correctly. To apply for a credit card, you have
to make out this application form. 15. to take off - 1) to remove 2)
to have free time off #1 Usual subjects: people Usual objects: coat, hat, clothes When my guest showed up, they entered
and took off their coats. I like to take off my shoes
when I’m at home. #2 Usual subjects: people Usual objects: period of time (day,
week, month); holiday, vacation I had gone without a vacation for too
long, so finally I took two weeks off He took off the summer to write
a new novel. Class
discussion: Now
that you have learned the meanings of the idioms and how to use them in sentences,
go back to Exercise-I and Exercise-II and check your answer.
As you do this, consider the following questions: 1. How many idioms did you guess correctly in Exercise-I? 2. How much better did you do in Exercise-II? 3. Are there any idiom meanings which are still not clear to you? 4. Is there anything you have noticed about the grammatical usage
of these idioms?
IV.
LEARNING THE GRAMMAR RULES Part
A All
of the idioms in this chapter are composed of a transitive verb + movable particle. The verb is transitive because a noun phrase must be used as an
object. Example:
transitive verb + movable particle : to clear up
The President
cleared up_ the problem
subject verbal idiom object 1. Are the transitive verb and particle connected in:
a) meaning b) grammar c) both meaning and grammar? 2. In the preceding section, did you discover another place to
put the particle? Where? Part
B Look
carefully at the following sets of sentences.
Some are correct and some are incorrect (*).
Answer the questions by comparing the sentences. Set
1 1.
The president cleared up the problem carefully. 2.
*The president cleared carefully up the problem. 3.
The president cleared the problem up carefully. 4.
*The president cleared up carefully the problem. 5.
The president carefully cleared up the problem. a. What is the difference between sentences #1 and #3? b. Fill in the appropriate answers:
With the idioms in this chapter, the ____________ may be placed before
or after the ______________. c. Which sentence is another correct form #1 and #3? d. Where is it wrong to place in adverb? With
the idioms in this chapter, the particle may be placed on either side of the object,
but not anywhere else in the sentence. An
adverb may not be placed between the verb + particle or between the particle and
object because the verb + particle are connected in both meaning and grammar. The
president cleared up the problem carefully.
(correct position) The
president cleared the problem up carefully.
(correct position) The
president carefully cleared up the problem.
(correct position) *The
president cleared carefully up the problem.
(incorrect position) *The
president cleared carefully the problem up.
(incorrect position) Set
2 1. The President cleared up the problem. 2. *The president cleared up it. 3. The lawyer stuck to his argument 4. The lawyer stuck to it. 5. The president cleared it up. 6. *The lawyer stuck it to. a. What is the difference between the idioms in sentences #1 and
#3? b. Circle the correct answers:
1. In the idiom clear up, up is
a (particle or preposition)
2. In the idiom stick to, to is
a (particle or preposition) c. Which sentence is the correct form of #2 d. Which sentence is the correct form of #6? e.
Compare sentence #4 and #5. What
can you say about the use of pronouns with transitive verbs and particles? You
must be very careful not to confuse the grammar of intransitive verbs with prepositions,
and transitive verbs with particles. Compare: a. Transitive verb with particle
I held the meeting up. (particle can be placed
I held up the meeting before or after object)
* I held stubbornly up the meeting
(impossible position) b. Intransitive verb with preposition
I stuck to my opinion (preposition can only be
*I stuck my opinion to
placed before noun phrase)
I stuck firmly to my opinion
(possible position) The
general rule for pronouns is that they always precede particles, but always follow
prepositions. Particle: The
president cleared it up.
(correct position) *The
president cleared up it.
(incorrect position) Preposition: The
lawyer stuck to it
(correct position) *The
lawyer stuck it to
(incorrect position)
V. MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXERCISE Choose
the idiom from this chapter, or a previous one, which has the best meaning in
the context below. No idiom is used twice as a correct answer.
Be very careful about the grammar rules which you have learned. 1. Do you ever fail to do your duties or do you always ___________
them?
a. believe in
b. live up to
c. carry out 2. When the noise __________, I began to speak.
a. broke in
b. went without
c. died down 3. I tried to get through to him, but I couldn’t ______ his misunderstanding.
a. work up to
b. catch on
c. clear up 4. When you __________ my stereo, but I had to sell it to stick
to my budget.
a. part with
b. did without
c. go through 5. When you _________ your home life, can you look up to your
parents for the way
They raised you?
a. look out for
b. go into
c. look back on 6. It took many years for me to ______________ an important position
in my company.
a. keep up with
b. work up to
c. settle down 7. Did your committee __________ the problem carefully before
deciding on it?
a. get over
b. talk over
c. touch on 8. Although he __________ the best job available, he only worked
up to assistant.
a. part with
b. get ahead
c. tried for 9.
The soldiers stopped fighting and just ________ as the planes dropped bombs
on the enemy ahead.
a. broke in
b. tried out
c. looked on 10. The teacher is reading his lecture too quickly
so I can’t ________ his ideas.
a. catch on
b. keep up with
c. hold on 11. There’s too much noise here for me to study;
I can’t __________ it.
a. go through
b. think over
c. hold on 12. Did the policeman ___________ the mistake
you made?
a. point out
b. take off
c. make up
VI.
WRITING EXERCISE Answer
each question by using the idiom in a meaningful, grammatical sentence. 1.
Why do some people make up excuses for their mistakes? 2.
Why would the President think over an important problem before
making a decision? 3.
If you had children, how would you bring them up? 4.
What kinds of gifts do T.V. game shows give away? 5.
Why do people try things out before they buy them? 6.
How can a teacher clear up a student’s mistake? 7.
What was the most recent task which you put off? 8.
Why should students carry out their assignments completely? 9.
What problems might bring a revolution about? 10.
For what reason would you have to call off a party? 11.
Where would you look up the location of a city? 12.
Who do you talk over your problems with? 13.
In a hospital, who can point out the cause of your illness? 14.
When is it difficult to make a traffic sign out? 15.
When is the next time that you can take off a week or more from
school?
Section III.
NOMINAL, ADJECTIVAL AND ADVERBIAL IDIOMS Chapter
12 Nominal Forms : Pairs
of Nouns
flesh & blood heart & soul part & parcel wear & tear
pins & needles
odds & ends rank & file ups & downs give & take
ins & outs 1. GUESSING THE MEANING FROM CONTEXT Guess
the meaning of each idiom as it is used in the following sentences.
Provide either a synonym or a definition. Underline the context clues which
help you to guess the meaning. 1.
All three of his children look just like him because they are
his own flesh and blood. ______________ 2.
The volunteer was so dedicated to the politician that he put
his heart and soul into all his work. ______________ 3.
Tom’s quick temper is part and parcel of his personality;
he was born with it and will never change. _____________ 4.
After 100,000 miles my car has suffered a lot of wear and
tear, especially on the old engine. ______________ 5.
The movie was so scary that the audience was constantly on pins
and needles; they were sitting on the edges of their seats. ________________ 6.
Before going on vacation, Joe had quite a few odds and ends
to take care of, like loan payments and various errands. 7.
Although the supervisors and managers received salary increases,
the rank and file didn’t. ______________ 8.
Marriages cannot always be perfect; every couple should expect
some ups and downs. __________________ 9.
If the couple believes in give and take, they can solve
most of their disagreements. _______________ 10.
That older politician is very successful because he knows the
ins and outs of government business well. Classic
discussion : Decide
which idioms were easy to guess and which were difficult.
Consider the importance of context clues in your decisions.
II. DEFINITION CORRESPONDENCE Using
Exercise-I to help you, check your guesses by choosing the correct idiom
which corresponds to the definition you see on the left side.
Be sure to use context clues and to use the correct grammar forms. flesh
& blood heart & soul part & parcel wear & tear
pins & needles
odds & ends rank & file ups & downs give & take
ins & outs
|
(Cooperation) |
1. |
A successful
relationship between business partners depends on ____________ on decisions. |
|
(family) |
2. |
Of course
Tom is a prominent lawyer like me; he’s my own ________, isn’t he? |
|
(basic
part) |
3. |
Facing
danger and risking life are _________ of a policeman’s job. |
|
(damage) |
4. |
Because
they have seven active children, their furniture gets a lot of __________ |
|
(difficulties) |
5. |
The
unlucky actor could only get a few good movie roles; his life was full of ______________ |
|
(all
the details) |
6. |
To be
successful as a businessman, you have to know the _______ of the business world. |
|
(excitement) |
7. |
We were
on _____________ waiting to know whether we would have a baby boy or girl. |
|
(ordinary
people) |
8. |
Rich
people get many tax deductions; it’s the __________ who suffer the most. |
|
(full
energy) |
9. |
The
student wanted so much to graduate that all of his __________ into his difficult
studies. |
|
(various
items) |
10. |
Before
taking a lunch break, the secretary had some __________ to finish up quickly for
her boss. |
III.
EXPLANATION OF THE IDIOMS 1. flesh and blood – one’s family
or blood relatives; kin
This idiom is preceded by a possessive pronoun, and often by the word own. In a disaster, people take care of
their own flesh and blood before helping their neighbours. Of course I’m proud of my daughter;
she’s my own flesh and blood. 2. heart and soul – one’s entire energy,
all of one’s efforts. The idiom usually occurs with the
verbal idiom put into, and is preceded by a possessive pronoun. If you put your heart and soul
into your work, you’ll succeed. The opera singer put her heart and
soul into the difficult performance. 3. part and parcel – a basic part,
an integral portion No article precedes this idiom; the
verb be is usually used. Profit-making is part and parcel
of all business activities. Why does poverty have to be part
and parcel of life in undeveloped countries? Sally’s selfishness is part and
parcel of her character. 4. wear and tear – damage, deterioration
caused by frequent use This idiom is often used in reference
to machines; a quantity word usually precedes the idiom. When I rented out my piano to a stranger,
its suffered some wear and tear. My car has received a lot of wear
and tear from driving to work everyday. Joggers always put much wear and
tear on their running shoes. 5. pins and needles – a condition
of great excitement or nervousness. This idiom is usually preceded by on;
the verb sit is commonly used when the idiom means nervousness. The scary lightning and thunder storm
had me on pins and needles all evening; it was fun! Waiting for the important job interview,
Mary sat on pins and needles. 6. odds and ends – various items;
different tasks This idiom is not preceded by an article;
the adjective some or various often precedes it. John made a fast dinner by using some
odds and ends from the night before. The reporter discovered the political
crime because he had gathered various odds and ends of secret government
information. I did some odds and ends around
the house before I turned o the TV. 7. rank and file – common workers;
ordinary people This idiom is usually used with a definite
article, and sometimes is used as a compound noun form. The rank and file in the factory wanted higher wages. The rank and file in the U.S.
are generally uninvolved in world affairs. The rank-and-file employees
went on strike for shorter hours and longer vacations. 8. ups and downs – good and bad times;
difficulties This idiom includes both bad and good
periods of life, but it is only used during bad times. A possessive pronoun often precedes it. The business had its ups and downs
before it really became successful. All married couples have their ups
and downs, but they usually survive. 9. give and take – cooperation, compromise,
concession This idiom means that two or more people
must share in making decisions in which an exchange of ideas or compromise is
involved. No article is used. If married couples don’t believe in
give and take, then they will suffer ups and downs. Give and take is part and parcel
of living closely with several roommates. 10. ins and outs – all the details, the
important parts A definite article is used with
this idiom. The corporate president knows all the
ins and outs of the business world, both good and bad. Students must learn all of the ins
and outs of succeeding in school in order to do well. Class
discussion : Now
that you have learned the meanings of the idioms and how to use them in sentences,
go back to Exercise-I and Exercise-II and check your answers. As you do this, consider the following questions: 1. How many idioms did you guess correctly in Exercise-I? 2. How much better did you do in Exercise-II? 3. Are there any idiom meanings which are still not clear to you? 4. Is there anything you have noticed about the grammatical usage
of these idioms? IV.
LEARNING THE GRAMMAR RULES Part
A : The nominal idioms in this chapter are formed from different parts of
grammar, such as verbs, prepositions and real nouns.
These idioms can be used as subjects, objects or as noun phrases after
prepositions. Examples
: Ups
and downs are a part of life
(prepositions) subject The
athlete put his heart and soul into it.
(nouns)
object Marriage
is a matter of give and take (verbs)
noun phrase 1. What word is used to join the verbs, prepositions, and nouns? 2. What is the difference between the first idiom above and the
other two idioms? Part-B
: Look at the following sets of sentences.
Some sentences are correct and some are incorrect (*).
Answer the questions by comparing the sentences. Set
1 1.
The manager put his heart and soul into his work. 2. *The manager put his heart or soul into his work. 3. *The car suffered a lot of tear and wear. 4. The car suffered a lot of wear and tear. a. How does sentence #2 differ from #1? b. How does sentence #3 differ from #4? With
these idioms, the pair of forms can only be joined by the conjunction and. In addition, the order of the forms is fixed. The two words cannot
exchange position in any situation. The
manager put his heart and soul into his work
(correct conjunction) *The
manager put his heart or soul into it.
(incorrect conjunction) The
car suffered a lot of wear and tear. (correct
order) *The
car suffered a lot of tear and wear. (incorrect
order) Set
2 1.
I accomplished many odds and ends. 2.
*I accomplished an odd and end. 3.
These people are my flesh and blood. 4.
*These people are my fleshes and bloods. a.
What do sentences #1 and #2 tell you about plural nominal forms? b.
What do sentences #3 and #4 tell you about singular nominal forms? It
is also important to remember that the singular forms can never be made plural
and, likewise, that the plural forms cannot be made singular. I
accomplished a lot of odds and ends. (correct
plural form) *I accomplished an odd and end.
(incorrect singular form) These
people are my flesh and blood. (correct
singular form) *These
people are my fleshes and bloods. (incorrect
plural form) Regardless
of whether the idioms were formed from verbs, prepositions, or nouns, the pairs
of forms joined by and are considered to be real noun forms.
This fact, along with the fact that these forms have special meanings,
is why we call them idioms.
V. MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXERCISE Choose
the idiom from this chapter which has the best meaning in the context below.
No idiom is used twice as a correct answer.
Be careful about the grammar rules which you have learned. 1. Tom won’t buy that old car because it has too much _________
on it.
a. ups and downs
b. odds and ends
c. wear and tear 2. My ___________________ were very kind to me when I was seriously
ill.
a. heart and soul
b. rank and file
c. flesh and blood 3. The criminal knows the _____________ of successful robberies.
a. part and parcel
b. rank and file
c. flesh and blood 4. Reaching a difficult agreement is a matter of ____________________
a. give and take
b. odds and ends
c. part and parcel 5. Alone in the house at night without electricity, I was on _______________
a. heart and soul
b. ups and downs
c. pins and needles
VI.
WRITING EXERCISE Please
answer each question or statement by using each idiom in a meaningful, grammatical
sentence. 1.
Which of your flesh and blood do you love the most? 2.
What work do you put your heart and soul into? 3.
What bad actions are part and parcel of war? 4.
How do people put wear and tear on their cars? 5.
In what situation would you be on pins and needles? 6.
What kinds of odds and ends do housewives do around the house? 7.
Why are the rank and file important in any country? 8.
How do psychiatrists help people who have bad ups and downs? 9.
Suggest a reason why marriage is a matter of give and take. 10.
Why is it important to know the ins and outs of your work or
job?
Chapter 14 Adjectival
Forms : Pairs
of Adjectives cut
& dried fair
& square few & far between
free & easy null & void spick-&-span short
& sweet neck & neck
up & about touch
& go I. GUESSING THE MEANING FROM CONTEXT Guess
the meaning of each idiom as it is sued in the following sentences.
Provide either a synonym or a definition. Underline the context clues which help you to guess the meaning. 1.
Tom had seen three times before, so the outcome was rather cut
and dried the fourth time. _______________ 2.
In the difficult court case, the judge’s decision was fair
and square for both sides ________________ 3.
It takes me a long time to save enough money for a nice vacation,
so such trips are few and far between for me ________________ 4.
Workers who are not at all eager beavers have a work attitude
which free and easy ______________ 5.
When the Immigration Service, learned that George’s wife was
not a U.S. citizen; it declared the marriage null and void _____________ 6.
The maid took a long time to make the dirty kitchen spick-and-span. 7.
The politician’s speech was surprisingly short and sweet;
it only lasted ten minutes _______________ 8.
Three of the race horses were neck and neck all the way
to the finish line __________ 9.
The 40-mile swim put a lot of wear and tear on the swimmer’s
body, but after a day’s rest she was up and about as usual __________ 10.
The heart operation was so difficult that most of the time it
was touch and go. _____________ Class
discussion: Decide
which idioms were easy to guess and which were not.
Consider the importance of context clues in your decisions. II.
DEFINITION CORRESPONDENCE Using
Exercise-I help you, check your guesses by choosing the
correct idiom which corresponds to the definition you see on the left side.
Be sure to use context clues and to use the correct grammar forms. cut
& dried fair
& square few & far between
free & easy null & void spick-&-span short
& sweet neck & neck
up & about touch
& go
|
(without
delay) |
1. |
The
chess game was __________ because the champion beat the challenger easily. |
|
(in
good health) |
2. |
I hope
that he’s _______ quickly after his serious illness ends. |
|
(illegal) |
3. |
Although
the President made his own decision, the Supreme Court declared it ________ and
said that Congress had to decide. |
|
(honest) |
4. |
Although
I would have preferred to tell a white lie, my answer to her was very _________ |
|
(boring) |
5. |
I dislike
any activity which is _________ because I prefer to be on pins and needles. |
|
(uncertain) |
6. |
The
weather kept changing so our weekend plans were ________ until Saturday morning. |
|
(very
clean) |
7. |
The
Health Department expects every public restaurant to be ___________ |
|
(close
together) |
8. |
The
two best runners in the track meet were _______ for most of the race. |
|
(unworried) |
9. |
Young
people tend to have a more __________ attitude towards life than older people. |
|
(infrequent) |
10. |
The
office worker hardly made enough money to buy groceries, so his visits to restaurants
were _________ |
III.
EXPLANATION OF THE IDIOMS 1. cut and dried – obvious, routine,
straightforward.
The idiom is composed of two past participle forms, and is usually preceded by the verb be, seem, or appear;
it can also be preceded by make and an object. My weekend of steady work in the yard
of my house was rather cut and dried. Many political elections seem rather
cut and dried because most politicians are full of hot air. The repetitiveness of my job on the
assembly line makes it very cut and dried. 2. fair and square – honest, straightforward This idiom is usually preceded by the
verb be, and sometimes the verbs seem and appear. Joe is fair and square with
all his friends because fairness is part and parcel of his personality. Now that I am older, my parents’ decisions
appear fair and square than they did before. The new contract settlement seemed
fair and square to the rank and file in the factory. 3. few and far between – rare, infrequent
This idiom is also used most commonly with be, seem and appear, which always
occur in the plural form. Fortunately, attempts to kill U.S.
President are few and far between. If ups and downs in your life seem
few and far between, then you are a lucky person. 4. free and easy – unworried, carefree Besides being used with the three common
verbs mentioned above, this idiom can also precede a noun form, and in this case
hyphens (-) are used. If young people seem free and easy
with their money, it’s because they have a free-and-easy attitude towards
life. Playboys and the very rich tend to
be free and easy about everything. 5. null and void – illegal, invalid. This idiom is used with the three common
verbs mentioned with the verb declare and an object. It always refers to some official action or
decision. If teenagers get married without parental
consent, their marriage is probably null and void. The appeal court declared the lower
court’s decision null and void. 6. spick-and-span – very clean, very
neat This idiom is used with the three common
verbs mentioned above and can also occur with make and an object. It refers to the cleanliness of places, not
people. The hospital operating room always
has to be spick-and-span. The restaurant appeared spick-and-span
through the windows, but some corners were quite dirty. The maid was an old hand at making
the house spick-and-span quickly. 7. short and sweet – without delay,
brief This idiom can be used with be, or
make and an object. The word sweet in this idiom suggests that the shortness is
preferred by someone. I was quite relieved that the politician’s
speech was short and sweet, and not full of hot air. The students appreciated the fact that
the teacher made the exam short and sweet. 8. neck and neck – close together,
even (in a race) This idiom can be used with the three
common verbs, be, seem, and appear. The
appropriate context would be some kind of race between people, animals, or sometimes
vehicles. The two long-distance runners were
neck and neck in the last part of the marathon. The two race boats seemed neck and
neck as they rounded the final curve. The three lions were neck and neck
as they chased after the faster animal. 9. up and about – in good health;
active after an illness This idiom is used only with the verb
be. It refers to the ability to move around
after being limited by illness or injury. It feels good to be up and about
after a week of being indoors with the flu. The heart operation restricted him
to the hospital for several weeks, but now he’s up and about and as active
as ever. 10. touch and go – risky, uncertain This idiom is used most often with
be. It is used when the result or outcome
of a situation cannot be predicted until the very end, and when a change in the
situation could occur at any time. The peace negotiations between the
two warring countries were touch and go until both sides were satisfied
with the give and take. The results of the important election
were touch and go until the last votes were in and counted. The serious operation was touch
and go as new complications arose and were solved. Class
discussion : Now
that you have learned the meanings of the idioms and how to use them in sentences,
go back to Exercise-I and Exercise-II and check your answers.
As you do this, consider the following questions: 1. How many idioms did you guess correctly in Exercise-I? 2. How much better did you do in Exercise-II? 3. Are there any idiom meanings which are still not clear to you? 4. Is there anything you have noticed about the grammatical usage
of these idioms? IV.
LEARNING THE GRAMMAR RULES Part
A The
adjectival idioms in this chapter are formed from different parts of grammar,
such as prepositions, verbs, nouns, and real adjectives. Examples
: The
judge’s decision was quite fair and square
(adjectives) The
heart operation was touch and go (verbs) The
race was neck and neck all the way.
(nouns) Mary
will be up and about in two weeks
(prepositions) 1.
What word is used to join the two parts of each idiom? Do you think that another word could be used? 2.
Which verb is most often used with these adjectival idioms? Part
B Look
at the following sets of sentences. Some sentences are correct and some are incorrect
(*). Answer the questions by comparing the sentences. Set
1 1.
The judge’s decision was quite fair and square. 2.
*The judge’s decision was quite fair or square. 3.
The lecturer’s speech was short and sweet. 4.
*The lecturer’s speech was sweet and short. 5.
The hotel’s kitchen was very speck-and-span. a. How does sentence #2 differ from #1? b. How does sentence #4 differ from #3? c. What makes the idiom spick-and-span
different from the other idioms in this chapter? With
these idioms, the pair of forms can only be joined by the conjunction and. In
addition, the order of the forms is fixed. The
two words cannot change position in any way. The
judge’s decision was quite far and square
(correct conjunction) *The
judge’s decision was quite fair or square
(wrong conjunction) The
lecturer’s speech was short and sweet
(correct order) *The
lecturer’s speech was sweet and short.
(incorrect order) Set
2 1. Our vacations were few and far between. 2. *We had few-and-far –between vacations. 3. Joe’s attitude towards work was free and easy. 4. Joe had a free-and-easy attitude towards work. a. How has the idiom in sentence #1 changed in #2? b. What is the difference between the two idioms in the sentences
above? With
some idioms in this lesson, the adjective form may be placed before the noun if
hyphens (-) are used; in other cases, this is not possible. Regardless
of whether the idioms were formed from verbs, prepositions, nouns, or real adjectives,
the pairs of forms are considered to be real adjective forms. This is one why
they are called idioms.
V. MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXERCISE Choose
the idiom from this chapter, or the previous two chapters, which has the best
meaning in the context below. No idiom is used twice as a correct answer.
Be careful about the grammar rules which you have learned. 1. Students usually dislike homework because
often it’s simply too ______________
a. pins and needles
b. last straw
c. cut and dried 2. If you’re too ___________ with your money
now, you’ll have nothing saved for your old age.
a. big shot
b. free and easy
c. spick-and-span 3. If you tell too many _______, it will
become a habit, and no one will ever believe you.
a. white lies
b. second thoughts
c. fair and square 4. The __________ on my car makes it necessary
for me to sell it very cheaply.
a. close call
b. ups and downs
c. wear and tear 5. I hope that the teacher doesn’t declare
my test _____________ because I cheated.
a. hot air
b. null and void
c. last straw 6. A free-and-easy worker can never be an
____________________
a. old hand
b. eager beaver
c. ins and outs 7. The close soccer game was _________ until
thirty seconds before the end of the game.
a. touch and go
b. give and take
c. neck or neck 8. John enjoys serious discussion more than
______________________.
a. heart and soul
b. small talk
c. hot airs 9. It was amazing that she was ______________
so soon after her incident.
a. lost cause
b. up and about
c. spick-and-span 10. It was the ______________ when my neighbour
played his stereo very loud for the fourth night in a row.
a. part and parcel
b. ups and downs
c. last straw VI.
WRITING EXERCISE Please
answer each question by using the idiom in a meaningful, grammatical sentence. 1.
What kinds of books do you usually find cut and dried? 2. Why should a judge be fair and square
in his decisions? 3. Which of your activities are few and far
between? 4. Do you put your heart and soul into your
work or are you free and easy about it? 5. Why are some old laws declared null and
void as time passes? 6. Is your house or apartment spick-and-span
or is it in average condition? 7. Why do people prefer speeches that are
short and sweet? 8. Why are races more interesting if some
racers are neck and neck? 9. Would you prefer to be resting in bed
or would you prefer to be up and about? Why? 10. When could an international crisis he touch
and go?
Chapter
16 Various
Adverbial Forms time
and again day in and day out now and again for now for
good little
by little all
at once sooner or later
high and low by and large I.
GUESSING THE MEANING FROM CONTEXT Guess
the meaning of each idiom as it is used in the following sentences. Provide either
a synonym or a definition. Underline the context clues which help you to guess
the meaning. 1.
Even though I’ve tried many times to repair my car, time and
again it won’t start. _______________ 2.
She never has time to take a vacation; she’s busy with her work
day in and day out. __________ 3.
My old friend used to visit me now and again on some weekends,
but lately her visits have been few and far between. ______________ 4.
For now we’ll go to work by bus, but soon we’ll have to
buy a car for convenience. _______________ 5.
John finally was able to quit smoking for good;
he’ll never touch another cigarette. ___________ 6.
John hadn’t been able to do it suddenly; he had to control his
smoking desire little by little. _________________ 7.
On the other hand, some people are able to quit all at once
and never consider the idea of smoking again. 8.
Although people would like to live forever, everyone has to die
sooner or later. ______________ 9.
When I lost my keys, I had to look high and low before
I finally found them. _____________ 10.
By and large, Tom is an easy-going person in almost everything
he does. ____________ Class
discussion : Decide
which idioms were easy to guess and which were not.
Consider the importance of context clues in your decisions.
II.
DEFINITION CORRESPONDENCE Using
Exercise-I to help you, check your guesses by choosing
the correct idiom which corresponds to the definition you see on the left side.
Be sure to use context clues and to use the correct grammar forms. time
and again day in and day out now
and again for now for good little
by little all
at once sooner or later
high and low by and large
|
(eventually) |
1. |
David
really doesn’t want to make an all-out effort to find a job, but ________ he knows
that he’ll have to. |
|
(everywhere) |
2. |
When
the rainy season started, Mary had to look _____ for her umbrella, which was hidden
in the back of a closet. |
|
(permanently) |
3. |
The
famous actor thinks he’s so great that he’ll probably be stuck-up ___________ |
|
(daily) |
4. |
I really
dislike having to drive to work in the heavy rush-hour traffic ______________ |
|
(occasionally) |
5. |
_____________
I take the bus to work so that I don’t have to worry about the traffic, but it
takes longer! |
|
(suddenly) |
6. |
The
sun was shining just a few minutes ago, but _______ a bad storm came into the
area. |
|
(generally) |
7. |
_____________,
you’ll live longer if you try to be more easygoing about life. |
|
(temporarily) |
8. |
___________
I’ll have to stay at home because of my injured leg, but soon I’ll be up and about
as usual. |
|
(repeatedly) |
9. |
Some
people are so full of hot air that they tell the same ideas to the same people
___________ |
|
(gradually) |
10. |
The
patient’s serious condition was touch and go for quite a while, but _________
it began to improve. |
III. EXPLANATION OF THE IDIOMS 1. time and again – repeatedly Related forms: over and over; again
and again Time and again he tried to act
like a big shot, but each time we ignored him. Bill likes to tell white lies time
and again as excuses for his mistakes. 2. day in and day out – daily, continuously Related forms: day after day; year
in and year out (for longer periods) Housewives who have nothing else to
do watch the same TV shows day in and day out. I dislike my neighbours because day
in and day out they play their stereo loudly. 3. now and again – occasionally Related forms: on occasion; once in
a while; from time to time; (every) now and then; every so often; off and on;
at times Don’t confuse this idiom with now
and again. Now and again Larry and his
wife go out to dinner at an expensive, first-rate restaurant. It’s nice for fathers to have man-to-man
talks with their sons now and again. 4. for now – temporarily Related forms: at the moment; for the
time being This idiom suggests that a change will
occur some time soon. Although I have second thoughts about
your plan, I’ll accept it for now. For now we should assume that
it’s not a lost cause, but the situation easily might become worse. 5. for good – permanently, forever Related forms: once and for all; for
keeps; from now on After the drunk driving arrest, Mr.
Jones quit drinking for good. When Bill graduated from college, he
was glad that his studies were finished for good. 6. little by little – gradually Related forms: by degrees; step by
step Little by little, the foreign student
improved his English abilities. Joe’s love for his girlfriend continued
to increase little by little. 7. all at once – suddenly Related forms: all of a sudden; in
a flash All at once the soldiers attacked
the enemy to surprise them. The audience in the theater laughed
at the actor’s mistake all at once. All at once the rainstorm turned
into a snowstorm. 8. sooner or later – eventually Related forms: in the long run; in
time; in due course. Sooner or later all big shots
lose their power and become small fries. Even if you are suffering ups and
downs, things will improve sooner or later. 9. high and low – everywhere Related forms: here and there; far
and wide; far and near Jeff had to look high and low before he could find his old high school yearbook. The restaurant kitchen was so spick-and-span
that the health inspector had to search high and low to find some dust. 10. by and large – generally Related forms: in general; as a rule;
all in all; on the whole By and large, Americans are
rather easy-going people. I don’t like sour fruit like lemons
by and large. By and large, Bill stays in
bed late on the weekends. Class
discussion: Now
that you have learned the meanings of the idioms and how to use them in sentences,
go back to Exercise-I and Exercise-II and check your answers.
As you do this, consider the following questions: 1. How many idioms did you guess correctly in Exercise-I? 2. How much better did you do in Exercise-II? 3. Are there any idiom meanings which are still for clear to you? 4. Is there anything you have noticed about the grammatical usage
of these idioms?
IV.
LEARNING THE GRAMMAR RULES Part
A The
adverbial idioms and related forms in this chapter are formed from various parts
of grammar, such as nouns, adjectives, prepositions, and real adverbs.
Although most use the conjunction and, other forms also occur. Examples: He
makes the same mistake time and again. (noun and adverb) I
go to work day in and day out.
(nouns and prepositions) Little
by little Tom’s grades improved.
(adjectives and preposition) All
at once it started to rain
(adjective, preposition, and adverb) 1. How do the first two sentences differ from the second two sentences? 2. Do you think that these idioms can be put anywhere else in
the sentences? Part
B Look
carefully at the following sets of sentences.
Some sentences are correct and some are incorrect (*).
Answer the questions by comparing the sentences. Set
1 1. I like to go to the beach now and again. 2. *I like to go to the beach now and again. 3. Day in and day out, Bob stays at home. 4. *Day out and day in, Bob stays at home. a. How do sentences #1 and #2 differ? b. Where has the idiom been placed in sentence #3? c. How does sentence #4 differ from #3? As
was the case with almost all the idioms in Section II of this book, the
adverbial idioms cannot be changed in form in any way.
This rule also applies to the related forms. I
like to go to the beach now and again (correct
conjunction) *I
like to go to the beach now or again
(incorrect
conjunction) Day
in and day out, Bob stays at home. (correct
order) *Day
out and day in, Bob stays at home
(incorrect order) Set
2 1. I like to go to the beach now and again. 2. *I like to go now and again to the beach. 3. Jim looked high and low for the book. 4. Jim looked for the book high and low. a. In sentence #2, where has the idiom been placed? Where should it be placed? b. How is the idiom high and low different from the other
idioms in this chapter? Because
each adverbial idioms is composed of more than one word, it is almost never placed
anywhere in the middle of a single sentence; the normal positions are either at
the beginning or at the end of a sentence or clause. I
like to go to the beach now and again. (correct
position) Now and again
I like to go to the beach. (correct
position) *I like to
go now and again to the beach (incorrect
position) For now Tom
wants to save his money. (correct
position) *Tom wants
to save for now his money. (incorrect
position) The
exception to the rule is the idiom high and low, as well as its related
forms, which can occur in the middle of a sentence; after the verbs search and
look. Jim
looked for his book high and low. (correct
position) Jim searched
high and low for his book.
(correct position)
V.
MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXERCISE Choose
the idiom from this chapter, or the previous four chapters, which has the best
meaning in the context below. No idiom
is used twice as a correct answer. Be
careful of the grammar rules which you have learned. 1.
Ted is more than ______________; he’s basically just very lazy.
a. narrow-minded
b. easy-going
c. easy and free 2. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could eliminate
all war and violence _______________
a. for now
b. for good
c. time and again 3. ______________, there are more similarities
between various people of the world than there are differences.
a. By and large
b. Sooner or later
c. Odds and ends 4. I’m surely glad that hurricanes and earthquakes
are ______________
a. high and low
b. few & far between
c. all at once 5. An eager beaver will work very hard _____________
a. all-out
b. day in and day out
c. now and again 6. _______________ must be part and parcel
of all business and political negotiations.
a. Give and take
b. Pins and needles
c. By and large 7. The judge declared the new law __________
because it was discriminatory.
a. null and void
b. all at once
c. cut and dried 8. Little by little my car is receiving ___________
because I drive it to work day in and day out.
a. odds and ends
b. lost cause
c. wear and tear 9. Are you being _________ when you insist
on such a narrow-minded decision?
a. last straw
b. clear-cut
c. fair and square 10. At first I accepted his suggestion, but
later I had ___________ about it.
a. second thoughts
b. heart and soul
c. small talk
VI. WRITING EXERCISE Please
answer each question by using the idiom in a meaningful, grammatical sentence. 1.
Why is it necessary to study vocabulary time and again? 2.
Why is it bad to work hard day in and day out? 3.
What activity do you enjoy doing now and again? 4.
What is your main goal in life for now? 5.
What world problems should be eliminated for good? 6.
Why are all languages changing little by little? 7.
when might a person have to stop his car all at once? 8.
What bad habit would like to stop sooner or later? 9.
Have you ever had to look high and low for something? Where did you find it? 10.
By and large, what kinds of friends do you like to have?
|