Familiarizing with English Idioms

Why Idioms?

An idiom is a phrase which has a meaning different from the meanings of its component parts. This explains why an idiom cannot be translated literally from one language to another without some change in its meaning or connotation.
Idiomatic expressions are accepted as part of normal, everyday speech. Teachers of English have long recognized the importance of idioms as a means of adding grace and precision to speech and writing.
Using idiomatic expressions is never an easy task for the ESL or EFL student. Therefore, students need to study and practice on them as much as they can in order to get control of them.
The following is a list of selected idioms that you will have to practice on. Refer to this list and the definition to complete the exercise on the left of the page.

To look forward to: to expect, anticipate, usually pleasantly.
To find out: to get information, discover, learn.
To get along: to do, succeed, make progress
To make up (one\'s) mind: to decide
To point out: to indicate, to show.
To figure out: to calculate, to study carefully in order to understand.
To be used to (followed by a noun or a gerund): to be accustomed to.
To get rid of: to become free of, escape from.
To give up: to surrender, renounce.
To keep up with: to maintain the same speed as.

Reference:
Dixson, R. J. (1983). Essential Idioms in English. Prentice-Hall, Inc. New Jersey

Note: You may consult this book for more practice on English Idioms.

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'; if (is.CRAPBrowser){ReadingText=ResolveAllURLs(ReadingText);} var NavBar=''; NavBar+=''; if (is.CRAPBrowser){NavBar=ResolveAllURLs(NavBar);} var TitleCode = ''; TitleCode += '' + ExerciseTitle + '
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'; TitleCode += ''; var WordBox = ''; var ClozeOpener = ''; ClozeOpener += ''; var Buttons = '

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'; var GapCode = ''; var ClueButton = ''; ClueButton = ''; function GoBack(){ var BackSkip = history.length - PreviousPage; if (BackSkip > 0){ history.go((BackSkip+1)*-1); } else{ parent.history.back(); } } function ShowReading(){ if (ReadingFrame != null){ if (ReadingURL.length > 0){ ReadingFrame.location.href=ReadingURL; } else{ ReadingFrame.document.clear(); ReadingFrame.document.open(); ReadingFrame.document.write(ReadingText); ReadingFrame.document.close(); } } } //Reading text/timer code var min var sec var ShowReadingAgain = 'Show reading again'; function DownTime(mm,ss){ min = mm; sec = ss; if (sec==0) { sec = 60; min--; } sec--; if (sec<10){ sec="0" + sec; } if (TimerFrame.document.TimerForm.face == null){ return; } TimerFrame.document.TimerForm.face.value= min+":"+sec; if ((min==0) && (sec==0)){ TimesUp() } else{ setTimeout('DownTime(min,sec)',1000) } } function StartReading(){ Stuff='Remaining time:'; Stuff+=' '; WriteToTimer(Stuff); ShowReading(); timeoutID=setTimeout('DownTime(2,0)',1000); } function TimesUp() { var Stuff=''; if (ShowReadingAgain.length > 0) { Stuff+=''; WriteToTimer(Stuff); } WriteToReading('Your time is over!'); } function WriteToReading(Stuff) { if (is.CRAPBrowser){Stuff=ResolveAllURLs(Stuff);} ReadingFrame.document.clear(); ReadingFrame.document.open(); ReadingFrame.document.writeln (''); ReadingFrame.document.writeln (' '); ReadingFrame.document.writeln (''); ReadingFrame.document.writeln ('

') ReadingFrame.document.writeln (''); ReadingFrame.document.writeln (Stuff); ReadingFrame.document.writeln ('

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'); ReadingFrame.document.close(); } function WriteToTimer(Stuff){ if (is.CRAPBrowser){Stuff=ResolveAllURLs(Stuff);} TimerFrame.document.clear(); TimerFrame.document.open(); TimerFrame.document.writeln (''); TimerFrame.document.writeln (' '); TimerFrame.document.writeln (''); TimerFrame.document.writeln ('

') TimerFrame.document.writeln (''); TimerFrame.document.writeln (Stuff); TimerFrame.document.writeln ('

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'); TimerFrame.document.close(); } function BuildExercise(){ var OutString = ''; var ClozeStuff = ''; for (var i=0; i'; } else{ GapLen = I[i][1][0][0].length; if (GapLen < 3){GapLen = 3;} Gap = ReplaceStuff('[strGapSize]', GapLen, GapCode); Gap = ReplaceStuff('[strGapName]', 'Gap' + i + '', Gap); Gap = ReplaceStuff('[strItemNum]', i + '', Gap); Gap = ReplaceStuff('[strValue]', State[i][5], Gap); ClozeStuff += Gap; //Create and add the clue button if (I[i][2].length > 0){ Btn = ReplaceStuff('[strItemNum]', i + '', ClueButton); ClozeStuff += Btn; } } } //Add the last bit if (Text.length > I.length){ ClozeStuff += Text[Text.length-1]; } //Put the final pieces together OutString = ClozeOpener + ClozeStuff + ClozeCloser + Buttons; BuiltCloze = OutString; } function WriteFeedback(Feedback) { if (is.CRAPBrowser){Feedback=ResolveAllURLs(Feedback);} //Build the output string var OutString = ''; OutString += ''; OutString += ' '; OutString += ''; OutString += NavBar; if (Feedback.length>0){ OutString += '' } OutString += '

'; OutString += ''; OutString += Feedback; OutString += '

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'; //Write it to the frame TopFrame.document.clear(); TopFrame.document.open(); TopFrame.document.write(OutString); TopFrame.document.close(); } function DisplayExercise(){ //Build the output string var OutString = ''; OutString += ''; OutString += ' '; OutString += ''; OutString += TitleCode; OutString += ''; OutString += NavBar; OutString += '

'; if (WordBox.length > 0){ OutString += WordBox; } OutString += ''; OutString += BuiltCloze; OutString += '

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'; if (is.CRAPBrowser){OutString=ResolveAllURLs(OutString);} //Write it to the frame BottomFrame.document.clear(); BottomFrame.document.open(); BottomFrame.document.write(OutString); BottomFrame.document.close(); } function ShowClue(ItemNum){ //alert(ItemNum); State[ItemNum][0] = 1; WriteFeedback(I[ItemNum][2]); } function SaveCurrentAnswers(){ for (var i=0; i-1){ FirstBit = InString.substring(0, i); LastBit = InString.substring(i + Token.length, InString.length); InString = FirstBit + Replacement + LastBit; i = InString.indexOf(Token); } return InString; } I = new Array(); I[0] = new Array(); I[0][1] = new Array(); I[0][1][0] = new Array(); I[0][1][0][0]='point out'; I[0][2]='show'; I[1] = new Array(); I[1][1] = new Array(); I[1][1][0] = new Array(); I[1][1][0][0]='getting along'; I[1][2]='making progress'; I[2] = new Array(); I[2][1] = new Array(); I[2][1][0] = new Array(); I[2][1][0][0]='figure out'; I[2][2]='understand'; I[3] = new Array(); I[3][1] = new Array(); I[3][1][0] = new Array(); I[3][1][0][0]='make up their minds'; I[3][2]='decide'; I[4] = new Array(); I[4][1] = new Array(); I[4][1][0] = new Array(); I[4][1][0][0]='find out'; I[4][2]='discover'; I[5] = new Array(); I[5][1] = new Array(); I[5][1][0] = new Array(); I[5][1][0][0]='was not used to'; I[5][2]='not to be accustomed'; I[6] = new Array(); I[6][1] = new Array(); I[6][1][0] = new Array(); I[6][1][0][0]='gives up'; I[6][2]='abandon'; I[7] = new Array(); I[7][1] = new Array(); I[7][1][0] = new Array(); I[7][1][0][0]='been looking forward to'; I[7][2]='been expecting'; I[8] = new Array(); I[8][1] = new Array(); I[8][1][0] = new Array(); I[8][1][0][0]='keep up with'; I[8][2]='continue'; I[9] = new Array(); I[9][1] = new Array(); I[9][1][0] = new Array(); I[9][1][0][0]='get rid of'; I[9][2]='become free of'; Text = new Array(); Text[0]='1. In peer editing, students just '; Text[1]=' the mistakes of their peers without correcting them.

2. Young has worked very hard lately. Now, he is '; Text[2]=' very well with his vocabulary.

3. The instructions were so unclear that students could not '; Text[3]=' what the teacher wanted
them to do.

4. By the end of the term, students need to '; Text[4]=' about what topics they will write
about for their final papers.

5. Julia: How did you '; Text[5]=' about that scholarship program?
Mary: I saw it in the newspaper.

6. Nicole\' s frequent troubles with the computer originate from the fact that she '; Text[6]='
working with computers in Africa.

7. The optimistic person always never '; Text[7]=' even when she is facing difficulties.

8. Jenny has '; Text[8]=' her graduation for years. Now, it has become a reality.

9. The teacher often encourages her students to '; Text[9]=' the hard work.

10. To succeed in life, I must '; Text[10]=' my pessimistic thinking and think optimistically.'; State = new Array(); function StartUp(){ var i = 0; MixWords = new Array(); for (i=0; i -1){ var TotalChars = GetGapValue(i).length; State[i][3] = (TotalChars-State[i][1])/TotalChars; if (State[i][0] > 0){State[i][3] = State[i][3]/2;} if (State[i][3]<0){State[i][3] = 0;} State[i][4] = 1; } else{ //Otherwise, add zero to the array and increment the hints for this item, as a penalty State[i][1]++; State[i][3] = 0; //then set the flag AllCorrect = 0; } } } //Calculate the total score var TotalScore = 0; for (i=0; i'; } Output += YourScoreIs + ' ' + TotalScore + '%.
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