English Language

Idioms and Phrases

680 Questions
All Idiom/Phrase Meaning 431 Error Detection in Idioms 73 Synonymous Idiom Replacement 58 Idiom Completion 46 Contextual Usage 22 Foreign Origin Phrase Meaning 1 One-Word Substitution 1 Prepositional Phrase Selection 1

Idioms and Phrases Questions

Multiple choice
Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been divided into four parts and marked 1, 2, 3 and 4. One of these parts contains a mistake in grammar idiom or syntax. Identify that part and mark it as the answer.

  1. Neither of the two alternatives

  2. proposed by the management team during negotiations

  3. were acceptable to the labour leaders

  4. who, in disgust, staged a walk-out
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

(3) was acceptable to the labour leaders. Indefinite pronoun “neither” is used in the singular form, so a singular verb should be used.

Multiple choice
Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been divided into four parts and marked 1, 2, 3 and 4. One of these parts contains a mistake in grammar idiom or syntax. Identify that part and mark it as the answer.

  1. The chocolates brought by father

  2. were distributed among Lakshmi and Lata

  3. by mother, who advised them to eat them

  4. not all at once, but over two or three days
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

(2) were distributed between Lakshmi and Lata. Conjunction “between” should be used as we are talking about two people “Lakshmi and Lata”. When talking about more than two people we use “among”.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been divided into four parts and marked 1, 2, 3 and 4. One of these parts contains a mistake in grammar idiom or syntax. Identify that part and mark it as the answer.

  1. George apologised for his remarks

  2. which he said he had made

  3. only in fun and had not intended

  4. to hurt anyone's feelings
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

(3) only in fun and he had not intended. Rule of maintenance of parallelism. The construction before and after the conjunction should always be same.

Multiple choice
Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been divided into four parts and marked 1, 2, 3 and 4. One of these parts contains a mistake in grammar idiom or syntax. Identify that part and mark it as the answer.

  1. I had scarcely recovered from fever

  2. than I caught a severe cold

  3. and was advised to take leave for two more days

  4. and be in bed
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

(2) when I caught a severe cold. Some conjunctions are used in pairs like; either…or, neither….nor etc. Similarly with “scarcely” we use “when”.

Multiple choice
Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been divided into four parts and marked 1, 2, 3 and 4. One of these parts contains a mistake in grammar idiom or syntax. Identify that part and mark it as the answer.

  1. Next Friday the First Test between

  2. India and Australia will begin, the tickets for which

  3. have been sold out as early as

  4. last Sunday
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

(3) had been sold out as early as. Past Perfect tense is being used so instead of “has” we should use “had”.

Multiple choice
Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been divided into four parts and marked 1, 2, 3 and 4. One of these parts contains a mistake in grammar idiom or syntax. Identify that part and mark it as the answer.

  1. Few airports in India today

  2. is as modern as convenient

  3. as the Indira Gandhi international Airport

  4. recently built in Delhi
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

(2) are as modern as convenient. Since the subject is plural “few airports”, so a plural verb should be used.

Multiple choice
Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been divided into four parts and marked 1, 2, 3 and 4. One of these parts contains a mistake in grammar idiom or syntax. Identify that part and mark it as the answer.

  1. Though the population of the nation is large

  2. it is ultimately the intelligentsia

  3. who has to lead the economic revolution

  4. and improve the living standards of all
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

(3) who have to lead the economic revolution. Since the subject “intelligentsia” is plural so a plural verb should be used with it.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, an idiomatic expression is given with four possible meanings. Find out the correct meaning of the idiomatic expression. If you do not find any correct answer, mark (5) as your answer.

Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve.

  1. To show one’s feelings

  2. To be most intimate

  3. To love passionately

  4. To do the right thing

  5. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

To exhibit one’s emotions or feelings clearly.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question an idiomatic expression is given with four possible meanings. Find out the correct meaning of the idiomatic expression. If you do not find any correct answer mark (5) as your answer.

To catch a Tartar

  1. To catch a dangerous person

  2. To deal with a person who is more than one's match

  3. To trap a wanted criminal with greater difficulty

  4. To live carefully & cautiously
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'Catch the Tartar' means “take on a person who proves to be more than a match”.

Multiple choice

Directions: Five alternative illustrations are given below the text representing an idiom, a phrase or an aphorism. Choose the option that best illustrates the essence of the phrase.

Sometimes as you change and learn, you might not make immediate progress, but if the fundamentals are correct you can rest assured that as you 'drill for skill' and start to own the procedure, your career will definitely move to new heights (and so will your personal life).

  1. Put in concerted efforts

  2. Pick up the ability

  3. Master the art

  4. Pick up nuances

  5. Practise the craft
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Options (4) and (2) are not related and are eliminated. The sentence is concerned with learning and not 'mastering' an act, hence, (3) is also eliminated. Option (1) might seem correct, but as the question is concerned with 'skill' it would not relates to efforts. Option (5) is the best suited option.

Multiple choice

Directions: Five alternative illustrations are given below the text representing an idiom, a phrase or an aphorism. Choose the option that best illustrates the essence of the phrase.

'Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better' (Samuel Beckett)

  1. Try try again.

  2. Failures are stepping stones to success.

  3. Failures are learning experiences.

  4. Learn from your mistakes.

  5. Experiences incubate perfection.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The key to this answer is in the last expression, 'Fail better'. This implies that we should learn from our failures and not commit the same mistakes again. This crux is only justified in option (4).

Multiple choice

Directions: Five alternative illustrations are given below the text representing an idiom, a phrase or an aphorism. Choose the option that best illustrates the essence of the phrase.

India is sue generis.

  1. India follows the general trend.

  2. India follows the gospel truth.

  3. The Indian miracle is here to stay.

  4. India's growth experience is a broad brush phenomenon.

  5. Indian growth story is one of its own kind.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

'Sue generis' means one of its kind, i.e. unique.