ENGLISH VI
Name: _____________________________________________________ Grade & Section:
____________________
School: ____________________________________________________ Date:
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Inferring Meaning of
Idiomatic Expressions
I. Try and Guess.
Look at the given pictures below. Choose the correct idiomatic expression that best describes the
picture. Write the letter of your answer before the number.
A. a red letter day B. eavesdropping C.
tied the knot
D. under the weather E. in stitches
1. ________________ 2. __________________ 3. _________________
4. ________________ 5. ________________
II. Read again the poem above and notice the following phrases.
➢ a feather in one’s cap
➢ piece of cake
➢ to die for
➢ called the tune
➢ apple of her eyes
These phrases used above are idiomatic expressions that mean the following:
➢ an achievement
➢ easy to do
➢ extremely desirable
➢ make a decision
➢ favorite
If we are to know the essence of the poem as expressed by the meaning of the phrases used, it
goes this way.
What are idiomatic expressions?
Idiomatic Expressions
Idiomatic expressions or idioms are phrases which mean something different from the
meanings expressed of the words that are part of it. Its meaning will only be understood when
taken as a whole or when used in context. We cannot understand the meaning of the expression
by the literal interpretation of its words.
Like when you use the idiom ‘play by ear’, it does not mean that you will play using your
ear, instead, it actually means ‘to play music without looking at the notes’.
The following are commonly used idioms and their meanings.
➢ pass away means to die
➢ break off means to put an end
➢ cut down means diminish in amount
➢ stand out means to be distinguished
➢ hand out means to distribute
➢ break in means to train, tame, discipline
➢ put down means to record
➢ lay up means to save
➢ hand over means to give up the possession of anything
➢ fall out means to quarrel
➢ soared like an eagle means glided along high in the air
➢ raining cats and dog means raining very hard
➢ lost her cool means got angry
➢ tied the knot means got married
➢ foot the bill means pay for
➢ highly spirited means energetic and enthusiastic
➢ no good means of no use
➢ took place means exchanged places
➢ get on in life means continue working
➢ look after means to take care
➢ under the weather means ill
➢ wear thin means becomes dull
➢ burns up means makes us angry
➢ tripped up means made a mistake
➢ in stitches means laughing hard
➢ out of the blue means unexpectedly
➢ make waves means cause trouble
➢ down in the dumps means depressed
➢ turned down means refused, denied
➢ keep an eye means watch carefully
➢ turn up means appear, arrive
➢ get along means live harmoniously together
➢ face the facts means accept reality
➢ come down to earth means be practical; realistic
➢ take it or leave it means accept it or not
➢ see the world means see life
➢ serve one right means deal with one as he deserves
➢ sound a person out means find out his intention
➢ commit to memory means learn by heart
➢ bury the hatchet means forgive and forget
➢ cry over spilled milk means useless regrets
➢ follow the crowd means believe as most people do
➢ kills two birds with one stone means accomplishes two things at a time
III. Practice First. What’s More Try to find the meaning of the idioms by inferring on how
they are used in context.
______1. The class went on bananas when their teacher gave a series of quizzes without
discussion.
A. climbed the bananas B. became angry, disappointed
______2. Her place is neat and clean, everything is in apple-pie order.
A. organized; in good order B. apples are arranged in order
______3. Many pupils turned down the invitation for Milo Fun Run.
A. refused; denied B. went down
______4. Joshua’s dance moves stand out among the other contestants.
A. stand and go out B. to be distinguished; be different
______5. The couple broke off after experiencing a serious problem in their relationship.
A. separated B. sat down and took a break
What I Have Learned
Figurative language includes idioms or idiomatic expressions. They go beyond what word
actually means.
Idioms or idiomatic expressions are phrases which mean something different from the
meanings expressed of the words that are part of it. They are symbolic and creative expression
of ideas. They give force, color and vividness to our language. We use them to make our speech
and writing more interesting. Often, we can infer the meaning of an idiomatic expression from
context.
Inferring is a skill of forming conclusions or opinions based on evidence or proof. When
inferring meaning of idiomatic expressions, it is important to analyze and understand how idioms
are used in context. Looking for clue words surrounding the idiomatic expression helps in forming
a conclusion about its right meaning.
What I Can Do
Strengthening the Skill Read with understanding and infer the meaning of the idioms
based on how they are used in the following sentences. Choose your answer from the phrases
inside the box.
A. penniless B. unexpectedly C. revealed a secret
D. honest E. enthusiastic person
_____1. The teacher gave the pupils a fair and square rating for their not-so-good performance.
_____2. I got mad with my best friend when she spilled the beans about the guy I admired.
_____3. Hundreds of visitors arrived out of the blue during the fiesta.
_____4. Our family went broke after our food business was closed.
_____5. Miko got the Eager Beaver Award in class because of his active leadership among his
classmates.
Assessment
Mastering the Skill through Matching Type Examine how the following idioms in column A
are used in context. Infer its meaning by understanding the whole sentence. Choose your answer
from the choices in column B. Write the complete meaning.
A B
1. The teacher handed out English books to her class. A. take it or leave it
2. You did not pass the test because you did not study, B. accept reality
take this truth or not. C. distributed
3. Many old people passed away because of the deadly D. died
virus. E. lives; works harmoniously
4. Face the fact that you hold a big responsibility being
the eldest in the family.
5. The new pupil gets along well with his classmates.
Additional Activities
Read and Apply: The following selection uses idiomatic expressions. Infer the meaning of idioms
based on how they are used in context. Match your answer with correct letter.
Naisha and Yuri Naisha and Yuri are siblings. Most of the time they don’t (1) get along well
because of their age gap. Naisha is ten years old while Yuri is one year old.
When their mom is busy (2) killing two birds with one stone to earn a living, Naisha (3)
looks after her baby brother.
(4) Keeping an eye at her brother is not a (5) piece of cake to do. She has to deal with her
brother’s tantrums and hyperactivity. But despite the difficulty, she still manages to do her role
with (6) flying colors as an older sister to Yuri. She remains (7) highly-spirited while dealing with
Yuri for she loves him that much.
Naisha’s mother is so happy every time she (8) turns up at home and sees the siblings
getting along very well. As a mother of two, she will never (9) take place with other women,
because more than anything else, she had always dreamed of (10) seeing the world with her two
children.
A. live harmoniously together F. accomplishes two things at a time
B. see life G. successfully
C. appear; arrive H. easy to do
D. energetic; enthusiastic I. to take care of
E. exchange place J. watch carefully
1. _________________________
2. _________________________
3. _________________________
4. _________________________
5. _________________________
6. _________________________
7. _________________________
8. _________________________
9. _________________________
10._________________________
