Monday, March 30, 2015

Verb Quiz

Read the sentence and write down which word you think is the verb.

1. I think about it a lot.  ________________________
2. Run fast!  _________________________________
3. I eat 3 meals a day.  ________________________
4. Let's sing a song.  _________________________
5. Jump over the fence.  _______________________
6. I often laugh.  _____________________________
7. Climb to the top.  __________________________
8. Listen carefully.  ___________________________
9. Look out the window.  _______________________
10. I walk every day.  _________________________


Answers
1. Think
2. Run
3. Eat
4. Sing
5. Jump
6. Laugh
7. Climb
8. Listen
9. Look
10. Walk

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Answers: Idiomic Pairs #4

1. Can you decide yourself? You are LENGTH AND BREADTH all the time.
2. Very few people were interested in the offer, so orders arrived IN DRIBS AND DRABS.
3. I have a headache, would you please stop RANTING AND RAVING?
4. As John didn't know where to look up, his mother gave him CHAPTER AND VERSE.

5. She's really very innocent, she will believe anything HOOK, LINE AND SINKER.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Idiomic Pairs #4



   by and by = soon, in a while from now.
By and by they came to an enchanted place.

   chapter and verse = with a lot of details.
The teacher gave them chapter and verse about where to find the information.

   cheap and cheerful = simple, not expensive and of reasonable quality.
This is really a cheap and cheerful Greek restaurant.

   cloak-and-dagger = secret and mysterious.
It was a cloak-and-dagger operation in which several spies were involved.

   down-and-out = having no money.
He's a down-and-out actor now.

   free and easy = relaxed, friendly.
She knew that life wouldn't be so free and easy at work.

   in dribs and drabs = in small amounts or numbers.
The public arrived in dribs and drabs.

   in leaps and bounds = very quickly.
My English is improving in leaps and bounds
.
   prim and proper = correct and very formal.
She's a very prim and proper lady.

   ranting and raving = shouting in an angry way.
Please stop ranting and raving and listen to me!

   skin and bone = extremely thin.
She's really skin and bone, she doesn't need to go on a diet anymore.

   spick and span = completely clean and tidy.
Her room is always spick and span.

   the length and breadth of some place = all over the place.
Police searched the length and breadth of the town.

   thick and fast = happening very frequently, in large amounts.
Letters for the contest arrived thick and fast.

   to be at somebody's beck and call = be ready to do what somebody wants.
She got tired of being at his beck and call.
   to blow hot and cold = keep changing one's attitude towards something.
Now he agrees but I'm sure that later he'll disagree; he always blows hot and cold.

   to believe something hook, line and sinker = believe a lie completely.
Paul explained her why he was late and she believed it hook, line and sinker.

   to risk/sacrifice life and limb = to risk/sacrifice one's life and health.
She risked life and limb travelling to distant communities to help the poor.

   to search high and low = search all over the place.
Police searched high and low for the burglars.

   over and out = message used to end a radio communication.
Understood. Over and out.


Exercises: Idiomic Pairs #4

1. Can you decide yourself? You are----------------------------------- all the time.
2. Very few people were interested in the offer, so orders arrived------------------------------- .
3. I have a headache, would you please stop----------------------------------------------- ?
4. As John didn't know where to look up, his mother gave him------------------------------- .

5. She's really very innocent, she will believe anything------------------------------------------- .

Monday, March 23, 2015

Idiomic Pairs #3

Practice makes perfect. Lets see how you do with this third set!

   by and large = in general.
I guess the team played quite well, by and large.

   chapter and verse = with a lot of details.
The teacher gave them chapter and verse about where to find the information.

   far and wide = everywhere.
She tried far and wide to find the keys but she couldn't. She had to take a taxi instead.

   first and foremost = most important.
First and foremost, I would like to thank you all for this welcome.

   forgive and forget = forget enmity.
 Let's be friends again, I'm sorry, but you have to forgive and forget.

   free and easy = relaxed, friendly.
She knew that life wouldn't be so free and easy at work.

   hit and miss = random.
I don't know how to operate this machine, it's just a question of hit and miss for me!

   live and learn = become wiser.
You trusted her and she deceived you. You live and learn, so don't get fooled again.

   in and out = entering and leaving a place.
The boss has been in and out all day, to see if the employees were working.

   loud and clear = very clearly.
 Even though he was 400km away, I could hear him loud and clear on the phone line.

   now and again = occasionally.
They like to go to a concert now and again.

   on and off = not all the time, at irregular intervals.
It's been raining on and off all day, I hate this kind of weather.

   sink or swim = be successful or fail.
This a very difficult job, you have to be careful. It's really sink or swim.

   up and about = in good health.
After the accident, he recovered very well, he's now up and about.

   wait and see = wait patiently.
I hope this government will be able to put plans into practice, but we must wait and see.


Exercises!

1. People came from------------------------------------ to see this concert.

2. We got your message ------------------------------------------- .

3. I guess we'll just----------------------------------- how things develop.

4. It's good to see you ------------------------------------- again!

5.----------------------------------------------- , the new arrangements have worked well so far.

6. The guide won't help you much, you are really left to----------------------------------------- .

7. We see our in-laws------------------------------------------------ .

8. What if we stop arguing? Let's----------------------------------------- .

Ill post the answers tomorrow!