This set of English Grammar Exercises (MCQs) focuses on “Idioms – Set 10”.
1. What is the meaning of the sentence ‘That villa is put on the market’?
a) That villa is offered for sale
b) That villa is converted into a market
c) The villa has been renovated
d) The villa is about to be destroyed
View Answer
Explanation: ‘Offered for sale’ is the meaning of the idiom ‘put on the market’. Thus, the option ‘That villa is offered for sale’ gives the correct meaning.
2. Select the idiom which means ‘to expose someone’.
a) show him up
b) shake him off
c) sticking out for
d) trumped up
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Explanation: From the options, the idiom ‘show him up’ means ‘to expose him’. Consider this sentence, ‘I threatened to show him up is he is not apologizing to the committee’.
3. Select a suitable idiom to replace the italicized part of the below sentence.
The negligence of the officers caused the explosion.
a) brought forth
b) brought about
c) brought in
d) brought up
View Answer
Explanation: Among the options ‘brought about’ is closest in meaning to the word ‘caused’. Thus, the sentence can be written as ‘The negligence of the officers brought about the explosion’.
4. The meaning of the below idiom is ‘in possession of facts not generally known’.
Behind the scenes.
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Explanation: ‘Behind the scenes’ means ‘in secret’ or ‘possessing unknown facts’. For example, ‘After coming to know about the incident, he admits that he was behind the scenes’.
5. Identify the meaning of the idiom ‘coining money’ from the following options.
a) donating money to the poor
b) parsimonious
c) spending lavishly
d) making large amount of money easily
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Explanation: The idiom ‘coining money’ refers to earning large sums of money rapidly and with ease. An example for its usage will be, ‘After investing in stocks, he has been simply coining money’.
6. The sentence ‘Even his best friend gave him the cold shoulder’ refers to which of the following meanings?
a) His best friend stood by him
b) His best friend treated him in a cold and distant manner
c) His best friend supported him by giving some money
d) His best friend betrayed him
View Answer
Explanation: The given sentence refers to the meaning that even his best friend started treating him like a third person, in a cold and distant manner.
7. Which of the following idioms means ‘retaliate in the same way’?
a) out of the way
b) put two and two together
c) war to the knife
d) two can play at that game
View Answer
Explanation: Consider the sentence, ‘Don’t belittle me, two can play at that game’ meaning that if he continues to belittle him, he will retaliate in the same way.
8. Choose the idiom which is closest in meaning to the italicized part.
The exam is postponed to next week.
a) put off
b) put through
c) put up
d) put out
View Answer
Explanation: The idiom ‘put off’ has the closest meaning to ‘postpone’ something. The sentence can be rephrased as, ‘The exam is put off to next week’.
9. ‘The procedures has to be mentioned in a letter’ is the meaning of the below sentence.
He wanted the procedures to be carried out to the letter.
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Explanation: ‘To the letter’ means accurately or with adherence to every detail. Thus, the sentence says that the procedures should be carried out exactly as mentioned.
10. Select the option which expresses the meaning of the idiom ‘foot the bill’.
a) found the bill
b) ignoring the bill
c) pay the bill
d) lost the bill
View Answer
Explanation: ‘Foot the bill’ generally means paying the bill. Consider the sentence, ‘We agreed on splitting the bill, but after dining I had to foot the bill’.
11. From the options select the meaning of the below sentence.
His quixotic findings took the edge off his argument.
a) His findings were relevant and eliminated the need for a debate
b) His findings bolstered his argument
c) His impractical findings made his argument ineffective
d) His findings were the highlight of the argument
View Answer
Explanation: The idiom ‘took the edge off his argument’ means to make the argument ineffective. Thus, among the options ‘His impractical findings made his argument ineffective’ is the required answer.
12. Find the idiom which means ‘to irritate’.
a) yeoman service
b) teeth on edge
c) out of the way
d) on tenterhooks
View Answer
Explanation: In the sentence, ‘The constant noise coming from the construction site set his teeth on edge’ the idiom ‘teeth on edge’ is used to express the fact that he is getting irritated by the noise from the site.
13. From the options, select an idiom to replace the italicized part.
I consider him as my own brother.
a) look up
b) look down upon
c) look into
d) look on
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Explanation: ‘Look on’ can be used to refer to ‘considered’ or ‘regarded’. The other options ‘look up’ means to search, ‘look down upon’ means to despise, ‘look into’ means to investigate.
14. Identify the idiom in the below sentence and its meaning.
Rajesh explained about helping the poor very eloquently, but will he put his hand in his pocket?
a) put his hand in his pocket – discuss with others
b) very eloquently – in an elegant manner
c) put his hand in his pocket – give money in charity
d) very eloquently – using very few words
View Answer
Explanation: The idiom in the above sentence is ‘put his hand in his pocket’ and not ‘very eloquently’. ‘Will Rajesh stand by his words and donate money to charity?’ is the meaning of the above sentence.
15. Choose the correct meaning of the idiom ‘stick to his guns’.
a) in possession of arms
b) indulge in violent activities
c) remaining faithful to the cause
d) very active
View Answer
Explanation: The idiom ‘stick to his guns’ generally means to stand by the cause and remaining faithful to it. For example, ‘In spite of receiving death threats, he stuck to his guns and fought till the end’.
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