Sometimes I don’t even read questions three and four. Sometimes, I write the answer for question three in the space for question four and the answer for question four in the space for question three. Okay, maybe not five minutes, but I think you’ll agree that it is hard to pay attention to idioms when there’s a giant grasshopper sitting on the window right next to your desk. Never taught us, but something she had taught us during the five minutes I wasn’t paying attention. To improve your English language skills, or to learn more English phrases and idioms, book your English lessons now.I’m not sure what was more surprising: the surprise English test M Ma’am set, or that it was about something she had never taught us. Hitting the nail on the head means that someone is saying or doing something that is exactly right. You might say to someone “you’ve hit the nail on the head” if they pronounce a word right. If you have an exam, you might say you want to bite the bullet, which means you want to get it over with. Your teacher might say at the end of the English lesson, “Let’s call it a day”, which means your teacher is saying to stop working and finish the lesson. If you and your friend are lost in the city and they ask you which way you think is the right way, you could say “your guess is as good as mine”, which means that you don’t know, the same way your friend doesn’t know. If you hear someone say, “Can you wrap your head around this?” They would be asking if you understand something that may be complicated. This idiom means that things are going well so far, for instance you might use this phrase a week into your studies at our school. If you are sat in class and don’t understand what the teacher is saying because you are tired, you could say you aren’t ‘on the ball’, which means that you aren't paying attention to the class and are struggling to keep up with and understand the conversation. This expression means that if you want something badly enough, you have to be willing to work at it. Your friend may be struggling with their English lessons, by which you could respond with ‘hang in there’, which means keep trying and don’t give up with it.Īfter a long day of studying in our English Centre, you might find yourself tired and sleepy, in which case, you could use this idiom because it means that you are going to bed. If your teacher tells you to ‘get your act together’ he/she thinks you need to work harder. For instance, if you don’t pass your English test, you might say that you are going back to the drawing board – meaning you are going to try some more lessons and try to pass the test again. You might use this phrase if somebody in the class says something that you don’t fully believe giving someone the benefit of the doubt means to trust what they are telling you – even if you don’t think that it is true. You could say ‘break a leg’ to someone before they are about to do their IELTS exam, this idiom means ‘good luck’.

However, we don’t advise you turn up late for your English lessons and say this phrase to the teacher!

This expression means that it is better to arrive late than not at all. Practice these idioms when you are learning English at Twin or impress your friends and your teachers by explaining what they mean: if someone said “you’ve bitten off more than you can chew”- they are saying that you have tried to do something that is too difficult for you. An idiom is a phrase or an expression that has a particular meaning that differs from the meaning of the individual words, e.g. There are many English idioms that you might not be familiar with. See all of our course fees or contact us today for a tailored quotation See all fees >ġ5 idioms you can use when studying English Improve your English in our Virtual Classrooms Find out more > Provide students with a more intense English learning experience to allow for faster growth! Find out more >Ī great course for anyone who uses English in their work, or who is looking for a job in an English-speaking environment. See all coursesįocusing on the core English skills, these courses are suitable for students of all levels. British Council accredited courses ideal for students of all levels.

Phrases that mean biting the bullet