CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'weather the storm'?
A. The company controlled the actual weather.
B. It means collapse immediately.
C. The company reduced costs and managed to weather the storm.
D. It means ignore every problem.
Correct Answer: C
'Weather the storm' means survive a difficult period.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'cut to the quick'?
A. The knife cut quickly through paper.
B. The unfair accusation cut him to the quick.
C. It means make someone laugh.
D. It means praise someone warmly.
Correct Answer: B
'Cut to the quick' means hurt someone's feelings deeply.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'give a wide berth'?
A. Drivers were advised to give the flooded road a wide berth.
B. Drivers were advised to make the road wider.
C. Drivers were told to park on the road.
D. It means approach the danger closely.
Correct Answer: A
'Give a wide berth' means avoid or stay well away from.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Choose the sentence that correctly uses 'penny wise and pound foolish'.
A. It means saving both pennies and pounds wisely.
B. It describes a person who never wastes any money.
C. It means converting pounds into pennies.
D. Refusing a small repair now may be penny wise and pound foolish if it causes a major breakdown later.
Correct Answer: D
The phrase describes saving small amounts in ways that cause much larger losses later.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Choose the correct idiomatic use of 'at one's wits' end'.
A. He was at the end of a road called Wits.
B. He knew exactly what to do.
C. After trying every solution, he was at his wits' end.
D. He had just begun thinking.
Correct Answer: C
'At one's wits' end' means completely puzzled or distressed about what to do.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Choose the correct idiomatic use of 'white elephant'.
A. The authority bought a rare white animal.
B. The unused stadium became a white elephant for the local authority.
C. It means a highly profitable project.
D. It means an inexpensive and useful asset.
Correct Answer: B
A 'white elephant' is a costly possession or project that is difficult to maintain and yields little value.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Choose the correct idiomatic use of 'move heaven and earth'.
A. They moved heaven and earth to find the missing documents.
B. They physically moved the sky and ground.
C. They made no effort.
D. They postponed the search indefinitely.
Correct Answer: A
'Move heaven and earth' means make every possible effort.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Choose the correct idiomatic use of 'rise to the occasion'.
A. He climbed onto an occasion.
B. It means he avoided responsibility.
C. It means he arrived late.
D. Despite the pressure, the young officer rose to the occasion.
Correct Answer: D
'Rise to the occasion' means perform well when challenged.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Choose the correct idiomatic use of 'smell a rat'.
A. The auditor literally searched for an animal.
B. It means he became very hungry.
C. When the figures did not match, the auditor began to smell a rat.
D. It means he trusted everything completely.
Correct Answer: C
'Smell a rat' means suspect dishonesty or something wrong.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Choose the correct idiomatic use of 'pay through the nose'.
A. He paid money through his nose.
B. Tourists sometimes pay through the nose for food at very expensive resorts.
C. It means pay less than usual.
D. It means refuse to pay anything.
Correct Answer: B
'Pay through the nose' means pay an excessively high price.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Choose the correct idiomatic use of 'bury the hatchet'.
A. After years of disagreement, the two families finally buried the hatchet.
B. They buried a tool in the garden after an argument.
C. They bought a new hatchet.
D. It means they began a new quarrel.
Correct Answer: A
'Bury the hatchet' means make peace and end a quarrel.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'work up'?
A. The speaker worked the audience up on a ladder.
B. The speaker work uped enthusiasm.
C. The speaker worked enthusiasm at up.
D. The speaker worked up considerable enthusiasm in the audience.
Correct Answer: D
'Work up' means develop or arouse gradually.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'take on'?
A. The company plans take twenty employees on to.
B. The company takes employees at on.
C. The company plans to take on twenty new employees.
D. The company plans on take employees.
Correct Answer: C
'Take on' can mean employ people or accept responsibility/work.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'stand out'?
A. Her research stood because out originality.
B. Her research stood out because of its originality.
C. Her research stand outed originality.
D. Her research stood originality out of.
Correct Answer: B
'Stand out' means be noticeably different or impressive.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'see through' in the sense of detecting deception?
A. She saw through his excuse immediately.
B. She saw through the window his excuse.
C. She saw his excuse through a tunnel.
D. She saw through immediately to his excuse.
Correct Answer: A
'See through' can mean recognize the true nature of a deception or false claim.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'put forward'?
A. The committee put several recommendations forward to backwards.
B. The committee put forward of recommendations.
C. The committee forward put recommendations.
D. The committee put forward several practical recommendations.
Correct Answer: D
'Put forward' means propose or present for consideration.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'get away with'?
A. He got away the rules with breaking.
B. He got with away the rules.
C. He thought he could get away with breaking the rules.
D. He get away breaking with rules.
Correct Answer: C
'Get away with' means escape punishment for wrongdoing.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'fall through'?
A. The agreement fell through the floor literally.
B. The agreement fell through at the last minute.
C. The agreement fell at through minute.
D. The agreement was fall through.
Correct Answer: B
'Fall through' means fail to happen or be completed.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'look down on'?
A. No one should look down on people because of their occupation.
B. No one should look people down on because occupation.
C. No one should look on down people.
D. No one should look down people.
Correct Answer: A
'Look down on' means regard as inferior.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence correctly uses 'live up to'?
A. The new employee lived our expectations up to.
B. The employee lived to up expectations.
C. The employee lived up expectations.
D. The new employee lived up to our expectations.
Correct Answer: D
'Live up to' means meet an expected standard.