CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
Which idiom means “to understand a hidden or implied meaning”?
A. Bread and butter
B. Keep your chin up
C. A blessing in disguise
D. Read between the lines
Correct Answer: D
“Read between the lines” means to understand a hidden or implied meaning. Example: If you read between the lines, the letter sounds like a warning.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “Rain on someone's parade”?
A. to say something embarrassing or inappropriate
B. to avoid choosing between two sides
C. to spoil someone's enjoyment or enthusiasm
D. to have no influence or effect
Correct Answer: C
“Rain on someone's parade” means to spoil someone's enjoyment or enthusiasm. Example: I do not want to rain on your parade, but the plan has serious risks.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
In the sentence “Let me play devil's advocate and question this proposal.”, what does the idiom “Play devil's advocate” mean?
A. a costly possession or project that is useless or burdensome
B. to argue the opposite side in order to test an idea
C. living with only enough money or food for immediate needs
D. to do something cheaply or carelessly by skipping proper steps
Correct Answer: B
“Play devil's advocate” means to argue the opposite side in order to test an idea. Example: Let me play devil's advocate and question this proposal.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “On thin ice”?
A. in a risky or dangerous situation
B. to behave cowardly or show fear
C. fully attentive and ready to listen
D. to obstruct or prevent someone's plan
Correct Answer: A
“On thin ice” means in a risky or dangerous situation. Example: You are on thin ice after missing another meeting.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “Make ends meet”?
A. I do not know any more than you do
B. to postpone an invitation or plan until another time
C. living with only enough money or food for immediate needs
D. to have just enough money to cover basic expenses
Correct Answer: D
“Make ends meet” means to have just enough money to cover basic expenses. Example: Many families work extra hours to make ends meet.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
In the sentence “The police left no stone unturned in the investigation.”, what does the idiom “Leave no stone unturned” mean?
A. to begin a journey or leave
B. to wait and be patient
C. to make every possible effort
D. to avoid choosing between two sides
Correct Answer: C
“Leave no stone unturned” means to make every possible effort. Example: The police left no stone unturned in the investigation.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “Know the ropes”?
A. to stop working on something for the day
B. to understand how a job or system works
C. a person's basic nature is unlikely to change
D. someone dependent on others cannot be overly selective
Correct Answer: B
“Know the ropes” means to understand how a job or system works. Example: Ask Hamza; he knows the ropes.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
Which idiom means “both sides are responsible for a situation or conflict”?
A. It takes two to tango
B. Turn a blind eye
C. In a nutshell
D. The ball is in your court
Correct Answer: A
“It takes two to tango” means both sides are responsible for a situation or conflict. Example: Do not blame only one person; it takes two to tango.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “In the same boat”?
A. to wait and be patient
B. very common and not special
C. in trouble or facing criticism
D. in the same difficult situation
Correct Answer: D
“In the same boat” means in the same difficult situation. Example: We are all in the same boat after the schedule changed.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “Hit the sack”?
A. very common and not special
B. to reveal a secret accidentally
C. to go to bed
D. caught while committing a wrongdoing
Correct Answer: C
“Hit the sack” means to go to bed. Example: I am exhausted; I am going to hit the sack.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “Have a change of heart”?
A. an achievement to be proud of
B. to change one's opinion or decision
C. everything possible or the full extent
D. in a risky or dangerous situation
Correct Answer: B
“Have a change of heart” means to change one's opinion or decision. Example: She had a change of heart and decided to stay.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
In the sentence “Hang in there; the semester is almost over.”, what does the idiom “Hang in there” mean?
A. to remain persistent despite difficulty
B. something very easy to do
C. to admit defeat or give up
D. in trouble or facing criticism
Correct Answer: A
“Hang in there” means to remain persistent despite difficulty. Example: Hang in there; the semester is almost over.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “Go down in flames”?
A. something will never happen
B. in private or secretly
C. to reveal a secret
D. to fail spectacularly
Correct Answer: D
“Go down in flames” means to fail spectacularly. Example: The proposal went down in flames after the committee rejected it.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
Which idiom means “to believe someone may be telling the truth despite uncertainty”?
A. Fair-weather friend
B. Rain on someone's parade
C. Give someone the benefit of the doubt
D. In the same boat
Correct Answer: C
“Give someone the benefit of the doubt” means to believe someone may be telling the truth despite uncertainty. Example: I will give him the benefit of the doubt until we know the facts.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “Get out of hand”?
A. to avoid becoming too close or friendly
B. to become difficult or impossible to control
C. to admit defeat or give up
D. only just; by a very narrow margin
Correct Answer: B
“Get out of hand” means to become difficult or impossible to control. Example: The crowd got out of hand.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
In the sentence “Losing the job was hard, but every cloud has a silver lining.”, what does the idiom “Every cloud has a silver lining” mean?
A. there is something positive in every difficult situation
B. to suffer because of involvement in something risky
C. to lose an opportunity by being too late
D. the final problem that makes a situation unbearable
Correct Answer: A
“Every cloud has a silver lining” means there is something positive in every difficult situation. Example: Losing the job was hard, but every cloud has a silver lining.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “Easy does it”?
A. to reveal a secret accidentally
B. to admit defeat or give up
C. very common and not special
D. do something slowly and carefully
Correct Answer: D
“Easy does it” means do something slowly and carefully. Example: Easy does it while carrying that glass table.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “Cut to the chase”?
A. to do things in the wrong order
B. only just; by a very narrow margin
C. to get directly to the main point
D. to spoil someone's enjoyment or enthusiasm
Correct Answer: C
“Cut to the chase” means to get directly to the main point. Example: Let us cut to the chase and discuss the budget.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
In the sentence “We will cross that bridge when we come to it.”, what does the idiom “Cross that bridge when you come to it” mean?
A. to calm down and regain control of your emotions
B. to deal with a problem only when it actually arises
C. unable to choose between two alternatives and losing both advantages
D. to treat something with skepticism rather than accept it completely
Correct Answer: B
“Cross that bridge when you come to it” means to deal with a problem only when it actually arises. Example: We will cross that bridge when we come to it.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Idioms
What is the meaning of the idiom “Break a leg”?
A. good luck
B. to reveal a secret
C. do something slowly and carefully
D. very common and not special
Correct Answer: A
“Break a leg” means good luck. Example: Break a leg in your performance tonight!