How to Teach English idioms – Dr TEFL Guides

English idioms with Dr. TEFL from EBC

Hello everyone! Dr. TEFL here with some great ideas for English idioms.

Before we begin, I hope everyone is well and that we can get back on track with our English learning.

Teaching and learning EFL (English as a Foreign Language) today is challenging. We need plenty of engaging material to motivate us to study and learn English. EBC contacted me for material to publish on their blogs. Each week, I will share materials you can use for your self-study.

OK, here we go! Let’s begin.

Exercise to learn idioms in English

English level: C1 – C2 (CEFR scale)

Aim

Familiarize yourself with some idioms that are commonly used in everyday speech.

Introduction

Native speakers often use these idioms in everyday life, both in informal speech and in formal contexts. Some English idioms are quite similar in different languages, and you can easily recognize them.

For example, “pulling your leg” does not mean to grab someone’s leg and pull it; it means to tease or joke with someone, sometimes trying to convince them of something false (in Spanish, “to pull someone’s leg”).

Activity 1: Reading

Experiment and work with each idiom.

• pulling your leg
• play it by ear
• one of those days
• pigged out2023-01-05 15:00
• get a move on
• short fuse
• in the doghouse
• Keep your eyes peeled
• vegged out
• I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth
• my two cents’ worth
• spring chicken
• killing two birds with one stone
• rat race
• Chin-up
• don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
• let the cat out of the bag
• Beats me

Activity 2: Fill in the blanks to check your understanding

Complete the separate sentences below by filling in each idiom from the list above in the corresponding sentence.

1. Well, if you want _________________, I’d advise him to finish what he started, before moving on to the next project.
2. He’s only teasing. He’s _________________.
3. He has a really _________________. He gets angry so quickly.
4. When someone gives you something for free, _________________.
5. We’d better _________________, or we’ll be late.
6. _________________, I don’t know.
7. _________________, things can only get better.
8. She really _________________. She ate the whole cake in ten minutes.
9. He drives three hours each way to work and doesn’t leave work until 8 pm. He has joined the _________________.
10. Don’t _________________. It’s a surprise.
11. _________________. He told me himself.
12. She’s no _________________. She must be at least 70 years old.
13. _________________. You almost hit that cyclist!
14. He didn’t come home or call. He’ll be _________________ for a long time.
15. We just laid on the couch all weekend and _________________.
16. If you accomplish two things with one action, you are _________________.
17. Why don’t we _________________? I can’t make any concrete plans right now.
18. It’s been _________________. I was late, it rained, my checking account is overdrawn, and now I must work overtime.

Answer

1. Well, if you want my two cents’ worth, I’d advise him to finish what he started before moving on to the next project.
2. He’s only teasing. He’s pulling your leg.
3. He has a short fuse. He gets angry so quickly.
4. When someone gives you something for free, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
5. We’d better get a move on, or we’ll be late.
6. It beats me. I don’t know.
7. Chin up; things can only get better.
8. She pigged out. She ate the whole cake in ten minutes.
9. He drives three hours each way to work and doesn’t leave work until 8 pm. He has joined the rat race.
10. Don’t let the cat out of the bag. It’s a surprise.
11. I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth. He told me himself.
12. She’s no spring chicken. She must be at least 70 years old.
13. Keep your eyes peeled! You almost hit that cyclist!
14. He didn’t come home or call. He’ll be in the doghouse for a long time.
15. We just laid on the couch all weekend and vegged out.
16. If you accomplish two things with one action, you are killing two birds with one stone.
17. Why don’t we play it by ear? I can’t make any concrete plans right now.
18. It’s been one of those days. I was late, it rained, my checking account is overdrawn, and now I must work overtime.

Did you understand the idioms correctly?

If everything went well, you’ve learned new ways to use English that will help you in everyday conversation. Now try out what you’ve learned.

Make sentences using the idioms you just learned, and the real test is when you go out and speak English. Try out some of the idioms you learned from Doctor TEFL. Before you know it, you’ll be so comfortable with them that you’ll be speaking like a native English speaker.