Essential English Idioms_3.pdf

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Essential Idioms in English
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CONTENTS
LESSON 28................................................................................................................ 3
LESSON 29................................................................................................................ 5
LESSON 30................................................................................................................ 8
LESSON 31.............................................................................................................. 10
LESSON 32.............................................................................................................. 12
LESSON 33.............................................................................................................. 14
LESSON 34.............................................................................................................. 17
LESSON 35.............................................................................................................. 19
LESSON 36.............................................................................................................. 21
LESSON 37.............................................................................................................. 23
LESSON 38.............................................................................................................. 26
LESSON 39.............................................................................................................. 28
REVIEW-LESSON 28 TO 39 ................................................................................... 31
<<< EASY ENGLISH >>>
3
LESSON 28
to let up:
to slacken, to lessen in intensity; to relax or ease one’s effort (also: related idiom:
to take it easy),
If the rain doesn’t
let up
soon, we won’t be able to have our picnic.
When Jane is working, she never
lets up
for a moment.
Jane should
take it easy
or she’ll get exhausted.
to lay off:
to abstain from, stop using as a habit; to release or discharge from a job (also: related idiom:
to let go)
(S)
If you’re trying to lose weight, you should
lay off
sweet things.
If business continues to be slow, we will have to
lay off
some workers.
It will be necessary to
let
the youngest employees
go
first.
to bring out:
to show or introduce (to the public) (S); to make available (S)
Most automobile companies
bring out
new models each year.
My mother
brought
some snacks
out
for my friends and me to have.
to bring back:
to return a bought or borrowed item (also:
to take back)
(S)
To bring back
is used when you are speaking at the place that an item is bought or borrowed;
to take back
is used
when speaking at another place.
Ma’am, our store policy is that you can
bring back
the dress as long as you have your sales receipt.
You can borrow my car if you promise to
bring
it
back
by six o’clock.
I have to
take
this book
back
to the library today.
to wait up for:
to wait until late at night without going to bed
Don’t
wait up for
me. I may be back after midnight.
We
waited up for
our son until two o’clock in the morning before we called the police.
to leave
(someone
or something) alone:
not to disturb, to stay away from (S) (also:
to let alone)
Leave
the baby
alone
for a while and she may go to sleep.
After the cat had scratched Peter twice, he
let
it
alone.
let alone:
and certainly not (also:
not to mention, to say nothing of)
Let alone
is used after negative forms. The example that follows
let alone
is much less possible than
the example that precedes
let alone.
I’m too sick today to walk to the kitchen,
let alone
to go to the zoo with you.
He doesn’t even speak his own language well,
let alone
French.
to break off:
to terminate, to discontinue (S)
After war began, the two countries
broke off
diplomatic relations.
Else and Bob were once engaged, but they have already
broken
it
off.
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4
<<< EASY ENGLISH >>>
to wear off:
to disappear gradually
My headache isn’t serious. It will
wear off
after an hour or so.
The effect of the painkilling drug didn’t
wear off
for several hours.
to wear down:
to become worn gradually through use (also:
to wear away, to wear through)
(S)
Compare with
to wear out
(to become useless from wear) in Lesson 8.
If you drag your feet while you walk, you’ll
wear down
your shoes quickly.
The pounding of ocean waves against the coast gradually
wears
it
away.
Johnny has
worn through
the seat of his pants.
Helga threw away that dress because she had
worn
it
out.
on the whole:
in general, in most ways (also:
by and large)
He is,
on the whole,
a good student.
By and large,
I agree with your suggestions.
touch and go:
risky, uncertain until the end
The complicated medical operation was
touch and go
for several hours.
The outcome of the soccer final was
touch and go
for the entire match.
EXERCISES
Substitute an idiomatic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as
well. Then complete each sentence appropriately with your own idea. Also try to use idioms from previous
lessons.
Example:
1.
Mary
discontinued
her relationship with Paul because she couldn’t…
Mary broke off her relationship with Paul because she couldn’t put up with him anymore.
2.
The effect of the wine
disappeared gradually
after I…
3.
I think that we should
wait without going to bed
for our daughter until she…
4.
In general,
it is best for a student learning English to…
5.
The company was forced
to release
hundreds of workers because business…
6.
Sir, you can
return
your jacket to the store if you…
7.
The outcome of the 100-meter race was
uncertain
because the four runners…
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<<< EASY ENGLISH >>>
5
8.
I have no time to visit the park,
and certainty not
the…
9.
If the snowstorm doesn’t
slacken,
we won’t be able to…
10.
I want you
not to disturb me
so that I…
Answer these questions orally by making use of the idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
If you want to keep a favorite pair of shoes, what can you do when the sole (bottom) of the shoes
wears down?
Have you ever been worried and had to
wait up for
someone? Why was the person late?
In your country, is it possible
to take back
an item to a store after you have bought it?
Why is it important
to let up
if you have been working for several hours without a break?
Give an example of when you should
leave
a child
alone.
Why should smokers
lay off
smoking cigarettes?
How long does it take for the effects of a drug such as alcohol
to wear off?
For what reasons would one country
break off
relations with another country?
On the whole,
what is your favorite music?
LESSON 29
to work out:
to exercise; to develop, to devise (a plan) (S)
Jane
works out
at the fitness center every other morning before going to school.
The advertising department
worked out
a plan to increase company sales.
We couldn’t come up with a good plan for solving the problem, but we agreed to
work
it
out
at a later date.
to back up:
to drive or go backwards (S), to defend, to support (S); to return to a previous thought
I couldn’t
back
my car
up
because there was a bicycle in the driveway behind me.
Ursula asked her friends to
back
her
up
when she went to court to fight a ticket for an illegal lane change on the
highway.
Wait a minute. Could you
back up
and say that again?
to back out:
to drive a vehicle out of a parking space (S); to withdraw support, to fail to fulfill a promise or
obligation
The parking lot attendant had to
back
another car
out
before he could get to mine.
We were all ready to sign the contracts when one of the parties to the agreement
backed out.
to have one's heart set on:
to desire greatly, to be determined to
She
has her heart set on
taking a trip abroad. She's been thinking about it for months.
Todd
has his heart set on
going to medical school and becoming a doctor.
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