Chapter 8 · English Grammar

Idioms & Phrasal Verbs (Competitive)

Advanced ⏱ 40–50 minutes 🎓 Competitive & Beyond

What you will be able to do

  • Know the meaning of high-frequency exam idioms
  • Use essential phrasal verbs correctly
  • Choose the right idiom/phrasal verb for a context
  • Spot idioms used wrongly in a sentence
  • Build a reliable exam idiom bank
Builds on / Related chapters
Grade 10 · Idioms, Proverbs & Phrasal Verbs

1 Quick Introduction

English

Idioms and phrasal verbs are guaranteed marks in competitive English — if you have learned them. An idiom has a figurative meaning ('a blessing in disguise'); a phrasal verb is a verb + particle whose meaning shifts ('turn down' = reject). This chapter gives you a focused, high-frequency bank tested by SSC, Bank PO and UPSC.

हिन्दी

Idioms और phrasal verbs प्रतियोगी अंग्रेज़ी में निश्चित अंक हैं — यदि आपने इन्हें सीखा है। idiom का अर्थ आलंकारिक होता है ('a blessing in disguise'); phrasal verb एक verb + particle है जिसका अर्थ बदल जाता है ('turn down' = अस्वीकार करना)। यह अध्याय SSC, Bank PO और UPSC में पूछा जाने वाला केंद्रित, high-frequency bank देता है।

2 A Real-Life Situation

Imagine this

A typical idiom item:

Q: Losing his job was a blessing in disguise.
It means: (A) a clear disaster (B) a hidden good (C) a costume (D) a punishment

Answer: (B) — something bad that turns out to be good.

Why this form? The idiom's meaning isn't literal — you can't guess it from the words. Exam-setters test exactly these fixed expressions, so a strong idiom bank turns these into easy marks.

3 The Grammar Rule

Rule & Formula
TypeExampleMeaning
Idioma blessing in disguisea hidden good
Idiomto bite the bulletface something hard
Phrasal verbturn downreject
Phrasal verbput offpostpone
Learn the fixed meaning; match it to the context
'He let the cat out of the bag' = he revealed a secret.

4 High-Frequency Exam Idioms

Memorise these commonly tested idioms with their meanings:

IdiomMeaning
a blessing in disguisea hidden benefit
to bite the bulletto face a hard situation bravely
once in a blue moonvery rarely
to beat about the bushto avoid the main point
to make ends meetto manage on limited money
to add fuel to the fireto make a bad situation worse
to turn a deaf earto ignore
to smell a ratto suspect something wrong
to cut cornersto do something cheaply/carelessly
a wild goose chasea futile pursuit
to call it a dayto stop working
the last strawthe final problem one can bear
Visual — High-Frequency Exam Idioms
An idiom's meaning is figurative"a blessing in disguise" = a hidden good
1
Worked Example
Meaning of 'to beat about the bush'?
Solution

To avoid coming to the main point.

2
Worked Example
Meaning of 'the last straw'?
Solution

The final difficulty that makes a situation unbearable.

Key Points

  • Idioms have a figurative, fixed meaning — not literal
  • Learn high-frequency ones: bite the bullet, smell a rat, cut corners
  • Match the idiom's meaning to the sentence context

5 Essential Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb = verb + particle. Learn these high-yield ones:

Phrasal verbMeaning
turn downreject
put offpostpone
call offcancel
break downstop working / collapse
look intoinvestigate
carry outperform / complete
give insurrender / yield
put up withtolerate
run out ofhave none left
get overrecover from
bring aboutcause
back outwithdraw from a commitment

The same verb changes meaning with the particle: take off (remove / a plane departs), take on (accept work), take over (assume control), take after (resemble). Learn each combination, not just the verb.

1
Worked Example
Replace with a phrasal verb: They postponed the meeting.
Solution

They put off the meeting.

2
Worked Example
Meaning of 'get over'?
Solution

To recover from (an illness, a setback).

Key Points

  • A phrasal verb = verb + particle, with a shifted meaning
  • High-yield: turn down, put off, call off, look into, give in, put up with
  • The same verb + different particle = different meaning (take off/on/over/after)

6 Vocabulary Builder

WordMeaningहिन्दी
Idioma figurative fixed phraseमुहावरा
Phrasal verbverb + particleवाक्यांश-क्रिया
Figurativenot literalआलंकारिक
Particlethe small word in a phrasal verbकण
Contextthe surrounding meaningसंदर्भ
✎ Vocabulary Quick Test0 / 1
Q.'To turn down an offer' means to:
Explanation: 'turn down' = reject.

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗ IncorrectIt cost an arm and the leg.
✓ CorrectIt cost an arm and a leg.
Idioms are fixed — don't alter the wording.
✗ IncorrectHe gave off smoking. (quit)
✓ CorrectHe gave up smoking.
'give up' = quit; 'give off' = emit.
✗ IncorrectThey put up the meeting. (postpone)
✓ CorrectThey put off the meeting.
'put off' = postpone.
✗ Incorrectto beat around the bush only
✓ Correctto beat about/around the bush
Both 'about' and 'around' are used; keep the idiom intact.

8 Practice Exercises

Fill in the BlanksLevel 1
Give the meaning of each idiom.
  1. a blessing in disguise
  2. to smell a rat
  3. to make ends meet
  4. to cut corners
  5. a wild goose chase
Answer Key
  1. a hidden benefit
  2. to suspect something wrong
  3. to manage on limited money
  4. to do something cheaply/carelessly
  5. a futile pursuit
Fill in the BlanksLevel 2
Complete with a suitable phrasal verb.
  1. The police will ______ the case. (investigate)
  2. They ______ the picnic due to rain. (cancel)
  3. He refused to ______ to pressure. (surrender)
  4. We have ______ milk. (none left)
  5. She ______ her father in looks. (resembles)
Answer Key
  1. look into
  2. called off
  3. give in
  4. run out of
  5. takes after
Error Detection
  1. He gave off chess after losing.
  2. They put up the wedding by a month.
  3. It cost an arm and the leg.
  4. She turned up the job offer.
Answer Key
  1. He gave up chess after losing. (error: gave off)
  2. They put off the wedding by a month. (error: put up)
  3. It cost an arm and a leg. (error: the leg)
  4. She turned down the job offer. (error: turned up)
Sentence Correction
  1. He let the cat out from the bag.
  2. The car broke up on the highway.
  3. I can't put off with his rudeness.
Answer Key
  1. He let the cat out of the bag.
  2. The car broke down on the highway.
  3. I can't put up with his rudeness.
Rearrange the Words
  1. disguise / a / in / blessing
  2. the / into / police / look / will / matter
  3. down / the / he / offer / turned
Answer Key
  1. a blessing in disguise
  2. The police will look into the matter.
  3. He turned down the offer.
Match the Following
Column AColumn B
1. turn downa. investigate
2. put offb. reject
3. look intoc. surrender
4. give ind. postpone
Answer Key
turn down → rejectput off → postponelook into → investigategive in → surrender

9 Micro Quiz

✎ Quick Check — 5 questions0 / 5
Q1.'to bite the bullet' means:
Explanation: Face difficulty bravely.
Q2.'put off' means:
Explanation: Postpone.
Q3.'to smell a rat' means:
Explanation: Suspect something is wrong.
Q4.'turn down' means:
Explanation: Reject.
Q5.'a wild goose chase' is:
Explanation: A pointless search.

10 Reading Practice

When the factory broke down, it seemed like a disaster. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Rather than beat about the bush, the manager bit the bullet and called in experts to look into the problem. They carried out repairs, and the workers, who had been ready to give in, decided to call it a day and start fresh. In the end, the crisis brought about real change.

Comprehension Questions
  1. List two phrasal verbs and their meanings.
  2. What does 'a blessing in disguise' mean here?
  3. Explain 'bit the bullet'.
Answer Key
  1. 'broke down' (stopped working), 'look into' (investigate), 'carried out' (performed), 'give in' (surrender), 'call it a day' (stop), 'brought about' (caused).
  2. Something that seemed bad (the breakdown) but turned out to be good.
  3. Faced a difficult situation bravely / made a hard decision.

11 Speaking, Writing & Daily Use

Say these aloud
  • Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
  • Don't beat about the bush — get to the point.
  • They called off the match because of rain.
  • The police will look into the matter.
  • He refused to give in to pressure.
Write five sentences each using a different idiom or phrasal verb from this chapter, naturally and correctly.
Example: I had to bite the bullet and apologise. The deal fell through, but it was a blessing in disguise.

12 Challenge Zone

🔥 Higher-Level Questions — 30 / 3
Q1.'The new tax was the last straw' implies:
Explanation: The final unbearable difficulty.
Q2.Choose the phrasal verb: 'I won't ___ his constant complaining.' (tolerate)
Explanation: 'put up with' = tolerate.
Q3.'to add fuel to the fire' means:
Explanation: To worsen a bad situation.

13 Chapter Mind Map

Mind Map
  IDIOMS & PHRASAL VERBS (COMP.)
                |
   +------------+------------+
   |                         |
 IDIOMS                  PHRASAL VERBS
 figurative meaning      verb + particle
 blessing in disguise    turn down=reject
 bite the bullet         put off=postpone
 smell a rat             look into=investigate
 cut corners/last straw  take off/on/over/after

14 One-Minute Revision

Remember these

  • Idioms have a fixed figurative meaning (blessing in disguise, bite the bullet)
  • Learn high-frequency idioms with their meanings
  • A phrasal verb = verb + particle (turn down, put off, look into)
  • The same verb + different particle changes the meaning (take off/on/over/after)
  • Keep idioms intact — don't change the wording