Author Thomas Booth worked for 10 years as an English-language teacher in Poland and Russia. He now lives in England, where he works as an editor and English-language materials writer. He has contributed to a number of books in the English for Everyone series. US consultant Jenny Wilson, MEd, has taught English as a foreign language in the US and UK for many years, at private institutes and universities including the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
She has also worked as an IELTS examiner and written English-language materials for Collins Language, Cambridge University Press, and Corwin. ENGLISH FO R E V E RYO N E ENGLISH IDIOMS Contents Senior Editor Laura Sandford How to use this book 6 Senior Art Editor Amy Child Illustration Square Egg Managing Editor Christine Stroyan Managing Art Editor Anna Hall DESCRIBING PEOPLE AND THINGS Jacket Designer Surabhi Wadhwa Jacket Editor Emma Dawson Age 10 Jacket Design Development Manager Sophia MTT Producer, Pre-production Robert Dunn Producer Jude Crozier Friends and family 14 Publisher Andrew Macintyre Art Director Karen Self Appearance and background 18 Publishing Director Jonathan Metcalf DK India Personality traits 22 Senior Editor Janashree Singha Assistant Editor Rishi Bryan Good things 26 Project Art Editor Vikas Sachdeva Art Editors Pallavi Kapur, Roshni Kapur Assistant Art Editor Monam Nishat Bad things 30 Managing Editor Soma B. Chowdhury Senior Managing Art Editor Arunesh Talapatra Pre-production Manager Balwant Singh Animals 34 DTP Designer Anita Yadav Food 38 First published in Great Britain in 2019 by Dorling Kindersley Limited 80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL ATTITUDE Copyright © 2019 Dorling Kindersley Limited Agreeing and disagreeing 42 A Penguin Random House Company 10 8 6 4 2 1 3 5 7 9 001–309818–Mar/2019 Behavior 46 All rights reserved. Emotions 50 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, Positive emotions 54 photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Negative emotions 58 A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Memory 62 ISBN: 978-0-2413-3588-8 Printed in China The body 66 All images © Dorling Kindersley Limited For further information see: www.com War and weapons 70 A WORLD OF IDEAS: SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES www.com Amount and distance 74 Beginning and ending 78 Chance, luck, and probability 82 Work and business 1 166 Ease and difficulty 86 Work and business 2 170 Safety and danger 90 Sports 174 Difficult situations 94 EXPRESSIONS The weather and nature 98 “Make” and “do” 178 COMMUNICATION “Give” and “take” 182 Talking 102 “Have” and “get” 186 Sharing information 106 ‘’Set’’ and ‘’put’’ 190 Truth and lies 110 “Go” and “come” 194 Looking and listening 114 Expressions with other verbs 198 Music and the arts 118 Intensifying adverbs 202 Similes 206 EVERYDAY LIFE Proverbs 210 Eating and drinking 122 Easily confused words 1 214 Describing your health 126 Easily confused words 2 218 Knowledge and education 130 Colors 222 Money 134 Shopping 138 Answers 226 Time 142 Index of idioms and expressions 239 Index of common words and subjects 254 Clothes 146 Acknowledgments 256 WORK AND ACHIEVEMENTS Working and relaxing 150 Movement and progress 154 Rules, law, and authority 158 Success and failure 162 How to use this book English for Everyone: English Idioms will help you learn, understand, and remember the most common English idioms and expressions. Each of the 54 units in the book consists of a teaching spread on a subject or theme, with illustrated sentences to place the idiom in context, and then a practice spread with exercises to reinforce what you have learned. Listen to the free audio and repeat each expression and sentence.
The answers to all the exercises are at the back of the book, along with comprehensive indexes. MATC IDIOMS TO Unit number The book is Modules Many teaching divided into units. The unit spreads are broken into number helps you keep modules covering different track of your progress. categories of idioms.
CROSS Module number Every module is identified with a Ease and difficulty unique number, so you can easily locate the related audio. EASE DIFFICULTIES AND PR extremely easy easy very annoying or problematic Sample sentences English idioms are shown in the context of a sample sentence. very easy (usually about very easy (usually make a small task or problem overcoming competition) about a mistake) seem bigger than it is Definitions Idiomatic English expressions are accompanied by definitions. not very complicated or difficult easy not as easy 144 as it seems Supporting graphics Visual cues help you understand and easy extremely easy and in a difficult or unusual situation remember new idioms.
straightforward Write-on lines You are encouraged to write your own translations of English easy, without easily, or without thinking major problems in a situation that is too difficult idioms to create your own reference pages. 86 TEACHING SPREAD 6 Sample answer The first question of each exercise is answered for you, to Listening exercise This help make the task easy to understand. symbol indicates that you Exercise number Each should listen to an audio exercise is identified with Exercise instruction Each exercise is track in order to answer the a unique number, so you introduced with a brief instruction, questions in the exercise. can easily locate answers.
telling you what you need to do. CH THE BEGINNINGS OF THE LISTEN TO THE AUDIO MATCH THE DEFINITIONS TO THE CORRECT IDIOMS O THE CORRECT ENDINGS AND MARK THE IDIOMS YOU HEAR kept busy while waiting unexpectedly soon or quickly very late at night You have no more time to complete a task. a boring experience that passes very slowly at the last possible moment passed very quickly or too quickly S OUT THE INCORRECT WORDS IN EACH SENTENCE LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND COMPLETE THE SENTENCES ROBLEMS caused a situation that leads to more difficulties a huge amount to do, or problem to overcome very difficult 145 PRACTICE SPREAD UK/US idioms Some idioms problems at the beginning are specific to UK or US English. of a process These are labeled (UK) or (US).
Space for writing You are encouraged to write your answers in the book for future reference. extremely difficult, usually because of someone’s behavior Audio support All teaching modules are supported by audio 87 recordings to help you recognize and pronounce spoken vocabulary. 7 Idioms and expressions Idioms can be one of the most difficult parts of a language for learners to understand and use correctly. English for Everyone: English Idioms includes over 1,000 of the most common and useful English idioms, along with set expressions and easily confused words.
IDIOMS Idioms are expressions that cannot be understood literally. For example, “like two peas in a pod” has nothing to do with peas, but means two people look alike. Idiomatic expression SET EXPRESSIONS Some of the expressions in this book are not idioms, but particular common combinations of words. Learners often make mistakes when they use these set expressions.
Set expression EASILY CONFUSED WORDS This books also includes two units on words that are easily confused by English-language learners, such as “say” and “tell.” When you use “say”, you don’t have to state who a person is talking to. When you use “tell”, you must state who a person is talking to. 8 Audio Answers English for Everyone: English Idioms features extensive The book is designed to make supporting audio resources. Every expression and it easy to monitor your progress.
sentence in the teaching spreads is recorded, and Answers are provided for every you are encouraged to listen to the audio and repeat exercise, so you can see how well the phrases and sentences out loud, until you are you have understood and confident you understand and can pronounce what remembered the idioms and has been said. expressions you have learned. SUPPORTING AUDIO This symbol indicates that audio recordings of the idioms and sentences in Exercise numbers a module are available for you to listen to. Match these numbers to the number LISTENING EXERCISES at the top-left corner This symbol indicates that you should of each exercise.
listen to an audio track in order to answer the questions in the exercise. Answers Find the answers FREE AUDIO to every exercise printed website and app at the back of the book.com Indexes This book includes two indexes: an index of idioms and expressions, and an index of common words and subjects. Index of common words and subjec INDEX OF COMMON INDEX OF IDIOMS AND EXPRESSIONS WORDS AND SUBJECTS 24.1 Thesheer index luck of 19.2idioms and expressions contains a million miles away 27.2 UK/US idioms If an Use this index to find idioms ream 7.1 every haveexpression from13.1 a lump in your throat the teaching spreads, miles ahead of 5.1 relating tolisted a subject or expressions 1 1 have lunch 45.1 listed in alphabetical order leave someone in the lurch 10.1 by key cry over spilled milk 8. a million miles away 27.2 idiom has a UK or US equivalent, both Entries are using a common number.
by unit number word. Main entries are bold. or module D “damage” 53.1 melt in your mouth 3.1 at the back of your mind 14.1 versions are listed in danger 21.1 M keep in mind (US) / bear in mind (UK) 14.1 someone’s mind goes blank 14.1 day, parts of the 34.2 dealing with problem “deeply” 49.3 can’t make heads or tails of (US) / can’t make something slips your mind 14.1 advantage and disadvantage 3.3 difficult situations 22 head or tail of (UK) 31.1 speak your mind 24.2 adverbs, intensifying 49 difficulties 20.1 make a beeline for 37.1 spring to mind 14.1 Key words Each age 1 disagreement 9.1 great minds think alike 31.1 entry in the index agreement 9.2 make a fresh start 18.1 a misery guts (UK), see a downer (US) contains a key word anger 13.2 the firing line (UK) 16.1 from the expression animals 4.1 break the mold 31. appearance 3 make a mountain out of a molehill 20.2 make a mountain out of a molehill 20.2 arts, the 28 of the range (UK) 5.1 s its weakest link 51.1 make a phone call 43.1 make a pig’s ear of something 7.1 money doesn’t grow on trees 32.1 throw money around 32.1 make a rod for your own back 22.2 throw money down the drain 32.1 easily confused words make arrangements 43.1 once in a blue moon 34.1 make ends meet 32.1 over the moon 12.1 Module number Match the number B background 3.4 make great strides 37.1 set the wheels in motion 37.1 a mountain to climb 20.2 in the index to the bad things 6 emotions 11 “beat” 52.4 emotions, negative 13 ns 6.1 make some friends 43.1 make a mountain out of a molehill 20.2 module number on beginning 18.1 emotions, positive 12 make someone’s blood boil 13.1 as quiet as a mouse 50.2 the teaching page.1 make someone’s hair stand on end 13.3 be born with a silver spoon in your mouth 3.3 make someone’s mouth water 29.1 by word of mouth 25.2 foam at the mouth 11.2 make your bed 43.1 hear something from the horse’s mouth 25.2 expressions, common many hands make light work 51.1 leave a bad taste in someone’s mouth 6.1 2 the black market 54.1 look like butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth 3.2 a sit-down meal (US) / a slap-up meal (UK) 29.1 make someone’s mouth water 29.1 get a move on 34.4 F9 US) / look a million a square meal 29.1 move the goalposts 42.2 make ends meet 32.1 a stick-in-the-mud 23.2 melt in your mouth 3.1 meet someone halfway 9.3 face the music 28.