Common English Idioms and Phrasal Verbs — Board Exam Guide

What are Idioms and Why They Matter

• Idiom: phrase whose meaning is not literal; 'kick the bucket' = die; 'break a leg' = good luck
• Board exams: comprehension passages use idioms; vocabulary questions test understanding of idiomatic expressions
• Writing use: using idioms correctly in essays and letters elevates language quality; impresses evaluators

Common Idioms for Board Exams

• 'Bite the bullet': endure pain or difficulty; 'The students had to bite the bullet and study all night'
• 'Burning the midnight oil': studying or working late; 'She was burning the midnight oil before the exam'
• 'Hit the nail on the head': identify something accurately; 'Your analysis hit the nail on the head'

More Common Idioms

• 'Let the cat out of the bag': reveal a secret; 'He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party'
• 'Under the weather': feeling ill; 'She couldn't attend school as she was under the weather'
• 'A blessing in disguise': something seeming bad but turning out good; 'Missing the bus was a blessing in disguise — I met an old friend'

Phrasal Verbs (High Frequency for Exams)

• Give up: abandon; Give in: yield; Give away: donate/reveal; Give off: emit (smell/heat)
• Look up: search; Look into: investigate; Look after: care for; Look forward to: anticipate with excitement
• Turn down: refuse/reduce; Turn up: arrive/increase; Turn out: result; Turn over: flip/hand over

More Phrasal Verbs

• Put off: postpone; Put up with: tolerate; Put forward: suggest; Put down: write/suppress
• Carry on: continue; Carry out: execute; Carry away: lose control of emotions; Carry forward: bring ahead
• Break down: stop working/cry; Break up: separate; Break out: escape/start suddenly; Break through: achieve progress

Learning Idioms Effectively

• Context learning: learn idiom in a sentence, not in isolation; create your own example sentence
• Group by theme: idioms about time (against the clock, in the nick of time), money (cost an arm and a leg)
• Use in writing: deliberately use 1–2 idioms in essays or letters when appropriate; shows active vocabulary

CBSE/ICSE Exam Application

• Fill in the blanks with appropriate idiom: choose from options; test understanding of meaning in context
• Editing task: correct incorrect idiom usage; know standard form ('nip in the bud' not 'nip in the bloom')
• Write a sentence using: create your own sentence showing correct usage and meaning