Get to the Point: Mastering Common English Idioms

• English
• Secondary Education

Get to the Point: Mastering Common English Idioms

Learning Objective

By the end of the lesson, you will be able to identify, understand, and use common English idioms in context.

Explain the learning objectives to the students and emphasize the importance of idioms in everyday language.

What do you already know about idioms?

What is an Idiom?

An idiom is a phrase that has a figurative meaning that differs from the literal meaning of the words.

Explain the concept of idioms and provide some examples to the students.

Literal vs. Figurative

Literal meaning is the exact meaning of the words, while figurative meaning is the implied meaning.

example: It's raining cats and dogs

Explain the difference between literal and figurative meanings and provide examples.

Common Idioms

There are hundreds of English idioms. Let's start with some common ones: 'Break a leg,' 'Costs an arm and a leg,' 'Bite the bullet,' 'Hit the nail on the head,' and 'Under the weather.'

Introduce some common idioms and provide their definitions to the students.

Identifying Idioms

To identify an idiom, look for a phrase that doesn't make sense when taken literally.

Explain to the students how to identify idioms within a given text or conversation.

Understanding Idioms

To understand an idiom, consider the context in which it is used and the figurative meaning of the words.

Explain to the students how to understand the meaning of idioms in context.

Using Idioms

Now that you understand some common idioms, try using at least five of them correctly in your own sentences or a short paragraph.

Encourage the students to use the new idioms they learned in their writing or speaking.

Teaching Others

To explain an idiom to others, provide both the literal and figurative meanings.

Ask the students to partner up and teach each other one of the idioms they learned in the lesson.

Common Idioms

There are hundreds of English idioms. Let's start with some common ones: 'Break a leg,' 'Costs an arm and a leg,' 'Bite the bullet,' 'Hit the nail on the head,' and 'Under the weather.'

Introduce some common idioms and provide their definitions to the students.

'Under the weather' means:

1. Not feeling well
2. Sleepy and tired
3. Feeling great
4. Excited and energetic

'Hit the nail on the head' means:

1. Make a mistake
2. Be vague
3. Correctly identify the main point
4. Miss the target

'Bite the bullet' means:

1. Endure a painful or difficult situation
2. Celebrate a success
3. Make a quick decision
4. Avoid a problem

'Costs an arm and a leg' means:

1. Affordable price
2. Very expensive
3. Not worth the money
4. Free of charge

'Break a leg' means:

1. Be careful
2. Get injured
3. Good luck
4. Take a break

Become an ideom master:

Do Mr. Harling's worksheet!

Final quiz!

What does the idiom 'hit the sack' mean?

1. to hit someone with a sack
2. to start a fire
3. to go shopping
4. to go to bed

What does the idiom 'barking up the wrong tree' mean?

1. to climb a tree while barking
2. to cut down a tree
3. to pursue a mistaken or misguided course of action
4. to plant a tree

What does the idiom 'let the cat out of the bag' mean?

1. to let the cat inside the bag
2. to reveal a secret
3. to buy a bag
4. to play with a cat

What does the idiom 'spill the beans' mean?

1. to give away a secret
2. to plant beans
3. to spill a bowl of beans
4. to cook beans

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.