EMOTIONS & IDIOMS
Complete the sentence:
“After receiving the good news, she was .”
Answer: on cloud nine
Complete the sentence:
“It matters to me, so please don’t make that decision without me.”
What does “It matters to me” mean?
It is important to me / I care about it.
Choose the correct tense:
“When I arrived at the party, everyone .”
A. danced
B. was dancing
C. had danced
B. was dancing
Choose the correct auxiliary:
“_ you like coffee?”
A. Do
B. Are
C. Have
A. Do
Complete the sentence:
“I was walking home alone when I heard a loud noise behind me. I .”
jumped out of my skin
Choose the best expression:
“Even though he failed the exam, he tried to .”
A. look down in the dumps
B. keep his chin up
C. throw a wobbly
D. feel done in
B. keep his chin up
Complete the sentence:
“That’s my decision, and I’m not going to change it.”
Which phrase could replace “That’s my decision”?
A. That’s up to you
B. That’s my call
C. That’s none of my business
D. That’s out of my hands
B. That’s my call
Complete the sentence:
“I was tired because I all day.”
had been working
Complete the sentence:
“She working from home today.”
is
Choose the word that best fits:
“Although he was initially nervous about moving abroad, he eventually himself in the new culture and became fluent.”
A. struggled
B. immersed
C. bothered
D. separated
immersed
What does this sentence mean?
“After the argument, he walked out on her and they started to drift apart.”
He left her (ended the relationship), and their connection gradually became weaker / they became emotionally distant.
What does “walk out on someone” mean in this sentence?
“He walked out on his family when they needed him the most.”
He abandoned/left them (often suddenly and in a way that hurts them).
Choose the correct answer:
“When we got to the cinema, the film .”
A. already started
B. was already starting
C. had already started
C. had already started
Complete the sentence with the correct form of do, be, or have:
“I never been to London, but I planning to go next year.”
have / am
Complete the sentence:
“She completely exhausted because she all night to finish the project.”
was / had been working
Which expression is least appropriate here?
“After working 14 hours straight, Maria was .”
A. feeling done in
B. on top form
C. as fit as a fiddle
D. in high spirits
feeling done in is appropriate
Choose the most natural continuation:
“She said it was her decision to move abroad, but her parents kept asking why. That’s when she finally said: .”
A. “Why does everyone keep fixating on that?”
B. “What are you up to tonight?”
C. “I’m a bit under the weather.”
D. “Things are looking up.”
A. “Why does everyone keep fixating on that?”
Explanation: This shows frustration that people keep focusing on her decision. The other options are unrelated to the context.
Choose the best tense and explain why:
“When I opened the door, I that someone had been there.”
A. realised
B. was realising
C. had realised
A. realised
Explanation: The realisation happened at that moment (past simple). “Was realising” is unnatural for a momentary mental event; “had realised” would mean the realisation happened before opening the door.
Why is “do” used in this sentence?
“I do understand what you're saying.”
“Do” is used for emphasis. The speaker strongly confirms that they understand.
Correct the sentence:
“When I got home, my brother has already gone to bed because he was working all day.”
“When I got home, my brother had already gone to bed because he had been working all day.”
Explanation: Both actions happened before “got home”, so past perfect and past perfect continuous are needed.
Read the situation and choose the most natural expression, then explain why the others don’t fit:
“Tom had been preparing for the interview for weeks. When he finally received the job offer, he was . However, his friend didn't get the job and was .”
A. on cloud nine / down in the dumps
B. under the weather / on top form
C. fed up / in high spirits
D. scared stiff / pleasantly surprised
A. on cloud nine / down in the dumps
Explanation: “On cloud nine” = extremely happy (fits receiving good news). “Down in the dumps” = very sad/disappointed (fits not getting the job). The other pairs mix opposite or illogical emotions for the situations.
Explain the difference in meaning and tone:
“I’ve decided to move out.”
vs
“I’ve decided to walk out on them.”
“Move out” = leave a house/flat (neutral, about accommodation). “Walk out on them” = abandon people (strongly negative, implies betrayal or hurting them).
Complete the story with the correct forms:
“When I finally arrived at the airport, I was exhausted. I for nearly twelve hours, and I two flights already. While I for my luggage, I suddenly realised that I my passport on the plane.”
Answer:
had been travelling
had taken
was waiting
had left
Explanation:
had been travelling = ongoing activity before arrival
had taken = completed actions before arrival
was waiting = activity in progress at that past moment
had left = earlier completed action (before realising)
Correct the sentence and explain why the auxiliary changes:
“Did you went to the university yesterday?”
“Did you go to the university yesterday?”
Complete the story and explain the tense choices:
“I to the restaurant when I suddenly my old university professor. We each other for years, so we had a lot to talk about.”
was walking / bumped into / hadn't seen
Explanation:
was walking = background action in progress (past continuous)
bumped into = short completed event interrupting it (past simple)
hadn't seen = earlier situation continuing up to that moment (past perfect)