In this lesson, you will learn 5 English idioms you must know. These English idioms are used by native English speakers and will help you speak English more fluently.
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ENGLISH IDIOM #1
English Idiom: To come to a head…
STORY CLOSE-UP : Problems came to a head when she asked him for a divorce
Meaning: “To reach a crisis”
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
- Things haven’t been good between us for a while, and this incident just come to a head.
- The situation finally has come to a head when she failed to show up to school.
- A situation came to a head when the workers went out on strike.
ENGLISH IDIOM #2
English Idiom: Turn a deaf ear
STORY CLOSE-UP : The little boy that cried wolf. He was always lying.
Meaning: “Refuse to listen or respond to a statement or request”
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
- He turned a deaf ear to all appeals.
- The factory owners turned a deaf ear to the demands of the workers.
- She turned a deaf ear to her husband’s advice, and took the job anyway.
ENGLISH IDIOM #3
English Idiom: Turn the clock back
STORY CLOSE-UP : When I used to run 5 miles a day
Meaning: “To return to a situation that used to exist”
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
- In some ways, we wish we could turn the clock back for a moment.
- If I could turn the clock back, and do things differently, I would.
- I wish I could turn the clock back to when I was a kid, and didn’t have any responsibilities.
ENGLISH IDIOM #4
English Idiom: Twist someone’s arm
STORY CLOSE-UP : My niece tries to twist my arm to buy her some food.
Meaning: “To persuade someone to do something that they are or might be reluctant to do”
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
- I’ve twisted his arm, and he’ll get you some tickets.
- My wife really had to twist my arm to get me to apologize to my boss.
- I wasn’t going to come, but George twisted my arm.
ENGLISH IDIOM #5
English Idiom: Wear several hats
STORY CLOSE-UP :
Meaning: “To have many jobs or roles”
EXAMPLE SENTENCES
- She wears many hats; she’s a doctor, a musician, and a writer.
- I work from home, so I’m able to wear several hats: stay at home dad, soccer coach, and website designer.
- Both our editorial assistant, and our copywriter, left the company at the same time, so I’ve been several hats.