PSLE English Idioms: Expanding your Vocabulary Beyond the Basics

More Idioms for PSLE English:

1. Bite the bullet
2. Cost an arm and a leg
3. A piece of cake
4. Barking up the wrong tree
5. Hold your horses
6. Break the ice
7. Once in a blue moon
8. Bite off more than you can chew
9. The ball is in your court
10. Kill two birds with one stone
11. The elephant in the room
12. Kick the bucket
13. Hit the nail on the head
14. On cloud nine
15. Raining cats and dogs
16. Feeling under the weather
17. When pigs fly
18. Spill the beans
19. Let the cat out of the bag
20. Burst your bubble
21. Cry over spilled milk
22. Fit as a fiddle
23. Go the extra mile
24. See eye to eye
25. Take with a grain of salt

Now, let’s put these idioms in a table along with their meanings and examples of usage:

Idiom	Meaning	Example of Usage
Bite the bullet	To face a difficult situation bravely	Despite his fear, John decided to bite the bullet and give the presentation.
Cost an arm and a leg	Extremely expensive	His new car must have cost him an arm and a leg.
A piece of cake	Very easy	The mathematics problem was a piece of cake for her.
Barking up the wrong tree	Accusing the wrong person	If you think I was the one who broke the vase, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Hold your horses	Be patient	Hold your horses, your turn is coming.
Break the ice	Start a conversation	Telling a joke is a good way to break the ice at a party.
Once in a blue moon	Very rarely	He only visits his hometown once in a blue moon.
Bite off more than you can chew	Take on a task that is too big	I bit off more than I could chew by taking on the school project all by myself.
The ball is in your court	It’s your decision or responsibility to do something now	I’ve told her how I feel, the ball is in her court now.
Kill two birds with one stone	Achieve two goals with a single action	By biking to work, he could enjoy the weather and get exercise – killing two birds with one stone.
The elephant in the room	A big issue that everyone is ignoring	The elephant in the room was his poor performance in the last few exams.
Kick the bucket	To die (often used humorously or euphemistically)	He is so old; I think he will kick the bucket soon.
Hit the nail on the head	Do or say something exactly right	Bob hit the nail on the head when he said his behaviour was unacceptable.
On cloud nine	Extremely happy	He was on cloud nine after hearing the news of his scholarship.
Raining cats and dogs	Raining heavily	We can’t go out today; it’s raining cats and dogs.
Feeling under the weather	Feeling sick	I’m feeling under the weather today; I think I caught a cold.
When pigs fly	Something that will never happen	He’ll tidy his room when pigs fly.
Spill the beans	Reveal a secret	He spilled the beans about his surprise party.
Let the cat out of the bag	Accidentally reveal a secret	She let the cat out of the bag about their wedding plans.
Burst your bubble	Disappoint someone by shattering their illusions	I hate to burst your bubble, but there is no such thing as unicorns.
Cry over spilled milk	Complain about a loss from the past	Stop crying over spilled milk; you can’t go back and change it.
Fit as a fiddle	In good health	Even at 75, my grandfather is as fit as a fiddle.
Go the extra mile	Make more effort than is expected of you	She always goes the extra mile to make her guests feel welcome.
See eye to eye	Agree	My brother and I don’t see eye to eye on many things.
Take with a grain of salt	Not to take something too seriously	You must take his advice with a grain of salt; he doesn’t always mean what he says.

Is your Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) just around the corner? Are you looking for ways to stand out in your English paper? Learning and effectively using idioms can be the key to enhancing your PSLE English score. This guide will provide you with a curated list of idioms for PSLE English that are a level up from the primary list, along with strategies to learn and apply them. So, let’s get started.

Top Strategies for Learning Idioms

1. Understand the Context: Don’t just memorise the idiom, but understand its meaning and how it can be used in sentences.
2. Practice Regularly: Incorporate idioms in your daily conversation, writing practices, and comprehension exercises.
3. Visual Associations: Try to create mental images for the idioms. This helps in memorising them.
4. Group Study: Learn with friends. It’s always easier to remember when you discuss and use the idioms in conversation.

Upgrading Your Idiom Vocabulary for PSLE English

Understanding and correctly using idioms can dramatically improve your English writing and comprehension. These phrases are more nuanced and often more descriptive than their literal counterparts, offering a richness to your language skills that will serve you well in the PSLE. Below are some idioms that are a step beyond the typical primary list:

1. Turn over a new leaf: To make a fresh start or change your behaviour for the better.
2. Burn the midnight oil: To work late into the night.
3. A drop in the ocean: A very small part of something much bigger.
4. Beat around the bush: To avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable.
5. Cut corners: To do something the easiest or cheapest way, often by ignoring rules.
6. The last straw: The final problem in a series of problems that finally causes you to feel that you cannot continue to accept a difficult situation.
7. Throw in the towel: To admit defeat or failure.

Incorporating these idioms in your English language preparation can help you add depth to your written and verbal expressions.

Making Idioms Come Alive

Learning idioms in isolation can be challenging. They’re not just words; they’re phrases with a history and a story. To truly understand their usage, you need to see them in action. Here are some example sentences:

1. After being caught cheating, Tom decided to turn over a new leaf and started studying sincerely.
2. To prepare for her PSLE, Maya often burns the midnight oil to cover all her subjects.
3. Helping mom in the kitchen was just a drop in the ocean compared to all the housework she does every day.
4. When asked about his poor grades, Ryan started beating around the bush, avoiding his parents’ questions.
5. It’s not wise to cut corners while preparing for your PSLE; it’s better to thoroughly understand each topic.
6. The additional homework was the last straw for Sam who was already juggling school, tuition, and football practice.
7. After multiple failed attempts, it was tempting to throw in the towel, but he decided to persevere.

Great Online Resources to Learn Idioms

There are countless resources online that provide lists, games, quizzes and exercises to learn idioms. Here are some websites you might find useful:

1. Idiom Connection – Provides a comprehensive list of idioms categorised by themes.
2. English Club – Features idioms with definitions, examples, and a fun quiz to test your knowledge.
3. Learn English Today – Offers a list of idioms, phrasal verbs, and proverbs with meanings and examples.
4. BBC Learning English – Offers ‘The English We Speak’ series where they talk about idioms in real-life situations.

Conclusion

Idioms add flair and sophistication to your language, making your writing more engaging and memorable. By integrating the above idioms for PSLE English into your vocabulary, you’ll be able to express yourself in a more nuanced and colourful way. Remember, practice is the key. So, make sure to use these idioms in your daily conversations and writing practices. Good luck with your PSLE English preparation!

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The Top 100 Idioms and Phrases for Primary 6 with meaning and examples