Idioms, proverbs and phrasal verbs
Idioms, proverbs and phrasal verbs are fixed expressions whose meaning is not the sum of their words. FBISE tests them in Section A MCQs (meaning of an idiom, replacing underlined words, choosing a phrasal verb) and, on the old-syllabus paper, in Section C (using idioms in sentences and filling a passage). This unit explains how each type is tested and marked, and gives high-yield lists of about 300 idioms, 42 proverbs and over 150 phrasal verbs, each with its meaning and a model sentence.
Learning outcomes (5)
- Comprehend and use contemporary idioms and figurative expressions in reading and writing.
- Distinguish between the literal and figurative meaning of words and phrases.
- Use context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
- Identify and use phrasal verbs, recognising how the particle changes the meaning of the verb.
- Use idioms in sentences that show their meaning, in the correct grammatical form.
What idioms, proverbs and phrasal verbs areOften examined
Every language has groups of words whose meaning cannot be worked out from the single words. If a friend says, "The test was a piece of cake," nobody ate any cake: the test was very easy. English has thousands of such fixed expressions. FBISE tests three kinds of them: idioms, proverbs and phrasal verbs.
- Idiom
- A fixed group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of its single words. Example: to burn the midnight oil means to study or work late at night, not to burn any oil.
- Idiomatic expression / idiomatic phrase
- The same thing as an idiom. FBISE papers use all three names.
- Literal meaning
- The ordinary, dictionary meaning of each word. A heart of stone literally means a heart made of stone.
- Figurative meaning
- The imaginative meaning that the whole phrase carries. A heart of stone figuratively means a cruel person with no sympathy.
- Proverb
- A short, well-known complete sentence that gives advice or states a general truth. Example: A stitch in time saves nine.
- Phrasal verb
- A verb + one or two small words (particles such as up, off, out, in, on, down, over, into, after) that together have a new meaning. Example: give up means to stop doing something.
- Particle
- The small adverb or preposition in a phrasal verb (the off in call off). Changing the particle changes the meaning: call off = cancel, call on = visit.
- Pair idiom (binomial)
- Two words joined by and or or in a fixed order, such as black and blue, tooth and nail, pros and cons. The order never changes: blue and black is wrong.
| Idiom | Proverb | Phrasal verb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | a phrase (not a full sentence) | a complete sentence | a verb + particle |
| Job | adds colour; replaces a plain phrase | gives advice or a general truth | works as a verb in the sentence |
| Changes form? | yes: the verb changes tense, one's becomes his/her/my | no: it is quoted as it is | yes: the verb changes tense (gave up, giving up) |
| Example | once in a blue moon (very rarely) | Haste makes waste. | put off (postpone) |
Idioms come from history, stories, farming, sailing, sport and the Bible or classical myths. Knowing where one comes from helps you remember it: a white elephant was a sacred animal that the king of Siam gave to a courtier he disliked, because it was very costly to keep and could not be used for work. An Achilles' heel comes from the Greek hero whose only weak point was his heel.
How FBISE tests idioms and phrasal verbsOften examined
Idioms and phrasal verbs are tested in two places: in Section A (MCQs) on the new-syllabus paper, and in Section C (Q.5 b) on the old-syllabus (Curriculum 2006) paper. The National Curriculum SLO asks you to "comprehend and use contemporary idioms", so both classic and modern idioms can appear.
| Where | Question type | Real FBISE example | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section A, MCQ | meaning of an idiom or figurative phrase | She always scolds the poor. She has a heart of stone. The phrase "heart of stone" suggests: (lack of sympathy) [2026, Set D] | 1 |
| Section A, MCQ | replace the underlined words with an idiom | He was beaten so badly that his whole body was marked with injuries (black and blue) [Model paper 2024] | 1 |
| Section A, MCQ | choose a suitable phrasal verb | Please ______ the lights before leaving the room. (turn off) [2026, Set B] | 1 |
| Section A, MCQ | name the figure of speech in an idiom | We are working around the clock to ensure success. It is a/an: (hyperbole) [2026, Set D] | 1 |
| Section C, Q.5 b (old syllabus) | use given idioms in sentences (any five of seven) | once in a blue moon, a bird's eye view, a dead letter, a broken reed, a bluestocking, at sea, rank and file [Model paper 2024] | 5 |
| Section C, Q.5 b (old syllabus) | fill the blanks of a passage with given idiomatic expressions | burn the midnight oil, over the moon, roll with the punches, go the extra mile, keep my chin up [2026, old syllabus] | 5 |
How marks are given in Section C
- Use in sentences: one mark per idiom. The mark is given only if the sentence shows the meaning clearly and the idiom is grammatically correct. A sentence like "He is a broken reed" shows nothing and usually gets zero.
- Passage completion: one mark per blank. The idiom must fit the meaning of that exact blank and be in the correct form (tense, pronoun). Burn the midnight oil in a past-tense story must become burnt (or burned) the midnight oil.
- Spelling of the idiom must be exact. Spick and span, not spic and spen.
How to write an idiom sentence that earns the markOften examined
A sentence earns the mark only when a reader who has never heard the idiom could guess its meaning from your sentence. So the sentence needs a context clue: a reason, a result, a contrast or a situation that matches the meaning.
| Weak sentence (0 marks) | Why it fails | Strong sentence (1 mark) |
|---|---|---|
| He burnt the midnight oil. | no context; could mean anything | Before the board exams, Ali burnt the midnight oil to revise every chapter. |
| She is a bluestocking. | meaning not shown | Aunt Farah is a bluestocking who spends her holidays reading history and philosophy. |
| I was at sea. | reader may think of the ocean | When the teacher switched to calculus, I was completely at sea and could not follow a word. |
| It was a dead letter. | what was? no clue | The ban on kite flying has become a dead letter; people fly kites every spring and nobody stops them. |
| He is a broken reed. | does not show unreliability | I trusted Ahmed to help me move house, but he proved a broken reed and switched off his phone. |
| Once in a blue moon he comes. | word order and no clue | My cousin lives in Canada, so we see him only once in a blue moon. |
Four rules
- Show the meaning. Add a reason (because, so, as), a result, or a contrast (but, although) that matches the idiom's meaning.
- Keep the idiom's words and order. Only the verb and the pronoun may change: keep one's chin up becomes kept his chin up; the apple of one's eye becomes the apple of her grandfather's eye.
- Use the right tense and form. A verb idiom must agree with the subject and the time: He goes the extra mile (habit), She went the extra mile (past), They have gone the extra mile (present perfect).
- Use it in the right grammatical slot. A noun-phrase idiom (a white elephant) is used like a noun: "The new stadium became a white elephant." An adverbial idiom (once in a blue moon) is used like an adverb: "We eat out once in a blue moon."
| Idiom | Base form | Changed correctly | Wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| verb idiom | burn the midnight oil | She burnt the midnight oil. / They were burning the midnight oil. | She burn the midnight oil. |
| with one's | keep one's chin up | Keep your chin up. / He kept his chin up. | He kept one's chin up. |
| with one's | the apple of one's eye | She is the apple of her father's eye. | She is the apple of one's eye. |
| noun idiom | a red-letter day | Eid is a red-letter day for children. | Eid is red letter day. |
| pair idiom | black and blue | They beat him black and blue. | They beat him blue and black. |
| adverbial idiom | at the eleventh hour | He arrived at the eleventh hour. | He arrived in the eleventh hour. |
Worked example: using an idiom in a sentence
Use "a white elephant" in a sentence of your own.
Step 1, recall the meaning: a costly possession that is useless and expensive to keep.
Step 2, think of a Pakistani situation that fits: a big building or machine that costs money but is hardly used.
Step 3, write the sentence with a clue that shows costly and useless: "The huge generator the college bought has become a white elephant: it burns expensive diesel but is never needed, since the college now uses solar power."
High-yield list 1: the classic FBISE idiomsOften examined
These are the idioms that have appeared on FBISE papers and model papers, or are named most often in the board's lists. Learn every one with its example sentence; the example sentences are ready to use in Section C.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| once in a blue moon | very rarely | My cousin lives in Canada, so we see him only once in a blue moon, usually at a family wedding. |
| a bird's eye view | a view from high above; also a general overview of a subject | From Daman-e-Koh on the Margalla Hills we had a bird's eye view of the whole of Islamabad. |
| a dead letter | a law or rule that still exists but is no longer obeyed or enforced | The ban on smoking at bus stops has become a dead letter, because nobody fines the people who break it. |
| a broken reed | a person or thing that fails you when you need help; someone who cannot be relied on | Ahmed promised to help me shift house, but on the day he switched off his phone and proved a broken reed. |
| a bluestocking | a highly educated woman who is very interested in books and learning | Aunt Farah is a bluestocking who spends her holidays reading history and writing articles on philosophy. |
| at sea | confused; not knowing what to do | When the teacher suddenly switched to integration by parts, half the class was completely at sea. |
| rank and file | the ordinary members of a group or party, not its leaders | The union leaders signed the deal, but the rank and file refused to call off the strike. |
| black and blue | covered with bruises after being beaten or hit | The thieves beat the night watchman black and blue before they ran away with the cash. |
| tooth and nail | with all one's strength; very fiercely | The villagers fought tooth and nail to stop the factory from dumping waste into their river. |
| bag and baggage | with all one's belongings; completely | The tenant left the flat bag and baggage one night without paying three months' rent. |
| burn the midnight oil | to study or work late into the night | Before the board exams, Ali burnt the midnight oil to revise every chapter of Physics. |
| over the moon | extremely happy | Sana was over the moon when she saw her name on the NUST merit list. |
| roll with the punches | to accept difficulties calmly and adjust to them | When rain delayed the match twice, our captain rolled with the punches and changed the batting order. |
| go the extra mile | to make more effort than is expected | Our chemistry teacher goes the extra mile and holds free revision classes every Saturday. |
| keep one's chin up | to stay brave and cheerful in a difficult situation | Although Bilal failed the entry test, he kept his chin up and started preparing again the next week. |
| under the weather | slightly ill; not feeling well | Hira felt under the weather after the long bus journey from Lahore, so she stayed in bed. |
| a heart of stone | a cruel nature that feels no pity or sympathy | Only a man with a heart of stone could turn a hungry child away from his door. |
| a white elephant | a costly possession that is useless and expensive to keep | The huge stadium built in the small town has become a white elephant: it is hardly ever used but costs millions to maintain. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a red-letter day | a very important and happy day that one always remembers | The day Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup was a red-letter day for the whole nation. |
| at the eleventh hour | at the last possible moment | Usman submitted his admission form at the eleventh hour, just ten minutes before the office closed. |
| a bolt from the blue | a sudden, completely unexpected event or piece of news | The closure of the mill came as a bolt from the blue to the workers, who had been told their jobs were safe. |
| hand in glove | working very closely together, usually in something dishonest | The inquiry showed that the clerk was hand in glove with the smugglers and warned them before every raid. |
| by hook or by crook | by any means, fair or unfair | The businessman wanted the contract by hook or by crook, so he offered bribes as well as a lower price. |
| cry over spilt milk | to waste time regretting something that cannot be changed | The paper is over now; there is no use crying over spilt milk, so start preparing for the next one. |
| beat about the bush | to avoid talking about the main point | Stop beating about the bush and tell me clearly why you missed the practical exam. |
| the apple of one's eye | a person who is loved very dearly | Little Zainab is the apple of her grandfather's eye; he brings her sweets every evening. |
| in hot water | in trouble | Kamran landed in hot water when the invigilator caught him with a mobile phone in the exam hall. |
| a wild goose chase | a long, useless search for something that cannot be found | Looking for a cheap flat in F-7 turned out to be a wild goose chase; every one we saw was too expensive. |
| pros and cons | the advantages and disadvantages of something | Before choosing medicine as a career, weigh the pros and cons carefully with your parents. |
| null and void | having no legal force; not valid | The court declared the forged sale deed null and void, and the land went back to the widow. |
| spick and span | very neat and clean | Before Eid, my mother gets the whole house spick and span, from the kitchen to the roof. |
| few and far between | rare; not happening or found often | Good public libraries are few and far between in our small towns, so students depend on the internet. |
| a hard nut to crack | a difficult problem, or a person who is difficult to deal with or persuade | The last question of the maths paper was a hard nut to crack; only three students solved it. |
| turn a deaf ear to | to refuse to listen to something | The factory owner turned a deaf ear to the workers' demands for safety equipment. |
| break the ice | to say or do something that makes people who have just met feel relaxed | On the first day of college, Hamza broke the ice by asking the class about the previous night's cricket match. |
High-yield list 2: pair idioms (binomials)Often examined
Pair idioms join two words with and (sometimes or). They are a favourite MCQ because the options can be other pairs (black and blue / black and white / tooth and nail / bag and baggage). The order of the two words is fixed.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| part and parcel | an essential part of something | Late sittings and hard work are part and parcel of a doctor's life. |
| safe and sound | unhurt and safe | After a stormy drive from Gilgit, the family reached Islamabad safe and sound. |
| by leaps and bounds | very quickly and in large amounts | Pakistan's IT exports have grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. |
| through thick and thin | in good times and bad times, loyally | A true friend stands by you through thick and thin, not only when you are successful. |
| odds and ends | small things of different kinds and little value | My drawer is full of odds and ends: old pens, keys, coins and broken chargers. |
| ups and downs | a mixture of good and bad times | Every business has its ups and downs, so my father never panics after one bad month. |
| far and wide | over a large area; everywhere | People came from far and wide to watch the Lok Virsa festival. |
| high and dry | left alone without help | The travel agent took our money and disappeared, leaving us high and dry at the airport. |
| hue and cry | a loud public protest | There was a great hue and cry when the price of flour doubled in one week. |
| ins and outs | all the details of something | The new manager spent a month learning the ins and outs of the company. |
| kith and kin | friends and relatives | On Eid, we visit all our kith and kin in the village. |
| with might and main | with all one's strength | The rescue workers dug with might and main to reach the people trapped under the rubble. |
| neck and neck | exactly level in a race or competition | The two candidates were neck and neck until the last polling station was counted. |
| now and then | sometimes; not regularly | We eat at a restaurant now and then, usually on birthdays. |
| over and above | in addition to | Over and above his salary, the officer gets a car and a house. |
| pick and choose | to choose very carefully from many options | With such high marks, Maryam can pick and choose among the best universities. |
| sick and tired | completely annoyed and bored with something | The residents are sick and tired of the daily load-shedding. |
| touch and go | very uncertain; risky, especially about whether someone will survive | After the accident it was touch and go for two days, but the boy survived. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| wear and tear | damage caused by normal, everyday use | The rickshaw needs new tyres because of ordinary wear and tear. |
| hale and hearty | strong and healthy, especially an old person | My grandfather is eighty but still hale and hearty; he walks five kilometres every morning. |
| heart and soul | with complete energy and devotion | Dr Ruth Pfau served the leprosy patients of Pakistan heart and soul for more than fifty years. |
| first and foremost | most importantly; before anything else | First and foremost, a good leader must be honest. |
| time and again | repeatedly; many times | The teacher warned him time and again, but he kept coming late. |
| fair and square | honestly and according to the rules | Our team won the final fair and square, without any help from the umpires. |
| hard and fast | fixed and not able to be changed (of rules) | There are no hard and fast rules for writing a good essay, but a clear outline always helps. |
| loud and clear | very clearly understood | The message from the principal was loud and clear: no phones in class. |
| give and take | willingness to compromise on both sides | A happy marriage depends on give and take. |
| in black and white | in writing, so it is official | Do not trust verbal promises; get the terms of the loan in black and white. |
| flesh and blood | one's own family; or ordinary human nature | How can he ignore his own flesh and blood when they are in trouble? |
| bread and butter | a person's main source of income | Teaching is my uncle's bread and butter, though he also writes novels. |
| cut and dried | already decided and not open to change | The decision to close the school on Saturdays is cut and dried; the notice has been issued. |
| tit for tat | harm done to someone because they harmed you | The two neighbours' quarrel turned into a tit for tat fight over parking. |
| by and large | on the whole; generally | By and large, the students were satisfied with the new timetable. |
| to and fro | backwards and forwards | The worried father walked to and fro outside the operation theatre. |
| alive and kicking | still active and full of life | Some people said hockey was dying in Pakistan, but it is still alive and kicking in the schools of Gojra. |
High-yield list 3: idioms for people, things and situations
These idioms work as nouns: they name a kind of person (a dark horse), a thing (a white lie) or a situation (a close shave). Use them after is/was/became/proved or as the subject or object of a sentence.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a black sheep | a member of a family or group who brings shame on it | Imran is the black sheep of the family; all his brothers are doctors, while he is in jail for fraud. |
| a dark horse | a person who wins or succeeds unexpectedly, whose ability was not known | Nobody noticed the quiet boy from Chakwal, but he proved a dark horse and topped the board. |
| a fish out of water | a person who feels uncomfortable in an unfamiliar place | Coming from a village school, Aslam felt like a fish out of water in the big city college. |
| a snake in the grass | a hidden enemy who pretends to be a friend | The partner who stole the firm's secrets turned out to be a snake in the grass. |
| a wolf in sheep's clothing | a dangerous person who looks harmless | The fake charity collector was a wolf in sheep's clothing who kept all the donations. |
| a lame duck | a weak or unsuccessful person or organisation; an official whose term is about to end | With only a month left in office, the mayor had become a lame duck and nobody followed his orders. |
| a good Samaritan | a kind person who helps a stranger in trouble | A good Samaritan stopped his car and drove the injured cyclist to PIMS hospital. |
| a Herculean task | a task that needs very great strength or effort | Cleaning up Karachi after the floods was a Herculean task for the city workers. |
| an Achilles' heel | the one weak point of an otherwise strong person or thing | Poor fielding has always been the Achilles' heel of our cricket team. |
| a bookworm | a person who loves reading and reads a great deal | Ayan is such a bookworm that he finishes a novel every two days. |
| a cock-and-bull story | a silly, unbelievable story told as an excuse | He told the teacher a cock-and-bull story about a goat eating his homework. |
| a close shave | a narrow escape from danger | The bus skidded towards the edge of the mountain road; it was a close shave. |
| a feather in one's cap | an achievement one can be proud of | Winning the national debating contest was a feather in Aliya's cap. |
| a fair-weather friend | a friend who leaves you when you are in trouble | When his business failed, Saad learnt who his fair-weather friends were. |
| a storm in a teacup | a lot of anger or worry about something unimportant | The quarrel over the seating plan was a storm in a teacup; by lunch everyone was friends again. |
| a drop in the ocean | a very small amount compared with what is needed | Our donation of ten thousand rupees was a drop in the ocean compared with the damage caused by the floods. |
| a bed of roses | an easy, comfortable situation (usually used in the negative) | Life in a hostel is not a bed of roses; you wash your own clothes and eat whatever is cooked. |
| a blessing in disguise | something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good | Missing the bus was a blessing in disguise, because the bus later broke down in the desert. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| the lion's share | the biggest part of something | Defence and debt repayments take the lion's share of the national budget. |
| sour grapes | pretending to dislike something because you cannot have it | Asad says the scholarship is not worth having, but that is just sour grapes, since he did not get it. |
| crocodile tears | false tears; pretended sorrow | The corrupt official shed crocodile tears for the flood victims while stealing the relief funds. |
| the gift of the gab | the ability to speak easily and persuasively | With her gift of the gab, Mahnoor wins every declamation contest. |
| an olive branch | an offer of peace or friendship | After years of quarrelling, my uncle held out an olive branch by inviting his brother to his daughter's wedding. |
| a nine days' wonder | something that attracts great attention for a short time only | The viral video was a nine days' wonder; within two weeks nobody remembered it. |
| a red herring | something that takes attention away from the real issue | The argument about uniforms was a red herring to avoid discussing the fee increase. |
| red tape | too many official rules and forms that cause delay | Because of red tape, it took my father six months to get his pension. |
| the last straw | the last of a series of problems that finally makes a situation unbearable | He had been late all week, and sleeping in the meeting was the last straw; the manager dismissed him. |
| a far cry from | very different from | Today's cheap smartphones are a far cry from the heavy mobile phones of the 1990s. |
| an axe to grind | a private, selfish reason for doing something | The critic has an axe to grind; the author once rejected his book. |
| a bone of contention | the subject of a quarrel | The water of the canal has long been a bone of contention between the two villages. |
| a thorn in one's side | a person or thing that keeps causing trouble | The noisy workshop next door is a thorn in our side during exam season. |
| a man of straw | a weak person with no real power or money | The company's chairman was a man of straw; his brother took all the decisions. |
| a jack of all trades | a person who can do many kinds of work | Our caretaker is a jack of all trades: he fixes fans, pipes and even computers. |
| the salt of the earth | a very good, honest and kind person | The farmers of our village are the salt of the earth; they share whatever they have with guests. |
| a white lie | a harmless lie told to avoid hurting someone | I told a white lie and said I loved my aunt's cooking. |
| an open secret | something supposed to be secret but known to everyone | It is an open secret that the canteen owner is the principal's cousin. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a household name | a person or thing that everyone knows | After the Olympic gold, Arshad Nadeem became a household name in Pakistan. |
| a wet blanket | a person who spoils other people's fun | Don't be a wet blanket; come with us to the Eid mela. |
| a hot potato | a difficult issue that people argue about and avoid dealing with | The building of new dams is a political hot potato. |
| the tip of the iceberg | a small, visible part of a much bigger problem | The ten cases of dengue reported so far are only the tip of the iceberg. |
| the talk of the town | something or someone everyone is discussing | Her brilliant century in the final was the talk of the town. |
| a stone's throw | a very short distance | Our college is a stone's throw from the metro bus station. |
| a slip of the tongue | a small mistake in speaking | Calling the chief guest by the wrong name was just a slip of the tongue. |
| a rule of thumb | a rough, practical guide based on experience | As a rule of thumb, spend one minute on each MCQ. |
| an apple of discord | a cause of quarrel or jealousy | The family property became an apple of discord between the brothers. |
| a Himalayan blunder | a very big and serious mistake | Leaving the question paper's back page unattempted was a Himalayan blunder. |
| a burning question | an urgent issue that everyone is discussing | Inflation is the burning question of the day. |
| a cat's paw | a person used by another to do something unpleasant or dishonest | The poor clerk was only a cat's paw; the real culprit was his boss. |
| a golden handshake | a large payment given to someone when they leave their job | The retiring director received a golden handshake of several million rupees. |
| a queer fish | a strange, odd person | Our new neighbour is a queer fish; he waters his plants at midnight. |
| a man of letters | a scholar or writer who knows a great deal about literature | Ashfaq Ahmed was a man of letters whose plays and essays are still read today. |
| Greek to me | completely impossible for me to understand | The Latin names in the botany book were all Greek to me. |
High-yield list 4: verb idioms (actions and behaviour)Often examined
These idioms contain a verb, so the verb must change for tense and subject when you use them: He always blows his own trumpet; The thieves took to their heels; She has turned over a new leaf.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| add fuel to the fire | to make an angry situation worse | Shouting back at the angry customer only added fuel to the fire. |
| bite the dust | to be defeated, to fail, or to die | Three of the favourite teams bit the dust in the first round. |
| blow one's own trumpet | to boast about oneself | Kashif keeps blowing his own trumpet about his marks, so nobody likes sitting with him. |
| build castles in the air | to make impossible plans; to daydream | Instead of studying, he builds castles in the air about becoming a millionaire. |
| burn one's boats | to do something that makes it impossible to go back | When Hassan resigned from his bank job to start his own business, he burnt his boats. |
| bury the hatchet | to stop quarrelling and make peace | After ten years of enmity, the two families buried the hatchet at a jirga. |
| call a spade a spade | to speak plainly and honestly, even if it is rude | My grandmother calls a spade a spade; she told the tailor his stitching was terrible. |
| call it a day | to stop working for the day | After six hours of revision, we called it a day and went out for chaat. |
| catch someone red-handed | to catch someone in the act of doing wrong | The shopkeeper caught the boy red-handed stealing chocolates. |
| cut corners | to do something in the cheapest or easiest way, usually badly | The builder cut corners with cheap cement, and the wall cracked within a year. |
| face the music | to accept criticism or punishment for something one has done | He broke the principal's window, so now he must face the music. |
| fight shy of | to avoid something | Many students fight shy of public speaking. |
| fish in troubled waters | to take advantage of a confused or bad situation | Hoarders fish in troubled waters by storing sugar during a shortage. |
| get cold feet | to become too nervous to do something one planned | Ali had planned to sing at the farewell but got cold feet at the last minute. |
| hit the nail on the head | to describe exactly what is causing a problem; to be exactly right | When the teacher said our problem was poor time management, she hit the nail on the head. |
| keep the wolf from the door | to earn just enough money to avoid hunger | The widow sews clothes to keep the wolf from the door. |
| kill two birds with one stone | to achieve two things with one action | By cycling to college, Umar killed two birds with one stone: he saved money and stayed fit. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| let the cat out of the bag | to reveal a secret by mistake | We planned a surprise party for Ammi, but my little brother let the cat out of the bag. |
| lose heart | to become discouraged | Do not lose heart after one bad test; there is still time to improve. |
| make both ends meet | to manage with the little money one has | With prices rising every month, many families find it hard to make both ends meet. |
| make a mountain out of a molehill | to make a small problem seem very serious | He lost one mark and started crying; he is making a mountain out of a molehill. |
| nip in the bud | to stop something bad at an early stage | The police nipped the riot in the bud by arresting the ringleaders. |
| pay through the nose | to pay far too much for something | We paid through the nose for tomatoes during the shortage. |
| play second fiddle | to take a less important position than someone else | Rizwan was tired of playing second fiddle to his elder brother in the family business. |
| pull someone's leg | to tease or joke with someone | Don't worry, I was only pulling your leg; the exam has not been moved to tomorrow. |
| read between the lines | to understand a hidden meaning | The letter was polite, but reading between the lines, I could see the manager was angry. |
| rest on one's laurels | to stop trying after one success | After topping the first term, Sara did not rest on her laurels; she worked even harder. |
| see eye to eye | to agree completely | My father and I do not see eye to eye on which university I should join. |
| sit on the fence | to avoid taking sides in an argument | In the debate on co-education, the chairman sat on the fence and supported neither team. |
| smell a rat | to suspect that something is wrong | When the stranger offered a free phone for my bank details, I smelt a rat. |
| spill the beans | to tell a secret | Come on, spill the beans: who topped the class? |
| take the bull by the horns | to face a difficulty directly and bravely | Instead of complaining about the drains, the residents took the bull by the horns and cleaned them themselves. |
| throw in the towel | to admit defeat and give up | After failing three times, Kamran nearly threw in the towel, but his mother encouraged him. |
| turn over a new leaf | to change one's behaviour for the better | After his poor result, Shahid turned over a new leaf and stopped playing games all night. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| hold one's tongue | to keep quiet | I wanted to argue with the referee, but I held my tongue. |
| bell the cat | to take on a dangerous task for the sake of others | Everyone complained about the bullying prefect, but nobody was ready to bell the cat. |
| blow hot and cold | to keep changing one's opinion or attitude | The investor blew hot and cold for weeks before refusing the deal. |
| eat humble pie | to admit that one was wrong and apologise | The minister had to eat humble pie after his false statement was exposed. |
| go to the dogs | to be ruined; to become worse and worse | The old family business went to the dogs after the sons started fighting. |
| have a finger in every pie | to be involved in many different activities | Our class monitor has a finger in every pie: sports, dramas and the magazine. |
| leave no stone unturned | to try every possible way to achieve something | The police left no stone unturned in their search for the missing child. |
| put the cart before the horse | to do things in the wrong order | Buying a car before learning to drive is putting the cart before the horse. |
| show someone the door | to ask someone to leave | When the salesman became rude, my father showed him the door. |
| steal the show | to attract the most attention and praise | The little girl who recited Iqbal's poem stole the show on Independence Day. |
| take to one's heels | to run away quickly | Seeing the police van, the thieves took to their heels. |
| throw cold water on | to discourage a plan or idea | My uncle threw cold water on my plan to start an online business. |
| keep one's fingers crossed | to hope for good luck | The result comes out tomorrow; keep your fingers crossed for me. |
| miss the boat | to lose an opportunity by being too slow | The admission deadline passed yesterday; if you did not apply, you have missed the boat. |
| see red | to become very angry suddenly | My father sees red when anyone throws litter out of a car window. |
| cost an arm and a leg | to be very expensive | A new laptop costs an arm and a leg these days. |
| let off steam | to release strong feelings or energy | After the exams, the boys let off steam by playing football for hours. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| put one's foot down | to be firm and refuse to allow something | When my brother wanted a motorbike at fourteen, my mother put her foot down. |
| take something with a pinch of salt | not to believe something completely | Take the rumours about paper leaks with a pinch of salt. |
| wash one's hands of | to refuse to be responsible for something any longer | After the manager ignored his advice again, the engineer washed his hands of the project. |
| burn the candle at both ends | to work very hard from early morning until late at night, so that one becomes exhausted | Working all day and studying all night, Asim burnt the candle at both ends and fell ill before the exams. |
| turn the tables | to change a situation so that one now has the advantage | Trailing at half time, our team turned the tables with three quick goals. |
| pass the buck | to shift responsibility for a problem to someone else | When the project failed, every officer tried to pass the buck. |
| bite off more than one can chew | to try to do more than one is able to | By joining four clubs in her first term, Amna bit off more than she could chew. |
| get on one's nerves | to annoy someone | The constant honking outside gets on my nerves. |
| rise to the occasion | to deal well with a difficult situation | Needing twelve runs off the last over, the young batsman rose to the occasion and hit two sixes. |
| stick to one's guns | to refuse to change one's opinion or plan despite pressure | Everyone told Hina to study commerce, but she stuck to her guns and chose medicine. |
| pour oil on troubled waters | to calm a quarrel | The elder of the village poured oil on troubled waters and settled the dispute. |
| hit below the belt | to act or speak unfairly | Mocking his opponent's poverty was hitting below the belt. |
| lose face | to lose respect or be embarrassed in public | The minister lost face when his promise turned out to be false. |
| save one's skin | to save oneself from danger or punishment | The driver lied to the police to save his own skin. |
| stand one's ground | to refuse to give way or change one's position | Though the crowd shouted at her, the speaker stood her ground. |
| rub salt in the wound | to make someone's pain or embarrassment worse | After we lost the final, our rivals rubbed salt in the wound by laughing at us. |
| hang by a thread | to be in a very dangerous or uncertain state | The patient's life hung by a thread for three days. |
High-yield list 5: prepositional and adverbial idiomsOften examined
These idioms begin with a preposition (at, in, on, by, out of, under, from) and tell us how, when or in what state something happens. The preposition is fixed: at sea (not in sea), in hot water (not at hot water), on cloud nine, under the weather.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| at a loss | unable to decide what to do or say | When the examiner asked about the experiment's errors, I was at a loss for words. |
| at arm's length | at a safe distance; not too friendly | Keep people who spread rumours at arm's length. |
| at daggers drawn | bitter enemies, ready to fight | The two brothers have been at daggers drawn over the family land for years. |
| at one's wits' end | so worried and confused that one does not know what to do | When the baby would not stop crying at 3 a.m., the young parents were at their wits' end. |
| at a snail's pace | very slowly | Traffic on the Murree road moved at a snail's pace because of the snowfall. |
| at the drop of a hat | immediately, without hesitation | My friend Danish will help anyone at the drop of a hat. |
| at the helm | in charge of something | With a new captain at the helm, the team won five matches in a row. |
| at stake | at risk of being lost | With a scholarship at stake, Faiza studied twelve hours a day. |
| by fits and starts | not continuously; with many stops | The old generator runs by fits and starts. |
| by word of mouth | by people telling each other, not in writing | The small bakery became famous by word of mouth. |
| from hand to mouth | with only just enough money for the present day | Daily-wage labourers live from hand to mouth. |
| in a nutshell | in very few words; briefly | In a nutshell, the novel is about a poor diver whose great pearl brings him only misery. |
| in cold blood | cruelly and on purpose, without emotion | The robbers shot the guard in cold blood. |
| in the nick of time | just in time, at the last moment | We reached the station in the nick of time; the train was already moving. |
| in the long run | over a long period; eventually | Honesty pays in the long run. |
| in full swing | at the busiest or most active stage | By nine o'clock, the wedding party was in full swing. |
| in the same boat | in the same difficult situation as others | Don't worry about the hard paper; the whole class is in the same boat. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| in a fix | in a difficult situation | I was in a fix when I lost my wallet in a strange city. |
| off the cuff | without preparation | The chief guest spoke off the cuff, yet his speech was the best of the day. |
| on cloud nine | extremely happy | Talha was on cloud nine after scoring his first century. |
| on the spur of the moment | suddenly, without planning | On the spur of the moment, we decided to drive to Murree to see the snow. |
| on the cards | likely to happen | An increase in petrol prices is on the cards this month. |
| on the rocks | in serious difficulty and likely to fail | After two years of losses, the company is on the rocks. |
| on thin ice | in a risky situation | After missing three assignments, you are on thin ice with the teacher. |
| out of the blue | suddenly and unexpectedly | Out of the blue, my old school friend called me from Dubai. |
| out of the question | impossible; not allowed | Leaving the hostel after ten at night is out of the question. |
| out of sorts | slightly unwell or in a bad mood | Grandfather has been out of sorts since he caught a cold. |
| up to the mark | good enough; of the required standard | The food at the canteen is not up to the mark. |
| under a cloud | under suspicion; in disgrace | After the money went missing, the cashier left the office under a cloud. |
| under one's thumb | completely under someone's control | The landlord kept the whole village under his thumb. |
| behind the scenes | secretly; out of public view | Many volunteers worked behind the scenes to organise the Science Fair. |
| between the devil and the deep sea | facing two equally bad choices | Asked to lie for his boss or lose his job, Aamir was between the devil and the deep sea. |
| from the horse's mouth | directly from the person who knows best | I heard it straight from the horse's mouth: the principal herself said school will reopen on Monday. |
| head over heels | completely (usually in love); also upside down | The hero of the film falls head over heels in love at first sight. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| all ears | listening eagerly | Tell me about your trip to Hunza; I am all ears. |
| in the teeth of | in spite of strong opposition or difficulty | The bridge was completed in the teeth of fierce opposition from the transporters. |
| to the letter | exactly, paying attention to every detail | Follow the instructions on the answer sheet to the letter. |
| with flying colours | with great success | Iqra passed her FSc with flying colours and got a scholarship. |
| over one's head | too difficult for someone to understand | The lecture on quantum physics went right over my head. |
| up in arms | very angry and protesting | The traders were up in arms about the new tax. |
| round the clock | all day and all night | Doctors worked round the clock after the earthquake. |
| once and for all | finally and completely | Let's settle this matter once and for all. |
| for good | forever; permanently | After his retirement, my uncle left Karachi for good and settled in Abbottabad. |
| on the dot | exactly on time | The exam started at nine o'clock on the dot. |
| in the dark | not knowing about something | The parents were kept in the dark about the school trip until the last day. |
| in the air | felt or expected by many people; not yet decided | Excitement was in the air before the final match. |
| by the skin of one's teeth | only just; very narrowly | He passed English by the skin of his teeth, with 33 marks. |
| down to earth | practical and humble | Despite her fame, the actress is very down to earth. |
| at the end of the day | when everything has been considered; finally | At the end of the day, your result depends on your own effort. |
| by heart | from memory | Every student in our class learnt the national anthem by heart. |
High-yield list 6: figurative phrases (heart, body, colour)Often examined
The 2026 paper asked what heart of stone "suggests". Such figurative phrases use a body part, a colour or an animal to stand for a quality. The heart stands for feelings (kindness, courage); blue stands for sadness; green for envy or permission; red for anger or debt.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a heart of gold | a very kind and generous nature | The old rickshaw driver has a heart of gold; he never charges students who cannot pay. |
| take heart | to feel encouraged | Take heart from the fact that you improved by twenty marks. |
| set one's heart on | to want something very much | Zara has set her heart on becoming a pilot. |
| a change of heart | a change of opinion or feeling | The landlord had a change of heart and did not raise the rent. |
| to one's heart's content | as much as one wants | On the last day of exams we played cricket to our heart's content. |
| with a heavy heart | sadly | With a heavy heart, the family said goodbye to their son at the airport. |
| have one's heart in one's mouth | to be very frightened or nervous | I had my heart in my mouth as the plane landed in the storm. |
| nerves of steel | the ability to stay calm in danger | The pilot showed nerves of steel and landed the plane safely. |
| a sweet tooth | a strong liking for sweet food | My brother has such a sweet tooth that he eats gulab jamun after every meal. |
| an eagle eye | the ability to notice every small detail | Our English teacher has an eagle eye for spelling mistakes. |
| green with envy | very jealous | When Hamid bought a new bike, his cousins were green with envy. |
| feel blue | to feel sad | Living alone in the hostel, Saba often felt blue on weekends. |
| in the red | owing money; losing money | The airline has been in the red for years. |
| a green light | permission to go ahead | The government gave the green light to the new metro line. |
| born with a silver spoon in one's mouth | born into a rich family | Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he had never done a day's work. |
| a lion's heart | great courage | Major Aziz Bhatti fought with a lion's heart. |
| a sharp tongue | a habit of speaking in a harsh, hurtful way | My aunt's sharp tongue makes everyone nervous at family gatherings. |
| pay lip service to | to say one supports something without doing anything for it | Many politicians pay lip service to education but give schools very little money. |
| see the light of day | to appear or be made public for the first time | The report on the scandal never saw the light of day. |
| a golden opportunity | an excellent chance | The scholarship is a golden opportunity for talented students from poor families. |
| Symbol | Usual figurative meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| heart | feelings, kindness, courage | heart of stone, heart of gold, lose heart, take heart, by heart (memory) |
| blue | sadness; rarity; surprise | feel blue; once in a blue moon; a bolt from the blue |
| red | anger; importance; debt; danger | see red; a red-letter day; in the red; red tape |
| green | envy; permission; inexperience | green with envy; a green light; a greenhorn |
| white / black | harmless or useless / shame or evil | a white lie, a white elephant / a black sheep |
| animals | a quality of that animal | a lion's heart (courage), a snake in the grass (hidden enemy), crocodile tears (false sorrow) |
High-yield list 7: contemporary idioms
The National Curriculum asks for "contemporary idioms", the ones used today in speech, newspapers and social media. They are easy to use in essays and letters as well.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a piece of cake | very easy | After so much practice, the grammar MCQs were a piece of cake. |
| back to square one | back to the beginning after a failed attempt | The file was not saved, so after two hours of typing I was back to square one. |
| the ball is in one's court | it is now someone's turn to decide or act | I have apologised; now the ball is in her court. |
| the best of both worlds | the benefits of two different things at the same time | Living in Islamabad gives us the best of both worlds: city facilities and green hills. |
| bite the bullet | to make oneself do something unpleasant but necessary | I hate injections, but I bit the bullet and got the vaccine. |
| call the shots | to be the person in control who makes the decisions | In our house, my grandmother calls the shots. |
| get the ball rolling | to start an activity | To get the ball rolling, the teacher asked the first question herself. |
| hit the books | to start studying hard | The board exams are a month away, so it is time to hit the books. |
| hit the road | to start a journey; to leave | It is getting late; we should hit the road before the fog comes. |
| keep an eye on | to watch someone or something carefully | Please keep an eye on my bag while I buy the tickets. |
| on the same page | agreeing about what to do | Before the group presentation, make sure everyone is on the same page. |
| a win-win situation | a result that is good for everyone involved | The new school canteen is a win-win situation: students get healthy food and the college earns money. |
| think outside the box | to think in a new, creative way | To solve the water shortage, the students thought outside the box and built a rain-water tank. |
| the icing on the cake | something that makes a good situation even better | Winning the match was great; being named man of the match was the icing on the cake. |
| a level playing field | a fair situation where everyone has the same chance | A single national curriculum is meant to give every student a level playing field. |
| cut to the chase | to come to the main point quickly | We have only five minutes, so let's cut to the chase. |
| rain cats and dogs | to rain very heavily | It rained cats and dogs in Lahore, and the roads flooded. |
| the elephant in the room | an obvious problem that nobody wants to talk about | The high dropout rate was the elephant in the room at the staff meeting. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| up in the air | not yet decided | Our trip to Swat is still up in the air because of the weather. |
| work around the clock | to work day and night without stopping | The engineers worked around the clock to restore the power supply. |
| a wake-up call | an event that warns someone to change | The poor mock result was a wake-up call for Ahmed. |
| when pigs fly | never | He will pay back that loan when pigs fly. |
| speak of the devil | said when the person you are talking about suddenly appears | Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you, Faraz. |
| over the top | exaggerated; too much | Hiring a band for a small birthday party was a bit over the top. |
| sit tight | to wait patiently and do nothing for now | Sit tight; the results will be announced at noon. |
| learn the ropes | to learn how to do a particular job | The new intern spent her first week learning the ropes. |
| on the ball | alert and quick to understand | Our class representative is really on the ball; she reminded everyone about the fee deadline. |
| a game changer | something that completely changes a situation | Online banking has been a game changer for small businesses. |
| go viral | to spread very quickly across the internet | The video of the flood rescue went viral within hours. |
| a blind spot | a subject someone knows little about or refuses to notice | Grammar is my blind spot, so I practise it every day. |
| break a leg | good luck (said to a performer before a show) | Break a leg in the drama tonight, Maham. |
| face the facts | to accept an unpleasant truth | Face the facts: without regular study you cannot score an A grade. |
| in the loop | informed about what is happening | Keep me in the loop about the trip plans. |
| jump on the bandwagon | to join something because it has become popular | Many companies jumped on the bandwagon and started selling electric bikes. |
| go down memory lane | to think about the past with pleasure | Looking at old photos, my parents went down memory lane. |
Proverbs: 42 with meanings
A proverb is a complete sentence of advice or a general truth. It is quoted as it is; only the pronoun may change in speech (Cut your coat according to your cloth). Proverbs appear in MCQs ("The proverb ... means"), in essays (a strong opening or closing line) and in comprehension answers.
| Proverb | Meaning | A situation where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| A bad workman quarrels with his tools. | A person who does poor work blames his equipment instead of himself. | Bilal blamed his calculator for his low maths marks; a bad workman quarrels with his tools. |
| A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. | Something you already have is better than something bigger you only might get. | Accept the job offer you have now instead of waiting for a better one. |
| A friend in need is a friend indeed. | A true friend is one who helps you when you are in trouble. | When Ali was in hospital, only Usman visited him every day. |
| A stitch in time saves nine. | Fixing a small problem at once prevents a bigger problem later. | Repair the small leak in the roof before the monsoon rains. |
| Actions speak louder than words. | What you do shows more about you than what you say. | He keeps promising to study, but he never opens a book. |
| All that glitters is not gold. | Things that look attractive are not always valuable or good. | The online job that promised huge pay for no work turned out to be a scam. |
| An empty vessel makes much noise. | People with little knowledge often talk the most. | The boy who boasted most about his preparation failed the test. |
| As you sow, so shall you reap. | Your actions decide the results you get. | A student who works all year gets good results; one who wastes time does not. |
| Barking dogs seldom bite. | People who make loud threats rarely act on them. | The neighbour shouts about suing us every week but never goes to court. |
| Better late than never. | It is better to do something late than not to do it at all. | My uncle started learning to read at sixty. |
| Birds of a feather flock together. | People with similar habits or interests stay together. | All the boys who skip classes sit together in the canteen. |
| Cut your coat according to your cloth. | Spend only as much as you can afford. | A family with a small income should not hold an expensive wedding. |
| When in Rome, do as the Romans do. | Follow the customs of the place you are in. | When visiting a village, sit on the floor and eat with the family as they do. |
| Every cloud has a silver lining. | Something good can come out of every bad situation. | Losing his job led him to start a successful business. |
| Haste makes waste. | Doing things too quickly causes mistakes. | Rushing through the paper, she misread three questions. |
| Honesty is the best policy. | Being honest is always the wisest choice. | The boy who returned the lost wallet was rewarded and trusted by everyone. |
| Knowledge is power. | Education and information give people strength and control over their lives. | Farmers who learnt about modern methods doubled their crops. |
| Look before you leap. | Think carefully about the results before you act. | Read the contract carefully before you sign it. |
| Make hay while the sun shines. | Use an opportunity while it lasts. | Study hard while you are young and have free time. |
| Necessity is the mother of invention. | When people really need something, they find a way to make it. | During load-shedding, people invented cheap solar lamps. |
| No pain, no gain. | You cannot achieve anything worthwhile without effort. | Athletes train for hours every day to win medals. |
| Proverb | Meaning | A situation where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Prevention is better than cure. | It is better to stop a problem happening than to fix it later. | Getting children vaccinated against polio saves them from lifelong disability. |
| Practice makes perfect. | Doing something again and again makes you skilled at it. | Writing one essay a week improved Hina's writing greatly. |
| Rome was not built in a day. | Great things take time and patience. | You cannot master English grammar in one night. |
| Slow and steady wins the race. | Steady, regular effort succeeds more than fast, careless effort. | Revising one chapter a day is better than cramming the night before. |
| Strike while the iron is hot. | Act at the right moment, while the chance is there. | Apply for the scholarship while admissions are open. |
| Too many cooks spoil the broth. | When too many people control a task, it is done badly. | With ten students editing the magazine, nothing was ever finished. |
| Where there is a will, there is a way. | If you are determined, you will find a way to succeed. | Arfa Karim became a Microsoft professional at the age of nine. |
| United we stand, divided we fall. | People are strong when they work together and weak when they quarrel. | The villagers together built a road the government had ignored for years. |
| Time and tide wait for none. | Time passes and opportunities do not wait for anyone. | He delayed his application and lost his chance. |
| Pride goes before a fall. | Too much pride often leads to failure. | The overconfident team took the weak side lightly and lost. |
| Man proposes, God disposes. | People make plans, but the final result is in God's hands. | We planned a picnic, but a storm cancelled it. |
| A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. | Knowing only a little about something can make people overconfident and cause harm. | He read one article online and tried to treat his fever with the wrong medicine. |
| The pen is mightier than the sword. | Writing and ideas have more lasting power than force. | Sir Syed's writings changed the future of the Muslims of the subcontinent. |
| Don't count your chickens before they are hatched. | Do not depend on something good before it actually happens. | Don't spend your prize money before the results are announced. |
| Health is wealth. | Good health is more valuable than riches. | A rich man who is always ill cannot enjoy his money. |
| Out of sight, out of mind. | People forget those they do not see often. | After moving abroad, he stopped hearing from his old friends. |
| Two heads are better than one. | Two people working together solve problems better than one. | Solving past papers with a study partner helps both students. |
| A drowning man catches at a straw. | A person in great trouble will try anything, however useless, to escape. | The desperate patient went to a fake healer. |
| Charity begins at home. | Help your own family and people first, before helping others. | Before collecting funds for other cities, help the needy families of your own street. |
| The early bird catches the worm. | People who start early get the best chances. | The students who reached the book fair first got the best books at half price. |
| Beggars can't be choosers. | People who ask for help must accept what they are given. | Having missed the deadline, he had to accept whatever seat was left. |
Phrasal verbs: how they workOften examined
A phrasal verb is a verb plus a particle. The particle changes the meaning completely, so turn on, turn off, turn up, turn down, turn into and turn out are six different verbs. FBISE MCQs give four phrasal verbs with the same base verb and ask which one fits the sentence.
| Type | Rule | Correct | Wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separable (transitive, with an object) | the object can go after the particle or between verb and particle | Turn off the lights. / Turn the lights off. | none |
| Separable with a pronoun object | a pronoun (it, them, him) must go between verb and particle | Turn them off. / Put it off. | Turn off them. / Put off it. |
| Inseparable | the object always comes after the particle | She looks after her mother. / I ran into Ali. | She looks her mother after. |
| Intransitive (no object) | the phrasal verb stands alone | The car broke down. / The plane took off. | none |
| Three-word | verb + adverb + preposition; never split | I cannot put up with this noise. | I cannot put up this noise with. |
Phrasal verbs list 1: turn, give, look, put, carry, call, bringOften examined
These base verbs make the phrasal verbs most often tested. Learn them in families: the base verb stays the same and only the particle changes.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| turn on | to start a machine, light or tap | Please turn on the fan; it is very hot. |
| turn off | to stop a machine, light or tap | Turn off the lights before leaving the room. |
| turn up | to arrive or appear; to increase volume or power | Only half the guests turned up because of the rain. |
| turn down | to refuse an offer; to reduce volume or power | She turned down the job because it was too far from home. |
| turn into | to change and become something else | In winter, the stream turns into ice. |
| turn out | to prove to be in the end; to come to an event | The stranger turned out to be my father's old classmate. |
| turn away | to refuse to let someone in | The guard turned away the students who came without identity cards. |
| turn back | to return the way one came | The road was blocked by snow, so we had to turn back. |
| turn to | to go to someone for help | When he lost his job, he turned to his brother for help. |
| give up | to stop doing something; to stop trying | My grandfather gave up smoking on his doctor's advice. |
| give in | to stop resisting; to surrender; to hand in | After a long argument, my father gave in and let me go on the trip. |
| give away | to give something free; to reveal a secret | She gave away her old books to poor students. |
| give out | to distribute; to stop working because of age or tiredness | The teacher gave out the question papers at nine sharp. |
| give back | to return something | Give back my charger when you have finished. |
| give off | to send out smoke, heat, light or a smell | The burning tyres gave off black smoke. |
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| look after | to take care of | My elder sister looks after our grandmother. |
| look for | to search for | I spent an hour looking for my roll number slip. |
| look into | to investigate; to examine | The principal promised to look into the complaint. |
| look up to | to respect and admire | Young cricketers look up to Babar Azam. |
| look down on | to think that one is better than someone | Never look down on people who do manual work. |
| look up | to search for information in a book or online; to improve | Look up the meaning of new words in a dictionary. |
| look forward to | to wait for something with pleasure (followed by a noun or -ing) | We are looking forward to meeting our cousins on Eid. |
| look out | to be careful (used as a warning) | Look out! A car is coming. |
| look over | to examine quickly | Please look over my essay before I submit it. |
| look back on | to think about something in the past | My mother looks back on her college days with pleasure. |
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| put off | to postpone; to delay | The match was put off because of rain. |
| put up with | to tolerate; to bear | I cannot put up with this noise any longer. |
| put out | to extinguish a fire or light | The firemen put out the fire in two hours. |
| put on | to wear; to switch on; to gain weight | Put on your jacket; it is cold outside. |
| put up | to give someone a place to stay; to raise or build | Our relatives put us up for a week in Karachi. |
| put away | to put something in its proper place; to save money | Put away your books and take out a pen. |
| put down | to write down; to stop a rebellion by force | Put down your name and roll number on the answer sheet. |
| put forward | to suggest an idea or plan | The students put forward a plan for a book bank. |
| put across | to explain an idea clearly | The speaker put across his point very well. |
| carry out | to do or complete a task, order or plan | The students carried out the experiment carefully. |
| carry on | to continue | Carry on with your work; I will be back soon. |
| carry off | to win a prize; to do something difficult successfully | Our college carried off the first prize in the quiz. |
| carry away | to make someone so excited that they lose control (usually passive) | The fans got carried away and ran onto the ground. |
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| call off | to cancel | The strike was called off after talks with the government. |
| call on | to visit someone briefly; to ask someone to speak | We called on our teacher to congratulate him. |
| call for | to demand or need | This success calls for a celebration. |
| call up | to phone; to order someone to join the army | I will call you up after the exam. |
| call in | to ask an expert to come and help | The factory called in engineers to repair the boiler. |
| bring up | to raise a child; to mention a subject | She was brought up by her grandparents in Quetta. |
| bring about | to cause something to happen | Education can bring about a change in society. |
| bring out | to publish; to make something clear | The publisher will bring out a new edition next year. |
| bring down | to reduce; to make a government fall | The government is trying to bring down inflation. |
| bring in | to introduce a new law or system | The board has brought in a new marking scheme. |
| bring round | to make an unconscious person conscious; to persuade | The nurse brought round the fainted boy with cold water. |
Phrasal verbs list 2: break, take, run, make, set, getOften examined
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| break down | to stop working (a machine); to lose control of one's feelings | Our car broke down on the motorway. |
| break out | to start suddenly (war, fire, disease); to escape | A fire broke out in the market last night. |
| break into | to enter a building by force | Thieves broke into the shop and stole mobile phones. |
| break up | to end (a meeting, relationship); to close for holidays | The college breaks up for summer vacation in June. |
| break off | to end something suddenly, such as talks | The two countries broke off diplomatic relations. |
| break in | to interrupt a conversation | Sorry to break in, but your taxi has arrived. |
| break through | to force a way through a barrier | The rescue team broke through the wall to reach the miners. |
| take after | to look or behave like an older family member | Ahmed takes after his father; both are very patient. |
| take off | to remove clothes; (of a plane) to leave the ground | Our flight took off at midnight. |
| take over | to take control of something | A new principal took over the college in March. |
| take up | to start a new hobby or job; to fill time or space | My mother took up gardening after retirement. |
| take in | to deceive; to understand; to give shelter | The old man was taken in by the fake investor. |
| take back | to admit that what one said was wrong | I take back my words; I was wrong about you. |
| take down | to write down what someone says | The students took down notes during the lecture. |
| take on | to accept work or responsibility; to employ | The company is taking on new engineers. |
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| run into | to meet someone by chance | I ran into my old teacher at the book fair. |
| run out of | to have no more of something left | We ran out of petrol near Kallar Kahar. |
| run over | to hit someone with a vehicle; to read through quickly | A speeding car ran over a stray dog. |
| run away | to escape from a place | The prisoner ran away from the jail. |
| run after | to chase | The boy ran after the thief and caught him. |
| run down | to criticise unfairly; (of a battery) to lose power | My phone battery has run down. |
| run through | to practise or check quickly | Let us run through the speech once more. |
| make up | to invent a story or excuse; to become friends again | He made up an excuse for coming late. |
| make up for | to compensate for | She worked on Sunday to make up for the lost day. |
| make out | to see, hear or understand with difficulty | I could not make out what he was saying on the phone. |
| make off with | to steal something and run away | The thief made off with my bag. |
| make for | to move towards a place | When it started raining, we made for the nearest shelter. |
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| set up | to establish a business, organisation or system | The government has set up new schools in rural areas. |
| set off | to start a journey; to cause something to start | We set off for Naran early in the morning. |
| set out | to begin a journey; to explain facts clearly | The pilgrims set out for Makkah after Fajr prayers. |
| set in | (of bad weather or a bad situation) to begin and seem likely to continue | Winter sets in early in Murree. |
| set aside | to save for a special purpose; to cancel a decision | Set aside some money every month for emergencies. |
| set back | to delay progress | The floods set back the construction of the road by months. |
| set about | to begin doing something | After breakfast, she set about cleaning the house. |
| get along with | to have a friendly relationship with | Sadia gets along with all her classmates. |
| get over | to recover from an illness or shock | It took Saleem a month to get over the flu. |
| get through | to pass an exam; to reach someone on the phone | She got through the entry test on her first attempt. |
| get on | to enter a bus, train or plane; to make progress | We got on the metro bus at Faizabad. |
| get off | to leave a bus, train or plane | Get off the bus at the next stop. |
| get by | to manage with difficulty | Students in hostels get by on small allowances. |
| get away | to escape | The robbers got away before the police arrived. |
| get rid of | to remove or throw away something unwanted | We must get rid of plastic bags. |
| get up | to rise from bed | I get up at five during the exam days. |
Phrasal verbs list 3: come, go, keep, hold, stand, fall and othersOften examined
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| come across | to find or meet by chance | I came across an old photograph of my grandfather. |
| come up with | to think of an idea or plan | The students came up with a plan to clean the park. |
| come about | to happen | How did this misunderstanding come about? |
| come by | to obtain something, usually with difficulty | Good teachers are hard to come by. |
| come down with | to become ill with | Half the class came down with flu. |
| come round | to become conscious again; to agree after disagreeing | My father finally came round to my plan of studying abroad. |
| come off | to succeed; to take place as planned | The school play came off well. |
| come up | to arise; to be mentioned | The issue of fees came up at the meeting. |
| go through | to experience something difficult; to examine carefully | The flood victims went through great hardship. |
| go over | to review or check carefully | Go over your answers before handing in the paper. |
| go off | to explode; (of an alarm) to ring; (of food) to go bad | The alarm went off at five. |
| go on | to continue | Go on with your story; we are listening. |
| go out | (of a fire or light) to stop burning; to leave the house | The candle went out in the wind. |
| go without | to manage without something | Many poor children go without breakfast. |
| go down with | to become ill with | Three players went down with food poisoning before the final. |
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| keep up with | to move or progress at the same speed as someone | Walk slowly; the children cannot keep up with you. |
| keep on | to continue doing something | He kept on talking during the lecture. |
| keep off | to stay away from something | Keep off the grass. |
| keep away from | to avoid going near | Keep away from bad company. |
| keep back | to hide information; to stay at a distance | The witness kept back important facts. |
| hold on | to wait (especially on the phone) | Hold on, I will call the manager. |
| hold up | to delay; to rob with a weapon | We were held up in traffic for an hour. |
| hold back | to stop oneself from showing a feeling; to control a crowd | She held back her tears at the farewell. |
| hold out | to last; to resist | Our water supply will not hold out for more than two days. |
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| stand by | to support someone; to be ready for action | Her friends stood by her in difficult times. |
| stand for | to represent; to tolerate | PIA stands for Pakistan International Airlines. |
| stand out | to be easy to notice; to be better than others | Her essay stood out because of its original ideas. |
| stand up for | to defend or support | Always stand up for the truth. |
| fall out | to quarrel and stop being friends | The two friends fell out over a silly joke. |
| fall through | to fail to happen | Our plan to visit Skardu fell through. |
| fall back on | to use something for help when other things fail | If the internet fails, we can fall back on printed notes. |
| fall behind | to fail to keep up with others or with work | After his illness, Asad fell behind in his studies. |
| pass away | to die (a polite expression) | His grandfather passed away last year. |
| pass out | to faint; to finish training at an academy | She passed out in the heat. |
| pass on | to give something to another person | Please pass on this message to the class. |
| pull down | to demolish a building | The old cinema was pulled down to build a plaza. |
| pull through | to recover from a serious illness | The doctors hope the patient will pull through. |
| pull up | (of a vehicle) to stop | A car pulled up outside our gate. |
| pull off | to succeed in doing something difficult | Nobody thought we could win, but we pulled it off. |
| see off | to go to the airport or station to say goodbye | We went to the airport to see off my brother. |
| see through | to recognise a trick or lie | The teacher saw through his excuse at once. |
| see to | to deal with or take care of something | I will see to the arrangements for the party. |
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| work out | to find a solution; to do physical exercise | I cannot work out the answer to this sum. |
| fill in | to complete a form | Fill in the admission form in capital letters. |
| point out | to show or draw attention to | The teacher pointed out the mistakes in my essay. |
| wipe out | to destroy completely | The earthquake wiped out whole villages. |
| wear out | to become useless through use; to make very tired | My shoes have worn out. |
| blow up | to explode; to destroy with explosives | The terrorists tried to blow up the bridge. |
| show off | to try to impress others with one's abilities or possessions | He shows off his new phone to everyone. |
| drop out | to leave school or a course before finishing | Poverty forces many children to drop out of school. |
| catch up with | to reach someone who is ahead | I will catch up with you at the gate. |
| cut down on | to reduce the amount of | The doctor told him to cut down on sugar. |
| do away with | to abolish; to get rid of | The government should do away with child labour. |
| find out | to discover a fact | The police found out the truth. |
| pick up | to collect; to learn without effort | Children pick up languages quickly. |
| die out | to disappear completely; to become extinct | Many old customs are dying out. |
| count on | to rely on | You can count on me for help. |
| rule out | to decide that something is not possible | The doctor ruled out dengue. |
| back up | to support; to make a copy of computer files | Back up your data every week. |
| clear up | to make clean and tidy; (of weather) to become fine | The sky cleared up after the rain. |
| check in | to register at a hotel or airport | We checked in at the hotel at noon. |
| hand in | to submit work | Hand in your assignments by Friday. |
| live on | to have as one's only food or money | Some families live on less than a thousand rupees a day. |
| deal with | to handle or take action on | The new officer dealt with the complaints quickly. |
| stick to | to continue with something without changing | Stick to your timetable during the exams. |
| brush up | to improve a skill that has become weak | I need to brush up my French before the trip. |
Look-alike idioms and phrasal verbs (MCQ traps)Often examined
MCQ distractors are chosen to look like the right answer. Learn these pairs side by side.
| Expression | Meaning | Not to be confused with | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| black and blue | bruised all over | in black and white | in writing |
| once in a blue moon | very rarely | a bolt from the blue | a sudden shock |
| a heart of stone | cruel, pitiless | a heart of gold | very kind |
| at sea | confused | at the sea | at the seaside (literal) |
| a red-letter day | a happy, important day | red tape | official delay |
| a white elephant | costly and useless | a white lie | a harmless lie |
| a black sheep | a disgrace to the family | a dark horse | a surprise winner |
| hand in glove | partners in wrongdoing | hand to mouth | barely enough to live |
| at the eleventh hour | at the last moment | in the nick of time | just in time (in time to succeed) |
| give up | stop; quit | give in | surrender; stop resisting |
| put off | postpone | put out | extinguish |
| call off | cancel | call on | visit |
| look after | take care of | look for | search for |
| look up to | respect | look down on | despise |
| take after | resemble a parent | take over | take control |
| break out | start suddenly (war, fire) | break down | stop working; lose control |
| bring up | raise a child; mention | bring about | cause |
| run into | meet by chance | run out of | have none left |
| come across | find by chance | come up with | think of an idea |
| get over | recover from | get through | pass; succeed |
| turn down | refuse | turn up | arrive; increase |
| set up | establish | set off | start a journey |
Key terms
- Idiom
- A fixed group of words whose meaning differs from the meanings of its single words, such as once in a blue moon (very rarely).
- Idiomatic expression
- Another name for an idiom used on FBISE papers.
- Literal meaning
- The ordinary dictionary meaning of the words.
- Figurative meaning
- The imaginative meaning of a phrase taken as a whole, such as heart of stone = no sympathy.
- Proverb
- A short, well-known sentence that gives advice or states a general truth, such as Haste makes waste.
- Phrasal verb
- A verb plus one or two particles that together have a new meaning, such as give up (stop).
- Particle
- The adverb or preposition in a phrasal verb (up, off, out, in, on, over, down, into).
- Separable phrasal verb
- A phrasal verb whose object can come between the verb and the particle: turn the lights off, and must do so when it is a pronoun: turn them off.
- Inseparable phrasal verb
- A phrasal verb whose object always comes after the particle: look after her.
- Pair idiom (binomial)
- Two words joined by and or or in a fixed order, such as black and blue or null and void.
- Context clue
- Words in a sentence (a reason, result or contrast) that show the meaning of an idiom; needed for the mark in a "use in sentences" question.
- Metaphor
- A comparison without like or as; many idioms, such as a heart of stone, are metaphors.
- Euphemism
- A gentle expression used instead of an unpleasant one, such as pass away for die.
- Hyperbole
- Deliberate exaggeration, such as working around the clock.
Practice MCQs
40 new MCQs in the FBISE style: idiom meanings, replacing underlined words, phrasal verbs, proverbs and figurative phrases. Cover the options, say the meaning, then choose.
"We meet our relatives in Karachi once in a blue moon." The idiom "once in a blue moon" means:
- Avery often
- Bevery night
- Cquite suddenly
- Dvery rarelyAnswer
Why
Once in a blue moon means very rarely. A blue moon (a second full moon in one month) is rare, which is where the idiom comes from.
"The new stadium in our small town has become a white elephant." The phrase "a white elephant" means:
- Aa costly possession that is of little useAnswer
- Ba rare and valuable animal
- Ca precious gift from a king
- Da very large and beautiful building
Why
A white elephant is something expensive to keep that brings no benefit. The other options are literal or partial meanings.
"He proved a broken reed in my hour of need." "A broken reed" means:
- Aa loyal and helpful friend
- Ba person who cannot be relied onAnswer
- Ca weak musical instrument
- Da person who is seriously ill
Why
A reed breaks when you lean on it, so a broken reed is someone who fails you when you need support. "A weak musical instrument" is the literal trap.
"The news of the factory's closure came as a complete and sudden surprise to the workers." Choose the idiom that best replaces the underlined words.
- Aonce in a blue moon
- Bout of sorts
- Cas a bolt from the blueAnswer
- Das a red-letter day
Why
A bolt from the blue (lightning from a clear sky) is a sudden, shocking surprise. Once in a blue moon means rarely, not suddenly.
"The day Ayesha received her medical degree was a very happy and memorable day for her family." Choose the idiom for the underlined words.
- Aa dead letter
- Bred tape
- Ca red-letter dayAnswer
- Da black sheep
Why
A red-letter day is an important, happy day (holy days were once printed in red on calendars). Red tape is official delay.
"The court declared the forged agreement invalid and without legal force." Choose the idiom for the underlined words.
- Aspick and span
- Bpart and parcel
- Chale and hearty
- Dnull and voidAnswer
Why
Null and void means having no legal force; it is the only legal pair idiom among the options.
"Before Eid, every room of the house was made very neat and clean." Choose the idiom for the underlined words.
- Anull and void
- Bblack and blue
- Ctooth and nail
- Dspick and spanAnswer
Why
Spick and span means very neat and clean. Black and blue means bruised; tooth and nail means fiercely.
"Ahmad was completely at sea when the examiner asked about the experiment." "At sea" here means:
- AconfusedAnswer
- Bon a ship
- Cangry
- Dseasick
Why
The idiom at sea (no article) means confused and not knowing what to do. "On a ship" is the literal meaning, which is always the trap.
"The leaders agreed to the plan, but the rank and file of the party opposed it." "Rank and file" means:
- Athe ordinary membersAnswer
- Bthe top leaders
- Cthe richest members
- Dthe founding members
Why
Rank and file means the ordinary members of a group, as opposed to its leaders; the contrast with "leaders" in the sentence confirms it.
"The villagers fought tooth and nail to save their land." "Tooth and nail" means:
- Awith sharp weapons
- Bsecretly at night
- Cpolitely and peacefully
- Dfiercely, with all their strengthAnswer
Why
Tooth and nail means with great force and determination, as if using teeth and nails.
"The tenant left the house bag and baggage." "Bag and baggage" means:
- Awith only one small bag
- Bin a hurry at night
- Cwith all his belongingsAnswer
- Dafter paying all his rent
Why
Bag and baggage means with all one's possessions, that is, completely and for good.
"Aunt Farah is a bluestocking." "A bluestocking" is:
- Aa woman who wears blue clothes
- Ba rich and proud lady
- Ca highly educated woman fond of learningAnswer
- Da woman who works in a factory
Why
A bluestocking is an intellectual, bookish woman (from an 18th-century London literary circle). The clothes option is the literal trap.
"Stop beating about the bush and tell me what happened." "Beating about the bush" means:
- Aavoiding the main pointAnswer
- Bhitting the plants
- Cwasting money
- Dmaking loud noise
Why
To beat about the bush is to talk around a subject without coming to the point.
"Kamran landed in hot water when the invigilator caught him cheating." "In hot water" means:
- Ain the bath
- Bin troubleAnswer
- Cvery angry
- Dvery popular
Why
In hot water means in trouble or facing punishment.
"Searching for the lost ring in the crowded bazaar was a wild goose chase." "A wild goose chase" means:
- Aa hunting trip
- Ba quick success
- Ca hopeless, useless searchAnswer
- Dan exciting game
Why
A wild goose chase is a search that cannot succeed.
"The last question of the paper was a hard nut to crack." The idiom means:
- Aa tasty dry fruit
- Ba very strong man
- Can easy task
- Da problem that is difficult to solveAnswer
Why
A hard nut to crack is a difficult problem, or a person who is difficult to deal with.
"The owner turned a deaf ear to the workers' demands." "Turned a deaf ear" means:
- Arefused to listenAnswer
- Bcould not hear because of illness
- Clistened very carefully
- Danswered them angrily
Why
To turn a deaf ear to something is to deliberately ignore it; the person is not really deaf.
"To pass the entry test, Sara had to study late into the night for months." Choose the idiom for the underlined words.
- Abreak the ice
- Bburn the midnight oilAnswer
- Cbeat about the bush
- Dcall it a day
Why
Burn the midnight oil means to study or work late at night (once done by an oil lamp). Call it a day means to stop working.
"She was extremely happy when she won the scholarship." Choose the idiom for the underlined words.
- Aover the moonAnswer
- Bunder the weather
- Cat sea
- Din hot water
Why
Over the moon means extremely happy. Under the weather means slightly ill.
"The rule against using phones in class has become a dead letter." "A dead letter" means:
- Aa rule sent by post
- Ba rule that punishes students
- Ca rule that is no longer obeyed or enforcedAnswer
- Da strict new rule
Why
A dead letter is a law or rule that still exists on paper but nobody follows or enforces.
"The clerk was hand in glove with the smugglers." "Hand in glove" means:
- Awearing gloves like them
- Bworking closely with them in wrongdoingAnswer
- Cfighting against them
- Dafraid of them
Why
Hand in glove means in close partnership, usually for something dishonest, as close as a hand inside a glove.
"He wanted to win the election by hook or by crook." The idiom means:
- Aby fishing and farming
- Bby honest work only
- Cby pure luck
- Dby any means, fair or unfairAnswer
Why
By hook or by crook means by any method at all, honest or dishonest.
"Little Zainab is the apple of her grandfather's eye." The idiom means:
- Ahis favourite fruit
- Ba disease of his eye
- Ca very beautiful woman
- Da person he loves very dearlyAnswer
Why
The apple of one's eye is a person who is loved more than anyone else.
The match was ______ because of heavy rain. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Acalled on
- Bcalled for
- Ccalled offAnswer
- Dcalled up
Why
Call off means cancel. Call on = visit; call for = demand; call up = phone.
My younger brother ______ our father; both are tall and quiet. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Atakes over
- Btakes off
- Ctakes afterAnswer
- Dtakes up
Why
Take after means to resemble an older family member. Take over = take control.
A fire ______ in the cloth market last night. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Abroke down
- Bbroke into
- Cbroke up
- Dbroke outAnswer
Why
Break out is used when a fire, war or disease starts suddenly. Break down is for machines.
The police have promised to ______ the complaint. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Alook intoAnswer
- Blook after
- Clook up to
- Dlook down on
Why
Look into means investigate. Look after = take care of; look up to = respect.
I cannot ______ his rude behaviour any longer. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Aput off
- Bput up withAnswer
- Cput out
- Dput on
Why
Put up with means tolerate. Put off = postpone; put out = extinguish.
Never ______ poor people; they deserve respect like everyone else. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Alook up to
- Blook down onAnswer
- Clook after
- Dlook for
Why
Look down on means to think oneself better than others; the second clause ("they deserve respect") shows the needed meaning.
We have ______ sugar; please buy some on your way home. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Arun into
- Brun out ofAnswer
- Crun over
- Drun after
Why
Run out of means to have none left. Run into = meet by chance.
Our old car ______ on the motorway, and we waited two hours for a mechanic. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Abroke downAnswer
- Bbroke out
- Cbroke into
- Dbroke off
Why
Break down means a machine stops working, which is why they needed a mechanic.
After her parents died, she was ______ by her grandparents in Quetta. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Abrought about
- Bbrought upAnswer
- Cbrought out
- Dbrought down
Why
Bring up means to raise a child. Bring about = cause.
The students ______ a brilliant plan to save water in the hostel. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Acame across
- Bcame about
- Ccame by
- Dcame up withAnswer
Why
Come up with means to think of an idea or plan. Come across = find by chance.
It took Saleem two weeks to ______ the flu. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Aget through
- Bget overAnswer
- Cget along
- Dget by
Why
Get over means to recover from an illness or shock. Get through = pass.
The firemen ______ the fire in an hour. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Aput off
- Bput outAnswer
- Cput up
- Dput on
Why
Put out means extinguish a fire. Put off means postpone, which makes no sense with a fire.
The government has ______ a new hospital in our district. Choose a suitable phrasal verb.
- Aset upAnswer
- Bset off
- Cset in
- Dset back
Why
Set up means to establish. Set off = start a journey; set in = begin (bad weather).
The proverb "A stitch in time saves nine" means:
- Atailors should always work fast
- Bnine stitches are better than one
- Cfixing a problem early prevents bigger trouble laterAnswer
- Dtime is more valuable than money
Why
The proverb advises acting early: one stitch now saves nine stitches later, when the tear has grown.
"Tariq boasts about everything but knows very little." Which proverb fits this situation?
- ABirds of a feather flock together.
- BHaste makes waste.
- CPractice makes perfect.
- DAn empty vessel makes much noise.Answer
Why
An empty vessel makes much noise means people with little knowledge talk the most.
"She has a heart of stone." The phrase "heart of stone" is an example of:
- Asimile
- Balliteration
- CmetaphorAnswer
- Donomatopoeia
Why
It compares her heart to stone without using like or as, so it is a metaphor (a simile would be "a heart like stone").
"The old man passed away last night." The phrase "passed away" is a/an:
- AeuphemismAnswer
- Bhyperbole
- Cpun
- Doxymoron
Why
A euphemism is a gentle word used in place of an unpleasant one; passed away is a polite way to say died.
Section C practice tasks (solved)
Paper-style tasks: idioms in sentences, passage completion, replacing underlined words and phrasal verbs.
Use the following idioms in sentences of your own so that their meaning is clear: a white elephant, at the eleventh hour, a bolt from the blue, hand in glove, by hook or by crook, cry over spilt milk, turn a deaf ear to, a wild goose chase, a hard nut to crack, a red-letter day.
Solution
- a white elephant: The expensive fountain in the town square has become a white elephant: it has not worked for years, yet the council pays to repair it every summer.
- at the eleventh hour: The chief guest cancelled at the eleventh hour, just ten minutes before the ceremony was to begin.
- a bolt from the blue: The news that our college would close for a month came as a bolt from the blue, because nobody had expected it.
- hand in glove: The shopkeeper was hand in glove with the hoarders and helped them hide sugar during the shortage.
- by hook or by crook: The greedy trader was determined to buy the land by hook or by crook, even if he had to bribe the officials.
- cry over spilt milk: You cannot change your first-term result, so stop crying over spilt milk and prepare for the finals.
- turn a deaf ear to: The careless driver turned a deaf ear to the passengers' requests to slow down, and the bus nearly overturned.
- a wild goose chase: The fake address sent the delivery boy on a wild goose chase around G-9 for two hours.
- a hard nut to crack: The stubborn landlord was a hard nut to crack; it took the tenants a month to persuade him to fix the roof.
- a red-letter day: The day my sister was selected for the national hockey team was a red-letter day for our whole family.
| Idiom | Context clue that earns the mark |
|---|---|
| a white elephant | "expensive", "not worked", "pays to repair" show costly and useless |
| at the eleventh hour | "ten minutes before" shows the last possible moment |
| a bolt from the blue | "nobody had expected it" shows a sudden shock |
| hand in glove | "helped them hide sugar" shows a partnership in wrongdoing |
| by hook or by crook | "even if he had to bribe" shows fair or unfair means |
| cry over spilt milk | "cannot change" shows regret over something past |
| turn a deaf ear to | he heard the requests but ignored them |
| a wild goose chase | a fake address means the search could never succeed |
| a hard nut to crack | "a month to persuade him" shows a person difficult to deal with |
| a red-letter day | a proud, happy occasion the family will always remember |
Use the following idiomatic expressions in the blanks to complete the sense of the passage: (i) burn the midnight oil (ii) over the moon (iii) keep one's chin up (iv) a bolt from the blue (v) few and far between. Hamza's father lost his job three months before the board exams. The news came as ______ to the family. Hamza was worried, but he ______ and did not let the problem affect his studies. Every night he ______, solving past papers until two o'clock. Free time was ______, as he also gave tuition to younger children to help at home. When the result came out, he had scored an A-one grade, and his parents were ______.
Solution
Completed passage: Hamza's father lost his job three months before the board exams. The news came as a bolt from the blue to the family. Hamza was worried, but he kept his chin up and did not let the problem affect his studies. Every night he burnt the midnight oil, solving past papers until two o'clock. Free time was few and far between, as he also gave tuition to younger children to help at home. When the result came out, he had scored an A-one grade, and his parents were over the moon.
| Blank | Idiom | Clue in the passage | Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | a bolt from the blue | sudden, unexpected shock (the job loss) | noun idiom after "came as" |
| 2 | kept his chin up | stayed brave; "did not let the problem affect" | past tense; one's changed to his |
| 3 | burnt the midnight oil | "until two o'clock" = working late at night | past tense (burned is also correct) |
| 4 | few and far between | free time was rare because he also gave tuition | fits after "was" as an adjective phrase |
| 5 | over the moon | extremely happy at the A-one result | fits after "were" |
Replace the underlined words in each sentence with a suitable idiom from the box (one idiom is extra): black and blue, at the eleventh hour, a broken reed, the pros and cons, under the weather, spick and span. (i) He always reaches the station at the last possible moment (underlined). (ii) Before choosing a university, discuss the advantages and disadvantages (underlined) with your teachers. (iii) The mob beat the pickpocket so badly that his body was covered in bruises (underlined). (iv) I cannot come to the party; I am feeling a little ill (underlined). (v) Do not depend on Faisal; he is a person who always fails you when you need him (underlined).
Solution
- (i) He always reaches the station at the eleventh hour.
- (ii) Before choosing a university, discuss the pros and cons with your teachers.
- (iii) The mob beat the pickpocket black and blue.
- (iv) I cannot come to the party; I am feeling under the weather.
- (v) Do not depend on Faisal; he is a broken reed.
| Sentence | Idiom | It replaces |
|---|---|---|
| (i) | at the eleventh hour | "at the last possible moment" |
| (ii) | the pros and cons | "the advantages and disadvantages"; the is kept before the idiom |
| (iii) | black and blue | "so badly that his body was covered in bruises" |
| (iv) | under the weather | "a little ill" |
| (v) | a broken reed | "a person who always fails you when you need him" |
Spick and span (very neat and clean) is the extra idiom; no sentence is about cleanliness.
Choose the correct phrasal verb in any six of the following sentences. (i) The meeting was (called off / called on) because the chairman was ill. (ii) She (takes after / takes over) her mother in looks. (iii) Please (look after / look for) my plants while I am away. (iv) A fire (broke out / broke down) in the warehouse at midnight. (v) We will (put off / put out) the trip until next month. (vi) I (came across / came up with) an old letter while cleaning my cupboard. (vii) The doctor advised him to (give up / give in) smoking. (viii) The government has (set up / set off) a committee to look into the matter.
Solution
- (i) The meeting was called off because the chairman was ill.
- (ii) She takes after her mother in looks.
- (iii) Please look after my plants while I am away.
- (iv) A fire broke out in the warehouse at midnight.
- (v) We will put off the trip until next month.
- (vi) I came across an old letter while cleaning my cupboard.
- (vii) The doctor advised him to give up smoking.
- (viii) The government has set up a committee to look into the matter.
| Sentence | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| (i) | called off | the chairman was ill, so the meeting was cancelled; call on = visit |
| (ii) | takes after | resembles a parent; takes over = takes control |
| (iii) | look after | take care of the plants; look for = search |
| (iv) | broke out | a fire starts suddenly; broke down is for machines |
| (v) | put off | postpone until next month; put out = extinguish |
| (vi) | came across | found by chance while cleaning; came up with = thought of an idea |
| (vii) | give up | stop a habit; give in = surrender to someone |
| (viii) | set up | establish a committee; set off = start a journey |
FBISE paper questions
Questions from the FBISE HSSC-II 2026 (1st Annual) papers, the old-syllabus paper and FBISE model papers that belong to this unit, answered the way an examiner expects.
Please ______ the lights before leaving the room. Choose a suitable phrasal verb:
- ATurn out
- BTurn up
- CTurn into
- DTurn offAnswer
Why
Turn off means to stop a light, machine or tap, which is what we do to lights when we leave a room. Turn up means to arrive or to increase (volume, heat); turn into means to become.
Note. In British English "turn out the lights" also means switch them off, so A is not strictly wrong. The standard answer, and the one the board most likely keyed, is D (turn off).
She always scolds the poor. She has a heart of stone. The phrase "heart of stone" suggests:
- AA literal stone heart
- BA medical condition
- CLack of sympathyAnswer
- DStrong health
Why
A heart of stone is a figurative phrase (a metaphor): a heart that feels nothing, like a stone, so the person has no pity or sympathy. The first sentence ("She always scolds the poor") is the context clue. Option A is the literal trap.
Use the following idiomatic expressions in the blanks to complete the sense of the passage: (i) burn the midnight oil (ii) over the moon (iii) roll with the punches (iv) go the extra mile (v) keep my chin up. It was ______ when I got my dream job. Although the work was tough, I always ______ and ______. Challenges came, but I ______, and ______ to succeed.
Solution
Completed passage: I was over the moon when I got my dream job. Although the work was tough, I always kept my chin up and went the extra mile. Challenges came, but I rolled with the punches, and burnt the midnight oil to succeed.
| Blank | Idiom (correct form) | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | over the moon | getting a dream job makes one extremely happy; it is the only idiom that describes a feeling after "was" |
| 2 | kept my chin up | "although the work was tough" calls for staying cheerful and brave; past tense kept |
| 3 | went the extra mile | "always ... and" describes a habit of extra effort at work; past tense went |
| 4 | rolled with the punches | "challenges came, but I" calls for accepting difficulties and adjusting; past tense rolled |
| 5 | burnt the midnight oil | "to succeed" follows working late at night; burnt or burned are both correct |
Note. Blanks 2 and 3 can be swapped ("I always went the extra mile and kept my chin up"), and "went the extra mile to succeed" also fits the last blank; examiners accept any order in which each idiom's meaning fits and the tense is past.
He was beaten so badly that his whole body was marked with injuries (underlined). The most appropriate idiom to replace the underlined part of the sentence is:
- Ablack and blueAnswer
- Bblack and white
- Ctooth and nail
- Dbag and baggage
Why
Black and blue means covered with bruises, the colours of injured skin: "He was beaten black and blue." In black and white means in writing, tooth and nail means fiercely, and bag and baggage means with all one's belongings. The official key is A.
Use any FIVE of the following idioms in sentences. (i) Once in a blue moon (ii) A bird's eye view (iii) A dead letter (iv) A broken reed (v) A blue stocking (vi) At sea (vii) Rank and file
Solution
All seven are answered below; in the exam write any five.
- (i) Once in a blue moon (very rarely): My uncle is so busy with his business in Dubai that he visits us only once in a blue moon.
- (ii) A bird's eye view (a view from high above): From the Pir Sohawa viewpoint in the Margalla Hills, we had a bird's eye view of the whole of Islamabad.
- (iii) A dead letter (a rule no longer obeyed): The law against child labour has become a dead letter in many places, as children still work in hotels and workshops.
- (iv) A broken reed (someone who cannot be relied on): I had counted on my partner to support me, but when the crisis came he proved a broken reed and left me alone.
- (v) A bluestocking (a highly educated woman devoted to learning): Our principal is a bluestocking who has written three books on Urdu poetry and reads for hours every day.
- (vi) At sea (confused): When the examiner asked about a chapter I had not revised, I was completely at sea.
- (vii) Rank and file (the ordinary members, not the leaders): The party leaders accepted the deal, but the rank and file were angry about it.
| Official model solution (FBISE 2024) | Comment |
|---|---|
| His uncle visits him once in a blue moon as he is a busy man. | good: the reason "as he is a busy man" shows the meaning |
| I had a bird's eye view of the city while flying to UAE. | good: flying shows a view from above |
| The water treaty between Pakistan and India is a dead letter as India doesn't abide by it. | good: "doesn't abide by it" shows it is not obeyed |
| Vice president is a broken reed as all decisions are taken by the president. | accepted, but it shows powerlessness more than unreliability; our sentence shows a person who fails you when needed |
| She is a bluestocking lady so, men of letters give her company. | accepted, but weak; a clearer clue is "has written books" or "reads for hours" |
| She finds herself at sea when Lubna asks her perplexing questions. | good: "perplexing questions" shows confusion |
| People of all rank and file attended the marriage ceremony of the daughter of the president. | accepted by FBISE, but standard English uses rank and file for ordinary members as against leaders |
Exam focus
- Learn the 35 classic FBISE idioms with their meanings and example sentences (once in a blue moon, a bird's eye view, a dead letter, a broken reed, a bluestocking, at sea, rank and file ...). (short)These are the idioms used on FBISE papers and model papers, in both MCQs and Section C.Go to answer
- Use any five idioms in sentences so that their meaning is clear. (short)Old-syllabus Q.5 b (5 marks); a sentence without a context clue earns nothing.Go to answer
- Fill a passage with given idioms, changing them to the correct tense and pronoun. (short)Set on the 2026 old-syllabus paper (Q.5 b); marks are lost for wrong form (burn / burnt, my / his).Go to answer
- Choose the phrasal verb that fits a sentence (turn off / turn up / turn into / turn out). (mcq)2026 Set B MCQ 3; the options always share one base verb, so learn phrasal verbs in families.Go to answer
- Give the figurative meaning of a phrase such as "heart of stone". (mcq)2026 Set D MCQ 11; the literal option is always the trap.Go to answer
- Replace underlined words with a pair idiom (black and blue, tooth and nail, bag and baggage, null and void, spick and span). (mcq)Model paper 2024 MCQ 7; pair idioms are set against each other as distractors.Go to answer
- Tell apart look-alike phrasal verbs and idioms (give up / give in, put off / put out, break out / break down, black and blue / in black and white). (mcq)Distractors in idiom MCQs are chosen from these pairs.Go to answer
- Name the figure of speech in an idiom (hyperbole, metaphor, euphemism). (mcq)2026 Set D MCQ 17 asked about "working around the clock" (hyperbole).Go to answer