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Idiomatic / Phrase Completion

Introduction

The Idiomatic / Phrase Completion pattern tests your understanding of common idioms and expressions in English. The blank in the sentence must be filled with an idiomatic phrase that makes the sentence meaningful and natural.

This pattern is important because idioms often convey meanings that are not literal - they express emotions, reactions, or situations in colorful, figurative ways.

Pattern: Idiomatic / Phrase Completion

Pattern

Choose the idiomatic expression that best fits the sentence’s tone and meaning.

These questions check your ability to interpret context clues and apply the correct idiomatic phrase. Many idioms are fixed expressions - they cannot be changed grammatically without losing meaning.

Step-by-Step Example

Question

When the plan failed, the manager decided to ___.
(A) call it a day (B) throw in the towel (C) turn a blind eye (D) hit the sack

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the Context

    The plan has failed - this indicates giving up or accepting defeat.

  2. Step 2: Understand Idioms

    • Call it a day: Stop working for the day.
    • Throw in the towel: Admit defeat or give up.
    • Turn a blind eye: Ignore something intentionally.
    • Hit the sack: Go to sleep.

  3. Step 3: Apply Correct Idiom

    The suitable expression is throw in the towel, which means “to give up”.

  4. Final Answer:

    throw in the towel → Option B

  5. Quick Check:

    “When the plan failed, the manager decided to throw in the towel.” - logically and idiomatically correct ✅

Quick Variations

1. Decision-based idioms: e.g., “call it a day”, “take a stand”.

2. Emotion-based idioms: e.g., “fly off the handle”, “in high spirits”.

3. Failure or success idioms: e.g., “throw in the towel”, “hit the jackpot”.

4. Behavior-based idioms: e.g., “turn a blind eye”, “bark up the wrong tree”.

Trick to Always Use

  • Step 1: Read the sentence carefully to understand the situation - success, failure, emotion, or action.
  • Step 2: Eliminate idioms that don’t fit grammatically or logically.
  • Step 3: Choose the idiom that conveys the same meaning as the sentence context.
  • Step 4: Re-read the full sentence with the idiom inserted - it must sound natural and meaningful.

Summary

Summary

In Idiomatic / Phrase Completion questions:

  • Focus on the tone and context of the sentence.
  • Know the common idioms and their meanings.
  • Eliminate literal or grammatically odd choices.
  • Use the idiom that makes the sentence sound natural and complete.

Practice

(1/5)
1. After several failed attempts, the scientist finally decided to ___.
easy
A. throw in the towel
B. call it a day
C. hit the sack
D. turn a blind eye

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the Context

    The phrase ‘after several failed attempts’ suggests giving up after trying hard.

  2. Step 2: Analyze Options

    ‘Throw in the towel’ means to give up; the others mean to stop for the day, sleep, or ignore something.

  3. Step 3: Apply Correct Idiom

    Throw in the towel fits perfectly here.

  4. Final Answer:

    throw in the towel → Option A

  5. Quick Check:

    “After several failed attempts, the scientist finally decided to throw in the towel.” - makes complete sense ✅
Hint: Use ‘throw in the towel’ to indicate giving up after repeated failures.
Common Mistakes: Choosing ‘call it a day’ which means to stop working for the day, not to give up completely.
2. He decided to __ after finishing all his work early.
easy
A. throw in the towel
B. call it a day
C. hit the sack
D. cut corners

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the Context

    The phrase ‘after finishing all his work early’ suggests stopping work for the day.

  2. Step 2: Analyze Options

    ‘Call it a day’ means to stop working after finishing tasks; others do not fit the context.

  3. Step 3: Apply Correct Idiom

    Call it a day fits the situation perfectly.

  4. Final Answer:

    call it a day → Option B

  5. Quick Check:

    “He decided to call it a day after finishing all his work early.” ✅
Hint: Use ‘call it a day’ when you stop working for the day.
Common Mistakes: Choosing ‘throw in the towel’ which implies failure, not completion.
3. Even after repeated warnings, he continued to __ his friend’s mistakes.
easy
A. hit the sack
B. face the music
C. turn a blind eye to
D. call it a day

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the Context

    The phrase ‘repeated warnings’ indicates ignoring or overlooking someone’s faults.

  2. Step 2: Analyze Options

    ‘Turn a blind eye to’ means to deliberately ignore something wrong; other options don't match the context.

  3. Step 3: Apply Correct Idiom

    Turn a blind eye to fits perfectly.

  4. Final Answer:

    turn a blind eye to → Option C

  5. Quick Check:

    “Even after repeated warnings, he continued to turn a blind eye to his friend’s mistakes.” - contextually correct ✅
Hint: Use ‘turn a blind eye to’ when someone ignores wrongdoing intentionally.
Common Mistakes: Choosing ‘face the music’ which means to accept punishment.
4. After working for sixteen hours straight, she just wanted to ___.
medium
A. call it a day
B. burn the midnight oil
C. turn the tables
D. hit the sack

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the Context

    The phrase ‘after working for sixteen hours straight’ suggests exhaustion and the need for rest.

  2. Step 2: Analyze Options

    ‘Hit the sack’ means to go to bed or sleep; others refer to stopping for the day, working late, or reversing a situation.

  3. Step 3: Apply Correct Idiom

    Hit the sack suits perfectly.

  4. Final Answer:

    hit the sack → Option D

  5. Quick Check:

    “After working for sixteen hours straight, she just wanted to hit the sack.” ✅
Hint: Use ‘hit the sack’ to mean go to sleep or rest after a long day.
Common Mistakes: Choosing ‘call it a day’ which means to stop working, not sleep.
5. When the new project was announced, the whole team was ___.
medium
A. on cloud nine
B. under the weather
C. in hot water
D. behind the scenes

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the Context

    The phrase ‘when the new project was announced’ suggests excitement or happiness.

  2. Step 2: Analyze Options

    ‘On cloud nine’ means extremely happy; others mean unwell, in trouble, or secretly involved.

  3. Step 3: Apply Correct Idiom

    On cloud nine fits the happy context.

  4. Final Answer:

    on cloud nine → Option A

  5. Quick Check:

    “When the new project was announced, the whole team was on cloud nine.” - perfect fit ✅
Hint: Use ‘on cloud nine’ to show extreme happiness or excitement.
Common Mistakes: Choosing ‘under the weather’ which means feeling sick.

Mock Test

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Take a 10-minute AI-powered test with 10 questions (Easy-Medium-Hard mix) and get instant SWOT analysis of your performance!

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5 Minutes