Certificates / English / Idioms and Phrases
Idioms and Phrases: lesson, then the certificate test
Step 1: the lesson (about 1 min)
An idiom means something different from its words; the sentence around it is your best clue.
- Read the whole sentence and ask what the speaker is really saying.
- Rule out options that only repeat the literal meaning of the words.
- Learn idioms in small groups by theme (money, effort, secrets, time).
Worked example
"The intern let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party." What does the phrase mean?
- Nothing about an animal fits the sentence
- The intern told people something that was meant to stay hidden
Answer: Revealed a secret.
Watch out
- Picking the literal meaning of the words.
Made by Shishya (AI-assisted): a general method in our own words, with our own example; no exam or platform question is copied.
Step 2: the test
- 15 questions from Shishya's checked question bank, 20 minutes. Pass mark: 11 correct.
- Scored on Shishya's server; the answers are not shown afterwards, so the test stays fair. Each attempt draws new questions.
- Free. Your first test needs no account; sign up free to take more. Your answers and score are not stored; if you pass, you choose the name to print (ages 13 and up).
- It is a Shishya completion certificate — not a university or government credential. The test is not supervised.