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                                    IDIOMS AND PHRASES

 What Is an Idiom? – Meaning and Definition

An idiom is a group of words, or in other words, a phrase that has a meaning different from the literal meaning of the words in it. According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, an idiom is defined as “a group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words”, and according to the Cambridge Dictionary, an idiom is defined as “a group of words in a fixed order that has a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own”.

The Collins Dictionary defines an idiom as “a group of words which have a different meaning when used together from the one they would have if you took the meaning of each word separately.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides a more elaborate definition. According to them, an idiom is “an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements (such as up in the air for “undecided”) or in its grammatically atypical use of words (such as give way).”

Why Use Idioms in Sentences?

Idioms can be a powerful linguistic tool only when they are used in the right way in the right places. The only thing that makes learning idioms a time-consuming process is the fact that one cannot depend merely on the meaning of individual words to understand what the entire phrase means.

Idioms are not meant to be used in academic or professional writing. In a lighter context, the use of idioms can make your piece of writing or speech unique. Idioms can also be used to indicate pun or even sarcasm. Like any other components of a language, you have to be careful with the use of idioms as well. The only problem is that it would make no sense or effect to a group of people who do not know the meaning of the idiom you are using. So, always make sure you are using idioms with an audience who would be able to comprehend the meaning.

The most common English idioms

These English idioms are extremely common in everyday conversation in the United States. You will hear them in movies and TV shows and can use them to make your English sound more like that of a native speaker. 

Idiom	Meaning	Usage
A blessing in disguise	a good thing that seemed bad at first	as part of a sentence
A dime a dozen	Something common	as part of a sentence
Beat around the bush	Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable	as part of a sentence
Better late than never	Better to arrive late than not to come at all	by itself
Bite the bullet	To get something over with because it is inevitable	as part of a sentence
Break a leg	Good luck	by itself
Call it a day	Stop working on something	as part of a sentence
Cut somebody some slack	Don't be so critical	as part of a sentence
Cutting corners	Doing something poorly in order to save time or money	as part of a sentence
Easy does it	Slow down	by itself
Get out of hand	Get out of control	as part of a sentence
Get something out of your system	Do the thing you've been wanting to do so you can move on	as part of a sentence
Get your act together	Work better or leave	by itself
Give someone the benefit of the doubt	Trust what someone says	as part of a sentence
Go back to the drawing board	Start over	as part of a sentence
Hang in there	Don't give up	by itself
Hit the sack	Go to sleep	as part of a sentence
It's not rocket science	It's not complicated	by itself
Let someone off the hook	To not hold someone responsible for something	as part of a sentence
Make a long story short	Tell something briefly	as part of a sentence

What Is a Phrase?

A phrase is a group of words that forms a grammatical component. It can be used to communicate something. It is a part of a sentence and cannot stand on its own. Phrases provide more information about whatever the sentence is speaking about.

Definition of a Phrase

A phrase, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a group of words without a finite verb, especially one that forms part of a sentence.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a phrase is defined as “a group of words that is part of, rather than the whole of a sentence.” The Collins Dictionary defines a phrase as “a short group of words that people often use as a way of saying something. The meaning of a phrase is often not obvious from the meaning of the individual words in it.” It is also defined as “a small group of words which forms a unit, either on its own or within a sentence.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a phrase as “a word or group of words forming a syntactic constituent with a single grammatical function.”

Types of Phrases with Examples

In English grammar, there are five main types of phrases. They are,

• Noun phrase
• Adjective phrase
• Adverb phrase
• Verb phrase
• Prepositional phrase

Other types of phrases include gerund phrase, appositive phrase, participle phrase and infinitive phrase.

Noun Phrase

A noun phrase is a group of words that have a noun or pronoun. It is used to modify the noun. In other words, it can be said that a noun phrase can function as a subject, an object or a complement in a sentence.

For example:

• My brother’s friend had come to visit him. (Used as a subject)
• Scented candles are my favourite. (Used as a subject)
• The students were asked to find the buried treasure. (Used as an object)

Adjective Phrase

An adjective phrase or an adjectival phrase is a group of words that consists of an adjective. It can be used to complement it. It provides more information about the noun or pronoun in a sentence. In other words, it can be said that it functions just like an adjective in a sentence.

For example:

• Annu has silky, smooth hair.
• People, living in large cities, often find it difficult to reach in time.
• The team that made it to the final was congratulated in front of the whole school.

Adverb Phrase

An adverb phrase or an adverbial phrase is a group of words that includes an adverb and other modifiers. It performs all the functions of an adverb. It can be placed in any part of the sentence, with respect to the part of speech they modify.

For example:

• We are planning to finish our group project by the end of May.
• Later this evening, my cousins and I have planned to go to the park.
• They saw some abandoned puppies at the corner of the street.

Verb Phrase

A verb phrase can be used just like a verb. It consists of a main verb and an auxiliary verb.

For example:

• Students are practising hard in order to participate in the state tournament.
• Aaron has been writing multiplication tables for three hours.
• The dogs have been barking continuously.

Prepositional Phrase

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and an object. It works just like an adjective or an adverb. It relates the subject and the verb in a sentence. It is used to modify the nouns and verbs in a particular sentence.

For example:

• It was too hard for me to concentrate with the kids jumping around.
• The jewellery boxes were kept inside the cupboard.
• On the way to New York, we caught sight of the famous Niagara falls.