Posted by Hey guys!
Everybody knows the importance of learning some phrasal verbs, idioms and colloquial expressions, especially when you live in a foreign country. We always learn a lot of them by communicating with native speakers or watching movies and series. In this post, you learn some phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions to communicate in a more natural way when speaking English in a foreign country.
* be in the same boat – to be in the same unfortunate circumstances as others.
I was in the same boat last year, that’s why I can share this experience with you.
* feel for sb – to experience sympathy and sadness for someone because they are suffering.
I know what it’s like to be lonely, so I feel for her.
* if all else fails – You say if all else fails to suggest what could be done in a certain situation if all the other things you have tried are unsuccessful.
Try to do this and if all else fails just accept that at least you’ve tried your best.
* for what’s worth – said when you are giving someone a piece of information and you are not certain if that information is useful or important.
For what it’s worth, I think he may be right.
* your best bet – to be the best decision or choice.
Your best bet would be to take a bus to the airport.
* don’t bite off more than you can chew – don’t take on more work or a bigger task than one can handle.
With two additional jobs, Bill is clearly biting off more than he can chew.
* save your breath – stop wasting time in futile talk.
Save your breath; I know all about it.
* watch your back – to be careful of the people around you, making certain that they do nothing to harm you.
I have to watch my back at work – there are a lot of people who would like my job.
* hold your horses – used to tell someone to stop and consider carefully their decision or opinion about something.
Just hold your horses, Bill! Let’s think about this for a moment.
* count your blessings – to be grateful for the good things in your life, often to stop yourself becoming too unhappy about the bad things.
There are children in the world who don’t have enough to eat – count your blessings!
* keep your chin up – remain cheerful in difficult circumstances.
Keep your chin up, we haven’t lost it all yet.
* pull your socks up – to make an effort to improve your work or behaviour because it is not good enough.
He’s going to have to pull his socks up if he wants to stay in the team.
* give it your best shot – to do something as well as you can.
I gave it my best shot and achieved the target.
* get your act together – to start to organize yourself so that you do things in an effective way.
She’s so disorganized – I wish she’d get her act together.
* pull yourself together – to become calm and behave normally again after being angry or upset.
Just pull yourself together. There’s no point crying about it.
* try sth out – to use something to discover if it works or if you like it.
Don’t forget to try out the equipment before setting up the experiment.
* stick to – continue or confine oneself to doing or using a particular thing.
If I were you I’d stick to saving money until you find a job.
* give up – stop making an effort; quit.
He wasn’t the kind of man to give up easily.
I hope you learned some new phrasal verbs and idioms today, see you next time!
Source: Idioms and Phrasal Verbs – Advanced / Ruth Gairns and Stuart Redman – Oxford
Picture Credits: Asking question vector created by freepik – www.freepik.com
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